Using Abs Exercises to Gain Height
Having good looking abs is constantly pounded home to us by the media and fitness people, and is probably the area of fitness that is the most concentrated on right now. Virtually everyone who works out with any type of regularity probably uses at least one technique that focuses solely on the abdominal area.
While the back is usually an afterthought when it comes to abs workouts, the lower back is also the beneficiary of most of these abs workouts. The same area that gets targeted at the front of our bodies is also being worked on in the back, making abs workouts a great way to also work on the lower back, increasing muscle strength, which helps ease the compression of the spine, helping you grow taller.
With this mind, we’ll look at three abs workouts that do just that, targeting both the abs and lower back for a great multi-faceted workout.
1) Lower Ab Crunch - Perform while on your lying on your back, on a decline bench ideally, but a flat surface will also do fine. Keeping your body still, raise your legs slowly up so your knees are as near to your upper body as they can get. This is a tremendous workout for your abdominal region.
2) Lying Crunch - Very similar to traditional sit-ups, but much more compact and targeted. Lie down on the ground with your feet up in the air, either resting on a chair or bench, or anchored against the wall. Now with your hands behind your head, make a traditional sit-up move, lifting yourself off the ground a short distance.
You’ll find that you can only rise about half the distance as you would be able to during a traditional sit-up, because of the positioning of your legs. This technique should be quickly repeated for several reps, giving your abs a full blown workout in short duration. You can also hold your glutes to increase the tension in your abs for an added effect.
3) Back Hyperextensions - For this one you need to lie down on your stomach, keeping your upper body suspended over the edge of the surface you’re lying on. Naturally this needs to be a heightened surface, be it a bench, bed, or other device. Slowly lower your upper body, without reaching the point where your whole body wants to topple over the edge. If this occurs, move back slightly on the surface and try again. Once you’re lowered down as far as you can go, slowly bring yourself back up, thanks to your abs and lower back, which get quite a workout from this routine.
These are three abs workouts which also do a great job of targeting your back, a key area in the pursuit of increased height. These workouts are easy and the results of using them come quickly, making them ideal to add to any workout regime.
