How To Exercise Your Abdominals With Free Weights

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Exercise 1, Crunch with weights

Step 3: Start position

Begin by positioning yourself lying on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbell across your chest and raise your head and shoulders off the floor.

Step 4: Lowering and lifting

Lift your body off the floor towards your thighs.

When your elbows reach the front of your thighs begin to lower your body back to the floor.

Step 5: Breathing

For this exercise, while you lower, you need to breathe in through your nose and then when you lift up, you need to breathe out through your mouth.

Step 6: Review

Once you are familiar with the movements perform 10 repetitions of this exercise.

Step 7: Exercise 2, Curl with band

Step 8: Start position

For this exercise, loop the resistance band around something secure at floor level. We're using a weights bench. If you are exercising at home you could use a heavy and secure piece of furniture. Lie back on the mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold on to each end of the resistance band.

Raise your hands, head and shoulders off the floor.

Step 9: Lowering and lifting

Curl your stomach forward whilst holding onto the resistance band. The action is like rolling a towel.

Then, lower your body under control, back to the start position to complete one repetition.

Step 10: Breathing

For this exercise, whilst you lower you need to breathe in through your nose and then when you lift up to the first position, you need to breathe out through your mouth.

Step 11: Review

Once you are familiar with the movements perform 10 repetitions of this exercise.

Step 12: Exercise 3, Band leg curl

Step 13: Start position

Fasten the resistance band around the bench or heavy piece of furniture to make a complete loop. Now put your feet into it and lay back onto the mat. Lift your feet off the floor so that your knees are bent to 90 degrees.

Step 14: Lifting and lowering

Curl your lower abdominals upward bringing your knees closer to your head until you feel tension in the resistance band.

Then lower your legs back to the start position. This is one repetition.

Step 15: Breathing

For this exercise, when you draw your knees towards you, you need to breathe out through your mouth. Then, whilst you lower your knees back to the start position you need to breathe in through your nose.

Step 16: Review

Once you are familiar with the movements perform 10 repetitions of this exercise.

Remember that doing this exercise everyday for a month can really help to tighten and firm your abdominals.