Abdominal muscle training without equipment

The abdominal muscle training without equipment can easily be done at home, on the road or at work. All you need is some space and possibly a soft surface, such as an iso-mat or fitness mat. One exercise is the Planks.

Here the body is in a horizontal position above the floor, with only the forearms and the tips of the feet touching the floor. The rest of the body is tensed and forms a parallel to the floor. This support position should then be held for 20 to 60 seconds, depending on the level.

As a variation one can alternately lift the right and left leg briefly off the floor. This exercise trains the straight abdominal muscles. The lateral support is a variation of the Plank and strengthens the oblique and lateral abdominal muscles.

To do this, lie down on the side of the floor and support yourself from the floor with your lower forearm and lower foot so that no part of your body touches the floor except these two points. The head is held in extension of the spine and the body forms a line without sagging. Now this position can be held for a certain time (20 to 60 seconds) or further variation can be introduced by lifting the pelvis or the upper leg.

Crunches and sit ups are other exercises that can be performed without equipment. During crunches you lie on your back and bend your legs in hip and knee about 90 degrees. Then shoulders, head and neck are lifted off the floor and pulled towards the knees.

Now go back towards the floor, but only so far that the shoulder girdle and head do not touch the floor. With Sit Ups you start lying on your back with your feet upright. The arms can be held upwards.

Now you start to lift your upper body from the floor and lead it into an upright sitting position. Afterwards the upper body is completely laid on the floor again. These two exercises should be performed with three sets and ten to 20 repetitions.

The Thera-Band is also excellent for training the abdominal muscles. In the exercise Crunches it can be wonderfully integrated. Lying on your back, your legs are bent and the Thera-Band is placed over both ankles.

The ends are held left and right with the hands at the level of the hip bones so that the band is under tension. Now the feet are lifted slightly off the floor and the crunches can begin. The arms remain on the floor, only the upper body is lifted from the floor and works against the tension of the band.

Another exercise is the Russian Twist with the Thera-Band. Here you are sitting on the floor with your legs slightly bent. The arms are bent in front of the upper body and the Thera-Band is put around both soles of the feet and is held with both hands in front of the chest. Now, with your back straight, you begin to turn your upper body sideways to the left and right, so that the Thera-Band gets under tension. You can repeat this exercise 15 to 20 times.