How Does a Door Knob Exerciser Work to Flatten Your Belly?

Door knob exercisers only work if you engage your abs while exercising.
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The woman in the advertisement has enviable abs -- flat, taut and tanned. She says all you need to get the same look is the door knob exerciser she uses. But as you watch, she attaches the handles to her feet and proceeds to move her arms and legs, raising the question in your mind as to whether the apparatus really can flatten your belly.

Leg Lift Mimic

    Leg lifts are one of the most common exercises used to tone and tighten the abdominal muscles. That's because, although the hip flexors are the target muscles for this exercise, your abs engage as stabilizing muscles. The abdominal exercise you do with a door knob exerciser mimics leg lifts so they can help strengthen and tone your ab muscles.

Door Knob Exercising Your Abs

    It isn't complicated to work your belly with leg lifts using a door knob exerciser. Start by attaching it to the doorknob of a closed door. Sit down on the ground in front of the door with your back to it. Attach two of the handles to your feet and grasp the other two in your hands, then lie down on your back. Your head should be closest to the door and your feet farthest away. Bend your arms at the elbows with your hands raised, keeping your upper arms against the ground. Pull the handles down to the ground with your hands. This will cause your feet to begin raising up. Raise your legs to about a 45-degree angle and hold your legs and feet in that position for a one-second count. Then slowly lower your legs as you raise your hands back up to the starting position. Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps each.

Don't Be a Slacker

    The door knob exerciser will only help get your abs in shape if you don't rely on it to do all the work. You should tense up your abdominal muscles as your legs start lifting, using them to help raise your legs in the air and keep them raised for the one-second hold. Continue to hold your abs taut to help control your descent during the second part of the exercise.

The Cardio Key

    While the door knob exerciser can help flatten your ab muscles if you use it correctly, you won't see much evidence on the outside if you don't include cardio exercise in your workout regimen. Through proper use of a door knob exerciser you could have the flattest, most toned ab muscles possible, but if you're carrying fat around your midsection, no one will even notice. Walk, run, bike, swim, use the stair-stepper or the elliptical trainer. Get your heart rate up to increase your metabolism and burn the fat to reveal those fitness model abs you've been working for.

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