Your abdominal muscles are like any other muscle in your body: they need to be worked properly and fueled well.
Aim to do core exercises about three times a week. You can overdo your core muscles just like any other muscle group, so you don’t need to work on them every day.
When it comes to defining your abs, sit-ups and crunches aren’t the only forms of exercise to really make them stand out. Below are 5 exercises that will really spice up your next ab workout.
1. Hanging knee raise:
These hanging knee raises work the entire transversus abdominis. These are the muscles that keep your belly tight and flat.
This hanging knee raise will work your latissimus dorsi, shoulders, biceps, and hip flexors in addition to your core muscles.
Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you, shoulder-width apart. Your feet should be together.
Bend your knees and hips at the same time and tuck your lower back under as you lift your thighs toward your chest.
Pause when your thighs reach your chest, then slowly lower your legs to the starting position. Engage your core to avoid swinging in your hips and torso.
Advanced move:
Hang from the same starting position as before. Lift your legs straight up so your calves and thighs are parallel to the floor.
Raise your legs as you exhale until your shins almost touch the bar above you. At the top, try to extend your legs as far as you can.
When you get to the starting position, slowly lower your legs.
2. Pushup to jack knife:
If you don’t have one available, you can replace the TRX with a stability ball.
TRX strap:
Get down on all fours, facing away from the TRX anchor, and slide your feet into the bottom of the TRX handles.
Push yourself up until you reach a push-up position with your shoulders, head and hips in a straight line. Only the palms of your hands should touch the floor. This is your starting position.
Perform a hanging pushup by bending your elbows to lower your torso until your chest is 2 inches off the floor. Keep your core engaged and don’t let your hips sink. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
Keeping your legs straight, immediately push your hips up into a pike position. Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.
Stability ball:
Your toes should be on the stability ball with your shoe laces facing down, and your hands should be in the same position on the floor as you perform this exercise on it.
However, you will perform a decline pushup instead. The jackknife will be performed the same way: simply keep your legs straight and lift your hips as you pinch and roll the ball inward.
3. Keep on planking:
This is simply your average board with a little touch of resistance. The boards support the entire weight of the body in a single movement, stabilizing and lengthening the spine.
This variation on the classic plank will tone your obliques simultaneously.
Get into a push-up position, supporting your weight on your toes and forearms. Your elbows should be bent at a 90-degree angle directly below your shoulders.
Place your palms together directly in front of you. Your neck, back and hips should be in a straight line. Hold this position for 1 minute.
After a minute, roll to your right side. Don’t let anything fall to the floor! Place your left foot on top of your right foot and shift all of your weight onto your right elbow. Maintain a straight posture with your right shoulder over your right elbow and your hips off the ground. Keep your left hand resting on your waist. Hold this side position for 30 seconds.
Once the 30 seconds have passed, roll onto your left side without your knees or anything else touching the floor, keeping your body weight off the floor. Only your left foot and left elbow should touch the floor now.
You will plank for a total of 2 consecutive minutes. Repeat as many reps as you can in a row without going down. Track how many minutes you’ve done each week and see how you’ve progressed.
4. Ab rollout:
It is intended for this exercise to be “a good pain.” For those who have herniated discs or lower back issues, it is not advised.
Place the ab roller on the floor and hold it in both hands, with palms facing away from you. Kneel on the floor.
Slowly roll out the abdominal roller, stretching your body forward. Go down as far as you can without touching the floor with your body. Make sure to keep your core tight so your back doesn’t swing. Inhale during this part of the movement.
After a pause in the stretch position, tighten your core and exhale as you begin to return to the starting position. Squeeze your core here to avoid any stress on your lower back.
5. Oblique crunch:
This is a little fancier than the regular bicycle crunch. All you need is a chest bench or a stationary bench that doesn’t move.
This move tightly engages your internal and external obliques. The diagonal fibers that extend from your pelvis to your ribs are known as your obliques.
Lie on your right side with your upper body extended off the bench. Bring your bottom leg forward and hook your heel under the bench, then bring your top leg back and hook your toes under it.
Extend your torso toward the floor, about 30 degrees lower than the bench. Raise your left hand so your palm covers your head and place your right hand on your obliques, hugging your torso so you can feel them contract.
Stabilizing with your legs, bend your left elbow to the side, bringing it into your left hip as high as you can. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position just below the bench. Repeat for 15 reps, then switch to the left side.
If this movement feels too difficult at first, slide your hips back so less of your torso is hanging off the bench.
Take Away:
Hopefully these 5 ab-defining exercises are something you’ve never tried before. Really push yourself and challenge yourself with these new movements, but remember to always engage that core.