Top 5 Ab Crunches

Over the years there have been countless studies and articles written on the subject of the perfect mid section and the best way to develop lean ripped abs. Many of these studies have been years in the making and others have involved a massive amount of scientific research.

 

The bottom line however, is that all of these studies have established that the most effective methods for building and maintaining strong abs are to utilise specific ab exercises, such as crunches and sit ups and incorporate them into a well devised workout plan with a solid diet.

 

Lets take a look at what are believed to be the top 5 most effective crunches, use these in your workout and some significant results will follow.

1: Bicycle Crunch Exercise

Quite simply, lie flat on the floor with your hands behind your head, lift your knees up to around 45 degrees and go through a pedalling motion as if you were riding a bike. Take your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa. Always remember to control your breathing.

2: Captains Chair

You will need to perform this at the gym unless you happen to have a suitable piece of equipment at home. Start the exercise with your legs dangling and bring your knees up to your chest. For ultimate effectiveness you must try to make the motion as slow and deliberate as you can and control your breathing.

3: Crunch Using An Exercise Ball

Lie back on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Let the ball roll back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor, and then contract your abs and bring your torso up to around the 45 degree position. Again make the movement as slow and controlled as you possibly can and remember at all times to concentrate on your breathing.

 

 

4: The Long Arm Crunch
 
The long arm crunch works the rectus abdominus as well as both the internal and external obliques so is ideal for our purposes and can be performed absolutely anywhere.

Simply lie flat on the floor, reach your arms back over your head and clasp your hands together, keeping your arms as close to your ears as possible.

Making sure to keep your knees bent, contract your abs and lift your shoulders off the floor. Concentrate on your form and technique and perform the crunch in a slow and controlled manner.

Keep repeating this process for however many reps you can and really concentrate on squeezing your abs during the exercise. It really is a simple exercise that can produce great results.

 

5: The Reverse Crunch

This is a great exercise to use on your way to ripped abs and also one that requires the least movement.

This exercise really works the rectus abdominus and you will also feel it working the lower abs. Here is how we do it.

Lie on your back, flat to the floor and place your hands by your side or behind your head if that is more comfortable. Bring your knees in towards your chest until they reach the 90 degree position, and point your legs towards the ceiling. You can either cross your feet or just keep them together depending upon what is comfortable for you.

Now contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor nice and slowly. Make sure you use your abs to control the movement, as there can be a tendency to swing your legs to create momentum. It is a small movement but extremely effective so stick with it. Just keep repeating the process for as many reps as you can, personally I would suggest 3 sets of 10-12 reps for starters.

 

All these exercises are actually pretty basic but are proven to be extremely effective in the quest for strong and ripped abs. You can of course increase the intensity of these exercises by adding weights.
If you can incorporate these exercises into your other strength training activities then you should start to see some significant results in no time.

 

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