A strong core is important for maintaining proper exercise form and avoiding injury. This can help you stay active for longer as you age. Machine-based workouts are great because they make targeting your abs easier.
“Pick one that allows you to move laterally, front to back, and in circles to make sure you’re engaging all your muscles.” To make sure you pick an abdominal machine that engages all your muscles, choose one that lets you train in multiple planes of motion, not just up and down like crunches, Parker Oliver, CFSC, certified functional strength coach and chief operating officer of BRX Performance, says.
Out of the 19, only eight were given high marks. In The Very well Testing Lab, we purchased 19 ab machines and found that only eight were given high marks. Nine testers tried out the products for 16 hours and then rated them on a scale from 1 to 5, depending on things such as how easy they were to use, how comfortable they were, how portable they were, etc.
Our testing shows that these are the best ab machines available.
Ab Workout in the Gym
There are many different types of ab machines and other core training equipment available at most commercial gyms. There are many benefits to training your abs with a variety of angles. You can complete development by incorporating different types of exercises into your routine.
If you want to get well-rounded results from high-intensity training, you should do more than just a few sets of simple crunches.
The Complete Ab Workout
There are many pieces of equipment in a gym that can help you work on your abs. Some of the most common ones are listed below. Make sure to do your abs exercises with good form and treat them like you would any other muscle group. Too many lifters downplay the importance of ab training, rushing through exercises without putting forth much effort.
Roman Chair Leg Raise
- How to Do It: Climb into a Roman chair (also known as a dip/chin station or hanging leg raise station) and support your bodyweight using the elbow pads with your upper body against the back pad. Tilt your pelvis forward slightly and bend your legs. The more your legs are bent, the less challenging the exercise; the more they’re straight, the more difficult the movement becomes. Raise your legs up until they are even with your waist before lowering them back down. Move slowly and use control throughout the entire rep.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
- Rest Time: 30 seconds between sets.
Hyperextension Bench or GHD Sit-Up
- How to Do It: Sit “backwards” on a horizontal hyperextension bench or GHD (glute-ham developer), facing upwards with your shins fixed under the pads and your legs relatively straight. Cross your arms over your chest and keep them in place to avoid swinging for assistance. Lean back slowly until your torso is almost parallel with the floor and you’re facing the ceiling. Contract your abs to curl your upper body into an upright position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 15
- Rest Time: 20 seconds between sets.
Cable Woodchop
- How to Do It: Attach a single handle to a high cable pulley. Stand sideways to the handle and grab it with both hands. Keeping your arms slightly bent, bring the handle down and across your body until it’s at your waist on the opposite side. Slightly twist your torso and crunch down towards the handle using your obliques (side ab muscles). Slowly return to the starting position. Perform all reps for one side before flipping your stance to work the other side.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
- Rest Time: None
Machine Crunch
- How to Do It: Sit in a crunch machine and grab the handles above your head. Focus on contracting your abs by bringing your ribcage and pelvis together. Pause in the crunched position and squeeze your abs before returning slowly to the starting position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
- Rest Time: 20 seconds between sets.
Ab Workout at Home
You can still get an effective ab workout, even in the smallest home gyms. Exercise balls and resistance bands are convenient, space-saving staples.
Creating a great program only requires some creativity. If you want to step up your workout, try using some simple equipment to make it more challenging.
The Home Gym Ab Workout
This simple, effective at-home workout uses an exercise ball and resistance bands to give your abs a serious workout. This exercise allows you to work the abs more intensely than basic bodyweight exercises and without having to spend a lot of money on specialized equipment.
Banded Crunch
- How to Do It: Wrap the center of a resistance band around a stable object around waist-height. Lie on the floor in front of the band and hold both ends near your shoulders. With your legs bent and feet flat on the ground, crunch your upper body to pull the band. Hold the top position for one second before returning down slowly.
- Reps and Sets: 3 x 10
- Rest: 20 seconds between sets.
Exercise Ball Leg Raise
- How to Do It: Lie on the floor with your arms flat and your hands next to your hips. Squeeze an exercise ball between your feet and calves. Lift your legs to raise the ball up and over your pelvis, then lower it close to the floor. Don’t allow the ball to touch the floor until the entire set is completed.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
- Rest: 20 seconds between sets.
Banded Twist
- How to Do It: Secure a band to a stable, upright object around waist-height (heavy table, chest or dresser, etc.). Stand sideways to the band and grasp it, keeping your elbows by your sides bent at 90-degrees. With your hips and feet stationary, “pull” the band by twisting your upper body while actively contracting your obliques and abs for stability. Return to the starting position. Repeat all reps for one side before switching.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
- Rest: None
Ab Workout for Functional Strength
There are other ways to develop abs besides crunches and sit-ups. Some lifters and athletes can benefit from more ab training that is “functional” – meaning it lessens static movements and instead focuses on exercises that engage the core muscles while in motion. (1)
You will see better results if you focus on working all of your abdominal muscles at once, rather than just one or two. The training will not only be unique, but will also force you to adapt to various angles that are not achievable through traditional strength training methods.
