The Top 10 Best Abdominal Exercises Part 2

Here is the long awaited follow up to the Top 10 Best Ab Exercises Part 1 and the precursor to the Top 10 Best Abs Exercises Part 3.
Arnold Abs
I would like to introduce 5 of my favorite 10 ab exercises, that you can use to get a 6-pack abs look. Do these exercises regularly, mix it up, use different speeds, tempos, angles, and positions to get a full workout. Always try to progress from workout to workout.

Here are 3 ways you can gauge progress with abdominal exercises:

  1. Try to complete more reps in a given time period. For example, do as many fold ups as possible in 60 seconds. Try to break your personal record (PR) each workout.
  2. Try to complete more total reps each time you perform the exercise. For example, week one do 3 sets of 10, week 2 do 3 sets of 12, week 3 do 4 sets of 10, week 4 do 3 sets of 15, etc…
  3. If it applies, try to add weight to the exercise by holding a plate or dumbbell on your chest or behind your head, or use a weighted vest. You can also add weight to your legs with ankle weights. Try to use more weight, or complete more reps with the same weight, each time.

Part 1 of this series was long and tedious, so I won’t put you through any babble-writing. On to the exercises…

  1. The Bicycle Maneuver

    The Bicycle is the best exercise to target the abdominals and the second best exercise to target the obliques according to the ACE study. If this exercise is too easy, you can use ankle weights and you can hold a plate behind your head for added resistance.

    To set up: Put a mat on the floor and lie down flat.

    Put your hands behind your head, with your fingers touching your head lightly. Do not lock your fingers together at all.

    Lift the shoulder blades off the floor without using your arms to pull on your neck. Only use the abdominal muscles for this.

    Bring your knees up to a 45 degree angle so that your thighs are perpendicular and your calves are parallel to the floor.

    To bike: Slowly pedal your legs as if you were on a bicycle by alternately extending and flexing your knees so that your feet move in an elliptical motion. As each knee approaches your chest, attempt to touch the opposite elbow to the knee by flexing and curling your trunk up and to the side as though you were performing a side crunch.

    Your shoulders should remain off the floor for the duration of the exercise. Remeber to breathe.

    I like this video because it demonstrates how you should keep your shoulders off the floor throughout the movement. This is still a basic bicycle maneuver.

    Here is an advanced bicycle maneuver that is harder on the abs because more of the upper body stays off the floor throughout the movement. This method also takes the hip flexors out of the movement by kicking the legs straight out instead of cycling them.

  2. Captain’s Chair Vertical Leg Raise

    The Captain’s Chair is the second best exercise to target the abdominals and the best exercise to target the obliques according to the ACE study. I don’t know how this targets the obliques better than the bicycle, but I guess the electromyography (EMG) equipment can’t lie.

    I personally like these for the lower abdominals, although as we know the abs are a single unit, and you can’t technically target upper or lower abs independently.

    To set up: Climb up onto the captains chair. Press your back against the pad and support your body by placing your elbows and forearms on the horizontal pads. Grip the hand holds provided. Let your feet hang straight down.

    To leg raise: Lift your knees up and in towards your chest. When your thighs are parallel to the floor you should use your abdominal muscles to pivot your hips up and away from the back padding, so that your knees move vertically and horizontally closer to your chest.

    Pause for half a second and return your legs to just short of the starting position, but don’t let them free fall and dangle straight down as it takes all the resistance away from the abs. Instead, you should maintain a tight midsection throughout the movement always keep a slight bend in the knees.

    One key to keeping this move safe and effective is to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to raise the legs or knees. You should also keep the knees slightly bent help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors.

    A huge mistake most people make, is to use the hip flexors to swing the legs up and down. This is counterproductive and can lead to muscular imbalance, overtrained hip flexors, and ultimately injury.

    Here is a slightly annoying example of this exercise from UCLA, which also mentions the alternate variation where you rotate your hips at the top in order to further target the obliques.

    Don’t have access to a captains chair? No problem. Hang from a bar and raise your knees to your elbows.

    Observe:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XkQku_-XjI

  3. Ab Wheel / Roll Outs

    Whether you do them standing or from your knees, the ab wheel will rock you. This is definitely one of my core ab exercises. Do 100 of these a day with varying angles and positions, and watch your abs bust out washboard-style.

    The ab wheel can really be a tough exercise for those with a weak lower back. Be sure not to over extend yourself unless you are sure that your core and lower back can handle it. If you collapse in the middle and feel it in your back, you have gone too far.

    By now I can do full reps with my arms straight out from my knees. Back in college I could do reps from my feet, but never to full extension. Work within your abilities, but always attempt to push yourself as you get stronger.

    To set up: Most likely you will be doing this exercise from your knees. It helps to have some padding under your knees or you will get bruised. Either an aerobics pad, a rubber mat, a thick rug, or a thrice-folded towel should suffice.

