I.P.Freely

Found this article a while back and I thought I'd share it with you all:

Best and Worst Abdominal Exercises

It describes some research done by the Biomechanics Lab of San Diego University to find the most effective ab exercises. They got a bunch of subjects to do 13 different ab exercises and measured the amount of muscle activation while doing them. This allowed them to rank the exercises.

One of the best exercises, they found, is the bicycle (on the ground making a bicycle movement with the legs, arms behind head and lifting the elbow to the opposite knee as the leg reaches the top of the cycle). I started doing this after I read this and I am pretty happy with the result.

It doesn't say here, I think, but what they found is that the best exercises have sideways motion and require stabilization. Some of the traditional exercises, like situps, do very badly partly because a lot of muscles other than the abs are activated. Situps on a stability ball don't activate the abs that much, but they only activate the abs, so they are one of the most efficient.

They do so that they found quite a lot of difference between the subjects, but it is all useful stuff anyway.

Actually the whole site is very interesting.

Adam196

I find that prone planks & side planks are very effective in strengthening your core. (lie on your stomach prop yourself up with your elbows and toes and hold,same thing for side planks but lay on your side)

kishiro

go to the sporting store and buy "the wheel" do it like a crows foot.
get a partner have him stand straight up, you lay back so his feet are now covered by your shoulders, keeping your back flat on the ground lift you legs up to your parteners belt line while keeping your legs locked, have him throw your leg to the ground and your job is to keep the at his belt line. he could throw the in all dirrections.


the worst exercise is to eat before you go to sleep, or you eat too much starch.

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"every second your not training, he is..... and he is doing it, just to kick your ass"

Chunkyluv360

Any suggestions on what excercise to do for the upper abs? I dont have any gym equipment so just regular stuff i can do on the floor.

kishiro

i do something simular to situps, i put my feet under something heavy enough to hold and do almost a sit up, but i lift with my shoulders first, and hold it

i will also lay flat on my back raising my feet about 6 inches off the ground, and my head too, with my hands on my stomach, and hold

__________________
"every second your not training, he is..... and he is doing it, just to kick your ass"

I.P.Freely

Yeah, those should definitely do the trick.

These days I try to build core strengthening elements into as many exercises as possible. I like to do asymmetric exercises (i.e. one dumbell instead of a bar) with an unstable base (free weights, movement) when I can. I go for ab exercises that are good for the core, do pressups with my feet on a balance ball, and do a lot of very strenous yoga.

The yoga is very helpful. Most of the time when you do a deep stretch your back bends and twists, which indicates strain on the core muscles. Straightening back out works the core. I'm sure it's something that a lot of people would benefit from- I see people stretching but letting their cores collapse, and that's just passing up a great opporunity to add to the exercise.

Danificent

play basketball