Building muscle and tone in your ab muscles requires you to provide more resistance to their motion than they experience over the course of a normal day. Situps, for example, do this by adding the weight of your rising upper torso to the load your abs bear. You can accomplish the same goals -- often with a greater degree of control -- by raising your legs to provide that extra load.
Reverse Abdominal Curl
Reverse abdominal curls work the abs in your lower muscle, and transition into the upper abs at the peak of each repetition. To perform this exercise, begin by lying on your back. Bend your knees and raise your feet so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your calves are parallel to the floor. From the side, you will look like you're sitting in a chair. Use the muscles of your abs -- not of your legs -- to pull your knees toward your chest as you press your upper spine into the ground. Return to the starting position slowly. Many athletes find these are easier if you grip something above or behind your head throughout your set.
Leg Lifts
Leg lifts focus on the lower abdominal muscles and can be low-impact enough even for beginning athletes. To perform a leg lift, lie on your back with your legs straight. Lift your legs, knees locked, one to three inches off the ground. Hold them in place for as long as you can, then lower them gently. If you experience any lower back pain during this exercise, place your palms flat beneath your lower back while your legs are off the ground.
Bicycle Kick
The bicycle kick combines a thorough workout of your entire abdominal musculature with a motion many people find comfortingly familiar. You start them the same way you do a reverse crunch, lying on your back in a position similar to sitting in a chair. Extend your legs in alternating rotations, just like you move your legs when riding a bicycle. For extra burn, raise the shoulder opposite your high leg with each rotation and bring that elbow to touch your knee.
Dry Swimming
Dry swimming is exactly what it sounds like. Lie on your stomach on a mat and move your arms and legs as if performing a breast stroke. To give your arms and legs clearance to move, you will need to arch your back and balance on your stomach. This engages all the muscles of the stomach as well as many in the lower and middle back. One advantage of dry swimming is that it balances the training of the abs and lower back. This is important because imbalanced training of opposing muscle groups is a major cause of sports injuries.
References
- Full Fitness: Abdominal Exercises
- "The Sports Injuries Handbook;" Christer Rolf; 2010
- Ben Cohn; Fitness Coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
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