Strengthen your core and get your oblique abdominal muscles in top shape - start your training today!
Table of contents
- Train abdominal muscles: oblique crunch
- Criss-cross crunches activate the abdominal muscles
- Full body exercise: side plank
- Gentle movement with tension: side crunches
- Upper body twists: abdominal twist
With so many abdominal exercises to choose from, it can be difficult to choose the right ones. That's why we've put together some effective exercises for you that you can easily integrate into your training plan.
Train abdominal muscles: oblique crunch
Here's how:
Lie on your back with your legs hip-width apart and your feet positioned a little distance from your bottom. Now lightly support the back of your head with your fingertips and stretch your elbows far out.
Tense your stomach tightly and use your abdominal muscles to release your upper body a few centimeters from the floor. Come up diagonally and push your left elbow towards your right knee. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise 15 times. Then switch sides.
3 sets of 15 reps per side
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Criss-cross crunches activate the abdominal muscles
Here's how:
Lie on your back and bend your legs so that they form a 90 degree angle and your calves are parallel to the floor. In this position, place your fingertips on the back of your head, stretch your elbows far out and tense your stomach.
Pull your left knee towards your upper body and extend your right leg straight forward. At the same time, lift your upper body and push your right elbow towards your left knee. Repeat 15 times, then do the same exercise on the other side.
3 sets of 15 reps per side
Reading tips:
Full body exercise: side plank
Here's how:
Lie on your left side and tense your stomach tightly. Go into side plank position and lift your body so that the weight is supported by your outstretched left arm and the edges of your feet. Your spine must remain straight - imagine an inclined axis of your head, shoulders, hips, knees and feet. Make sure your left hand is directly under your shoulder. It's easier if you support yourself on your left forearm.
From this position, stretch your right arm straight up and slowly alternately raise and lower your body a few centimeters. Hold for 15 seconds, then take a short break.
3 sets per side of 15 seconds each
Variant:Come into side support and raise your right arm. Then bring your arm in front of your upper body and push it down so that your right arm is pushed between your upper body and your left arm.
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Reading tips:
Gentle movement with tension: side crunches
Lie on your back with your feet a little distance from your bottom. Tighten your abdominal muscles, then release your upper body from the floor and slide your right arm along your leg towards your right foot. Then switch sides. A total of 20 repetitions per side.
3 sets of 20 reps per side
Upper body twists: abdominal twist
Sit on the mat. The legs are closed and slightly bent, the heels remain on the floor. Lean your upper body straight back until your abdominal muscles are tense. Then turn your upper body to the left so that you can stretch both arms past your knees. Some people also find it helpful to tap the floor with their fingertips. Then turn to the other side.
3 sets of 20 reps per side
Variant:Do you want it more difficult? Then try the so-called Russian Twist. This involves lifting your legs and lifting a medicine ball (or dumbbell) from side to side.
Also click through the image gallery to discover even more exercises:
© iStock
The best fitness exercises for your body type
© Sport, Christina Mannherz
Fitness exercises for apple, pear, column, hourglass figure types
Find out now what body type you are.Apple type(blue figure): Apple women have a soft, feminine and rounded shape in which body fat can accumulate predominantly in the chest, stomach, arms and upper back areas. Women of this figure type often have very beautiful legs and a small, firm and toned bottom.Bulb type(green figure): Compared to the apple type, the pear woman tends to store her fat predominantly in the hips, buttocks, thighs and lower abdominal region. She has a firm upper body with delicate arms and hands as well as a flattering, long and narrow waist.Column type(red figure): Women with a classic columnar figure often have a very slim body. The figure is overall defined and muscular. This figure type, with low body fat, has similar measurements in the hips, waist and chest areas. As a result, soft and round shapes are hardly found in this straight figure type. Pillar women have an enviably flat stomach and a beautiful, long back zone.Hourglass type(yellow figure): Hourglass women have bodies with very feminine shapes. Your body fat is evenly distributed between your upper body, stomach, buttocks and legs. They often have medium to large breasts and full, well-shaped hips. The waist sits high, is slim and characterizes the curves that characterize this figure type.
The idea for this special figure-type workout comes from Cologne fitness trainer Bernhard Koch (www.sportartverlag.de).
© iStock
There is the right workout for every figure!
© Sport, Christina Mannherz
Fitness exercises for the apple type: Small circles
Trains arms and shoulders, stimulates fat burning
Moves dynamically on the spot. Raise your arms up to shoulder height and stretch them outwards to the sides of your body. Now draw small, tennis ball-sized circles forward with your arms. The shoulder remains low despite the arm extension.
2 x 1 Minute.
Important note at the end:Your body is as individual as your character. You have to find out for yourself which diet and which form of training suits you best. Don't let others put pressure on you. In principle, however, the following applies: an active lifestyle with a balanced diet and lots of exercise is still the best way to stay fit over the long term and achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
