Do Ski Abs

There are a number of exercises that build strength and flexibility in your core but are more interesting than basic crunches. One of these is the ski abs exercise. You can do ski abs at home, without needing any special equipment. However, you may want to talk to your doctor before you start this or any other new exercise, particularly if you have a chronic health condition or are recovering from a recent injury.

Steps

Mastering Ski Abs

1. Start in plank position. The ski abs exercise is a plank variation, so you start in the full, straight-arm plank position. Make sure your wrists are positioned directly under your shoulders and your back is flat.
   • Keep your head and neck in a neutral position. Don't crunch your neck or hunch your shoulders up around your ears.
2. Engage your core. Ski abs is an abdominal exercise, so most of your strength and stability is going to come from your abdominal muscles. Lightly contract your core to engage the muscles. Don't hold your breath.
   • You may want to take a few deep breaths from plank position before you start the exercise, so you get used to breathing while also engaging your abdominal muscles.
3. Jump your feet up and to the right. To start the ski abs exercise, hop both of your feet over to the right side of your body. Bend your knees and aim to have your knees just outside your right elbow.
   • Keep your torso flat and parallel to the floor. Use your abdominals to maintain stability.
4. Jump back to plank. As soon as you complete the jump to the right, you want to jump your feet all the way back to the full plank position where you started. Again, focus on keeping your torso parallel with the floor.
5. Jump your feet up and to the left. From plank, immediately jump to the other side. If you've ever seen downhill skiers, you now understand the reasoning behind this exercise's name. The movements are somewhat similar to a skier's.
   • After you jump on the other side, don't forget to jump back to plank before continuing the exercise. Between each side, return to the center plank position.
   • You can use gliders under your feet to add a new challenge to the ski abs exercise. Come down to your elbows and forearms so your torso has a little more stability.
6. Complete a 30-second interval. The ski abs exercise is best done in an interval, rather than a specific number of sets. Set a stopwatch for 30 seconds or a minute, and do as many ski abs as you can with good form during that time.

Doing Other Abdominal Exercises

1. Try different plank variations. The plank is one of the best exercises you can do to build strength in your core, but just doing a regular plank can get boring after awhile. Side and reverse planks can add some variety to your workout as well as giving you a more well-rounded abdominal workout.
   • For a side plank, you want to raise up on one side, stacking your ankles one on top of the other. This exercise is a tough workout for your obliques, the muscles running along the sides of your core. Make sure you do the side plank on both sides.
   • A reverse plank is just like a regular plank, only you're facing the ceiling rather than facing the floor. Make sure your wrists are directly under your shoulders, with your fingertips pointed toward your feet.
   • You also can experiment with spreading your feet, balancing your hands or feet on a stability ball, or gripping dumb bells. These variations allow you to add other exercises, such as rows or curls, into your plank.
2. Add a leg lift to the reverse plank. If a simple reverse plank is too easy (or too boring), you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by raising first one leg and then the other. Your core gets a workout stabilizing your body, and the leg lifts crunch your lower abdominals.
   • When doing leg lifts, make sure your hips remain raised at the same height throughout the duration of the exercise.
3. Alternate ski abs intervals with burpees. Burpees are a classic bodyweight exercise that works really well with ski abs. Although burpees do work your core, they are a whole body exercise that also works your chest, arms, and legs.
   • To do a burpee, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Lower into a squat, then place your hands directly in front of your feet. Jump your feet back into a plank, then back forward to your hands. Explode into the air, hands over your head, then land and immediately come back into a squat for your next repetition.
   • Try doing a 30-second interval of burpees, followed by a 30-second interval of ski abs.
4. Test your balance with boat crunches. The boat crunch is another exercise to build strength in your core. This exercise is inspired by the boat pose in yoga, and brings your entire core into play to help balance and stabilize your body.
   • From a seated position, bend your knees and then raise your legs until your knees are over your hips and your shins are roughly parallel with the floor. Lean back, keeping your spine straight and your shoulders and neck neutral, until your torso and your legs create a "V" shape. Extend your arms out in front of you for balance.
   • As you inhale, extend your legs out straight and lower your upper body until you are almost parallel with the floor. Don't lower all the way to the floor.
   • Come back up into a "V" shape to repeat the exercise. Do a 30-second interval of boat crunches, then move on to something else.
5. Work your side abs with the Russian twist. The Russian twist is a classic abdominal exercise that targets your obliques as well as your lower abs. This exercise is done from a seated position, knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor.
   • Clasp your hands together and lean back, keeping your back straight. Twist side to side, keeping your arms extended. Your hands should come to the outside of either thigh as you twist.
   • The further you lean back, the more of a challenge this exercise will be for your lower abs. You also can lift your legs to make it more difficult. Then it also will test your balance, much like boat crunches.

Building Your Six Pack

1. Avoid crunches. Crunches are a basic exercise, so they'll only get you basic results. If you want a strong and defined abdominal area, you need to incorporate exercises that specifically target all the different muscles in your core.
   • If you do a lot of crunches, you can actually worsen your posture by shortening your abdominal wall. Instead, focus on exercises that keep your head and neck in alignment and lengthen your abdominal area, such as boat crunches.
2. Train your abs in categories. Take some time to learn about the basic movement patterns of your core muscles, and how they work together. Then you can build a routine with exercises that target your upper abs, lower abs, and obliques.
   • A full sit-up is an example of a classic upper abs exercise. However, if you only do exercises such as this one, that target your upper abs, you'll never get the stomach that you want.
   • Twisting exercises, such as the Russian twist, work your obliques. Any exercise that involves leaning your torso back, or lifting your legs, also works your lower abs.
3. Start a high-protein diet. It's a common saying in the fitness world that abs are made in the kitchen. A healthy diet that is high in protein and moderate in overall calories will help you burn fat as well as build muscle.
   • Focus on lean meats such as turkey and chicken. If you don't eat meat, look to plant-based foods that are high in protein, such as tofu and other soy products.
   • Make sure your body is getting all the vitamins and minerals it needs. Take a multi-vitamin supplement if you aren't getting enough vitamins and minerals through food, but keep in mind that food is still the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need.
4. Eat small meals frequently. If you're trying to get rid of stubborn belly fat, eating smaller meals five or six times a day will keep your body from accumulating extra calories as fat. You'll also probably snack less because you're eating more frequently.
   • If your work schedule doesn't really allow you to eat a small meal every two or three hours, you can instead have a smaller protein snack that you can eat while at your desk or on the job.
   • Eating smaller meals more often also will boost your metabolism so that when you exercise you'll burn more fat.
5. Join a 30-day challenge program. A 30-day challenge can help, especially if you neglected exercise for awhile and are trying to get back into it. You can find information about 30-day challenges on exercise websites, as well as at gyms and fitness clubs.
   • Some 30-day challenges are focused on building a specific part of your body, such as your abs. If you want to build that tight, toned six pack, a challenge can give you a jumpstart toward achieving your goals.
6. Do full core training on non-consecutive days. You won't build strong abdominal muscles unless you allow the muscles you've trained full time to recover after a workout. If you want to develop a six pack, leave at least 24 hours between abdominal workouts.
   • For example, you might do core training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, do a lighter cardio workout, such as walking or jogging, that doesn't target your core specifically.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Do the Dead Bug Exercise
• Get a Flat Stomach
• Get Tight Abs
• Get a Six Pack Without Any Equipment
• Get Six Pack Abs Fast
• Get a Six Pack in a Month
• Get Six Pack Abs
• Get a Smaller Waist
• Get Pecs and Abs
• Work Your Abs While Standing

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