Every athlete is looking for the best ab exercise routine for developing flat, tight abdominal muscles.

 

 

Every athlete is looking for the best ab exercise routine for developing flat, tight abdominal muscles. Every year there are dozens of new exercises, fitness classes, products, gadgets or routines claiming to sculpt and strengthen the abdominal muscles like none other. And while some of these may offer a new approach to working the abs, many are ineffective and may increase your risk of injury.

To avoid falling victim to unproven and misleading abdominal exercise claims, it’s important to have an understanding about the function of your abs, including where they are and what they do and how they can be exercised with the least risk of injury , in this article we will be providing a list of exercise that target the abdominal muscles and a workout program that guarantee the perfect result .

Exercise 1

Bicycle Crunch Exercise for Oblique

1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and knees bent. Your feet should be on the floor and your hands are behind your head.
2.  Contract your core muscles ,drawing in your abdomen to stabilize your spine.
3. With your hands gently holding your head, pull your shoulder blades back and slowly raise your knees to about a 90-degree angle, lifting your feet from the floor.
4. Exhale and slowly, at first, go through a bicycle pedal motion, bringing one knee up towards your armpit while straightening the other leg, keeping both elevated higher than your hips.
5. Rotate your torso so you can touch your elbow to the opposite knee as it comes up.
6. Alternate to twist to the other side while drawing that knee towards your armpit and the other leg extended until your elbow touches the alternate knee.
7. Aim for 12 to 20 repetitions and three sets.

Exercise 2

Seated Oblique Twists With Ball

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor (easier) or raised up off the floor (more difficult). If you have difficulty holding the position and your feet shift about, try tucking them beneath a stable object.
2. Contract your abs and sit at about a 45 degrees angle.
3. Hold the medicine ball with both hands, directly in front of you.
4. Contracting your abs, twist slowly from your torso to your right and touch the medicine ball to the floor beside you. Pause to hold the position a moment.
5. Quickly, but smoothly, contract your abs and twist your torso back to the center position, and then proceed on to touch the medicine ball to the floor on the other side of you.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Exercise 3

Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise

1. Lie with your back flat on a bench and your legs extended in front of you off the end.
2. Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench. This will be your starting position.
3. As you keep your legs extended, straight as possible with your knees slightly bent but locked raise your legs until they make a 90-degree angle with the floor. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction at the top for a second.
4. Now, as you inhale, slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.

Variations: You can also perform this exercise on the floor on top of an exercise mat. You can also add weight by holding a dumbbell in between your feet as you get more advanced.

Exercise 4

Toe Touchers

1. To begin, lie down on the floor or an exercise mat with your back pressed against the floor. Your arms should be lying across your sides with the palms facing down.
2. Your legs should be touching each other. Slowly elevate your legs up in the air until they are almost perpendicular to the floor with a slight bend at the knees. Your feet should be parallel to the floor.
3. Move your arms so that they are fully extended at a 45 degree angle from the floor. This is the starting position.
4. While keeping your lower back pressed against the floor, slowly lift your torso and use your hands to try and touch your toes. Remember to exhale while perform this part of the exercise.
5. Slowly begin to lower your torso and arms back down to the starting position while inhaling. Remember to keep your arms straight out pointing towards your toes.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Exercise 5

Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs in front of you bent at the knees.
2. Place your hands by your chest.
3. At this time, raise your shoulders and torso as far as possible from the ground in a curling movement without raising your back from the floor.
4. Retaining tension on the abs, bring your torso to the starting position. (Note: Maintain full control throughout the movement. Avoid the temptation to rock back and forth.)

Exercise 6

Reverse Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
2. Place your hands at your sides by the floor for support.
3. Slowly bend your legs at the knees bringing them towards your chest.
4. Once the knees are by your chest, raise your shoulders and torso as far as possible from the ground in a curling movement without raising your back from the floor.
5. Return your legs to the starting position and bring your torso back to the floor

Exercise 7

Jackknife Sit Up

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
2. Place your hands at your sides by the floor for support.
3. Flexing your lower abdominals, raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor.
4. At this time, raise your shoulders and torso as far as possible from the ground in a curling movement without raising your back from the floor.
5. Maintaining tension on the abs, lower your legs to the beginning position and then bring your torso to the starting position as well. (Note: Maintain full control throughout the movement. Avoid the temptation to rock back and forth.)

Note : the above exercises can be performed as one session , in case your session is completely for Abs , or you can add 3 exercises  10 Reps x 3 sets  in the end of your program in case you workout another muscles .