Doing an endless number of crunches each day can become repetitive and boring and cause you to lose interest in your workouts. In addition, doing the same exercises all the time can lead to a plateau effect, at which point you will stop making gains in muscle strength and tone. These unique abdominal exercises will help keep you interested and motivated, and ensure continued results.
Crocodile Walk
To perform this unique abdominal exercise, begin in a push-up position with your elbows slightly bent and pointing behind you. Contract your abdominals and begin to crawl forward slowly, moving your left arm and your right leg forward at the same time and then moving your left leg and your right arm forward. Continue to crawl like this for 15 gait cycles.
Reverse Crunches
This is a twist on the traditional crunch that targets the lower abs. You'll need to have something sturdy to hold onto just behind your head as you're lying on the floor. A heavy table leg can work. Lie on your back with your head in front of the table leg. Hold onto the table leg with both hands and firm your arms so that the upper body remains immobile. Contract your abdominal muscles and begin raise your pelvis and legs off of the floor. Your pelvis and lower back will peel up off the floor one vertebra at a time from your coccyx to your low back. As you do this, your legs will point up at a 90-degree angle from your body. At the end of the movement, slowly uncurl the back, lowering one vertebra at a time from low back to coccyx, bringing the legs down last. Repeat 15 times.
Dynamic Oblique Plank
This unique abdominal exercise targets your obliques, the muscles that run down the sides of your midsection. Begin on your right side propped up on your elbow and your left leg stacked on top of your right leg. Contract your right oblique muscle and lift your right hip off the floor, pushing your left hip up toward the ceiling. Pause for a second and then lower your hips back down to the floor. Repeat 10 to 15 times on each side.
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