The Total Gym home equipment series offers similar models of home gyms that can be used to strengthen the muscles of your stomach as well as the rest of your body. The difficulty of the exercises can be controlled by the incline of the Total Gym. The higher you raise the glide board of the Total Gym, the more challenging each exercise will be. Work up to two sets of 12 to 20 reps three days a week.
Cable Abdominal Crunch
The cable abdominal crunch works the from muscles of the abs. The muscles are worked as you flex your spine during the exercise. Lie on the glide board with your head on the top near the Total Gym's upright. Hold a handle of the cables in each hand on top of your shoulders. Bend your elbows and face your palms down. Bend your knees and place them on the board below your buttocks. Squeeze your abs and curl your head and shoulders off the glide board. Hold your arms in place so that the cables attached to the glide board will force you to raise the weight of the board with you as you curl up. Lower yourself slowly back to the board.
Sit-Up With Cables
The sit-up with cables exercise also works the front muscles of the stomach as well as the hip flexors. The deeper transverse abdominis muscle of your stomach will also have to work to hold your body seated on the board as you move. Sit on the glide board with your knees bent and your feet on the glide board near the upright. Hold a handle in each hand with your arms extended straight on the outside of your legs and your palms facing each other. Lean back as far as you can without touching your back to the board. Sit back up. Keep your arms straight throughout the exercise.
Oblique Twister
The oblique twister exercise works the side ab muscles of the waist (the obliques) as you perform a twisting motion just as the name implies. Sit sideways in the center of the bench with your right shoulder pointing toward the upright. Hold your legs straight in front of you and cross your ankles. Hold both handles with your hands together. Bend your arms slightly and start with your arms pointing to the right. Your left arm will cross your stomach. Twist your arms across your body toward your left shoulder. Twist your arms back to the right to complete one rep. Turn around after one set to work the other side.
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