Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises

Top 10 Most Effective Ab
Exercises
Bicycle Exercise
The Bicycle exercise is the best move to target the
rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the
obliques (the waist), according to a study done by
the American Council on Exercise. To do this
exercise correctly:
1. Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers
behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the
shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on
the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right,
bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-16 reps.
Captain's Chair Leg Raise

The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for
the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety
of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded
arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most
health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and
effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to
bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you
focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors. To do it
right:
1. Stand on chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper
body.
2. Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to
raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
3. Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
4. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16
reps.
Exercise Ball Crunch

The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs
and comes out number three for working the rectus
abdominis. To do it right:
1. Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower
back.
2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your
head.
3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the
bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn't roll).
5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Vertical Leg Crunch

The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus
abdominis and the obliques. To do it right:
1. Lie face up on the floor and extend the legs straight up with
knees crossed.
2. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as
though reaching your chest towards your feet.
3. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly
button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Torso Track
The Torso Track is a tough exercise because it can hurt your back if you're not careful.
1. Grip the handles of the Torso Track and pull the abs in without holding your breath (as
though bracing them).
2. Exhale and glide forward as far as you comfortably can. If you collapse in the middle and
feel it in your back, you've gone too far.
3. Contract the abs to pull your body back.
4. Add tension by using more tension chords.
Long Arm Crunch
This move, ranked 6th in the ACE study,

emphasizes the upper part of the abs. To do
it right:
1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight
out behind the head with hands clasped,
keeping the arms next to the ears.
2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder
blades off the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand
behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
Reverse Crunch
It may seem like the reverse crunch is for the lower abs
but, remember, the rectus abdominis is one long muscle,
so you can't separate upper from lower. To do this move
right:
1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind
the head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they're bent
to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed.
3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching
the legs up towards the ceiling.
5. It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging
your legs and creating momentum.
Full Vertical Crunch

In a full verticul crunch, you really work the abs by involving both the upper and lower body.
To do it right:
1. Lie on your back and extend the legs up towards the ceiling.
2. Place hands behind your head (lightly cupping it) and contract the abs to lift the shoulder
blades off the floor.
3. At the same time, press the heels towards the ceiling, creating a 'u' shape with the torso.
4. Lower down and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Ab Rocker
The Ab Rocker (or roller) is number 9 for targeting the rectus abdominis. To do it right:
1. Sit on the Ab Rocker and grab the bars in each hand.
2. Contract the abs and rock forward, originating the movement from the abs rather than
using momentum.
3. Release and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
4. Go slowly to reduce momentum. Try to focus on the abs rather than pushing with the
arms.
Plank on Elbows and Toes
The plank exercise ranked number 10 in the ACE study and is a great way to build endurance
in both the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. To do it right:
1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in
the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises

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Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises

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Top 10 Most Effective Ab

Captain's Chair Leg Raise

Exercise Ball Crunch

Vertical Leg Crunch

Long Arm Crunch

This move, ranked 6th in the ACE study,

Full Vertical Crunch

Plank on Elbows and Toes

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