The classic twisting exercise on the floor is a highly effective way to get rid of sagging wrinkles on your stomach and gain strong abs. However, you need to pay special attention to how correctly you perform this exercise, especially if you have problems with the lower back or neck.
Traditional option
Although the complex of movements is not at all complicated, experts recommend carefully following the step-by-step instructions when doing exercises for the press.
- Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet at the width of the belt. They should rest on the floor.
- Fold your hands behind your head so that your thumbs are behind your ears. Caution: Do not twist your fingers into the "lock".
- Put your elbows, respectively, in opposite directions and slightly forward.
- Lift your chin so that between it and the chest there are a few centimeters of free space.
- Slowly tighten your abs while pulling in your stomach.
- Tear your upper body off the floor, leaning forward. It is important that the shoulder blades do not touch the floor.
- Hold for one second in this position, then slowly lower yourself onto your back.
Little tricks
Twisting on the floor is a relatively simple exercise, but there are some nuances in doing it. Having carefully studied the tips of fitness instructors, you will increase the effectiveness of physical activity and you can avoid sports injuries.
- Keep your abs tight. This, firstly, will help to achieve noticeable results of a workout faster, and secondly, it will prevent excessive load on the lower back.
- Do not put your hands on your neck. Observe the original distance between the elbows.
- Bend the body as much as you lift it from the floor. In other words, avoid sudden movements when lifting the head, neck and shoulder blades from a prone position. Try to lean forward as if you were folding in half. Imagine that you are stretching your ribs to the pelvis, and exhale at the peak of twisting, lying on the floor; inhale when you return to the starting position, while continuing to keep the stomach in tension.
- Perform all movements very slowly and concentratedly. Dozens of repetitions will be enough.
Back twisting on the press
- Lie on the floor, put your hands on your stomach or stretch them along the body. In the latter case, the palms should lie completely on the floor.
- Raise your legs. You can either keep your knees bent at an angle of ninety degrees, or stretch your legs and try to straighten them.
- Tear your lower torso off the floor using your abdominal muscles. Use caution: it is important not to put stress on your arms, back, or head. If you are unable to raise the lower body only with the help of the press, this means that you lack physical strength. It helps to train the usual, "classic" twisting on the floor. If you continue the exercise with insufficient strength of the abdominal muscles, the training will only lead to a waste of energy and an extra load on other parts of the body.
Fitball Alternative
If you regularly visit the gym or have your own gymnastic ball and the ability to do fitness at home, try replacing the back curls with abs with an interesting variation of the exercise.
- Sit on the gym ball and roll your torso down a bit so that the back (from the shoulder blades to the tailbone) is lying on the bend of the fitball, and the upper body (head, neck, shoulders) remains above the ball. The knees are bent, the feet rest on the floor and spaced across the width of the belt.
- Perform the basic movement that makes up the traditional twist on the floor. You will have to do the exercise slowly and carefully, maximally tensing the abdominal muscles in order to maintain balance and not slide off the gymnastic ball.
More variety
Like any basic exercise (including push-ups, squats, lunges, jumping from an emphasis lying, levels), twisting can be very diverse. Try the following variations to determine the most effective load for you personally:
- Cross twisting ("bicycle"). Follow the step-by-step instructions for the first, classic version, but instead of simultaneously lifting both shoulders off the floor, lift one shoulder and stretch it in the opposite direction (left - to the right, right - to the left). It’s convenient for some to perform this exercise in dynamics and touch the shoulders of the corresponding knee (that is, the left shoulder - the right knee, and vice versa). This option is a good load for the oblique muscles of the abdomen.
- Lateral twisting on the floor. Now, still following the directions for the traditional version of the exercise, place both legs on one side (the knees are still bent and squeezed together). Take your shoulders off the floor at the same time as usual. Since the torso will be partially turned to the side, you will feel tension in the sides. Do a few repetitions on one side, then change the position of the legs and repeat the steps on the other side.
- Twisting with an expander. Stand straight and hold the mounted expander in both hands. Pull it down, bending your back and straining your abs.