12 BEST EXERCISES FOR GREAT ABs !!!

bicycle crunches

Bicycle crunches:
Begin by lying on your back, placing your hands behind your ears. Do not put your hands clasped behind your head. Lift your legs in the air and bend your knees so that your legs form a 90 degree angle.
Move your legs in a bicycle motion. When your left knee is closer to your body, reach your right elbow to it. When your right knee is closer to your body, reach your left elbow to it. Try performing the exercise for 60 seconds in 2 sets. 

Knee lifts on captains chair:

Stand on the captain’s chair (not pictured) to place your back flat on the pad, your forearms and elbows on the pads, and your hands lightly around the gripping handles. Once in position, lift your feet off of the stand and squeeze your

knee lifts on captain's chair

legs together, keeping abs engaged.   

 EXHALE: Focus on engaging the abs as you bring your knees up towards your chest.

INHALE: Slowly lower the legs back down to complete one rep.

            

Keep your lower back flat--make sure it does not arch. Keep your head and neck relaxed into the support. Focus on using the abs, not just the upper body, to lift.

Crunches on ball:
Begin by sitting on top of the Swiss ball. Roll in the direction your head is pointed until your lower back is supported by the curve of the ball. You can either cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your ears. Do not put them behind the head or clasp them together behind your

crunches on ball

 

head.
EXHALE: Crunch forward, using your abdominals, until you are at approximately a 45 degree angle to the ball. Keep you neck in a neutral position.
INHALE: Lower yourself back to the starting position, where your head wraps back around the ball. Try doing 2 sets of 15 crunches.

Note: Keep space in-between your chin and chest, so your spine stays in a neutral position. Balance yourself on the ball with as much upper body weight off the ball as possible without falling over backwards.

Crunches with vertical legs: This exercise is just like traditional crunches but with your legs extended up in the air, in line with the hips.

crunches with vertical legs

Crunches with arms extended: This exercise is just like a traditional crunch , but you extend your arms overhead, squeezing your upper arms by your ears as your crunch up and lower down.


Reverse crunches:
Lie on the floor or a mat on your back, with knees bent and hands behind head. Lift legs and bend knees to 90 degrees. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the

reverse crunches

ceiling).
EXHALE: Pull knees in toward chest and hold for 2 seconds.
INHALE: Slowly lower legs back to starting position.

Don't use your momentum to swing your legs up. Try to keep the motion controlled by your abs.

Crunches with heel push

Crunches with heel push: This exercise is just like the Crunches with Vertical Legs (see above), except that as you crunch up you also slightly lift your hips off the ground (feet towards the ceiling).

 

Plank: Begin this exercise by lying on your stomach with your forearms on the floor pointing straight forward, your feet together and your spine in a neutral position. Your feet should be touching or no more than an inch apart.

 Lift your body up on your forearms and toes, keeping your body as straight as possible. Maintain this position for as long as possible and challenge yourself to longer periods in the plank position. Try to hold the position for 60 seconds in the beginning, working your way up in 30 second jumps until you can hold the position for 3 minutes or longer. 

 

 Don’t let your hips/knees drop, your butt raise, or shift weight to one forearm.

 

Traditional crunches:  Lie on the floor or a mat on your back, with knees bent and hands behind head. Feet should be flat on the ground. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the ceiling).

Traditional crunches

EXHALE: Raise your chest until your shoulder blades lift off the floor.
INHALE: Slowly lower back to floor.

 

 Don't use your hands and arms to help lift you up - use abdominals and hips.

 

Ab rocker machine

 

Ab roller machine

 

Torso track machine