The Most Effective and the Best Ab Exercises

The best ab exercises according to one study were those that showed greater effectiveness in the abdominal muscles. When doing abdominal exercises you can feel it in your muscles but to really give you a great ab workout, you want to use those abdominal exercises that are the most effective.

So what are the best ab exercises you ask? If you are thinking it is the traditional crunch you would be wrong. In a study conducted by the Biomechanics Lab in San Diego the traditional crunch came in at the bottom three. The study included thirteen common abdominal exercises including some using abdominal exercise equipment.

This study included 30 healthy men and women. They ranged from 20 years old to 45 years old and ranged from little or no activity to daily exercise routines. Each person was given a chance to practice the abdominal exercise before performing 10 to 12 repetitions. The study used an electromyography to measure the activity in the rectus abdominus and the oblique muscles.

Results of the Study

After gathering the data and analyzing it the study concluded that the best ab exercises were the bicycle crunch, the captain’s chair and the exercise ball crunch. These were the top overall abdominal exercises. These were also the top 3 for the best ab exercises and effectiveness in the rectus abdominus muscles.

The top 3 abdominal exercises for effectiveness in the oblique muscles were the captain’s chair coming in at number one, the bicycle crunch and the reverse crunch coming in at number three.

Following close behind for the rectus abdominus muscles were the vertical leg crunch and the torso track, taking spots 4 and 5 respectively. The fourth and fifth spot for most effective in the oblique muscles were the hover and vertical leg crunch.

Worst Ab Exercises Results

The bottom three abdominal exercises came in last for both the rectus abdominus muscles and the oblique muscles. These included the ab rocker coming in dead last, the exercise tubing pull at number 12 and the traditional crunch taking number eleven.

The results of the study showed that all 13 abdominal exercises were somewhat effective; some were just more effective than others. Whether you choose to do the best ab exercises or a variety of ab exercises, just make sure you do them correctly to get the most out of your workout.

How to do the Bicycle Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back and place your hands loosely behind your head.
2. Raise your left leg and bend your knee at a 45 degree angle.
3. Lift your other leg off the floor keeping your leg straight.
4. Lift your body up slightly touching your right elbow to your left knee.
5. In a bicycle motion with your legs, switch your left elbow to your right knee.
6. Repeat this motion for 10 to 12 repetitions.

How to do the Captain's Chair

This abdominal exercise requires a "captain's chair" which can be found at most gyms.

1. Firmly grip the handles with both hands and place your elbows flat against the padded arm rest.
2. Start with your legs dangling.
3. Slowly lift both knees towards your chest.
4. Slowly return both legs to the starting position.

For a slight variation to this exercise, when brining your knees up twist slightly at the trunk.

How to do the Exercise Ball Crunch

1. Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat to the floor.
2. Let the ball roll back slightly and lie back until your thighs and torso are even with the floor.
3. Raise your torso to a 45 degree angle while pushing your naval towards your back contracting the muscles.
4. Repeat for 10 to 12 repetitions.

Here is even more information on abdominal exercises.

About Author
Julie is the author and creator of Exercise 4 Weight Loss where you can find lots of tips and information on exercise and weight loss.