From Elizabeth Quinn,
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The best ab exercises are surprisingly easy to do. This is the finding of a study done at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University that looked at a variety of common abdominal exercises in order to determine the best ab exercises and what really works to strengthen abs. The study compared 13 abdominal exercises, ranging from the traditional ab crunch to more complicated activities, using at-home and gym equipment.

Each of the 13 exercises was ranked for muscle stimulation (measured with EMG) in the rectus abdominis, the external obliques and the internal onliques.

Study Results: Top 3 Ab Exercises:

1. Bicycle Crunch Exercise
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2. Captain's Chair Exercise
   Shop for a Vertical Knee Raise Machine.
3. Crunch on an Exercise Ball
   Shop for a Large Exercise Ball

Top Abdominal Exercise Equipment

• Commercial: Vertical Knee Raise Machine.
• Home: A Large Exercise Ball.

Of the equipment they studied, the Ab Rocker by Body by Jake, was the worst piece of equipment tested. The Ab Roller and the Torso Track were better than the Ab Rocker, but statistically they were not much better than the basic crunch.

Full Study Results

Best to Worst Exercises for Strengthening the Rectus Abdominis:

1. Bicycle Crunch Exercise
2. Captain's Chair Exercise
3. Ab Crunch on an Exercise Ball
4. Vertical Leg Crunch
5. Torso Track
6. Long Arm Crunch
7. Reverse Crunch
8. Crunch with Heel Push
9. Ab Roller
10. Plank (Hover) Exercise.
11. Traditional (Basic) Abdominal Crunch
12. Exercise tubing pull
13. Ab Rocker

Best to Worst Exercises for Strengthening the Obliques:

1. Captain's Chair Exercise
2. Bicycle Crunch Exercise
3. Reverse Crunch
4. Plank (Hover) Exercise
5. Vertical Leg Crunch
6. Ab Crunch on Exercise Ball
7. Torso Track
8. Crunch with heel push
9. Long Arm Crunch
10. Ab Roller
11. Traditional (Basic) Abdominal Crunch
12. Exercise tubing Pull
13. Ab Rocker

Tips for Working Your Abs the Right Way

• How to Exercise Your Abs
• Top 10 Questions About Ab Exercises

Tools for Fat Loss

• Research - How Many Calories are in That?
• Plan - How Many Calories Does My Workout Burn?
• Calculate - What is Your Body Mass Index (BMI)?
• Great Abs Take More Than Ab Exercise
• Body Weight Doesn't Measure Body Fat

Core Muscle Strength and Stability Testing
There are many exercises available for developing strong abs and building core strength, but few methods offered for evaluating that strength. The Plank exercise is one that can be used to assess your core strength. Sports coach, Brian Mackenzie, created this test as a way to determine an individual's current core strength and stability and then to monitor progress over time. Learn how to do the Core Muscle Strength and Stability Test.

Also See

• Abdominal Exercise Training Tips
• Sample Workouts for Athletes
• Fitness Training Tips and Tricks
• How To Achieve a Personal Best

Shop

• Diet and Exercise Books for Better Abdominals
• Books about Core Strength
• Exercise Ball Workouts
• Vertical Knee Raise Machine

_{For more information about the ACE study or how to perform the exercises, visit
ACE Fitness.}

Source

Anders, Mark. "New Study Puts the Crunch on Abdominal Exercises." ACE Fitness Matters Magazine, 14 May 2001.