The abs and pecs are two areas of the body that get a lot of attention when it comes to weight training. If you want to effectively work these areas, your goal should be to do a variety or exercises to target as much muscle fiber as possible. This involves compound movements and multi-directional exercises. To give your abs an added bit of recruitment, you can incorporate a stability ball into some of your pec exercises.
Step 1
Perform dumbbell chest presses on a stability ball. Lie on the ball with your feet flat on the floor, your knees bent 90 degrees, and your shoulders and head resting comfortably on the ball. Hold the dumbbells straight above your chest with your palms facing forward. Lower the weights down by bending your elbows. Stop when you feel a strong contraction in your chest and push the weights back up. Bring the dumbbells toward each other and stop when they are an inch apart. Make sure your hips are elevated and you form a straight line from your shoulders to the back of your knees throughout the whole exercise.
Step 2
Place your lower shins on the stability ball to do decline push-ups. Position your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Push your body up and straighten your back by contracting your abs. Maintain this posture as you lower your body toward the floor. Stop your chest a fist-width away from the floor, push yourself back up and repeat.
Step 3
Hook your lower shins under the padded support on a decline bench to target your lower chest. Hold dumbbells straight above you with your palms facing forward. Lower the weights down to stomach height by bending your elbows. Push the weights back up and toward each other. Stop them an inch apart and repeat.
Step 4
Lie on the ball to do chest flys. Get your body into the same position as with chest presses. Hold the dumbbells above you with your palms facing each other. Slightly bend your elbows and maintain that bend as you lower the weights down to your sides. Stop when you feel a strong contraction in your pecs and push the weights back up. Stop them an inch apart and repeat.
Step 5
Execute a set of leg raises. Lie face-up on the floor with your legs elevated 6 inches. This is your starting point. Lift your legs up another 2 to 3 feet, lower them back to the starting point and repeat. Place your hands under your butt if you feel stress on your lower back.
Step 6
Perform oblique pull-ins with the stability ball. Place your lower shins on top of the ball and put your hands on the floor directly under your shoulders. Push your body up in the air and contract your abs to straighten your back. Draw your knees in toward your body by rolling the ball on the floor. As you do this, angle your knees toward your left shoulder. Hold for a second, extend your legs back out and repeat, going toward your right shoulder. Extend your legs back and repeat going back and forth to each side.
Step 7
Lie face-up on the ground to do double crunches. Place your hands on the sides of your head and lift your legs off the ground slightly. Curl your body up and draw your knees into your chest. Squeeze for a second, extend your legs back out and lower your upper body back down. Repeat for a set of reps.
Tips and Warnings
- Do 10 to 12 reps for your chest exercises and 15 to 20 reps for your ab exercises. Perform three to four sets of all the exercises and take two days off in between workouts. Spend one to two days a week working your back muscles to prevent muscle imbalances. Do exercises like, lat pulldowns, deadlifts, bent-over rows and back extensions.
Things You'll Need
- Stability ball
- Dumbbells
- Incline bench
- Decline bench
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