Although there are many types of abdominal exercise equipment, only a few pieces have been proven effective. In addition to providing a six-pack appearance, training your abdominal muscles is beneficial because it improves your core strength. Core strength is beneficial for sports such as biking and running.
Ab Wheel
Although the Ab Wheel is a simple piece of equipment, it is one of the most effective at training your abdominals. A comparison of the effectiveness of different abdominal exercises by TNation.com found that the Ab Wheel activated more abdominal muscle fibers than sit-ups, side planks and other abdominal exercises.
Swiss Ball
The Swiss ball, also known as an exercise ball, is an inflatable ball that can be used for a variety of exercises. Performing crunches on the Swiss ball can be particularly effective because it provides a larger range of motion than crunches on the floor, explains personal trainer Clark Bartram.
Roman Chair
The Roman chair is a piece of equipment available in most gyms that looks like a chair with no bottom. You can use the Roman chair to perform leg raises, in which you suspend your weight against the back and arms of the chair and lift your arms until they are parallel with the floor. According to bodybuilder Herve Duchemin, Roman chair leg lifts are among the best exercises for improving your abdominals and revealing your six-pack.
Pull-up Bar
Although the pull-up bar is often used to improve the muscles in your arms, research indicates that it can aid in abdominal development as well. The TNation.com magazine research found that pull-ups and hanging leg raises, both of which can be performed on pull-up bars, were more effective at activating abdominal muscles than many other exercises.
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