The Ab Swing is piece of equipment that uses a gliding or swinging motion to target the abdominal muscles, specifically the abdominal muscles along your sides, aka obliques. To focus on training the obliques, you should be positioned so that the sides of your abs take on most of the work in the movement. Once you are positioned correctly, performing the basic leg lift movement on the Ab Swing will effectively isolate your obliques.
Step 1
Position yourself correctly: Sit on the pad of the Ab Swing and hold onto the handles. Shift your weight over to one side of your glutes, so your hips are angled toward the seat. The side of your abs now lifted the highest will be the side working the hardest. Place your feet in the footholds.
Step 2
Lift your legs up, concentrating on using your ab muscles to do so. You should feel your obliques working as you lift your legs. The seat of the Ab Swing will glide beneath you. The movement should be slow and controlled, your legs and arms relaxed as much as possible. Breathe out as you lift your legs up, and breathe in as you lower them.
Step 3
Start with 8 to 12 repetitions, and do two or three sets. Rest for 30 seconds between sets. If you can do 3 sets of 12 repetitions easily, work up to doing sets of 25 to 30 repetitions in each set.
Step 4
Repeat steps 1 through 3 on the other side. Tip: Alternate sides until you have done two or three sets on each side.
Tips and Warnings
- Exercises to train the obliques work best when used with other core strengthening exercises. Do not forget to work your upper and lower abdominals and strengthen your lower back and glutes as well. If a toned tummy or a "six-pack" is your goal, it is important to incorporate good nutrition and a complete exercise program into your routine. Unfortunately, doing lots of ab exercises will not, by themselves, flatten and tone your stomach.
- If you feel pain or strain in your lower back when doing this exercise, stop immediately. This usually means your abdominals are not strong enough to handle the exercise you are doing and support your spine at the same time. You are risking a lower back injury if you continue. You should try an easier exercise and work up to using the Ab Swing. Do not, however, let lower back pain discourage you from doing abdominal exercises. Gradually strengthening your abs will help you avoid lower back pain in the long run.
Things You'll Need
- Ab Swing
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