The rectus abdominis and obliques are the major muscles in the stomach. Exercises like leg lifts, crunches and side bends are basic exercises that target all of these areas. If you have been doing these and other ab exercises with ease and you want a challenge, try some advanced exercises with your next workout. Advanced ab exercises have a high degree of difficulty and multi-planar movement patterns, which means the body moves in multiple angles and there are multiple body parts involved.
Windshield Wipers
Parkour is a recreational activity that combines flexibility, endurance, core strength and acrobatics. A windshield wiper is an advanced ab exercise often done for parkour training. To do this exercise, you will need a pull-up bar or set of monkey bars at a nearby playground. Reach up and grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, bend your hips so your legs are straight in the air and straighten your arms so your back is facing the ground. Keeping your upper body as still as possible, move your legs back and forth to each side in a steady motion.
Be mindful of your stomach contractions with this exercise. As soon as you get into the staring position, you will have to tighten your abs and keep them tight throughout. If you do not do this, you run the risk of injuring your lower back.
For an easier variation of this exercise, hang from the bar with your body perpendicular to the ground. Keeping your upper body still, lift your legs as high as possible and move them back and forth. Follow the same rules for keeping your abs tight.
Floor Wipers
Floor wipers are similar to windshield wipers, except they are performed on the ground and they involve a barbell. After placing a 45-lb. weight plate on each end of the bar, lie flat on your back with your legs extended in front of you. Once into this position, have a training partner hand you the bar and hold it with your arms fully extended above your chest. Keeping your upper body still, lift your legs and move them toward the right weight plate. Lower them down until they are right above the floor and raise them up toward the left weight plate. Alternate back and forth in a steady motion.
When you are lifting and lowering your legs, it is important to keep your lower back down on the floor. Arching your back will place excess strain on your spine. Something else to take into consideration is the weight of the bar. If you do not have enough upper body strength to hold it, use lighter weights.
Pikes
Pikes are challenging ab exercises that work the upper and lower stomach simultaneously. To do these, lie on your stomach on the floor with the tops of your feet on a stability ball behind you. In a steady motion, push yourself up from the floor and form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Keeping your arms, legs and back straight, roll the ball in toward your head as you raise your hips in the air. Once your body forms an inverted angle and your head is between your arms, carefully roll the ball back out and repeat. For an even harder variation, perform this exercise with one leg at a time. When doing the pike, it is important that you roll the ball slowly and always keep your core tight. In similar fashion to the other exercises, letting your hips sag will injure your lower back.
The biggest benefit of this exercise is the fact that it not only works your abs, but it also works your shoulders, glutes and quadriceps.
Double Wheel Rollouts
Abdominal wheels are handy ab training tools that have a wheel and handle that runs through the center. A double wheel rollout requires a standard wheel and a special wheel that has ankle straps. To do this exercise, fasten the straps to your ankles and kneel on the floor. Grab the other wheel with your hands and lift your hips in the air so your body forms an inverted angle. In a steady motion, roll both wheels away from each other as you lower your hips toward the floor and straighten your body. Carefully roll the wheels back until they are within a foot of each other and repeat. In similar fashion to the pike, keep your arms, back and legs straight throughout.
Once you get into the upright position before rolling the wheels, you really need to focus on your balance. The only points of contact with the floor at this point are the wheels. To balance your body, keep your abs engaged. In addition to your abs, your hamstrings, shoulders, upper back and serratus muscles all get worked as well with this exercise. The serratus muscles are found at the top of the ribcage, and when they are well-defined, they look like fingers.
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