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 Helpful Tips for Your Ab Workout:
-When crunching, make sure to point your chin toward the ceiling
-When crunching, always keep your elbows pointing out
-Remember, it's about quality, not quantity. Once you start to sacrifice your form, you most likely need to rest
-Train your abs at the end of your workout
-Try not to yank your body forward or use momentum
-During a set, don’t relax your abs at the end of the movement. Work them
the entire way through
-Train your abs 3 to 4 times a week, following your weight-training routine
Ab Crunches on Swiss Ball
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper and middle)
Position: Position the ball in an open area away from any objects that may pose a risk for injury. Carefully lie on your back on the ball so that you're balanced comfortably. Place your hands loosely behind your head while being careful not to pull on your head with your hands.
Start: Keeping your back and head straight, proceed to execute a crunch by contracting your abdominal muscles and lifting your shoulders about 4 to 6 inches.
Finish: Hold at the top of the movement for a moment before slowly returning to the start position.
Tip: For stability, position your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Focus on your abs doing all the work.
Kneeling Cable Crunches
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper, middle, and lower) and Obliques
Position: Use a rope or a bar with a pull-down machine. Kneel down facing the machine so that the cable comes down at a slight angle away from the rack as you crunch down.
Start: Grab the rope or bar and pull it down so that your hands are positioned just above your forehead. Crunch down as far as you can go, keeping the rope or bar in the same position. Keep your arms locked and focus on your abs doing the work.
Finish: Bring your body back up slowly to the start position by using your abdominals to do the work and control the motion.
Tip: Because you can add extra weight, this is a good exercise for causing the abdominal muscles to fatigue with fewer reps. Perform the kneeling cable crunches carefully and slowly, exhaling as you go down.
Ab Swiss Ball Transfer
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper, middle, and lower)
Position: Carefully lie on the floor with your arms extended above your head and your legs extended below you. Squeeze your legs together to hold the Swiss ball in place.
Start: Proceed to raise your legs and arms toward each other so they meet in the middle of your body above you. Use your hands to grab the Swiss ball from your legs.
Finish: Slowly return to the start position while maintaining tightness in your abs. You should now be in the same extended position as before, except that you should now be holding onto the Swiss ball with your hands. Repeat the transfer of the Swiss ball between your hands and legs continuously without stopping for the allotted amount of repetitions.
Tip: To receive more benefit from the exercise, remember to keep tension in your abs at all times.
Forward Swiss Ball/Ab Wheel Roll
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper and lower)
Position: Begin on your hands and knees with the ab wheel or Swiss ball in front of you. Place your forearms out in front of you, resting on the wheel or Swiss ball.
Start: Keeping your abs tight and arms straight, slowly roll the wheel or ball out in front of you. Go as far as you are comfortable, without allowing your body to collapse forward.
Finish: Hold for a count of two and then roll back to the starting position.
Tip: As you roll out, pull your belly button toward your spine and tighten your torso.
Swiss Ball Jackknives
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper and lower)
Position: Start in a push-up position with the ball resting on the top of your shins.
Start: Keeping your arms extended, bend you knees and bring your legs into your body. Hold for a two count.
Finish: Push yourself in the starting position holding your body in a straight line.
Tip: Don't tuck your head when you perform this exercise as it can throw your balance off and make the exercise difficult to perform.
Bicycle Crunches
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper and lower) and Obliques
Position: Lie on the floor with your back flat on the ground.
Start: With your hands behind your head bring your knees into your body. In a fluid motion, touch your left elbow to your right knee.
Finish: Bring yourself back to the ground and alternate between left and right elbows as you are pedaling a bicycle.
Tip: Speed up the movement as you become more advanced.
Reverse Crunches
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (lower)
Position: Lie down flat on your back with your legs together. You can use a mat or just a flat surface.
Start: Lift your legs up to approximately a 90-degree angle.
Finish: Slowly lower your legs back down to the floor without touching the floor.
Tip: You can give your back some extra support by tucking your hands under your butt. Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the entire movement.
Swiss Ball Side Crunches
Muscles Worked: Obliques and Abdominals (upper and lower)
Position: Position the ball in an open area away from any objects that may pose a risk for injury. Carefully lie sideways on the ball so that you’re balanced comfortably with your feet touching the floor. Place your hands loosely behind your head, while being careful not to pull on your head with your hands.
Start: With your head, neck, and body in a straight line, lift your upper body up slowly as far as you can comfortably go.
Finish: Hold at the top of the movement for a moment before lowering yourself slowly down and past the start position. Use the ball at this point to help you bend down farther than you could if you were doing this exercise on the floor. This creates a greater range of motion and makes the side abdominal muscles work more.
Tip: Do a set on one side, then switch sides and perform another set on the other side. Continue to alternate in this fashion until you’re done. This will allow you to save time and also give each side a chance to recover for the next set.
Hanging Leg Raises
Muscles Worked: Obliques and Abdominals (upper and lower)
Position: Position your body on the Roman chair, the pads resting on your forearms.
Start: With your abs contracted, slowly lift your legs to a 90° angle. Pause at the top for a count of two.
Finish: Slowly lower your legs straight down to starting position.
Tip: For variation to this exercise, try bending your knees or twisting as you lift your legs to hit different sections of your abs.
Medicine Ball Trunk Rotation
Muscles Worked: Abdominals (upper and lower) and Obliques
Position: Lie on a mat with your low back supported. Bend your knees at a 90° angle with your feet on the floor.
Start: With the medicine ball in your hands, extend your arms out in front of you. Rotate your torso to the left, bringing the ball toward the floor without moving your shoulders.
Finish: Twist from left to right, pausing briefly on each side.
Tip: To increase the intensity, choose a heavier medicine ball.
With the Ultimate Workout for Sexy Abs routine, you'll be on your way to fabulous-looking abs! Just make sure you are following a calorie-reduced diet with plenty of protein, drinking lots of water, and do your cardio. In no time, bikinis, tube tops, and low-cut jeans will be regular additions to your wardrobe!
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