What Is The Best Ab Exercise?

When you ask men what they want to change about their bodies, a lot will answer that they would want to have flat bellies. Not only that, they would want to have the six pack abs that weight lifters and sports buffs have. For women, especially those that have already given birth, a firm ab is definitely on the wish list, but is seldom accomplished because of the misconception that flat and firm abs can only be achieved in the gym.

There are actually ab exercises that can be done right at home. One of the best ab exercise is the bicycle exercise, where one lies flat on the floor, legs raised to mimic a bicycle ride movement, the two hands touching the sides of the head near the ear area. While the legs mimic the pedaling movement, the elbows should touch the other knee (right elbow touches the left knee, and so on). The shoulder blades should be off the ground, but the neck should be relaxed. One should feel the pressure on the abs while the raised legs move. Note that the legs should not be vertically raised, but should be raised around 45 degrees from the floor.

Another one that is listed as the best ab exercise make use of an exercise ball, where one lies on the exercise ball, in a way that one does not fall or slide off, with both feet on the ground, and do crunches in that position. While doing the crunches, one should not fall of or the ball should not roll.

Another of the best ab exercise is the long arm crunch, where one stretches his or her arms above the head, with the arms touching the ears. Lying on the floor or mat, with legs bent, one would contract his or her abs, lift the shoulder blades from the floor. One should feel the pressure on the abs.

Lying on the floor and raising the legs, outstretched, up to 45 degrees from the floor, is another of the best ab exercise. The legs should not bend while it is being raised, and should not touch the floor as it is brought down. Before the heel of the foot touches the floor, start raising the legs again. This one focuses on the lower abs. Leg raising up to 25 repetitions would be a good starting point.

Another variation is the reverse crunch, where the legs are bent, feet together, and is raised up. This time, the hips should be raised a few centimeters off the floor. For this technique, the movement should be controlled by the contraction of the abs, and not by the swinging up of the legs.

A combination of these techniques is a full vertical crunch, where both shoulder blades and hips are lifted up the floor by contracting the abs. The legs should be straight and are raised from a horizontal to a vertical position. The hands can support the head, making sure that the neck is relaxed.