Crunches & Other Abdominal Exercises

Strengthening your abdominal muscles not only tightens and tones your stomach, it also improves your posture, prevents lower back injuries, eases lower back pain and makes other physical activities easier to perform. While you may be tempted to spend hours on the floor doing countless crunches in the quest for a six-pack, the American Council on Exercise, or ACE, recommends treating your abdominal muscles like any other muscle group: stick to 10 to 25 repetitions and leave 48 hours for rest between workouts.

Traditional Crunches

An ACE-sponsored study led by Peter Francis, Ph.D., placed traditional crunches11th in effectiveness out of 13 exercises tested. The study reported that exercises requiring core stabilization throughout the movement and torso rotation generated the most muscle activity. For the most effective ab workout, skip the crunches and try a few more effective moves.

Air Bicycle

The air bicycle movement came in first in Dr. Francis' study for effectiveness in working both the rectus abdominus and the obliques. Lie on the floor with your hands at the sides of your head. Bring your shoulders off the ground and bend your knees at a 45-degree angle. Go through a bicycle pedaling motion, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee followed by your right elbow toward your left knee. Keep the motion slow and controlled throughout.

Captain's Chair Knee Lift

The Captain's Chair comes in second place for most effective ab exercise. A Captain's Chair, also called a Roman chair, looks like a large metal chair with the seat missing. Lean against the back pad with your arms resting on the arm pads and your hands lightly gripping the handles. Slowly lift your knees up toward your chest. Hold the position briefly, and slowly return to the starting position. Resist the temptation to use momentum to swing your legs up, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the motion.

Stability Ball Crunch

A simple crunch motion, when performed on a stability ball, was found to be the third-most effective movement in Dr. Francis' study. In addition to being a top-ranked exercise, stability ball crunches can be performed at home as well as the gym. Sit on a stability ball with your feet flat on the floor. Lean back and walk your feet forward until your shoulders make contact with the top of the ball. Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. Place your hands behind your head or cross your arms over your chest, and contract your abs, pulling your upper body to a 45-degree angle with the floor. Hold the position briefly and slowly return to the starting position.