Working out your abs is a way to gain lean muscle tone. However, crunches can get boring, and your body gets used to doing the same exercises over and over again. This produces poor results. Spice up your ab routine by adding a dumbbell to basic moves. This increases the resistance and helps speed results.
Weighted Crunch
Perform a basic crunch while holding a dumbbell behind your head for added resistance. Begin by lying in a basic crunch position with feet flat on floor, knees bent. With one dumbbell in both hands, place your hands behind your head. With elbows wide, slowly lift shoulders and head off the floor, and then return to start. Be careful not to pull on your neck while performing this exercise. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Weighted Twist
Begin by sitting on an exercise mat with your knees bent, feet in front of you. Holding one dumbbell in both hands, slowly twist to one side, tapping the weight on the floor next to your hip. Then return to center and twist toward the other side. This is one repetition. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Crunch and Punch
Begin by lying on an exercise mat with a set of light dumbbells in your hands. Crunch up as you reach in a punching motion with your right hand. Return to start and repeat with your left hand to make one repetition. Perform the exercise quickly, as if you were punching in a jab motion, one arm at a time. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Knee Tap
Begin seated on an exercise mat with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Holding one dumbbell in both hands at the center of your body, raise your feet about an inch off the ground. Raise the right knee to tap the dumbbell, then return the right knee to start and lift the left knee to tap the dumbbell. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
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