Best Ab Exercise
100% Proper Ab Exercise Technique: Screw Beer, Get a Real Six Pack! |
 First off, Bright ‘N Fit believes that no type or number of crunches will necessarily make your abs visible. Performing abdominal exercises (the Swiss Ball Crunch, Hanging Leg Raises, and Bicycle Crunches/V-Ups), however, will strengthen your abs. If you want to be able to see your precious six-pack, you must lower your body fat percentage by following The Bright ‘N Fit Diet and The Bright ‘N Fit Training Routine: Phase #1.
With that being said, it is beneficial to strengthen your abdominal muscles to improve your main exercises (squats, deadlifts, and presses). Moreover, when you eventually shed off that layer of fat covering your abs, you will reveal a strong-looking set of abs. The Swiss Ball Crunch, Hanging Leg Raises, and Bicycle Crunches/V-Ups are great abdominal exercises because they simultaneously strengthen your Rectus Abdominis (front, six-pack abs) and Obliques (side abs). While you are performing each crunch-like movement, all of your abdominal muscles are also activated as stabilizers to support your body.
Muscles worked during each Bright ‘N Fit abdominal exercise:
• Rectus Abdominis (front, six-pack abs)
• Obliques (side abs)
Below are descriptions for our abdominal exercises.
The Swiss Ball Crunch Technique
Ab Exercise Step 1: Setting Up – The Starting Position |
• Body Position: Sit on a Swiss Ball with your lower back in contact with the ball.
• Feet Position: Firmly plant your feet on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Try to push your heels into the ground.
• Hand Position: Lock and rest your hands behind your head. Do not pull on your head with your hands. Pulling on your head strains your neck, and makes the exercise less effective. Use your abdominal muscles to complete the crunch.
• Head Position: Keep your chin tucked and your eyes looking up. Focus on a spot on the ceiling throughout the entire movement.
Ab Exercise Step 2: Crunch! |
• Keeping your abs tight and your feet on the floor, slowly lie back on the Swiss Ball until your upper back and shoulders come in contact with the ball. (You will feel your upper back and shoulders “wrap” around the ball).
• Using only your abdominal muscles, explosively crunch up to the starting position. The ball should not roll as you perform your crunch.
• Repeat from the first bullet-point of Step 2.
When you can easily perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps of the Swiss Ball Crunches without additional resistance, place a dumbbell across your chest supported with your hands to make the exercise more difficult.
The Hanging Leg Raise Technique
Ab Exercise B Step 1: Setting Up |
Similarly to the Chin-up/Pull-up set-up,
• Stand directly under the center of a Chin-up/Pull-up bar.
• Grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Use a Pull-up grip (palms facing away from you).
• The Starting Position: Hang straight down from the bar with your feet completely off the ground, and your legs extended slightly in front you.
• Keeping your chin tucked, look down at your chest.
Ab Exercise B Step 2: Crunch! |
• Using only your abdominal muscles, explosively lift your legs as high as you can, tucking your knees into your upper-chest. (Bend your knees as you lift them).
Do not cheat by using momentum to lift your legs. Your body should not be swaying back and forth as you perform this exercise.
• Slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
• Repeat from the first bullet-point of Step 2.
For beginners, perform as many reps as you can of the Hanging Leg Raises until you can do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps. When that becomes easy, add more resistance by holding a dumbbell between your feet.
The Bicycle Crunch Technique
Ab Exercise C Step 1: Setting up |
• Lie flat on your back with your hands locked and rested behind your head. Again, do not pull on your head with your hands.
• Keep your chin tucked and your eyes looking up. Focus on a spot on the ceiling throughout the entire movement.
• The Starting Position: With your legs fully extended, hold them about 10 inches off the ground. Lift your head and your upper back off the ground by contracting your abdominal muscles.
Your feet, legs, and upper-back should not come in contact with the ground at any point during the set.
Ab Exercise C Step 2: Bicycle Crunch! |
• As you tuck your left knee towards your chest, perform a twisting crunch until your right elbow comes in contact with your left knee.
• Return to the starting position.
• As you tuck your right knee towards your chest, perform a twisting crunch until your left elbow comes in contact with your right knee.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat from the first bullet-point of Step 2.
Work your way up to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps for the Bicycle Crunches. When that becomes too easy, increase the number of reps by 1 (each side) every week.
The V-Up Technique Step 1: Setting Up - The Starting Position |
• Lie flat on your back with your head against the floor, and your arms fully extended above your face. Try to reach for a spot on the ceiling directly above you.
• Keep your chin tucked and your eyes looking up. Focus on a spot on the ceiling throughout the entire movement.
• With your legs fully extended, hold them about 6 inches off the ground.
Your feet and legs should not come in contact with the ground at any point during the set.
• Keeping your legs fully extended, lift them as high as you can towards the ceiling.
• Simultaneously, use only your abdominal muscles to perform a crunch until your fingers touch your toes.
• Slowly return to the starting position by lowering your legs as you keep them fully extended, and keep your arms extended toward the ceiling.
• Repeat from the first bullet-point of Step 2.
Work your way up to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps for the V-Ups. When that becomes too easy, hold a weight plate in your hands.
Disclaimer: There are risks associated with any physical regime. When you use the information provided on this site you do so at your own risk, and Bright 'N Fit and its founders are not responsible for any losses or damages of any kind.
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