Ab Crunch Machine

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: Machine
Mechanics Type: Isolation

Tips: This is like a situp or crunch, but the machine helps you to add resistance for greater strength increases. Follow the directions on the particular machine that you choose. Be sure to go slow and concentrate on using your abs to push the weight while relaxing your legs and feet.

Ab Roller

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: Other
Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: Using the ab roller, start on the floor on all your hands and knees. Hold the ab roller in your hands while in this position. Slowly roll the ab roller foreward, stretching your body into a straight position. Go down as far as you can without touching the floor with your body. Pause and pull yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Go slow and do not touch the ground!

Air Bike

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: Lie on your back and put your hands behind your head. Raise your legs so your thighs are perpendicular and your lower legs are just above parallel to the floor. Curl up and bring your left elbow toward your right side while drawing your right knee in to meet it. It is like you are riding a bike. Alternate sides, continuing the motion back and forth. Remember, don't just flap your elbow across your body, actually rotate your shoulder across and squeeze your abs.

Alternate Heel Touchers

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Isolation

Tips: Works your obliques. In order to complete 1 repetition, each heel must be touched once. So, get into position, crunch over and touch your right heel once, then crunch over and touch your left heel once, and now you've completed 1 repetition. Lie down on the floor. Bend your knees and keep your feet 18-24 inches apart. Keep your arms straight down at your sides. Crunch forward and up about 3-4 inches. Remember to keep your lower back pressed flat against the ground. Keep your head in a neutral position. Alternate touching your right heel and then your left heel. Remember, touching each heel once is one rep!

Barbell Ab Rollout

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: Lower Back, Shoulders
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: The elbows are to be locked and kept in a vertical line with the shoulders. Many ab wheel commercials show the user with their arms extended out but it is felt by some that this puts unnecessary stress on the shoulders and lower back. Keep the body locked in a straight position with no back "sag" when in the bottom position. All movement in this exercise is initiated by the hips, not the arms/lats. The emphasis should be on raising the butt as high as possible in a "piking" motion when in the upright part of the movement.

Barbell Ab Rollout - On Knees

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: Lower Back, Shoulders
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: Start on your knees with your hands about shoulder width apart on a barbell that is positioned in front of you. Slowly roll the barbell forward as far as you can comfortably go. Keep the body locked in a straight position with no back "sag" when in the bottom position. Do not touch your chest or any part of your upper body to the ground. Slowly pull yourself back up using the same motion but in reverse. Repeat. Can also be done with an ab wheel or on your toes.

Barbell Side Bend

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Isolation

Tips: Works your obliques. Stand straight up with your feet shoulder width apart. Place a light barbell on your shoulders. Keep your back straight and your head up. Bend to the right as far as possible then bend to the left as far as possible. Bend at your waist only, not at your hips or knees. You can also do this seated, or with dumbbells in your hands.

Bent-Knee Hip Raise

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: This is like the Reverse Crunch but with a longer range of motion. Outstretch your hands to your sides with your knees bent at a 60 degree angle and your feet just off the floor. Using your lower abs, roll your pelvis backward to raise your hips off of the floor. Your knees will be over your chest. Squeeze your abs and then return to the starting position slowly. You can straighten your legs to make it harder or wear ankle weights.

Butt-Ups

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: Begin a pushup position but with your elbows on the ground and resting on your forearms. Your elbows should be bent at a 90 degree angle. Arch your back slightly out rather than keeping your back completely straight. Raise your glutes toward the ceiling, squeezing your abs tightly to close the distance between your ribcage and hips so you end up in a high bridge position. Lower back down slowly to your starting position. Repeat. Don't let your back sag downwards.

Cable Crunch

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Isolation

Tips: Kneel below a high pulley. Grasp cable rope attachment and place wrists against the head. Flex hips slightly and allow the weight to hyperextend the lower back. With the hips stationary, flex the waist so the elbows travel toward the middle of the thighs. Return and repeat.