Standing Overhead Circles (also known as ceiling circles or upper body circles) is a functinal full body standing abs exercise. It primarily mobilizes and strengthens all the muscles around the midsection. Such as abdominal wall and lower back. Legs, shoulders, chest, upper back activates as well as a secondary muscle groups.

It is a low impact ab exercise. Beginners can use it to develope a mind-muscle connection. Which will enable them to take a control over their core better and activate the abdominal muscles on a demand. On the other hand more experienced individuals can include this exercise in a warm up, stretching and cool down routines.

Either way if all the effort is put to comply the exercise with the maximum amplitude, it will challenge each and every one.

Strong abs and healthy lower back will improve the performance of different physical activities and protect from lower back injuries. Everyone requiring spinal mobility and strong core will benefit from this exercise. Standing Overhead Circles is suitable for everyone regardless of the level of fitness.

STANDING OVERHEAD CIRCLES VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

BENEFITS:

• Low impact abs exercise.
• No equipment needed. You can do it anytime, anywhere.
• No stain or discomfort for the neck.
• Improves core strength and spinal support.
• Facilitates the execution of different physical tasks and activities.

HOW TO DO STANDING OVERHEAD CIRCLES:

Stand tall with your feet about shoulder width apart or little bit wider. Slightly bend the knees. Place your arms straight over head and retract the scapula. Inhale, suck your belly in and embrace the abs.

To begin the exercise start rotating your torso in a circle while keeping your lower body stationary. Move your upper body from the hips up only. Perform controlled and smooth movements. Slowly exhale as you circle.

Keep your back as straight as possible throughout the whole exercise.

If that helps, imagine you are drawing circles on the ceiling with your hands while your lower body is buried in the ground. Your arms and torso moves as a one unit. Draw as large circles as you physically can.

Keep rotating until you reach a desired number of repetitions. Then switch the direction and repeat the same number of repetition to the other side. Alternatively you can switch the direction on each rep.

TIPS:

• If it is hard to keep your hands against each other, interlock your fingers. Interlocking will take some shoulder, upper chest and upper back muscle activation away though.
• If needed press inside of your arms against the ears. That will ensure your arms are standing still. You need to rotate with your torso not your arms.
• To increase the difficulty try holding a dumbbell or any other weighed object in your hands. To decrease the difficulty, lower down your arms or rest them on your hips.
• To challenge your balance more, put your feet closer.
• Avoid hyper extending and excessively flexing your spine during the exercise. If you feel discomfort in your lower back, stop the exercise and consult your physician.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE STANDING ABS EXERCISES:

1. Standing Side Bends (low impact ab exercise for the obliques).
2. Quick Standing Oblique Twists (high intensity).
3. Standing Crunches (low impact ab exercise for Transverse Abdominis).
4. Prayer Squat Twists (engages more lower back and legs).
5. Bodyweight Wood Chop (intense, works more low back and shoulders).

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High Knees Twists is an intensive cardio type standing abs exercise. This exercise is similair to a regular high knees exercise (also known as run in place, sprinting on spot), but there is a twist. Literally. This variation of high knees is designed to put more your abodominal muscles to work. Especially the obliques by twisting your torso side to side.

This exercise will not only attack your abs, but will destroy a crazy amount of calories due to the extremely high intensity and mass of muscles involved in the movement. Furthermore, you’ll develope strength and endurance of your legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and calves). You can expect improvements in speed, stability, agility and power.

So if you are looking to trim down the waisline without bulking up while developing functional core strength for sports and everyday tasks, high knees twists surely is one of the best choices out of all standing ab exercises. High knees exercise suits as serious athletes as well as new moms and everyone in between.

HIGH KNEES TWISTS VIDEO DEMONSTRATION:

BENEFITS:

• Elevates heart rate and maximizes calorie burn.
• No equipment needed. You can do it anytime, anywhere.
• Discreet on lower back and neck.
• Improves speed, stability, agility and power. As well as strength and cardio vascular endurance.

HOW TO DO HIGH KNEES TWISTS:

Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart or closer. Make fists and place your arms bent in front of you at about chin height. Engage your abs.

