With so many abdominal exercises, "You need to train your abs for stability," fitness expert Alwyn Cosgrove says. Since your abdominals attach to your pelvis and spine, stability is what keeps your spine from bending in any direction from its natural position when your arms and legs move. So working your abs in different positions and angles will strengthen them top-to-bottom and side-to-side.
Renegade Rows
Put two dumbbells, or kettlebells for more advanced lifters, on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on the handles and get into a pushup position with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Keep your body in a straight line from your feet to your head.
Tighten your abdominals and glutes as you shift your weight to the right hand. Press down into the right dumbbell as you lift the left dumbbell to your waist. Make sure to keep your hips level with the ground the entire time. Place the left dumbbell back on the floor in a controlled manner, so that it doesn't slam onto the floor. Repeat on the other side for two sets of a total of 10 to 20 reps.
Stability Ball Rollout
Kneel on the ground with a stability ball in front of you. Place your hands towards the front of the ball and lean forward until your upper body is level with the ground. Tighten your abdominals as you shift your weight from your knees onto the ball, and roll the ball away from your knees.
Let the ball roll up your forearms until your head is between your elbows and your arms are almost fully extended. Sit back over your knees as you pull the ball back toward you, keeping your upper body level with the ground the entire time. Repeat this for two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Medicine Ball Chop Pass
To perform a medicine ball chop pass, Gray Cook, a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and highly recognized fitness professional, recommends using either a 2- to 6-lb. ball for someone under 150 lbs. or 8 to 12 lbs. for someone over 150 lbs.
Kneel on the ground about 10 feet away from a concrete or block wall, with the wall to one side. Hold the ball just above your head over your shoulder facing away from the wall. With a diagonal movement, from your shoulder to your hips, bounce the ball off the floor so it hits the wall and comes back to you. The ball should bounce as high as your head. Repeat this for at least three sets on the weaker side and one set on the stronger side, for three to five reps.
One Arm Farmer's Walk
Hold a dumbbell or kettle bell in your right hand with your arm straight at your side. Squeeze your abs and remain tall without leaning to one side or the other. Walk in a straight line for 20 to 30 feet. Put the weight on the ground, pick it up with the other hand, again staying tall, and walk back 20 to 30 feet to the starting point. This exercise will work all your abdominals by stabilizing your spine and pelvis as you walk.
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