The Ab Lounge is an in-home abdominal exerciser by Fitness Quest. It resembles a lounge chair and allows you to do jackknife-style ab exercises on the chair instead of lying on the floor. Start with the basic jackknife exercise, which targets your entire abdominal region, and then advance to oblique and lateral jackknifes to target your obliques.
Identification
Fitness Quest produces a variety of Ab Lounge models, including the original, the Sport, the Ultra and the Ab Lounge 2. All the models have the same basic design and function and only differ in minor details, such as the shape of the handles. Regardless of which Ab Lounge model you use, you can perform the same exercises. The basic jackknife exercise mainly works your rectus abdominis, or main ab muscle, but it also works your obliques, or side abs. The oblique and lateral jackknife exercises specifically target your oblique muscles.
Basic Jackknife
You lie on your back on the Ab Lounge device to perform the basic jackknife exercise. Bend your knees and place your feet on the footrest. Reach overhead and grab the pullup bar with both hands. Start with your body horizontal to the floor. As you crunch in, allow your lower back to round. Contract your abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button in toward your spine. Think of pulling your ribs toward your hipbones. Slowly return to the horizontal position and repeat.
Oblique Jackknife
To target your oblique muscles, position yourself as if you are doing the basic jackknife and then turn your knees to the right. Your shoulders and hips should remain facing forward. Release your left hand from the pullup bar and relax it along your left side. Keep your legs in this angled position as you crunch. After completing all the repetitions on the right side, shift your knees to the left side and switch arm positions. Grab the pullup bar with your left hand and relax your right arm along your side.
Lateral Jackknife
The lateral jackknife is a more intense version of the oblique jackknife. Instead of just twisting your legs, you lie on your side. This targets your obliques more. Lie on your right side on the Ab Lounge device with your feet against the footrest. Bend your right arm and rest your head on it. Grab the pullup bar with your left hand. Exhale and laterally flex from the waist, as if you are doing a side bend. Complete all the repetitions on one side and then switch sides.
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