Upper Ab Day

Although abs never usually get their own special day in the gym, I like to give ab workouts the recognition they deserve. The abdominal region is generally viewed in several different parts such as upper abs, lower abs, obliques, etc. There are specific workouts that target each region. Some of these workouts pair better when you are sore in other parts of your body. Today I am going to share and explain my upper abs workout.  

1-minute rest in between each exercise 

100 track abs 

100 ab circles on each side 

100 flat leg crunches 

100 straight leg crunches 

100 weighted Russian twists 

100 track abs 

 

Track abs? 

Track abs are named this way because I first learned about this workout at track & field practice. Simply put, it is a crunch circuit. First, you start with 100 normal crunches (knees bent). That is followed by 100 crunches with your legs in a tabletop position. Next, you do 100 side crunches, where you twist your body to the side until your knee touches the ground. You finish with 100 crunches on the other side. This may seem daunting at first as you are doing 400 crunches in a row, but begin with 25 and see how it feels. Over time, it will be easy to increase the number of crunches.  

Image 1: side ab crunches. Photo taken of author: 9/4/2019

 

Ab circles?  

These are very similar to a crunch, but instead of going up and down, you are rotating in a small circle. This is best done by lifting one shoulder blade off the ground at a time while engaging your core. First clockwise, then counterclockwise. Likewise, with track abs, you can alter the amount you can do at first. 

 

Flat leg crunches?  

Just as the name tells: crunches with your legs straight on the ground. You should try and focus on keeping your lower back pressed on the ground.  

 

Straight leg crunches?  

Lift your legs up 90 degrees from the last position and crunch away! 

 

Weighted Russian twists?  

Pick up a weighted plate that you can handle (usually between 5-25 pounds). Balance your body on your tailbone with the weight in your hand. Slowly move the weight from one side to the other.  

Image 2: weighted Russian twists. Photo taken of author: 9/4/2019

 

This entire upper ab workout can be done without any equipment (besides the weight on the Russian twists which can be taken off). Thus, you can do this in your dorm room, or just about anywhere with a clean floor. However, I would recommend doing abs on a yoga mat as it prevents you from injuring your tailbone and keeps your back clean. Additionally, I recommend doing abs in lightweight sneakers, as it is easier on your hip flexors, which play a larger role in my lower ab workouts. That will be further explained next post. 😊