    Get up on your knees and hold the ab wheel in front of you with elbows extended just short of lock out. Your body will be slightly bent over the ab wheel from the start of the exercise.

    To wheel out: Let the wheel roll out in front of your body as far as you are comfortable. Use your abs to pull the wheel back towards your knees. It is best for your upper body to stay forward of your knees in order to keep tension on the abs at all times.

    Kneeling ab wheel done properly:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9drX2Ut0HDM

    I found this one woman using the ab wheel standing. I have seen people do this, and have done it myself, with an 80% roll out, but never with a full extension. Give her props.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqSpCahng5c

    Aka: Bar Roll Outs…

    There is a machine called the Torso Track that does something similar to this, but I prefer the ab wheel. Many other athletes agree.

  4. Fold-Ups / V-Sit / Clothespins

    The fold is a compound, full-body abdominal and core exercise that works the rectus abdominis and obliques. Initially you will have a hard time doing this correctly, and you might need to practice the v-sit, or up-position of this exercise, separately in order to learn how to keep your body off the floor throughout the movement.

    To set up: Find a mat and lay down on it. Straighten your legs. You are ready.

    To v-sit: The basic v-sit begins in a seated position. Contract your abdominal muscles and core, and lift your legs up to a 45-degree angle. Reach your arms straight forward or reach up toward your shins or toes if you are able. It is important to maintain good core posture and a strong spine.

    Hold this “V” position for several seconds to begin. As you get stronger, hold the position longer. Return to your starting position slowly.

    To fold up: Eventually you will be able to do this exercise as a sit-up alternative starting by lying flat on the floor, up into a v-sit and touch your toes, back down to a flat position on the floor. In this way your entire body fully extends then folds completely up.

    Here is a great explanation of the basic v-sit and the v-sit-up:

  5. Lying Leg Kicks / Flutter Kicks

    Flutter kicks really work your abs, but they are definitely an endurance exercise. All the same, you can really feel this exercise in the lower abs and they will leave you feeling sore the next day.

    The point of flutter kicks is to either max out on reps, meaning try to do more reps each workout, or to complete more flutter kicks in a certain amount of time, for example, each workout you might try to finish 5 more flutter kicks in one minute.

    To set up: Start by lying flat on the floor, then use your arms (elbows and forearms) to prop your upper body off the floor. Place your hands down by your butt, just on the outside of your hips.

    Keep your legs straight, at least 10 inches off the floor throughout the exercise. If you feel too much tension in the lower back, raise your legs higher off the ground.

    To leg raise: To flutter kick, simply raise one leg up about 18 inches, and return it to the starting position while alternating with the other leg. Both legs should be in constant motion. When the second foot comes back to the starting position, that’s one rep.

To integrate these exercises into a 5 day split workout routine, pick one different exercise each day and do 3-5 sets. Try to alternate targeting rectus abdominus and obliques.

To integrate these exercises into a 3 day full body workout routine, pick two to three different exercises each day and do 2-3 sets of each. Consider performing the exercises as one giant superset with little to no rest between sets.

Remember to train your lower back in addition to your abs. You can use the 5 best hamstring exercises to do that. I have to get around to writing a 5 best lower back exercises one of these days.

That concludes the 10 best exercises for abs part 2. Stay tuned for part 3 in a couple days and you will have all 10 exercises to add to your arsenal.

Read part 3 now.

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40 Responses to “The Top 10 Best Abdominal Exercises Part 2”

  1. […] dumbbell curls reps: 12/12 e1) Hamstrings – Glute-ham raise reps: 10/10 e2) Abs – Fold ups reps: 2 sets x amap f)Stretch all your muscles for 10 minutes while sipping your post-workout […]

  2. I have use AB Machine for my weight lifting routine. And it is very nice to use. I loss 40 pound in just a 2 weeks!

  3. I have been using a resistance ab mschine – arms extended – pushing forward, and increasing weight as i can – i know i need to add some things – but this seems to be building strength – is it an OK thing to do?

    • If you are seeing progress then you should stick with it until you plateau. Just keep an open mind to other machines and techniques so that you don’t develop any muscle imbalances and to keep yourself from the aforementioned plateau.

  4. hey so is it possible to get a 6-pack by doing only these types of exercises (using your own body weight; no additional weights) ??

    • It’s possible to get a 6-pack by doing very little abdominal exercises and just dieting down to 8% bodyfat or less. These exercises will help though.

  5. You can tell the video with the woman doing the standing ab wheel is real because a piece of her hair falls from behind her ear midway through.

  6. nice., but the video of the chick and the standing up ab roller exercize is fake. u can tell the video glitched. she recorded it and she went down and hit the ground then she played it in reverse. lol

    • It is not fake, one dead give away is her hair. The front part of it that is tucked behind her ear starts to slowly fallout through out the session and about halfway through it does. If this was simply a looped video her hair would not move at all.

