Keep Fit With Functional Training For Athletes | Unbalanced Ab Training

Athletes must continually add in new and challenging ab training to continually create more muscle stimulation in this regularly trained muscle group. Since ab training is important to the success of any athlete, new ab training must be progressively more challenging than ab training exercises previously performed. One way to make ab training more challenging is by incorporating functional training so the abs can keep fit, strong, and mobile. Mobility will be directly effected by functional training due to the ability of functional training to increase the ability of multiple muscle groups to work as one to stabilize and move the body. Athletes can also keep fit and perform functional training with the Hercules Walking Lunges. The Hercules Walking Lunges incorporates the Victory Ropes for intense upper and lower body functional training while incorporating ab training by forcing the athletes core to stabilize the rest of the body throughout the Hercules Walking Lunges Exercise.

Use An Unbalanced Surface To Keep Fit And Increase Ab Training Intensity

Using different fitness equipment is another great way to keep variety during ab training. Fitness equipment like the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and the KB Duo offers a variety of resistance, and angles of resistance, which cannot be mimicked with simple body weight exercises. Although exercises like sit ups, pushups, and pull ups are great for younger athletes, older more advanced athletes must use a variety of fitness equipment to incorporate new drills in upper, lower, and full body exercises.

The Kbands Training Stability Ball is a unique piece of fitness equipment which can be used to perform a wide variety of ab training drills. This unstable surface forces athletes to develop greater balance and ab strength while performing full body movements like the Kbands Unbalanced Chop And Roll and the Elevated Pike Pushup. Both of these ab training drills use simple movements to create a challenging, functional training exercise. Athletes can go to the Training Section to view even more unbalanced ab training drills and functional training exercises which can be used during training sessions.

Executing The Unbalanced Ab Training Drill

To execute the Unbalanced Ab Training Drill athletes will need one properly inflated Kbands Training Stability Ball, a set of KB Powerbands, and a sturdy object or partner to act as the anchor for the Powerbands. After athletes have anchored the KB Powerbands and placed a handle on the athletes end of the resistance bands they will move far enough away from their anchor so no slack is left in the KB Powerbands. Athletes will get ready for the ab training by sitting on top of the Kbands Training Stability Ball, walk their feet forward until the stability ball is between their shoulder blades. Once athletes have reached this position they will raise their hips up, until they are parallel to the ground, hold the KB Powerbands handle with both hands, and extend their hands straight up toward the ceiling. From this position athletes will begin the Unbalanced Ab Training by maintaining their body position, keeping their hands extended, and rotate their torso so their hands laterally rotate away from their anchor. Athletes will perform 3-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions on each side. Athletes should perform repetitions slowly and under control while allowing 45-60 seconds of rest between sets.

Form And Technique During Ab Training

The Unbalanced Ab Training Drill is a great functional training exercise to help athletes keep fit and constantly challenge their strength and athleticism. However, in order to get the ideal results from this ab training exercise athletes should read this section very carefully so proper form is always used during the drills. This allows tension to be placed on the desired parts of the body making for a safe, effective, and challenging ab training exercise.

The first detail of the Unbalanced Ab training Drill which must be addressed is the amount of resistance which will be used with the KB Powerbands. Athletes will want to pick a level of resistance which is challenging, but does not produce failure during the ab training until the last 1-2 sets of the functional training exercise. This will ensure athletes can maintain proper body positioning while performing the Unbalanced Ab Training Drill. Athletes and coaches can go to the Shop Section to learn about the different levels of resistance bands which can be used with the KB Powerbands.

Once athletes have begun to perform the Unbalanced Ab Training Drill it is important they keep their arms completely straight throughout the rotation. Bending or shortening of the arms creates an easier and shortened angle for the arms to travel through. This creates less tension on the athletes core and decreases the muscles Time Under Tension. As athletes maintain extended arms they will need to keep a constant back and down squeeze with their shoulder blades. This squeeze stabilizes the shoulders, forcing the core to work harder to turn the body during the Unbalanced Ab Training Drill.

As athletes are making the turn during the Unbalanced Ab Training Drill they need to be conscious of rotating their torso and not allowing the arms to help complete the rotation. This takes tension away from the athletes core and turns the ab training exercise into more of a shoulder workout. Athletes should keep hands in line with their chest and squeeze the abs to force the athletes core to complete the rotational movement. Athletes should use smooth movements back and forth and should not be “jerking” the KB Powerbands to the bottom of the rotation, or allowing the KB Powerbands to pull the athlete back to the top of the movement. This control keeps tension on the core for a longer period of time forcing more muscle activation during the ab training.

Athletes can perform the Unbalanced Ab Training Drill in an individual or team training session. This is also an excellent drill to be incorporated into a circuit with other, strength, flexibility, and ab training exercises.