The abdominal muscles, or abs, include the rectus abdominis, which spans the front of your abdomen, the external oblique and internal oblique, which are situated within the sides of your abdomen, and the transversus abdominis, which lies deep underneath the others. Stimulating the abs regularly by performing resistance exercises will make the muscles stronger. Train the abs at least two to three times per week, gradually increasing the intensity or volume of each exercise over time. Consult your doctor if any exercise causes pain.
Isometric Exercises
The front plank, side plank and supine leg lift are examples of isometric exercises that target the abs. The first of these involves assuming a pushup position, but resting on your elbows and forearms instead of your hands, and holding your legs and torso off the floor horizontally for at least 10 seconds. The side plank, which targets the oblique muscles, is similar, but you turn sideways, supporting your body with with only one arm and the side of one foot. Finally, the supine leg lift involves lying on your back with your legs extended and lifting them 6 to 12 inches off the floor for 10 seconds or more.
Crunch/Situp Exercises
The crunch and situp are classic ab exercises that target the rectus abdominis, which contracts to flex your spine forward during the upward-movement phase and to control the speed of movement during the downward-movement phase. The traditional crunch involves lying on your back with your knees flexed and repeatedly lifting your shoulders 6 to 12 inches toward your knees. The situp requires the same movement, but you continue elevating your body until your torso is vertical. You can hold a weighted object behind your head or on top of your chest to increase the resistance, if desired. Additionally, you can alternately twist your torso to the left and right during the upward-movement phase to stimulate the oblique muscles.
Oblique Exercises
The obliques facilitate side-to-side flexion and rotation of the torso, so any variation of the side-bend and trunk-rotation exercises will stimulate the muscles. The traditional side-bend exercise entails holding a dumbbell by your hip from a standing position and repeatedly leaning to that side. The trunk-rotation exercise involves holding a weighted object, such as a medicine ball, in front of your abdomen from a seated or standing position and alternately rotating as far as possible to the left and right in a slow and controlled fashion.
Other Exercises
The abdominal vacuum, the hanging leg lift and the lever forward flexion exercise are other examples of exercises that stimulate your abs. The abdominal vacuum, which targets the transversus abdominis, involves sucking in your abdomen as far as possible and holding for 5 seconds at time. The hanging leg lift exercise, as it's name suggests, involves hanging from a bar that's high enough so your feet don't touch the floor and repeatedly tucking your knees toward your chest. Finally, some fitness facilities have a weight machine with a lever positioned at chest height that lifts a stack of weights when you press it downward by flexing your torso forward.
References
- "Basic Biomechanics"; Susan J. Hall; 2007
- "NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training"; Roger Earle and Thomas Baechle; 2004
- American Council on Exercise: Ab Exercises
- ExRx.net: Waist Exercise Menu
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