10 Minute Ab Workout

A comprehensive abdominal workout can be completed in 10 minutes. To be effective at developing muscular strength and building tone, it will need to be done consistently and at a high volume, with a significant number of repetitions during each session. As you improve your strength, hold a weight in your hands while completing each exercise to increase the intensity.

Frequency

To build muscle strength, you can complete the 10-minute abdominal workout twice per week and see improvements. If you're interested in improving muscle tone, however, you should work to get three abdominal workouts in per week. Be sure to allow 48 hours between sessions in order for your abdominal muscles to adequately recover. It's during the rest period that your muscles will adapt and improve strength and tone, so attempting to maximize benefits by working out more frequently will actually cause adverse affects.

Exercises

It's important to maximize your workout if you're going to be working out for only 10 minutes. Complete the most effective training exercises for the abdominals, which, according to the American Council on Exercise, include the bicycle crunch, crunches on an exercise ball, vertical leg crunch and reverse crunch.

Volume

Complete one exercise, rest for 20 seconds and then immediately move onto the next. Complete 30 repetitions of each exercise during each set. Continue in this manner until you complete three sets of 30 repetitions of each bicycle crunch, crunches on an exercise ball, vertical leg crunch and reverse crunch. Completing 30 repetitions of each exercise will take about 30 seconds each, and with 20-second rests in between each set, it will take 10 minutes to complete three sets of each.

Exercise Techniques

Bicycle crunch begins lying on your back with your hands behind your head. Raise your legs up to about 45 degrees from the floor. Crunch up, then twist to one side. At the same time, bring the opposite leg up to meet your elbow -- crunch up and twist to the right, bringing your left elbow to meet your right knee. Lower down and repeat on the other side.

For crunches on an exercise ball, first sit on the ball, then walk your feet out so that you roll down until your lower back rounds around the ball. Make sure your feet are firmly planted and your knees are bent to 90 degrees. Place your hands behind your head or hold your arms straight up toward the ceiling. Crunch directly upward.

The vertical leg crunch is done while lying on the floor with your legs held straight up in the air. Place your hands behind your head or hold them up straight toward the ceiling and crunch upward.

For a reverse crunch, lie on your back with your feet up off the floor and your knees at 90 degrees. Place your hands down by your side. Pick your hips up off the floor and control them back down.