You might know the "hip flexor machine" as the captain's chair or a Roman chair. Although this piece of equipment does work your hip flexors, a 2001 study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise also named it as one of the most effective pieces of equipment for working your abs. If you're creative, you can also wring a few other exercises out of this supposedly single-purpose machine.
Knee Lifts/Hanging Abs
The Roman chair resembles a seatless chair supported by a metal frame. Its most common use is performing knee lifts, which are also known as hanging abs. Your hip flexors work to lift your knees, and your abs work to keep your spine stable against the hip flexors' pull.
Step into the chair, placing your back against the back pad and both forearms on the chair arms. Most Roman chairs have vertical handles near the end of the arms; grasp those for stability. Squeeze your abs to keep your spine stable in its natural curvature as you lift your knees to hip-height, then lower them again.
Dips
Most Roman chairs also have horizontal handles jutting out from the ends of the arms. Those double as dip bars. Dips work your triceps and shoulders and give your chest a minor workout, too.
Face the back of the "chair" and grasp the dip bars, palms facing in. Allow your torso to tilt forward slightly as you lower your body between the bars. Stop when your shoulders are level with your elbows, or earlier if you experience shoulder discomfort. Straighten your arms, pushing yourself back up to the starting position.
If you aren't strong enough to do full dips, push with your legs to help yourself back into the starting position. If you can do full dips, bend your knees so that your feet don't touch the ground.
Assisted Pull-Ups
Some gyms feature assisted pull-up machines. These counterbalance some of your weight, allowing you to do pull-ups even if you aren't strong enough to do them without the counterbalance assist. If your gym doesn't have an assisted pull-up machine, you can use the hip flexor machine to do a self-assisted version of the same exercise.
Stand inside the Roman chair, facing out. Squat down, then reach up and grasp the forward-jutting dip handles. Your palms should face in. Keep your torso as vertical as possible as you lower yourself between the bars, then pull yourself up, just as if you were doing regular pull-ups. Extend your legs in front of you and push only as much as necessary to get yourself up to the bar.
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