Ab exercises can be difficult to learn without someone like a personal trainer or coach to show you how to do them. Instructions and pictures can help you use correct form when you do your exercises, but if you have a workout buddy or spotter to watch and give you feedback, you are more likely to perform the exercises properly. You should perform exercises for the front and sides of your abdomen, either with or without equipment.
Floor Situps
Performing situps on the floor or a mat is the basic variation of this exercise. The situp targets the the abdomen using no weight other than you upper body. To perform a situp, lie on your back and bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor hip width apart. Bend your arms and put your palms against the back of your head. Tighten your abdomen and then sit up, keeping your lower body static. Other variations of situps include weighted situps, incline bench situps and medicine ball situps.
Ab Wheel Rollout
An ab wheel is a round piece of exercise equipment with handles that target the abs through stabilization. By holding the handles to perform this exercise, you place much of your body weight onto an unstable surface, the rolling wheel. To perform an ab wheel rollout, stand in front of the ab wheel and bend over to grasp the handles with your arms straight. Roll the wheel forward and lift onto the balls of your feet as you lower your body toward the floor. Continue until your entire body is parallel to the floor with your arms stretched out in front of you. The abdominal muscles stabilize your spine during this exercise so keep your back from arching.
Stability Ball Crunch
The stability ball crunch is another way to work your abs using this popular piece of exercise equipment. You can find a stability ball at a gym or buy one online or at a sporting goods store to use at home. The stability ball is harder to balance on than the floor because the floor doesn't shift underneath you. To perform a stability ball crunch, lie your back on the ball with your feet on the floor and knees bent to 90-degree angles. Support your head with your palms. Then, curl your head and shoulders forward.
Lying Side Oblique Crunches
The lying side oblique crunch is an ab exercise that works the front muscle of the abs to do a crunch, but targets the side abdominal muscles because of the position of the legs. Turning your legs to the side and then lifting your upper body doesn't just bend your spine forward, it also flexes your spine sideways in one direction, which uses the oblique muscle on that side. To perform a lying side oblique crunch, lie on your back with your knees bent and lower the knees to the floor to the right. Support your neck with your hands behind your head and then bring your upper body off the floor. This targets your left oblique. Repeat on the other side.
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