Training your abdominals not only tightens and tones the muscles, but it helps build torso stability and protect your back from injury. When performing your abdominal workout remember to maintain good form and technique, breathe through the contraction, stretch between sets and concentrate on your abdominals as you are training them.
Dumbbells
Add a dumbbell to your next abdominal workout to increase intensity. A horizontal plank and stand-up are two examples of exercises incorporating dumbbells that target the rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis. To perform the horizontal plank, begin in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders and hips forward, level and down. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Exhale while lifting your right arm up to shoulder height, parallel to the floor, while keeping your abs and hips still. Inhale as you release the dumbbell back to the floor. Complete 10 repetitions then repeat the exercise on the left arm.
To perform the stand-up exercise, begin by standing with feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell vertically in front of your chest. Tighten your abdominals and begin to squat down toward the floor, keeping your knees behind your toes and supported over the ankles. When your glutes touch the floor, pull your knees in toward the chest and roll back to the shoulder blades. Reverse the steps as you roll up and move back into starting position.
Medicine Balls
Medicine balls provide a unique twist to your abdominal workout while effectively strengthening the core. The half-kneeling lift and ball twists are examples of a medicine ball abdominal exercise that targets the rectus abdominis, obliques, back and transverse abdominis. To perform the half-kneeling lift, begin kneeling on a mat with your right leg forward, keeping the knee over the ankle. Tighten your abdominals and hold the medicine ball at your left hip. Exhale as you lift the medicine ball diagonally across your body, ending with the ball above and outside of your right shoulder. As the medicine ball is lifted across the body, concentrate on keeping your abs, hips, chest and head facing forward. Inhale as you lower the medicine ball back to the starting position.
To perform ball twists, begin by sitting on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor about hip-width apart. Hold a medicine ball in front of your chest and hinge back from the hips, keeping your abdominals tight and shoulders down away from the ears. Begin to rotate side to side. Complete this exercise for 15 to 20 repetitions. Repeat for a total of three sets.
Cables
Using a cable crossover machine can add variety to your abdominal workout. The standing cable rotation is one example of a cable abdominal exercise that targets the rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis. To perform this exercise, begin standing with the cable to your side and your feet about hip-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Hold the cable, with both hands, slightly below the center of your chest. Tighten your abdominals, extend your arms out straight and relax your neck and shoulders. Exhale while rotating your head, chest and torso away from the cable. Hold this position briefly. Inhale as you return to the starting position.
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