11 Killer Ab Exercises

2009-01-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

The major goal of ab exercises is simple: to get tighter abs. No workout promises instant results but certainly, there will be results towards achieving the six pack you have always dreamed of. All ab exercises below are done while the exerciser is lying on his or her back. Here is the ultimate ab workout:

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1. Upper Body Crunch – The hands are behind the ears and the abdomen pulls up the upper body, raising the shoulders halfway towards the sitting position. The exerciser does not make a full sit-up.

2. Diagonal Crunch, Right Side – In the same starting position as the upper body crunch, the right elbow is brought up towards the left knee as this knee is pulled in towards the right elbow. The elbow and knee almost meet each other right above the abdominal region.

3. Diagonal Crunch, Left Side – This step is similar to the above step but this time, it moves the left elbow and the right knee.

4. Leg Tap – In this step the hand is brought to the sides of the body while the knees are pulled in, raising the feet into the air. The abdomen crunches to pull up the upper body as the tips of hands reach out to tap the raised legs.

5. Lower Body Crunch – Beginning with the position of the upper body crunch, the abdomen pulls in the knees and the legs upward towards the body. This is similar to the upper body crunch except that the lower body is the one being moved.

6. Right-Hand Body Crunch – Resting the body on the left side, with the left hand on the stomach and the right placed under the head, the abdomen crunches by raising the right upper body.

7. Left-Hand Body Crunch – This is the same as the right-hand body crunch, except that the body is resting on the right side and the left upper body is being raised.

8. Center Pushes – Going back to the starting position of the upper body crunch, the position of the hands are changed and placed in front of the body, with palms facing the bent legs. Then the abdomen crunches to lift the upper body as the hands appear to push the air between the two legs.

9. Leg Thrusts – This step is similar to the lower body crunch but instead of pulling the knees in, the legs are kept straight up at right angles with the body. Then the legs are thrust into the air while the abdomen crunches.

10. Combined Diagonal Thrusts– This step is a combination of the Right and Left Diagonal Crunches, done alternately.

11. Combined Upper and Lower Body Crunches – This step is a combination of the upper body crunch and the lower body crunch, with one step being carried out after the other.

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There seems to be a lot of steps that must be done in 8 minutes, but each of these steps is completed within 45 seconds. This workout emphasises that there should be no stress on either the back or the neck when doing these exercises. Beginners are also allowed to slack back and need not complete a step for the whole 45 seconds. Of course, to develop wonderful abs, one has to really work out within those 8 important minutes.