Strong, lean stomach muscles are the hallmark of a dedicated diet and fitness routine. Strong core muscles also support your spine, improve your posture and help you perform most types of cardio exercise. Focus on a mix of classic moves and body weight exercises to strengthen your stomach muscles. For ultimate results overhaul your diet to minimize weight gain and bloating. Stick with a healthy routine and you should start to see changes in two to four weeks.
Bump Your Crunch
Use an exercise ball when working on crunches. A 2001 San Diego State University study named this one of the three most effective overall abdominal exercises because the instability of the ball increases the difficultly of the exercise.
Bicycle Your Abs
Amie Hoff, personal trainer and fitness professional, suggests bicycle crunches for maximum effect. Lift your head and shoulder blades off the ground. Keep your neck in line with your spine and feel your stomach muscles engage. Raise both legs 3 to 6 inches off the ground. Bend your right knee and bring it toward your chest. Keep your foot flexed. Extend your right leg back to a straight position as you bend your left knee towards your chest. The motion mimics pedaling a bicycle.
Aye, Aye, Captain's Chair
Climb up on the elevated Captain's Chair at your gym, placing your arms on the arm rests. Rest your back flush against the back cushion and let your legs dangle. Bring your knees toward your chest. If tuck position is too easy, try the exercise straight-legged, ending with a 90-degree angle at your hips.
Stuck at home? Work the same muscle group by lying on your back, hands out to the sides with palms down, and lifting your legs to form a 90-degree angle with your body at your hips. Pump your legs into the air, maintaining a 90-degree angle with your body and lifting your butt and lower back off the ground with each repetition.
Get a Leg Up
Sit on an inflatable exercise ball as though it's a chair, with both legs planted firmly on the floor. Keep your hands on your hips. Lift one foot off the ground, engaging your abs to keep your balance as you straighten your leg at the knee. Repeat on the other side.
Plank Pose
Exercise your core muscles with a plank pose, an important stabilizing position in yoga and Pilates. Position yourself as though you are about to do a push-up, with your wrists under your shoulders, toes on the ground, feet up, arms straight but not locked and your body in one straight line. Hold for two minutes.
Oblique Crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet touching the floor. Raise your right foot to the top of your left knee. Place your fingertips behind your ears and sit up to contract your abdominals. Twist the opposite elbow toward the raised knee for added difficultly. Repeat with your other leg.
Weighty Decision
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold a 20-pound weight at your side in your right hand. Lean your upper half to the right side, dropping your right shoulder. Stop when the weight is halfway down your thigh and return to standing straight. Do 15 to 20 repetitions and repeat on the left side. Feel your oblique muscles working to control your motion.
Grab a Partner
Lie on your back on the floor and instruct your partner to stand facing you 6 to 10 inches behind your head. Reach back and firmly grasp your partner's ankles. Lift your legs straight up and have your partner stand steady while he pushes your legs back toward the ground. Keep your back and legs straight and try to keep your legs off the floor. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
Loop-de-loop
Matthew Goodemote, a physical therapist with a practice in Gloversville, New York, recommends the following technique to supercharge your crunches. Get a yoga strap or dog leash and loop it into an "O" shape. Secure the loop around something that won't move such as your couch or a park bench. Put your feet in the loop and pull your heels toward your buttocks while you do crunches. This helps other muscles stay inactive so your abs receive a maximum workout.
The Swimmer
Lie on your stomach with your arms straight and pressed against the side of your head. Lift your right arm and your left leg several inches off the ground. Switch. For a variation, try the exercise with your arms out to the sides.
References
- San Diego State University: Effective Exercise Study
- 4/23/2010. Phone Interview. Amie Hoff. Personal Trainer. New York, New York
- 4/23/2010. Email Interview. Matthew Goodemote, MPT, MDT. Gloversville, NY
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