There are numerous ways you can make an ab workout more intense and ultimately more effective. Toning your abs with crunches is popular, but if you don't reduce your body fat with frequent cardio sessions and a healthy diet, the muscles you build will remain covered. It is possible to incorporate both an abdominal workout and a cardio workout into the same session.
Best Ab Exercises
Some abdominal exercises are more effective than others, according to the American Council on Exercise. Many people neglect the lower abdominal and the oblique muscles, instead focusing solely on standard crunches for the upper abs. Vary your routine to work all of the abdominal areas. Use the captains chair exercise to hit the lower abs, the stability ball crunch for the upper abs and torso twist to work the oblique muscles.
Bicycle Kick
The bicycle kick is rated No. 1 by the American Council on Exercise. This is because it works the upper, lower and oblique abdominal muscles simultaneously. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and legs raised, knees bent. Perform the bicycle kick by lifting and twisting your upper torso to the left, so that the left elbow touches the right knee. Meanwhile, the left leg straightens. Perform the motion again on the right side.
Circuit Training
Circuit training is a cardio and body-conditioning workout that most gyms run. It is made up of a number of work stations, each with a different exercise. You spend one minute or a set of reps at each station before moving to the next. You can design your own circuit of abdominal exercises. For example, perform a set of bicycle kicks and then move quickly to the stability ball crunch.
HIIT
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is the fat-burning workout of many serious fitness enthusiasts and sports professionals. According to MayoClinic.com, it is simply the application of alternating high and low work rate intervals that keep up the intensity in the body. This can be applied to an abdominal workout by either performing some sets more quickly, without rest, or by adding weight resistance to some sets to make them more challenging.
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