Skip to main content

Tired of Doing Sit-Ups? These are the Top 10 Ab Workouts!

Are you tired of doing sit-ups all the time to work on your abs? Everyone wants to work on their abs but sit-ups do get boring after a while, change it up with these 10 ab workouts!
 
 Bicycle:
  1. Lie face up on your mat and place your hands behind your head, lightly supporting it with your fingers.
  2. Bring the knees in to the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
  3. Rotate to the left, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee as you straighten the other leg.
  4. Switch sides, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
  5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
 
 
 
 
Captain's Chair Leg Raise:
 
 
  1. Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
  2. Press your back against the pad and keep the shoulders relaxed.
  3. Bend the knees and contract the abs to lift the knees to hip level.
  4. Try not to arch the back or swing the legs up.
  5. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
The captain's chair leg raise, usually available in most gyms, works the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques.
 
 
 
 
Exercise Ball Crunch:
 
 
 
  1. Lie on the ball, positioning it under the lower back.
  2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
  3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
  4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn't roll).
  5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
 
 
 
 
Vertical Leg Crunch:
 
 
 

  1. Lie on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
  2. Place your hands behind the head for support, but avoid pulling on the neck.
  3. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
  4. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
 
 
 
 
 
Torso Track:
 
 
 
  1. Grip the handles of the Torso Track and pull the abs in without holding your breath (as though bracing them).
  2. Exhale and glide forward as far as you comfortably can.
  3. If you collapse in the middle and feel it in your back, you've gone too far. Shorten your range of motion as needed to protect your back.
  4. Contract the abs to pull your body back.
  5. Add tension by using more tension chords.
 
 
 
 
Long Arm Crunch:
  1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
  2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
  3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
  4. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
  5. You can add intensity by holding a light dumbbell if you need more of a challenge.
 
 
 
 
Reverse Crunch:

  1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head.
  2. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they're bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed.
  3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling.
  4. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
  5. It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.





Crunch with Heel Push:
 

 
  1. Sit on the Ab Roller and grab the bars in each hand.
  2. Contract the abs and rock forward, originating the movement from the abs rather than using momentum.
  3. Release and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
  4. Go slowly to reduce momentum. Try to focus on the abs rather than pushing with the arms.
 
  1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
  2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
  3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
  4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
  5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DIY Tangled Inspired Paper Lanterns

  I am trying to pick some of the Disney movies a lot of kids love, for the week ahead. I love Tangled, I think the way they did it was great! I was always a huge Beauty & the Beast fan and while that will forever be my all time favorite the newer Disney movies are just awesome with the animation and the songs. I have a whole Disney playlist on my phone for Celeste and you guessed it Tangled is on there, that is one of her favorites as well. I found this DIY and knew I had to blog it that way when she is older we can make them together. Here's what you'll need: construction paper toilet paper rolls scissors glue crayons Create: First, put construction paper around the toilet paper roll. Measure the construction paper and cut it to fit to size. It doesn't have to be perfect. On some of the rolls you can decide to add extra decorations. Like the Rapunzel sun and swirls before you glue it on to the toilet paper roll. Remember this ...

DIY Water Candle

  Your options are endless, you can add colored rocks, little plastic cartoon characters like nemo and dory and so much more! What you'll need & how to make glass candle holders water glass beads or gems/whatever you want in your candle Place your desired beads, gems etc in the glass candle holder Fill with water Now you will need a piece of plastic (you can use a food container for this) Cut out a small round piece that will fit in the glass container Carefully cut a hole in the middle Next you will need birthday candles (these burn the longest) Carefully remove the wax from the outside of the candle wick Soak the wick in oil for a few minute and then place the wick in the hole made in the plastic piece Now place about 1-2" of veggie or canola oil in the glass Place the plastic piece with the wick in the water and oil Now all you gotta do is light your wick

DIY Candy Corn Sugar Scrub

  Okay, okay last day of fall sugar scrubs for now. This recipe makes about 1 1/2c What you need: 1 1/2c sugar 1/2c coconut oil 1tsp vanilla extract 4 drops vitamin e oil orange food gel yellow food gel small mason jars Create: Add the sugar, vanilla, vitamin e and coconut oil in a bowl and mix with a mixer. Divide the mixture evenly into 3 small bowls. Set aside one bowl (this will be for the white section of the candy corn). To the second bowl, add a third of the sugar and a small amount of orange food gel with a toothpick. Add more color if needed. Set aside. Add a small add a third of the sugar amount of yellow food gel to the third bowl and stir well, add more color if needed. Set aside. The other bowl should have your white sugar in it. Grab your mason jar and place the yellow mixture first, then the orange and then the white.