Ab Workouts

8 Effective Ab Workouts

Bicycle Crunch

  • Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.
  • Put your hands beside your head.
  • Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.
  • Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.
  • Breath evenly throughout the exercise.
Bicycle Ab Exercise

Verticle Leg Crunch

  • Lie on your back and extend the legs up with knees slightly bent.
  • Contract your abs and raise up until your shoulder blades leave the floor.
  • Keep your chin up; don't pull on your neck.
  • Keep your legs in a fixed position.
  • Lift your torso toward your knees.
  • Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Vertical Leg Crunch Ab Exercise

Long Arm Crunch

  • Lie on your back with your arms over your head with hands clasped and arms close to your ears.
  • Keep your knees bent with feet flat on the floor.
  • Contract your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor.
  • Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Long Arm Crunch Ab Exercise

Reverse Crunch

  • Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
  • Place hands on the floor or behind the head.
  • Bring your knees up towards the chest so they bend about 90 degrees
  • Contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor in a very small movement.
  • Lower and repeat.
Reverse Crunch Ab Exercise

Full Vertical Crunch

  • Lie on your back and extend the legs up towards the ceiling.
  • Place hands behind your head (lightly cupping it) and contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
  • At the same time, press the heels towards the ceiling, creating a 'u' shape with the torso.
  • Lower down and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Full Vertical Crunch Ab Exercise

Plank on Elbows and Toes

  • Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
  • Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
  • Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
  • Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
  • Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
Plank Ab Exercise

V-Sit

  • Begin in a seated position, contract your abdominal muscles and core, and lift your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
  • Reach your arms straight forward or reach up toward your shins as you are able.
  • Maintain good core posture and a strong spine.
  • Hold this "V" position for several seconds to begin. As you get stronger, hold the position longer.
  • Return to your starting position slowly.
  • Just before you reach the floor, stop and hold the position for a few seconds.
  • Repeat this entire movement several times.
V-Sit Ab Exercise

Oblique Crunch

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Slowly drop your legs to the left and let your knees rest near the floor.
  • Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
  • Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
  • Curl up slowly so both your shoulders lift off the floor a few inches.
  • Hold for a count of 2 and return to the start position.
  • Repeat for the desired number of reps and switch to the other side.