Men who want to exercise their abs without spending money can hit the floor for effective workouts. When the American Council on Exercise pitted ab exercises against one another to determine which worked best, it confirmed that many of the most effective exercises require no equipment at all. Both men and women will respond to abdominal work in the same manner, but men often build muscle more quickly, so add repetitions or weight to exercises to continue seeing results.
Bicycle Crunch
The bicycle crunch ranked at the top of the American Council on Exercise's study on ab workout effectiveness. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands next to your ears with your elbows to the side and your palms facing forward. Lift your feet off the floor and start the exercise with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your lower leg parallel to the floor. Tighten your abs and lift your head, neck and shoulders from the floor as you twist your right elbow toward your left knee. Simultaneously extend your right knee. Pull your right knee back toward your body as you tighten your abs, and twist your left elbow toward your right knee as you simultaneously extend your left leg. You'll continue bicycling your legs as you twist your upper body and engage your abs. Perform 10 to 20 full bicycle rotations with each leg.
Vertical Leg Crunch
The vertical leg crunch ranks high in the American Council on Exercise's study because it requires no additional equipment. Lie on your back and place your hands next to your ears, your palms facing forward and your elbows out to the sides. Lift your legs straight up into the air and cross one ankle over the other for added stability. You can bend your knees slightly for comfort. Tighten your abs and curl your head, neck and shoulders off the ground while holding your lower back firmly against the floor. To help concentrate the movement in your abs, keep your eyes focused on the ceiling and refrain from allowing your hands to help pull your head forward. Perform 15 to 25 repetitions. If you find this move too easy, place a book or a weight plate across your chest and abdomen to increase the resistance of the movement.
Side Plank
In addition to building strength in your rectus abdominis and oblique muscles, a man should develop strong stabilizer muscles to help with balance and overall athleticism. The Mayo Clinic suggests the side plank to improve your balance and stability. Lie on your side with one leg stacked on top of the other and your torso propped up by the forearm closest to the floor. Adjust your propped arm so your elbow is directly under your shoulder and your upper arm is extended, your torso lifted away from the floor. Place your other hand on your hip. When you're ready, engage your abs and lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line running from your feet to your shoulder. Keeping your abs tight, hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds. Relax your hips back down to the floor and turn over to perform the exercise on the opposite side.
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