Core Fitness Exercise Equipment

Kettlebell workouts are making a comeback with great results. Kettlebells are bowling ball-sized cast iron weights with a round handle on top that come in various weights and sizes. To use a kettlebell properly require an athlete to engage his or her core first. Lifting and moving the kettlebell forces the entire body to work in unison which improves both strength and stability. Kettlebell workouts engage multiple muscle groups at once. In this way, they are a great option for getting a whole body workout in a short time. Like a medicine ball, it's easy to get hurt using these weights with poor form, so it's best to get some quality instruction before you start a kettlebell workout.

The Captain's Chair exercise (vertical leg raise) is, according to research, one of the best abdominal exercises for the rectus abdominus. Unfortunately, to do this ab exercise properly you generally need a piece of gym equipment called a vertical leg raise machine. This rather large contraption isn't something most people buy for their home gym, but if you can afford one and have the space, it's a great way to get an ultimate ab workout.

The bicycle crunch exercise, the plank exercise and the vertical leg crunch are still some of the best, most effective and efficient ways to strengthen and tone your abs. Getting a high quality exercise mat will make doing these exercises more appealing during those commercials. Why lay on the hard wood or shag carpet?

Also see: Best and Worst Ab Exercises.

If you have a standard exercise ball at home you have a mini-gym. The number of exercises (especially abdominal exercises) that you can do with a balance ball is practically unlimited. Get a starter video to get the basics and go from there.

A weighted medicine ball can provide an endless variety of core strength workouts like the seated oblique twist. Medicine balls come in a variety of sizes, weights and textures and can be used alone or with a partner to fully work you core and upper body. To avoid serious injury while using a medicine ball, it's a good idea to get instruction from a book, video or a personal trainer before you start tossing these monsters around.

This book offers easy-to-follow core workout routines that you can do nearly any time and any place. Based on some basic yoga principles it adds specific exercises for overall core strength, flexibility, stability, and balance.

A chin up bar is one of the most overlooked pieces of exercise equipment for building great cor strength. Doing a simple pull up exercise builds upper body, back and core strength. Chin up bars can be elaborate, free-standing pieces of exercise equipment, or simple, doorway chin up bars you purchase online or at a local sporting goods store.

Using the Bosu Balance Trainer provides a full body workout for strength, agility and esspecially balance. You can perform several great core strengthening routines that require coordination and proprioception training. A nice, simple addition to any ab workout routine.

A rowing machine is a great way to get endurance exercise while focusing on core strength. This whole body exercise is a sure way to build ab strength.