Start running in place. Bring your knees towards your chest as high as possible. Each time you bring the knee up, twist your torso to the corresponding side so your knee comes up directly between your elbows.

Simultaneously crunch your upper body to shorten the distance between the knee and the fists. Exhale rapidly during this part of the movement. Inhale quickly right after while twisting to the other side.

Let your foot touch the ground for only a half a second before switching back to the other leg. Move quickly but smoothly until you have completed all the repetitions or reached the time limit.

TIPS:

• Before attempting this exercise make sure you are richly warmed up. Don’t start your workout immediately with this exercise.
• Perform the exercise as fast as you can to maximize calorie burn. Never compromise your form though.
• Work on a correct breathing pattern. Don’t hold your breath otherwise you’ll fatigue faster or get lightheaded.
• Push off and land soft on front third of your foot.
• To increase the resistance use ankle weights.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE STANDING ABS EXERCISES:

1. Standing Knee Raises (similair, but less intense).
2. Single Leg Sprint (intense).
3. Standing Cross Crunches.
4. Bodyweight wood chop.

The post High Knees Twists appeared first on Abs Experiment.

Standing Foot Grab is a functional bodyweight ab exercise for a comprehensive core development targeting upper abs, lower abs, obiques and many more important muscles. Such as legs, hips, back and shoulders.

This standing abs exercise will help to improve your core strength, stability, balance, coordination and agility. Due to the large amount of muscles involved in the movement, it helps to burn much more calories than you would with regular abdominal exercises done on a mat.

Unlike other similar standing abs exercises, this exercise puts abdominal muscles under tension for a longer period of time. That means that the total amount of work placed on the muscles is greater. Thereof this exercise challenges your abs like no other.

Standing Foot Grab exercise suits everyone looking for a functional and toned midsection. Starting with new moms and ending with serious athletes. All will benefit from the exercise.

STANDING FOOT GRAB VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

BENEFITS:

• Provides tension for abdominal muscles for a longer period of time than other standing abs exercises.
• Improves core strength, stability, balance, coordination and agility.
• No equipment needed. You can do it anytime, anywhere.
• Burns more calories than other ab exercises done on the mat.
• No strain and pull on the neck or lower back.

HOW TO DO STANDING FOOT GRAB:

Get in a starting position. Step backwards with a right leg. Lean slightly forward and position most of your bodyweight on the front leg. Make sure that the front knee doesn’t go past the toes to avoid unnecessary load on a knee joint. Raise both arms up and engage the core.

To begin the exercise quickly lift the right knee up. Bring the knee as close to your chest as possible by tucking your pelvis. Simultaneously crunch your upper body down and grab your foot. Hold it for a brief moment. Forcefully and fully exhale during this part of the movement.

Let go your foot and return back to the starting position. Inhale on the way back. Then repeat the movement for a desired number of repetitions or until your muscles fatigue and you no longer can execute quality repetitions.

TIPS:

• When lifting the knee up focus on squeezing the lower abs intentionally to avoid hip flexors doing all the work.
• Use ankle weights to increase the resistance for your lower abs. Or do Standing Single Leg V-ups exercise.
• If you can’t reach your foot, grab the knee instead. Or do Standing Knee Raises exercise.
• If you find hard time holding your arms raised up, take it as sign that you need to strengthen your shouders and upper back and work on your flexibility as well.

The post Standing Foot Grab appeared first on Abs Experiment.

Standing Cross Crunches (also known as standing knee to elbow crunches, cross body crunch or simply crisscross) is a terrific standing abs exercise for developing functional and chiseled midsection. Especially great for building up obliques and curving the sidelines of the abs.

This exercise will improve the balance, coordination and postural support as well as many more important muscles are involved in the movement. When compared to other standard lying ab exercises, this will help to burn more calories in the same time. Thereof Standing Cross Crunches are a good fit for training routines that are meant to maximize calorie burning.

Everyone from beginners and new moms to advanced athletes who care about a functionality of their body will find Standing Cross Crunches beneficial. Especially if the core is used for rotational maneuvers vastly.

