The best method for choosing your abdominal workout is to determine how many and which muscle fibers your exercise is activating. If you are not reaching your target muscles, you will end up wasting your time and strengthening other muscle groups. Your abdominal muscles consist of the rectus abdominis, which runs down the center of your abdomen, the obliques, which run diagonally alongside of your abdomen and the transverse abdominis, which lies deep in your abdomen and surrounds it like a girdle. The American Council on Exercise attached electrodes to participant's muscles to determine which ab exercises used the most muscle fibers. ACE's top two exercises are the bicycle maneuver and the captain's chair.
Bicycle Maneuver
Step 1
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach by contracting your belly button toward your spine, to activate the transverse abdominis.
Step 2
Position your hands on the back of your head. Slightly lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor.
Step 3
Lift your feet off the floor. Keep your knees bent and begin a bicycling motion with your legs. Straighten your right leg as you bend your left. Straighten your left leg as you bend your right.
Step 4
Touch your opposite elbow to the bent knee. Touch your right elbow to your left knee as it comes in to the chest. Touch your left elbow to your right knee.
Step 5
Complete two to three sets of eight to 10 bicycle maneuvers.
Captain's Chair
Step 1
Step up into the chair. Place your back against the back pad and position your elbows on the arm rests. Hold onto the handles with each hand.
Step 2
Contract your stomach. Remove your feet from the platform. Support the weight of your body in your arms.
Step 3
Pull your knees in to your chest. Exhale and bend your knees as you bring your legs toward your body. Inhale and straighten your legs to start position.
Step 4
Complete one or two sets of eight to 10 repetitions in the captain's chair.
Things You'll Need
- Captain's chair
References
- American Council on Exercise: New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Ab Exercises
- "Manual of Structural Kinesiology"; Clem W. Thompson, Ph.D.; 1989
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