The rectus abdominis, or abs for short, is the long muscle located at the front of your torso. It has ligaments (called linea alba or white lines) dividing it into sections that give it its six-pack appearance. Running from the front of your pelvis to your sternum and lower ribs, your abs are responsible for flexing your spine forward and to the side. For many people, developing a toned and defined midsection is an important goal. Well-sculpted abs are seen as being attractive to the opposite sex and also desirable for reasons of health and function. Numerous pieces of exercise equipment are available for you to use to sculpt your abs.
Stability Ball
Almost every exercise you perform using a stability ball will affect your abs. Because the ball wobbles as you use it, your abs have to contract to stabilize your spine. There are also a wide variety of ab-specific exercises you can perform on a stability ball, such as crunches, pikes and planks. Stability balls are available in a variety of sizes, so it is important that you select the correct size ball for your height. When you sit on a stability ball, you should be able to place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent to a right angle.
Ab Wheel
An ab wheel looks like a wagon wheel with grips on each side of it. Ab wheel roll-outs, performed using an ab wheel, are a challenging, advanced ab exercise that you should only perform if you have no history of lower back pain. Your hip flexor muscles, as well as your rectus abdominis, are strongly involved when you use an ab wheel. Ab wheels are widely available in sporting goods shops and, in 2010, were retailing for less than $20.
Ab Sling
Ab slings consist of wide nylon or canvas arm loops and strong carabiner hooks (a strong metal device used in climbing) so you can secure the device to an overhead bar, such as a chin-up station. You can perform a variety of exercises with an ab sling, such as bent leg raises, straight leg raises and twisting leg raises. Hanging leg raises target the lower area of your rectus abdominis. Using an ab sling removes the need to hold onto an overhead bar, as the ab sling supports your weight.
Medicine Ball
Holding a medicine ball to your chest or above your head will make exercises, such as crunches and sit-ups, more intense and effective. There are also numerous medicine ball ab exercises, such as the medicine ball wood chop, Russian twists and medicine ball slams. Medicine balls are useful if you want to develop power in your abs. Throwing exercises, such as sit-up throws and rotational throws, work the abs dynamically and develop power throughout your midsection.
Ab Cradle
Ab cradles support your head and neck and make ab exercises easier by guiding you into the correct position when you are doing crunches. You can perform a variety of crunches using an ab cradle, including regular and twisting variations. Once you are able to perform crunches using an ab cradle without difficulty, you should progress to more advanced ab exercises. Ab cradles are available from sporting goods stores and are also common in many gyms.
Decline Sit-Up Bench
Decline sit-up benches are common fixtures in many gyms, and home versions are available from most sporting goods stores. If you invert your body so that your head is lower than your feet, abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups and crunches, become more difficult. In addition to decline sit-ups and crunches, you can perform a variety of twisting exercises using a decline sit-up bench, as well as leg raises and reverse crunches to target the lower portion of your rectus abdominis muscle. When you anchor your feet, which is necessary when performing any decline bench exercise, you place additional stress on your hip flexors and lower back. If you have any lower back concerns, use care when performing decline sit-ups and crunches. Decline sit-up benches are usually adjustable, and the steeper the decline, the more challenging the exercise will be.
Bosu Balls
A Bosu ball is a half stability ball fixed to a solid base and is a very versatile piece of equipment that can be used for ab sculpting. When you perform exercises using a Bosu, your abdominals are required to stabilize your spine, which makes every Bosu exercise an ab exercise. There are also specific ab exercises you can perform using a Bosu, such as V sits, W sits, crunches and planks. Bosu balls are available from specialist fitness equipment stores for $120 in 2010.
References
- "The Complete Book of Abs: Revised and Expanded Edition"; Kurt and Brett Brungardt; 1998
- "Stronger Abs and Back"; Dean and Greg Brittenham;1997
- ExRx: Rectus Abdominis
- Bosu: What Is Bosu?
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