A study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) revealed that the Ab Rocker, a piece of exercise equipment meant to work the abs, is significantly--even disastrously--less effective than doing a standard crunch. This doesn't mean that all stomach toning exercises are ineffective; you just need to choose your stomach toning exercises carefully.
Standard Crunch
The standard crunch remains the stomach toning exercise against which all other ab exercises are judged. It was used as the baseline for both rectus abdominus and oblique activity in the ACE study.
To do a standard crunch, lie down on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your abs to bring your ribcage down toward your pelvis. Your head and shoulders will lift slightly off the ground. Lower and repeat.
Vertical Leg Crunch
Vertical leg crunches significantly bettered the standard crunch's performance in the rectus abdominus, and more than doubled the standard crunch's activity in the obliques. Best of all, you don't need any special equipment to achieve this performance improvement.
To do vertical leg crunches, assume the standard crunch position but, instead of bending your knees, extend your legs straight into the air above your hips. Lift both hands as if you were reaching for your toes, while keeping your shoulders on the ground. Then squeeze your ab muscles to bring your ribs closer to your pelvis and your hands closer to your toes. You can work your obliques by stretching your right hand up toward your right foot, alternating with your left hand reaching up toward your left foot, as you crunch up.
Bicycle Maneuver
Of all the exercises in the ACE study, the bicycle maneuver recruited the most activity in the rectus abdominus and the second-most activity in the obliques. To perform the bicycle maneuver, lie down on your back. Place your hands to either side of your ears, taking care not to tug on your neck or head. Lift your right shoulder toward your left hip. Extend your right leg straight, several inches above the ground, and squeeze your abs to keep your back from arching. Repeat on the other side, bringing your left shoulder toward your right hip, extending your left leg. Continue alternating back and forth between the right and left sides.
Stability Ball Crunch
The ACE study ranked stability ball crunches as the most effective exercise for the rectus abdominus, the long strap of abdominal muscle that, when well-toned, creates a "six pack". While two other exercises, the bicycle maneuver and the captain's chair, both recruited more activity in the rectus abdominus, the stability ball crunch recruited the least activity in the hip flexors, leaving the abs to do a greater percentage of the actual lifting.
To do a stability ball crunch, position yourself face up on a stability ball. The peak of the ball should be underneath your shoulder blades. Squeeze your abs to bring your head and shoulders off the ball, shifting your ribs closer to your pelvis. Lower and repeat.
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