You don't technically need any special equipment to work your abs; doing crunches on the floor works just fine. But the NordicTrack Ab Works offers extra resistance against each crunch, plus support for your head and neck. If this discontinued, 1990s-era abdominal exercise machine inspires you to work out regularly, it's worth the cost of picking one up second-hand. The Ab Works received a "Highly Recommended" ranking in a Popular Mechanics comparison of seven different ab machines.
Basic Crunch
Step 1
Lie face-up in the Ab Works. Reach up and grasp one handle in each hand. The higher you place your hands on the handles, the easier the exercise will be. Bend both knees and place your feet between the padded rollers at the far end of the machine.
Step 2
Exhale and contract your abs to flex your spine, squeezing your ribs down toward your pelvis. Allow the Ab Works padding to support your head as you curl up.
Step 3
Inhale and relax back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise until you've completed a full set.
Reverse Crunches
Step 1
Assume the crunch position described above: lying face-up, knees bent, feet in the rollers. Reach up and grasp the Ab Works handles.
Step 2
Exhale and squeeze your abs to bring your pelvis up to your ribs. It might help to think of bringing your knees closer to your chest, although your pelvis movement is what matters most. This is a fairly subtle movement; don't expect your hips to move more than a few inches.
Step 3
Lower your hips back to the start position. Repeat until you've completed a full set.
Oblique Crunches
Step 1
Lie face-up in the Ab Works and grasp the handles. However, this time, don't put your feet in the rollers. Bend your knees and let them "fall" to the right, until your hips are stacked vertically. This twist in the torso allows your obliques to bear the brunt of the workout.
Step 2
Crunch up; think of bringing your lower ribs down to your upper hip, in this case your left hip.
Step 3
Inhale and relax back to the start position. Once you've completed a full set, return to the neutral, knees-up position. Next, allow your bent knees to "fall" to the left until your hips are stacked vertically, and perform oblique crunches on that side as well.
Tips and Warnings
- There is no need to do hundreds of crunches. One to three sets of 10 to 25 repetitions is more than enough for abdominal training, as published in the American Council on Exercise "Ask the Expert" column. If you can complete more than 25 repetitions with good form on the Ab Works, increase the machine's resistance by shifting the angled crossbar at the tail end of the machine further out on the square tube, or higher up on the round roller-tube assembly.
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