From the article: The Best and the Worst Ab Exercises
Do you have a favorite abdominal or core workout? Have you discovered one that you think works better than all the rest for you? Share your tips, tricks and favorite workout for your mid-section with the rest of us. Share Your Favorites
Effective Ab Exercises
- The most effective exercise is the bicycle crunch, but only if you bring your elbows across to touch your opposite knee and cycle your legs slowly as close to the floor as possible. This places max effort on the abs and when combined with the plank for core muscles, you have the perfect combo. You have achieved your max when, with the plank, you can lift opposite arm and leg and hold for one minute. I am 76 yrs and am the fittest in my age group in Australia, holder of three records in rowing, boot camp twice weekly, cycling, trail running and weights three x weekly.
- —Guest Beachdog
Dirty workout queen
- I like the plank, leg raises, etc. I also enjoy doing sit-ups too.
- —Guest Sofia Walz-Chojnacki
Medicine Ball sit-ups
- Like a normal situp but hold an medicine ball with both hands. When you go up slam the ball on the ground in between your legs. When you go down slam the ball above your head on the ground. I do 300 a day with a 12 lb medicine ball but i started off with 200 with a 8 lb. Takes me about 9 minutes.
- —Guest Grant
train your abs standing
- Wood chops work your entire core in a very functional way. Use tubing, cable machines or med balls.
- —Guest coachscott95070@yahoo.com
sit ups on the bosu with medicine ball
- Sit on the edge of a bosu with your knees bent and toes touching the wall. I use an 8 lb ball and bring it over my head as I do sit-ups. The bosu supports my back as I tighten my abs to bring myself back up to a sitting position. Works great.
- —acretin
lots of hanging leg raises
- Like the captain's chair exercise, but I hang from a chin up bar with arms straight. I lift my legs up & try to touch my toes to my hands or the bar. When I fatigue, I keep lifting my knees up to my chest until I am wiped out. Try it - it's killer.
- —Guest joe six pack
mix it up
- To be effective, I think you need to do lots of different types of ab/core exercise. If you do the same thing all the time you stop getting the benefits. At least that's my experience. Variety is good.
- —Guest Ty
Plank
- The plank exercise may be #10 on their list, but is #1 one my ab workout list. I think that since I started doing it, bot only my abs a stronger, but my entire torso, core and shoulders too. Do the plank people!
- —Guest Kelly
Bicycle Crunch Rocks
- I think the bicycle crunch is an awesome ab exercie IF you do it right. I see so many people doing it so sloppy and think you get more if you go slow and controlled. Don't rush it and it works.
- —Guest Stephanie M
