Ab exercises strengthen abs, but don't necessarily flatten them. Achieving flat abs also requires a healthy diet and regular cardiovascular exercise to reduce belly fat and keep it off. The benefits of flat abs are not just physical appeal. Flab-free abs reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise burns calories to shed fat. To maximize abdominal benefits, choose cardiovascular exercises that involve the core to stabilize and support the body. Rowing machines and kickboxing classes both offer high-intensity cardiovascular workouts that also build ab strength. Outdoor activities such as trail hiking, jogging and swimming also burn fat and use ab muscles.
The Bicycle
The American Council on Exercise commissioned a study in 2001 to determine the top abdominal exercises. The bicycle exercise ranked No. 1 for rectus abdominus and No. 2 for obliques. Perform the bicycle by lying supine on a mat with your knees up. Support your head and neck with your hands as you lift your shoulders off the floor. Twist your torso so that your left elbow touches your right knee, then repeat with the right elbow touching the left knee. To avoid neck strain, don't pull on your head. Instead, let your abdominals do the work. If your lower back lifts off the floor or you feel back strain, pedal your feet toward the ceiling. As you get stronger, you can extend your legs parallel to the floor.
The Captain's Chair
In the American Council on Exercise ab study, the captain's chair ranked No. 1 in oblique and No. 2 in rectus abdominus engagement, making it the top-ranked piece of ab exercise equipment. Standing on the footrests, press your lower back into the pad as you grip the handles. Your forearms should be on the arm rests. Tighten your abs as you lift your knees toward your chest, then lower them without returning your feet to the footrests. Make sure to breathe and move slowly with control through the full range of motion.
Ball Crunches
While floor crunches were found by the American Council on Exercise to be ineffective, doing them on an exercise ball ranked third for rectus abdominus and sixth for oblique engagement. When you sit on the ball, your knees should be bent at a right angle and your thighs parallel to the floor. Carefully walk your feet forward until your lower back is on the ball. You can hold your arms in front of you for a counter-balance, or cross them over your chest for more difficulty. Contract your abdominals as you recline back until your torso is parallel to the floor. Lift up to 45 degrees, then return to the reclined position. If you feel unstable on the ball, widen your feet on the floor. To make the exercise more challenging, move your feet closer together.
Member Comments