One of the most sought after body parts of fitness enthusiasts and soccer moms alike are flat, toned abdominal muscles. Each year consumers spend hundreds of dollars on gym memberships, weight loss products and exercise equipment that promise to tighten and tone your abdominal muscles and give you that "six-pack" that you've always wanted. But you don't need to spend countless hours in the gym or empty your bank account to achieve a strong set of abs. Below are a few of the best abdominal exercises that you can perform in the comfort of your home.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Crunches
To perform crunches correctly, lie back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your head, neck and shoulder blades off of the floor. Lower your head, neck and shoulder blades back to the floor. Continue this movement for the desired number of repetitions. This exercise can also be performed with an exercise ball.
Bicycle
The American Council on Exercise suggests that the bicycle is one of the best abdominal exercises because it engages every muscle in your abdominal wall and gives you the appearance of a long, lean torso.
To perform this exercise, lie face up on the floor with your feet off of the floor and bent at a 90-degree angle. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck and slowly crunch up and over, reaching your left shoulder towards your right knee while simultaneously pulling the right knee in towards the left shoulder. Return to your start position and repeat the same movement
Back Extensions
Back extensions are effective in strengthening the muscles in the lower back. Lie face down on the floor with your legs out long behind you. Place your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows out wide. Slowly raise your torso off of the floor to a comfortable position, and return to the start position.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Kick Out
Lie face up on the floor with your knees and hips bent at a 90-degree angle. Place both arms out by your side and extend both legs out long to a 45-degree angle. Hold for one count, and slowly bring the legs back to a 90-degree angle. Your legs should not touch the floor until you have completed the desired number of repetitions.
Plank
Plank is often touted as one of the most effective ways to increase endurance in the abs and back and to strengthen the stabilizer muscles. To perform this exercise, lie face down on floor, resting on your forearms and toes. Contract your abdominal muscles, tuck your tailbone in and lift your entire body off of the floor. To avoid injury, keep your back flat and in a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold for a count of 30 seconds, and then lower yourself to the floor. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Stability Ball Leg Lift
Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent and the stability ball in-between your knees and lower legs. Squeezing the ball with your legs, contract your abs and lift your legs off of the floor until your legs are at a 90-degree angle. Lower your legs to the floor, and repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions.
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Bent Knee V-Up
Lie face up with your arms down by your sides, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles and crunch your upper body forward as you lift your knees toward your chest. Lower yourself back to the start position, keeping your heels and shoulder blades off of the floor. To avoid injury to your neck, keep your head lifted and your chin off of your chest.
Hip Thrust
When it comes to training your abdominal muscles, it's the negative or eccentric contraction that counts. Therefore, this exercise should be performed in two parts, holding the top position for one count before moving through the negative repetition to return to the start position. Lie on the floor with your arms by your sides. Extend your legs toward the ceiling. Contract your abs and slowly raise your hips off of the floor about two to three inches. Lower your hips back to the floor, and move right into the next repetition.
Stability Ball Trunk Slide
This exercise targets the stabilizing muscles in your lower back and abdominals, which has been shown to treat and reduce the risk of developing pain in the lower back. With the stability ball on the floor in front of you, kneel down and clasp your hands together, placing them on top of the ball. As you exhale, contract your abs and slowly roll the ball forward, moving your body with it, as far as you can without feeling any discomfort or pain in your shoulders. Inhale as you slowly roll the ball back to the start position.
Abdominal Training Tips
When you are designing an at-home abdominal exercise regimen, make sure that you select a combination of 10 to 12 exercises that focus on spinal flexion, rotation and lateral flexion. For each exercise, you should perform at least two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. Other things to keep in mind as you work out are to alternate your fitness regimen every four weeks, ensure that you are maintaining proper form as you complete each exercise and protect your head, neck and back to avoid injury.
References
- "Fitness Matters"; American Council on Exercise (ACE); Mark Anders; May/June 2001
- "Relative Activity of Abdominal Muscles During Commonly Prescribed Strengthening Exercises"; The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research; Willett, Gilbert M.; Hyde, Jennifer E.; Uhrlaub, Michael B.; Wendel, Cara L.; Karst, Gregory M.; November 2001
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