  7. I GET LIKE 6 DIFFERENT AB WORKOUT EVERY OTHER DAY I SEE A BIG CHANGE IN MY ABS. MY AB WORKOUT IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL.

  8. If you had to just do two ab exercises, what would they be? I do an upper/lower split (6 days/week). have been doing abs with arms (legs day is too intense). Right now am doing bicycle (2sets of 24) cirtcuited in with lateral raises. Then I do 2 sets of 10 lightly weighted (looking to go up when I have the form) swiss ball crunches circuited in with reverse flies. I have played around with other things like roman chair machine, normal crunches.

    I really can’t figure out what I want to do with abs and how many reps to do or to add weight. Whereas with arm movements, I just do my 2 sets of 10 and increase weight as strength develops and it just works fine.

    Pretty much like the bicycle, but wonder what to do for the second ab exercise. Even with bicycle, I wonder how aggressive to be about training to failure. Things seems simpler with my arms and my curcuited high intensity style workout…(which by the way is working ducky…gained over 50% strength while also losing 70 pounds in 6 months in dieting).

    FYI, I am doing the captains chair on leg day for 2 sets of 10 left and 10 right leg lifts (so 40 total). this is a killer, but I do them straight and am targeting the hip flexors. Still gets stomach a bit I feel, though that not the intention.

    • If I had to choose 4 Ab exercises they would be the Ab Wheel, medicine ball sit up toss with a partner; Russian Twist using a medicine ball, dumbbell or weight plate; and Captain’s Chair with a medicine ball between the knees. If I had to choose 2… Ab Wheel and Russian Twist.

      If you are not doing the Captain’s Chair properly by using your abs to pull your hips up, then you are doing a disservice to your hip flexors and your posture. It is worse to do too many improper Captain’s Chairs than it is not to do any ab training at all.

      • Thanks man. bicycles seem somewhat similar to Russian twist. Hmm…(thinking).

        I actually went and stuck in lower back hyperextensions in for the second ab slot. Just going light to start. Hesitant to train to failure, the way I would a bicep.

        I hear ya on the captain’s chair. But I feel like a frigging gymnast with my pointed toes and smooth pull. It’s got to be doing something for some muscle. It kicks my ass…

  9. I have been doing the bicycle and only the bicycle as part of my limited ab workout for a few months now. Seeing signs of the 6 pack but still have a little fat to lose before I get there.

    My question is: how many of these different types of excercises should I be doing in my routine.

    • You should be using a wide variety of ab exercises, at least 4, if you want to see real gains. Also, the bicycle doesn’t lend itself well to increased resistance, which is really what helps make the abs thicker and more dense. Toss some ab wheel rollouts and weighted decline crunches in there.

  10. I know you cant isolate the abs sorry i keep that saying word. Ive heard weighted reverse crunches are good for the lower abs do you know of any others to build density in that region?

    • Joe: Obliques are part of the abdominals, but you can also do the Russian Twists, Windshield Wipers, and even weighted side bends to target the obliques directly.

  11. i just need some workout to get my abs showing, i have almost no fat whatsoever, but my abs still aren’t showin, help?

    • Jet: It’s all about adding weight or resistance to your sets. You need to do some 5 rep abs sets in order to build some thickness and density in your ab muscles.

  12. Whats the best isolation exercise for lower abs ?!? my other abs are very toned muscle wise just need help with these thanks. I think i may need a weighted exercise to get results.

  13. the full ab roll out by the woman looks suspisciously fake….. watch her shorts, dead give away!! if its real i apologise but suspect not!!

  14. I agree,because it was introduced as a great cardio workout which burns a lot of fat while toning muscles,Exercise is the best way of shaving weight.
    But why is it so difficult for most people to get a six pack?
    Brin @ absexcercise.net

  15. Been doing the ab roller gig for years which is also a great lat workout. Watch your low back, don’t let it sag like the girl – keep a bit of a hump like maintaining a pelvic tilt throughout.

  16. Another great article.

    Once you start learning about training the abs, you realize just how many exercises there are to do. The possibilities are endless.

  17. Ruskie Twists for the WIN!!!

    i did some of these the other day with a 10 pounder and i was feeling the burn. plus you feel like you are training for the FSB. ;]

  18. what are your thought on the torso rotation machine?
    i have seen people using it in the gym and it looks like you are asking to throw your back out. lol

    i got down on the floor just now and did the bicycle maneuver again and i did it flawlessly. im not sure wth i did the first time. i might have been trying to touch my forehead to my knee or something.

  19. I’m not sure if it is my technique, but when i do the “Bicycle” it hurts right underneath my rib cage. lol
    Maybe i am trying to curl my upper body into my legs too much. But, nonetheless it is a VERY effective exercise!!!

    • Yeah Josh, I don’t know about that. I suppose you could be curling your torso too much, but I’m not even sure that’s possible.

  20. okay stuff. i like the rollers. u should check the p90x abs workout that stuff works great for me. im gonna do a mixture

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