Dumbbell Side Bend - Abdominal Exercise
A well-chiseled
abdomen is an enthralling sculpture to behold,
particularly one forming that delightful V shape. But
one issue to contend with is that a hefty
statistic of all abs exercises performed
by bodybuilders is composed of variations
on the sit-up and the leg raise.
Drawing
the legs and torso closer together work
as flexions of the abdominus rectus body,
short of a complete six-pack abs exercise.
Though in essence they are all exercises
to get abs, flexions are only one of the
three functions of the abdomen.
Drawing the
legs and torso closer together workas flexions
of the abdominus rectus body, short of a
complete six-pack abs exercise.
Though in essence
they are all exercises to get abs, flexions are
only one of the three functions of the abdomen.
The other two are bending to the side, and twisting
from side to side - these movements depend on the
oblique muscles. Honing your obliques is the creed
of every proper flat abs exercise. The obliques refer to the large muscle group on
either side of your lower back.
Located just under
the ribcage, obliques assist in twisting motions
for the torso, whether bending it to one side and
forward or twist it at the waist from one side to
the other.
They are also designated to transfer
power from the legs to the lats and upper back and
shoulder.
Apart from its crucial role in lateral
bending and twisting, the obliques play a pivotal
role in all abdominus rectus exercises, and act
as a counterforce to the spinal erector muscles
of the back.
More than the abdominus rectus could, the obliques
cover and hold in a much larger portion of the
abdomen.
The muscle group curves inward and downward
from the sides to the front of the lower abdomen,
and down into the crotch.
For that reason the
obliques are not just a side muscle, but a frontal
muscle as well, particularly the internal obliques
and the lower portion of the external obliques.
For an exercise to build your abs, this exercise
for lower abs is your answer.Your hackneyed sit-ups and leg raises don’t
work the obliques much at all.
They even bite
off more than it can chew as they gradually force
the top of the pelvis to tilt forward, contributing
to swayback.Touted one of the best abs exercises around,
the dumbbell side bend is the most frequently
recommended to train the obliques.
There is many
an abs exercise video with oblique training in
their program.Here is a basic abs exercise tip nevertheless.
For those Greek god obliques, stand erect, feet
spaced 16" apart.
Grasp the dumbbell in right
hand, palms facing inwards. Place left hand on
waist, remembering to keep the back straight.
Lean right as far as possible, and then bend to
left as far as possible.
Shift weight to left
hand and do repetitions of the movement. Bend
only at the waist, not at the hips or knees.
In a barbell side bend, stand
erect, feet still spaced 16" apart. Position
a light barbell on shoulders while never forgetting
to maintain an upright back.
Bend to the right
as far as possible, and then lean leftwards as
far as possible. Remember to bend at the waist
only, not at hips or knees. This variant of the
flat abs exercise can also be done seated.
