Alternative Ab exercise?

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  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
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    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
    ladywendolyn Posts: 45 Member
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    Thank you for all this info...
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
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    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
    gweneddk Posts: 183 Member
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    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
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    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
    bearwith Posts: 525 Member
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    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
    fuego84 Posts: 35 Member
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    Planks, Pilates, ball exercises.

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

    The jacknife is a killer. IMO anyway.
  • jabrock9
    jabrock9 Posts: 65
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    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
    quixoticmantis Posts: 297 Member
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    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. :)

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