The exercise may improve the performance of the every day tasks and activities such as dancing, golfing, fighting and many other.

STANDING CROSS CRUNCHES VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

BENEFITS:

• Discreet on lower back and neck.
• Burns more calories than other ab exercises done lying on the floor.
• No equipment needed. You can do it anytime, anywhere.
• Won’t get your abs bulky.
• Improves balance, coordination and postural support.

HOW TO DO STANDING CROSS CRUNCHES:

Stand tall with your feet little wider than the shoulder-width apart. Shift the body weight on the right leg and place your left leg on the tiptoes slightly backwards. Raise your right arm straight up. Engage the abs. This will be your starting position.

To begin the exercise twist your body and bring your right elbow down and across your body. At the same time lift your left knee up as high as you can across your body to meet the right elbow. Fully exhale during this part of the motion.

Return back to the starting position while inhaling on the way back. Repeat the movement for a desired number of reps; switch sides and repeat on the other side.

TIPS:

• To activate more oblique muscles perform slow and controlled movements. Try to really squeeze the abs.
• To increase the resistance use ankle weights and dumbbells.
• To work more on your balance don’t put the leg you are raising back on the floor.
• You can keep your free arm on the hips if you like.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE STANDING ABS EXERCISES:

1. Standing Bicycle Crunch
2. Standing Side Crunches
3. Static Lunge Ab Twist
4. Sumo Oblique Crunch
5. Prayer Squat Twists

The post Standing Cross Crunches appeared first on Abs Experiment.

Standing Knee Raises (also known as standing knee crunches and standing knee pulls) is a functional abdominal exercise for boosting strength throughout the core. Unlike standard ab exercises, they don’t isolate abdominal muscles. Instead they work your upper abs and lower abs in conjunction with other important muscles such as hips, back and shoulders.

Plus Standing Knee Raises elevate your heart rate up and helps to burn more calories during an ab workout. At the same time they are more discreet on your body than some traditional abdominal exercises. There is less pressure on the neck, lower back and shoulder area.

This standing abs exercise provides a lot of serious benefits. When Standing Knee Raises are performed correctly they promote better posture, improve balance, coordination and agility. They might even help to prevent and reduce lower back pain.

If you are looking to lose weight or develope functional core strength you need for sports and everyday tasks, this is one of the exercises to include in your ab routine. Standing Knee Raises suits as serious athletes as well as new moms and everyone in between.

STANDING KNEE RAISES VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

BENEFITS:

• Discreet on lower back and neck.
• Burns more calories than other ab exercises done on the mat.
• No equipment needed. You can do it anytime, anywhere.
• Improves postural support, balance, coordination and agility.
• Enhances athletic performance and reduces the risk of injury.

HOW TO DO STANDING KNEE RAISES

Get in a starting position. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart or closer. Raise your arms straight up. Contract your abs.

To begin the exercise lift the right knee up. Tuck your pelvis and bring the knee as close to your chest as possible. Simultaneously crunch your upper body down and bring your hands to the knee you just raised. Forcefully exhale during this part of the movement.

In a controlled motion return back to the starting position. Inhale on the way back.

Now repeat the same thing with the other knee. Keep alternating knees until you reach a desired number of repetitions or until your muscles fatigue and you no longer can execute quality repetitions.

TIPS:

• Avoid creating a momentum. Execute controlled movements and focus on breathing to make your abs to do more work.
• To increase the difficulty for the abdominal muscles use ankle weights or resistance bands for the legs. To make it more challenging for the shoulder and back muscles hold weighed objects in your hands. To decrease the difficulty keep the arms along the sides.
• Check Standing Single Leg V-ups for a progression.
• You can perform the exercise slower to improve more of your balance, stability and muscle-mind connection. Or you can do quick moves to improve the explosive power and increase the intensity to maximize fat burning.
• You can do this exercise unilaterally as well – do all repetitions with one knee first and then with the other one.
• If standing knee raises cause or exacerbate pain in your lower back or hips, stop the exercise.

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