The Athlete’s Ab Workout
Some of the movements required for a functional ab workout may need to be performed differently than what you are accustomed to. In this workout, you will be stimulating your abs by coordinating stability, balance, and explosiveness in new and different ways.
This approach to abdominal training involves more than just your abs, which helps you to be stronger in other exercises and to have a stronger complete core.
Plank
- How to Do It: Lie on the floor face-down, supporting your body on your elbows and toes. Maintain a straight line from your feet to your shoulders. Contract your abs and stabilize your entire midsection. Hold this position and maintain head-to-to tension for the duration of the exercise.
- Sets and Reps: Three sets of 30 seconds per set.
- Rest: 30 seconds between sets.
Medicine Ball Sit-Up Throw
- How to Do It: Sit on the ground in the top of a sit-up position with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your upper body near your thighs. Have a partner stand two to three steps away holding a light medicine ball. Have them gently throw you the medicine ball. Catch the ball at chest-level, lower your upper body to the floor, and immediately reverse direction, coming up to toss the ball back to your partner.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 8
- Rest: 30 seconds between sets.
Russian Twist
- How to Do It: Take a medicine ball and assume a sit-up position. Straighten your legs and pick your feet off the floor. Only your glutes should be touching the ground. Twist your upper body from side to side, touching the ball to the floor on repetition.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 20 touches to the floor (10 per side).
- Rest: 60 seconds between sets.
Bodyweight Ab Workout
An ab workout can be done anywhere, whether you’re at home, on the road, or in the office. The only thing limiting you is your imagination. You can get a lot done with no equipment.
The Bodyweight-Only Ab Workout
You don't need special equipment to get a good ab workout. This plan will help you train your abs effectively no matter where you are.
Floor Crunch
- How to Do It: Lie on the floor with your knees bent at 90-degrees and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and slightly tuck your chin. Raise your upper body while keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. Squeeze at the top and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 20
- Rest: 30 seconds between sets.
Partial Lying Leg Raise
- How to Do It: Lie on the floor and place your hands flat under your glutes to relieve pressure from your lower back. Keep a slight bend in your knees while slowly raising your legs up until they are about 45-degrees from the floor (roughly halfway to a vertical position). Slowly return to the starting position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 x 20
- Rest: 30 seconds between sets.
Three-Way Plank
- How to Do It: Begin on the ground supporting your body on your elbows, forearms, and toes. Maintain a straight body position without sinking or arching your lower back. Hold for 20 seconds. Rotate to one side by shifting your weight to one shoulder and forearm and stacking your feet on top of each other. Don’t allow your hips to sink down. Hold the position for 20 seconds before rotating to the opposite side and holding for 20 seconds. Holding each position — center, one side, and opposite side — completes “one rep.”
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of one rep.
- Rest: 30 seconds between sets.
Muscles of Your Abs
The abdominals are not just the muscles that give you a six-pack. There is a group of muscles, some visible and some not, that are all equally important. Although you cannot train the fibrous tissues that separate your six-pack, it is still important to know that they exist.
Some people cannot build six or eight separate abdominals, no matter what exercises or diet they use. Well-trained abs and a good diet can help improve your appearance.
Rectus Abdominis
This muscle group is most commonly associated with the six-pack abs that many people desire. It originates in your ribs and goes to the front of your pelvis. It helps keep your body stable and brings your ribs and pelvis closer when contracted, like during the classic ab crunch or sit-up exercise.
Transverse Abdominis
The Rectus Adbominis muscle is found underneath the stomach and helps to keep the trunk stable. The trapezius muscle is an important stabilizer for the upper body. It provides tension and support for the shoulders and neck. These muscles also work to keep pressure on the inside of the abdomen, which helps to support the spine.
External Obliques
These muscles are located on each side of your rectus abdominus, above the hips. The muscles that run from the sides of your body towards your midline help to rotate your trunk and perform sideways “crunching” movements, as well as stabilize your body during those types of twisting movements.
Internal Obliques
The transverse abdominis is a muscle that sits below the external obliques and also on the sides of the rectus abdominis. The muscles in your abdomen not only help you to push and pull, but also help you to rotate and twist your trunk, flex sideways, and provide stability.
All About Abs
No matter where you are or what your goal is, you can hit your abs. You don't need a lot of equipment or to be training at a traditional gym. Succeeding only requires a few key things: self-control, organization, and consistent effort. Do these workouts and you will see an improvement in your abdominal muscles quickly. In order to see them really shine, you'll need to clean up your diet.
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