A study at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University studied 13 common abdominal exercises and rated them best to worst. The ones that were deemed the best caused the most muscular contraction to the rectus abdominus and oblique muscles. Incorporating these exercises into your routine will help you quickly tighten your stomach.
Captain's Chair
A Captain's Chair is a piece of equipment where you support yourself on your arms against a back that looks like part of a chair. Keep your shoulders down and your abs tight while your legs hang straight down below your body off of the floor. Slowly raise your knees up towards your chest, contracting your abs. Lower your legs in a controlled manner for one complete repetition.
Bicycle Maneuver
Lie on a mat on the floor with your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides. Bring your legs up so that your knees are over your hips, bent with your lower legs parallel to the floor. Bring your right knee in towards your chest as your left leg extends. Cross your left shoulder over towards your right knee, contracting your abs. Slowly reverse the movement for one complete repetition.
Exercise Ball Crunch
Sit on an exercise ball and slowly walk yourself out so that your low back is on the ball with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to wide. Keep your hips steady and slowly contract your abs, bringing your shoulders and head up away from the ball. Lower back down in a controlled manner. Do not rock your body, but instead curl away from the ball.
Training Tips
Your abdominal muscles are resistant to fatigue so you can exercise them every day. At a minimum, work them two to three times per week on nonconsecutive days to see changes in muscle tone. The researchers at San Diego State University suggest choosing a few different exercises and performing them for a total of five minutes. Dr. Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico also advises a variety of exercises but recommends eight or more repetitions per exercise. Form is more important than quantity.
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