Alternative Ab exercise?

ladywendolyn

I am wondering if anyone can suggest an alternative ab exercise to the basic "sit-up "... (Knees bent, elbows behind head).
I have so much trouble with this one exercise that I end up wanting to avoid working out my abs at all. But I don't know of another exercise that would work the same area ( lower abs?)
Thanks

neverstray

Google it. I found this link in 3 seconds. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/get-rock-solid-abs

There were many other links.

ladywendolyn

Thanks I will check it out...

jc1231

I don't like sit ups either because I find they put strain on my back and neck. Maybe I am not doing them right? But, I will say I now do crunches on an exercise ball and it does not hurt and I like them! Pilates are great too.

Cyclingbonnie

Believe it or not Hula Hooping is great for the abs, and a weighted hoop even ads a little more work. Fun, easy, and upright. Don't make the mistake of using a kids hoop too small for adults. A lot of people have told me they can't hoop and I put them in a larger hoop and suddenly they can. The larger the hoop the easier it is to do. The heavier (and larger will equate to heavier) the more of an ab work you get.

waldo56

In b4 planking

FLCullen

I loathe crunches, and have actually cut them out of my exercise routine entirely. I have recently taken up lifting and am finding squatting and strength exercises with the stability ball (where you rest your head, neck and part of your shoulders on the ball and use your body as a 'bridge'- , feet flat, knees bent and at right angles to the floor, hips raised and bum firmly clenched) and they are working wonders all over. Also, a very slim friend of mine once told me that when she's walking she holds her tummy in tight every time she passes a lampost, then lets it out at the next one, in again at the next one etc. I now do different variations of this when I'm on the treadmill (e.g. in for a song, out for a song).

Sure, I'll never have rock hard abs, but it is better than no ab work out at all!

dave4d

Any exercise you can do, if done with proper form, will work your abs. Other than the all-nighter I pulled with my wife on our first night together, I don't think my abs have ever been as sore as they were when I did a workout consisting of 100 pull ups, 100 dips, and 100 pushups.

ArroganceInStep

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html

acogg

My favorite is to lay flat on my back and pull both legs up together.

Chief_Rocka

In b4 planking

lol

Chief_Rocka

Any exercise you can do, if done with proper form, will work your abs.

Toe curls?

RobynLB

Leg lifts. Much more challenging than crunches and without the neck strain. Lay on your back. With your legs straight, lift them to 90 degrees. Lower them. Go through the motion slowly and make sure your legs are absolutely straight for the greatest effect.

dave4d

Any exercise you can do, if done with proper form, will work your abs.

Toe curls?

I was always taught to tighten my abs for any exercise... So if you tighten your abs when curling your toes, I'm sure that will work, too.

Chief_Rocka

Any exercise you can do, if done with proper form, will work your abs.

Toe curls?

I was always taught to tighten my abs for any exercise... So if you tighten your abs when curling your toes, I'm sure that will work, too.

That's quite a broad definition of "working" a muscle

domgirl85

search fitnessmagazine.com click on ab exercises.....or any "health and fitness" magazine really.

mareeee1234

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Bi8hMdwa4

contingencyplan

To be perfectly honest the best ab exercises aren't exercises that target the abs, but rather full body compound movements. The abs, in their natural role in the human body, are there to support the spine and stabilize. Having them fulfill their natural role in training is the BEST way to train them. Weights exercises like deadlifts, squats, and thrusters, kettlebell training, and basic calisthenics exercises such as pushups, pullups, and planks (with planks, ESPECIALLY plank walk-ups) are all far superior to exercises that "target" the abs. When done right, a good training regimen should not include any abs isolation training, since that in and of itself is something only done when the rest of your training isn't efficient.

ilikepandasyay

twists, bicycles, cross over toe touches on your back with your legs up in the air, reverse crunches (lay on your back and put your legs in table top position, them bring them out and in) crunches instead of sit ups (you don't go up as high, just lift up your shoulders). planks :P inchworms.

darrensurrey

"Full" leg raises where you get your hips off the ground: http://youtu.be/4QPLLRzsqBc

Can do them lying on the ground - just put your hands on the floor to stabilise. The key bit is to get your *kitten* off the ground or you'll just hit the hip flexors and a bit of the lower abs.

chelsifina

IF possible, I would seriously look into pilates if you want to completely transform your abs. TO do it right, go to a class with a knowledgeable teacher, and your body will be completely changed. I"ve been doing pilates for a number of years now and I have better abs now (37 and 2 kids) than I did when I was a 16 year old and on dance team. And I was no slouch on dance team! My husband is 43 and was recently ranked #1 amateur tennis player in Texas for his age group, and after 6 months of pilates his abs look better than they ever have. It might be more of an investment of time and money than you were considering, but if you find a good class with a good teacher, not a bit of that investment would be wasted.

jayche

Hanging leg raises and hanging windshield wipers are the only direct ab exercises I do (3 sets each of them on separate days, 6 total sets per week, some weeks I skip them entirely).
I've heard good things about decline reverse crunches for hitting your lower abs, but I would say the best thing for strong abs is standing/hanging compound movements.

ladywendolyn

Thank you for all this info...

RobynLB

IF possible, I would seriously look into pilates if you want to completely transform your abs. TO do it right, go to a class with a knowledgeable teacher, and your body will be completely changed. I"ve been doing pilates for a number of years now and I have better abs now (37 and 2 kids) than I did when I was a 16 year old and on dance team. And I was no slouch on dance team! My husband is 43 and was recently ranked #1 amateur tennis player in Texas for his age group, and after 6 months of pilates his abs look better than they ever have. It might be more of an investment of time and money than you were considering, but if you find a good class with a good teacher, not a bit of that investment would be wasted.

True. I have stronger, harder, abs than any of the guys I box with even though we all do the same ab routines because my abs got so strong from doing pilates once a week about a year ago. You have to put a lot of time into it for no cardio benefit and little noticable strength benefit, but you get a big payoff in abs, posture, and flexibility. It's good for off days.

gweneddk

Anyone interested in a scientific treatment of this subject should check out these articles:

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/understanding-your-abs/

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/understanding-your-abs-part-ii/

Part 1 is more background, while Part 2 goes more into the actual exercises. Not a crunch in sight!

Here's another blog entry written in response to that series that is a little more layman friendly:
http://www.ericcressey.com/cp-intern-blog-by-conor-nordengren-up-the-ab-ante

acogg

Wow! It never ceases to amaze me how much I have to learn about pretty much everything. Thanks for all the links and tips. Everything in the exercise world has really advanced from what I originally learned 40+ years ago.

bearwith

Russian Twists - two dumbbells, legs off floor sitting in a v-sit position, take weight from one side to other but not letting them touch the floor for too long.

Oblique twists with a resistance band.

walking

fuego84

Planks, Pilates, ball exercises.

http://www.ball-exercises.com/exercises/abs/index.html

The jacknife is a killer. IMO anyway.

jabrock9

I've got to agree with everyone that wrote deadlifts, squats, planks and pushups. Also wanted to include burpees. They suck, but they work the whole body. I've still got a little too much padding in that area that I'm working on, but my core is strong.

quixoticmantis

Any exercise you can do, if done with proper form, will work your abs. Other than the all-nighter I pulled with my wife on our first night together, I don't think my abs have ever been as sore as they were when I did a workout consisting of 100 pull ups, 100 dips, and 100 pushups.

I love this.