Exercises Ab

Performing ab exercises to help strengthen your core is one of the best ways to build strength in your arms and legs. Your core muscles (abs, lower back, hip, & pelvis) are the base muscles for your body. They provide stability when performing most anything. Strengthening them will further strengthen your other large muscle groups. A strong core makes performing daily tasks and vigorous tasks easier.

I encourage you to pick out several of these ab exercises and perform them several days week. The difference in strength you feel could be significant.

*If you experience any discomfort or pain, when performing any of these ab exercises, stop and talk with a doctor or healthcare provider.

Abdominal Crunch (targets upper and lower abs)
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent.
Place your hands behind your head (look for the variations of arms and hands below).
Slowly lift your head and shoulders as though you are trying to touch the ceiling.
Keep you abs tight and exhale on the way up.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).
Hands to Knees – Start with the arms and hands at your sides and crunch with your hands reaching for your knees.
Crossed Arms – Cross your arms over your chest.
Hands on floor – Place your hands at your sides with your palms flat on the floor.
Raised Arms – Extend your arms over your head with your upper arms next to your ears. Do not rest your arms on the ground at any point and do not use your arms to help lift you up.

Reverse Crunch (Targets more the lower abs)
Lie flat on your back with your hands at your side or behind your head. Have your knees and feet in the air at a 90 degree angle.

To start the crunch, pull your knees in to your chest as close as you can, lifting your buttocks and hips off the floor.
If your hands are at your side, do not use them to lift you off the ground.
Back down to your original position.

Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Oblique Crunch (targets upper abs, lower abs, and obliques or side ab muscles)
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent keeping your stomach tight.
Place your hands at your sides with your palms face down and slightly elevated off the floor (look for the variations of arms and hands below).

Slowly lift your head and left shoulder towards your right knee.
Lower back down and do the opposite, lifting your right shoulder towards your left knee.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Hands to Knees – Start with your arms and hands at your sides and begin a oblique crunch with your hands reaching for the opposite knee (i.e. left hand to right knee and right hand to left knee).
Crossed Arms – An oblique crunch with your arms crossed over your chest.
Hands behind head – Place your hands behind your head (not clasped), with elbows out and do a oblique crunch with an elbow headed towards its opposite knee (i.e. right elbow to left knee and left elbow to right knee). Don’t worry about trying to touch your elbow to your knee.

Raised Arms – Extend your arms over your head with your upper arms next to your ears. Rise up with an arm pit reaching towards its opposite knee. Do not rest your arms on the ground at any point or use them to help lift you up.

Vertical Leg Crunch

Lie with your back flat on the floor and your legs extended straight up (vertically).
Your arms can be placed either at your sides, behind your head, or straight up.
Slowly lift your shoulders off the floor towards your legs.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Alternating Ankle Crunches (targets oblique muscles and upper abs)

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent, keeping your stomach tight.
Place your arms and hands at their side, slightly elevated from the floor, and slightly elevate your shoulders off the floor.
Slowly, with your right hand, reach for your right ankle(don’t worry about touching it). Repeat with your left hand and left ankle.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Double Crunch (targets upper and lower abs)
Lie on your back with your feet flat and knees bent keeping your stomach tight.
Place your hands behind your head (you can use the variations of the arms and hands for this listed above as well).
Slowly lift your head and shoulder blades up toward the ceiling. At the same time, bring your knees toward your chest.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Leg Lifts (targets lower abs)
Lie flat on your back with your legs straight and feet slightly elevated off the floor.
Place your hands underneath the lower part of your buttocks.
Keeping your legs straight, raise your feet until your legs are at a 45 degree angle and then bring them back down again never touching the floor.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Flutter Kicks (targets lower abs)
Lie flat on your back with your legs straight and feet slightly elevated off the floor.
Place your hands underneath the lower part of your buttocks.
Keeping your legs straight, raise one foot to a 45 degree angle and then bring it back down again.
Repeat with the other foot. Never let your feet touch the ground.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Marvins (targets upper and lower abs)
Start with your entire body in a “V” like position, where your legs are straight, and your feet are slightly elevated off the floor. Have your upper torso leaning backwards.
Face your palms down on the floor, at their sides, to help brace you.
Bring your chest forward. At the same time, bring your knees toward your chest closing the “V” and extend back out to the starting position.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).
*For a more advanced ab exercise keep your hands off the floor like the great boxer Marvin Haglar did.

Bicycle Kicks (targets upper and lower abs)

Lie with your back flat on the floor and hands behind your head.
Straighten your legs and elevate them of the floor.
Slowly and simultaneously bring your left knee to your chest and raise your right shoulder from the ground bringing it towards your left knee.
Repeat with right leg and left knee.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Torso Twist (targets upper and lower abs and obliques or side ab muscles)
Sit up with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
Slowly lean your torso back at approximately a 45 degree angle.
Clasp your hands in front of your chest with your elbows pointed out.
Slowly rotate (twist) your torso in one direction with your elbow headed towards the floor (it doesn’t need to touch the floor) and then rotate in the opposite direction.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Side Crunch (targets oblique muscles)
Lie on your side with your knees bent. The bottom knee should be touching the floor. The upper knee should be on top of the bottom knee.
Place the bottom arm extended outward away from your body and the upper arm with your hand behind your head.
Keep the stomach tight and raise the upper body off the floor contracting the oblique muscle.
Turnover and repeat on the other side.
Repeat 10-20 times or until exhaustion and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Plank (targets upper abs, lower abs, and lower back muscles)
Lie face down.
Raise your body off the floor with arms bent at a 90 degree angle and palms and forearms resting flat on the ground and toes touching the ground.
Keep your back as flat as possible from head to toe. Don’t let your pelvis dip to low or stick out to high.
Hold the position for 20-60 seconds, keeping your abs tight. Rest and repeat 3-5 times.

Side Plank (targets oblique muscles)
Lie on your side with your forearm and hand flat on the ground supporting your body weight.
Maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your feet.
Your legs should be straight with one on top of the other.
Hold the position for 20-60 seconds, keeping your abs tight. Rest and repeat 3-5 times.

Cobra (targets abs and back muscles)
Lie face down and place a pillow under your stomach.
Place your palms flat on the floor at shoulder height.
Push up almost completely straightening your arms and arching your spine backwards.
Keep your stomach tight and don’t lock your arms when pushing up.
Hold the position for 10-20 seconds and then back down and repeat 3-5 times.

Please remember these ab exercises will help strengthen your body’s core muscles, which are the base of your body. And in anything without a strong base, it becomes difficult to succeed elsewhere.