How to Get a Great Workout With an Ab Bench

One of the great things about working out at home is that it's extremely convenient and a great time save. However, sometimes you lack some of the pieces of equipMent that make a gym setting so effective. However, one cheap piece of equipMent that is a great addition to any home gym is an ab bench.

The ab bench is great because it an adjustable piece of equipment that can fit just about any body type. And, you can adjust the angle of the bench to work your abs from a variety of positions and create a more intense ab workout...Plus, the variety is just plain fun.

Here's some things to help you get the most from a bench.

First, before you start your workout, it's best to warm up. Do some light cardio, such as a bike or light run, to warm up the muscles. Then do some light stretching.

Once you are fully warmed up, the next step is to set up the angle of your ab board. For the most part, the greater the angle of the ab board, the harder your workout will be.

A person with strong abs will want to take advanTAGe of a greater angle. Someone who is relatively new to working out will want the angle to be zero...or flat.

Now that you've set the angle, climb on your ab bench. Start by pulling in your abs - not hard - and pull your navel towards your spine. Pull yourself up using your abs.

Don't swing your arms to help and don't throw your head forward for added momentum. You want to concentrate on using your abs to do the work. Do 3 sets of 20 reps of this exercise.

Once you've completed the above exercise, move yourself into position to target your lower abs. You do this by placing your head where your feet were anchored and by grabbing on to either the post or the bench. Again, pull your navel towards your spine before you start the movement. Then, pull your knees towards your chest making sure not to swing through the motions. Concentrate on letting the abs do the work.

As you get stronger, you can consider adding weight. For the first exercise, the crunch, you can hold a weight across your chest. For the lower ab exercise, you can add ankle Weights to make it more difficult.

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