Health and Fitness

Health and Fitness - The Best Abdominal Exercises - Dumbell Side-To-Sides:

Developing the core muscles of your abdomen is essential for optimum lifting and sports performance. This exercise uses resistance and a side-to-side movement to directly work the muscles that are responsible for transferring power through your body.

Start by sitting sideways on a flat bench. Place a dumbell standing vertically on end on the bench to one side of you. When you first do this exercise, start with a fairly light weight in order to accustom your body to the movement.

It is important that you keep your upper body vertical and your lower back tight and arched for proper support. Your abs should also remain tight throughout the exercise.

Rotate your torso around to the side where the dumbell is resting and pick up the dumbell with both hands on the handle. Inhale sharply and hold your breath as rotate around. This will stabilize the core and lower back area.


After you've picked it up, rotate your body all the way to the other side of the bench, and set the dumbell down on the bench (it should be standing on end while you continue to hold onto it).
Be sure to keep your midsection very tight all the way around.

Hold your breath from the moment you pick up the dumbell to the moment you set it down. This ensures that you stabilize your abdomen properly.

Repeat the lift and rotate movement back to the other side.

It is important to note that you should always set the dumbell down on the bench in between reps and relax your abdominal area momentarily. One of the most beneficial aspects of this exercise is the moment when you pick up the weight from the bench. If you utilize a continuous movement, you will decrease the benefits of the exercise.


More at: http://www.fitnessattitudes.com/abdominalexercises.html