Challenging abdominal exercises for the front and sides of the waist will take an already thin stomach and flatten it. Teenagers should not feel in any way restricted from doing ab exercises advertised for adults, and instead do exercises that they personally feel are appropriate and manageable for them. Abdominal strength and tone are obvious benefits for teens, but strength training in general can boost a teen's self-esteem and build a positive attitude toward exercise for life.
Bicycle Crunch
The bicycle crunch involves your lower and upper abs and your obliques for a complete abdominal exercise. The lower abs keep your back down as your legs move in the air. The upper abs lift your head and shoulders off the floor, and the obliques rotate your torso to each side. To do the bicycle crunch, lie on your back with your knees bent and lifted above your hips. Place your hands behind your head as you would for a regular crunch. Next, lift your head and shoulders toward your knees and twist your shoulders to the right. Straighten your left leg in the air. Twist to the left and simultaneously bend your left knee and straighten your right leg. Keep your chin a fist's distance from your chest, your lower back flat to the floor and your elbows in line with your ears throughout the desired number of reps.
Decline Leg Lifts
Leg lifts are a fairly common abdominal exercise that can be made much more challenging with one slight modification. Usually, a person will relax his hips on a bench for most of the exercise, only lifting his hips when his legs reach the end of the lift and then lowering the hips again when the legs lower. By keeping your hips lifted the entire time, however, your abs are guaranteed to struggle throughout the exercise. To perform this version of the leg lifts, lie with your head at the top of a decline bench and hold the foot rests above your head with your hands, elbows bent. Lie your upper body on the bench and straighten your legs with your feet on the floor. Squeeze your abs tight and then lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling. Raise your hips toward the ceiling as well. Once your legs reach 90 degrees, lower them down to 45 degrees, but do not touch your hips back to the bench until you finish your set.
Roman Chair Lifts
The Roman chair lifts exercise is a challenging exercise for the rectus abdominus and the obliques. The ab muscles stabilize your torso in the Roman chair as you lift your legs straight up until they are perpendicular to your body. Since your body is basically hanging in the chair, the abs have to work hard to keep your body in position when your legs move a full 90 degrees. The hip flexor muscles must also be strong to raise the legs. To perform this exercise, step onto the foot rests with your back to the chair. Put your arms on the armrests and place your back against the pad. Hold the handles. Then, take your feet off the foot rests and hold your legs straight toward the floor. Next, raise your legs to stomach level without bending your knees or swinging them forcefully upwards. Return your legs to the starting position to complete one rep.
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