best abs exercises

Best Abs Exercises

It seems that everybody wants rock solid six pack abs. Yet, despite all the hype and attention, people are neglecting some of the very best abs exercises. It’s time to get back to the basics and focus on the top 5 ab exercises which have been proven to work time and time again.

So quite working your butt off on exercises that don’t deliver and work these into your workout routine instead:

Crunches

  1. Start by lying flat on the floor with your hands behind your head. Your knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle.
  2. With the small of your back begin to push down into the floor, whilst bringing your shoulders up.
  3. Contract your abs whilst continually pushing the small of your back down and exhaling. Your lower back should stay on the floor at all times and your shoulders should only come up off the floor about 4 inches. When you reach the top of the movement contract your stomach muscles as hard as you can and hold for about a second.
  4. Once you have tensed your abdominal muscles for around 1 second, slowly return to the starting point as you inhale.

Sit Ups

  1. Lie on flat on the floor with your knees bent.
  2. Put your hands behind your head or cross their across your chest.
  3. Begin to lift your head followed by your shoulders and tense your abs as you go up.
  4. At the top of the movement hold the position for just a second before moving down again.

Leg Raises

  1. Begin this lower abs exercise by lying on an inclined ab board.
  2. Keep your body stable by holding the edge of the upper bench during the workout.
  3. Bend your legs until you feel your legs relax.
  4. Using your abdominal muscles raise your feet to a point directly above your head.
  5. Lower your legs to the starting position without letting them hit the ground.

Exercise Ball Pull In

  1. Start by laying with your hands on the floor in a push up position in front of an exercise ball.
  2. Place your lower shins on the ball (this is the starting position of this ab exercise).
  3. Keep your body still and your back straight. Now pull your knees in toward your upper body whilst exhaling. Let the ball roll under your ankles as you tense your stomach muscles. Hold the position for a second.
  4. Now you need to inhale as you roll the ball back to the starting position by straightening your legs.

Russian Twist

  1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Either anchor your feet underneath something that will not move or have your training partner hold them.
  2. Bring your upper body up so that you create a v shape between your legs and your body. Your arms should be out straight ahead of you. Now you are in the position to begin this stomach exercise.
  3. Whilst exhaling, twist your entire body to the right until your arms are parallel with the floor.
  4. When you reach this point you need to hold it for a moment and then return to the starting point whilst exhaling. Now repeat the same movement for your left side.