Are you working on getting that elusive abdominal six-pack? If so, you’ve probably been told to do lots of abdominal curls – also known as the abdominal curl-up. This exercise involves lying flat on an exercise mat with hands behind the head and curling upward using the abdominal muscles to lift the head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. This is repeated until the abdominal muscles are fatigued. When this exercise is done using proper form it can be quite effective for firming the abdominal muscles.

Most fitness instructors teach their students to do abdominal curl-ups using slow, controlled movements, but a recent study calls this advice into question – suggesting the greatest benefits can be achieved by speeding up the movement. In a study published in Journal Strength Conditioning Research, researchers used electromyography to measure abdominal muscle activation when participants did abdominal curl-ups slowly and again when they did them fast. After testing various speeds, they found that abdominal curls done rapidly were best for recruiting abdominal muscle fibers and building strength.

Despite this study, most fitness instructors still focus on slow abdominal curl-ups rather than ones done at a faster pace. The one disadvantage to doing abdominal crunches rapidly is the risk of using momentum which reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. It’s also easy to develop sloppy form when exercises are performed too quickly. It’s best to practice the exercise using slow movements until correct form is mastered before picking up the speed.

Despite all of the abdominal exercise gadgets on the market designed to train the abdomen and core more effectively, the abdominal curl-up remains one of the best ways to strengthen the abdominals and they don’t require any special equipment other than an exercise mat to perform. The key to getting enviable abs is to combine abdominal curls with aerobic exercise or interval training to burn the fat that makes those beautiful abdominal muscles invisible. One won’t work without the other – so use this as a two-pronged attack against a flabby abdomen.

The bottom line? Keep doing abdominal curl-ups for a more defined abdomen, but once you’ve mastered the form try to speed it up a little bit to activate the abdominal muscles more effectively. Doing them at a faster pace will also increase calorie burn which can work in your favor to. Whatever, you do keep toning those abs!

Filed under: Fitness

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!