Achieving a muscular, toned look in your abdomen requires a combination of proper diet and regular exercise targeting the muscles in your abdominal region. Maintain a healthy weight, eliminating any excess fat, and perform resistance exercises at least three times per week, increasing the intensity of your workouts over time. Consult nutrition and exercise professionals to get you off on the right foot and to provide guidance along the way.
Incline Leg-Hip Raise
Perform the incline leg-hip raise exercise on an inclined bench that has a bar attached to its top end. Lie on your back with your head above your feet, and hold the bar with both hands. Flex your knees and move them toward your chest, contracting the muscle on the front of your abdomen. Reverse to the starting position slowly, using your ab muscles to control the speed of movement, then repeat. Wear ankle weights to increase the resistance.
Stability Ball Knee Tuck/Pike
The stability ball knee tuck exercise also targets your front ab muscle. Start in a pushup position with your arms fully extended and your knees on top of a stability ball. Tuck your knees toward your chest, rolling the ball along the floor until your shins are on top, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Perform the similar stability ball pike exercise to increase the intensity. Start in the same position, but with your toes on top of the ball. Flex your hips, moving your pelvis forward and upward, until your torso is vertical. Extend your ankles and allow the ball to roll under your toes at the same time, then reverse to the starting position and repeat.
Stability Ball Side Bend
The stability ball side bend exercise targets the oblique muscles on the sides of your abdomen, which are responsible for bending your spine from side to side and for rotating your torso. Lie on your left side on top of a stability ball with your right foot on the floor and your left leg flexed underneath. Cross your left arm over your abdomen, and place your right hand on the side of your head with your elbow pointed upward. Flex your torso to the right, moving your right elbow toward your hip, then reverse to the starting position and repeat. Perform the exercise while lying on your right side as well.
Weighted Crunches
Weighted crunches are just like the traditional exercise, but you use an external weight, such as a barbell plate or a medicine ball, to make your abdominal muscles work harder. Lie on your back on a flat bench with your head hanging off one end, your knees flexed and your feet on top of the other end.
Hold the weight against the back of your head with both hands, then repeatedly curl your torso forward and upward and return to the starting position. Perform the exercise on an inclined bench, with your feet above your head, to make the exercise more challenging. You can also hold the weight on your chest instead of behind your head if desired.
References
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore, David L. Costill and W. Larry Kenney; 2008
- ExRx.net: Incline Leg-Hip Raise
- American Council on Exercise: Stability Ball Knee Tucks
- American Council on Exercise: Stability Ball Pikes
- ExRx.net: Side Bend
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas Baechle and Roger Earle; 2000
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