Online Exercises For Great Abs

Without variety, abdominal training gets boring. Boredom makes you perform your abdominal routine on auto-pilot, making it less effective. If you belong to a gym, your personal trainer or group exercise instructor may periodically update your abdominal exercise program. But if you don't have access to a trainer or instructor, some websites offer free, effective abdominal programming.

American Council on Exercise

Many people wonder which abdominal exercises are most effective. The American Council on Exercise sponsored a study that used electromyography to test the muscle activity stimulated during different types of abdominal exercises. The council makes the exercises available to the general public. Crunches on a stability ball and the bicycle maneuver, a supine exercise that involves bicycle leg movements while you rotate your upper torso toward your bent knee, were at the top of the list.

Magazine Abdominal Workouts

Fitness magazines often put their best abdominal workout articles on their websites. Some of these articles only stay online for a limited time, so if you enjoy them, print them out or save them to your computer. "Women's Health Magazine" has a highly athletic abdominal workout called "Gold Medal Abs." It features challenging exercises such as the hanging leg raise, which involves holding onto a chin-up bar as you raise your straight legs toward your chest, and walking lunges with upper torso rotation, performed with a medicine ball. The May 2008 edition of "Fitness Magazine" features 12 effective abdominal exercises, such as the abdominal hold. Sit at the edge of a chair, resting both hands against the chair seat. Contract your abdominal muscles, bend your knees and lift your legs toward your chest. Hold the contraction for 10 seconds, then relax and repeat.

Online Video

Workoutz.com has an extensive selection of innovative abdominal exercise videos, which use different types of abdominal training equipment. The ball exchange begins in the supine position, with your legs and arms extended. Bring the ball above your head. Then lift your upper body and legs from the floor. Place the ball between your inner thighs and lower your legs and upper torso to the floor. Keep your lower back in contact with the floor.
Pilates on Fifth offers free, Pilates-evolved exercises, also performed on different types of equipment. The obliques on the bosu exercise begins by lying face-up, with your spine extended over the bosu, and one leg lifted from the floor in a straight-leg position. As you lift your upper torso from the floor, rotate toward the lifted leg, simultaneously bending the knee.

Commercial Sites

Manufacturers that sell abdominal training equipment sometimes show exercises on their websites. Many only offer this feature to people who make a purchase. TheraGear does not. Even better, it lets you create a free, password-protected exercise file so that you can save your workout. The crunch with the exercise bar provides advanced abdominal training. Lie on the ball with your spine flush against its surface. Hold a weighted bar across your upper chest, crossing your arms to keep the bar stable. Slowly flex your upper torso to bring your ribcage toward your pelvis. Return with control.