My Top Ten Favorite Abdominal Exercises

Abs…lets face it, chicks love ‘em, guys want ‘em, and they turn heads at the beach. If that isn’t a good enough reason to put down the pizza and beer, how about the functional reasons for having strong lean abdominal muscles? Improved posture, increased overall strength, and improved performance in all sports. But, I guess it is back to the basic reason we want abs…they just look good when you have your shirt off, so I’ve listed my all time, top ten favorite abdominal exercises for your training pleasure. Some of these are basic exercises and some may be new. Either way, if you incorporate the following exercises into your routine, just a few each workout, you will find they are all effective and work the abdominals from a variety of angles, utilize various tempos and require that you pay attention to what you are doing.

Lets get one thing straight first: no amount of any exercise will give you a “six pack” if you have a layer of fat around your middle. You need to lean down to about 10% body fat or less before your abdominal muscles become visible.

What’s my point? You’ll never see your abs if you eat like crap! That’s why you’ll need to continue, or start, to eat balanced, portionally correct meals that are designed for you.

Let’s assume, however, that you’re doing what you need to do in the food department. You’ll want to train your abs to really bring out that definition and strengthen your body’s core for top performance in all activities.

I recommend training your abs every other day, after your weight workout so you remain safe in the gym. I am an advocate of this because if you train your abs first, there is a chance you’ll weaken your core and risk injury when doing exercises like squats or something.

I usually choose two or three different ab exercises and perform 4-5 sets of 10-12 reps for each one, unless otherwise indicated.

These are my top 10 favorite abdominal exercises. If you don’t have all the items necessary to perform these exercises, send an e-mail to clark@clarkbartram.com and I’ll let you know where you can get them.

Tornado Ball — Wall Chops and Seated Chops

Grasp a Tornado Ball with a slight “choke up” on the rope. To do the wall chops, lean back against a sturdy wall and bend your knees into a slight squat. Then rotate from side to side, slamming the Tornado Ball against the wall. Do this ballistically for about 30 seconds. Seated chops are performed with the same intensity. Simply sit down on the floor and move the ball overhead. These two movements are nearly impossible to duplicate in any gym. Start with one 30-second set for each exercise.

Surrender Sit-Ups

These are called surrender sit-ups due to the hand position. Your arms will be above your head as if you were surrendering to someone. In the upright position, place your feet flat on the floor. Slowly lower yourself back like a traditional sit-up, but only go as far as you can without lifting your feet off the floor. When your feet begin to rise, come back up to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes throughout the entire movement.

VPS (Vegas Pro Straps) Terrible Ten

See the video demonstration right here on the site. Click here to watch!

Swiss Ball Weighted Crunches

The opportunities are endless when it comes to a Swiss Ball, but weighted crunches are one of my favorites. Choose a weight that allows you to perform 3 sets of 8–10 repetitions. Position yourself on the ball just to the front of the top (to ensure a full range of motion). and slowly allow your spine to wrap back around the ball. Be sure to anchor your feet with a weight at least twice as heavy as the weight you use to perform the exercise.

Swiss Ball Reverse Crunches

Position your body so your scapula is centered on the top of the ball. Grab a stationary handle above your head and tuck your knees up and around towards your face. I use my eyes as a reference point. As in all abdominal exercises, it’s imperative that you exhale during the effort. Reps are not the only indicator of a good abdominal workout…you should feel each one in the muscle, without obsessing over how many you do.

Hanging Leg Raises

There are two schools of thought when it comes to hanging leg raises. If you do the entire movement from completely stretched out to completely contracted, then your psoas muscles (hip flexors) assist in the movement. If you start the movement with your legs bent at 90 degrees, you eliminate the use of the hip flexor group. I suggest you mix it up and do the exercise both ways.

Janda Sit-Ups

These are tremendous once you get the hang of them. Assume the traditional sit-up position, with your arms crossed over your chest. Have someone grab the back of your calves and pull slightly. Slowly sit up, maintaining a contraction in the glutes. If you can’t pull yourself up right away, start with the negative part of the movement.

Full Contact Twists

These are similar to Tornado Ball chops, but they can be done in a gym. Get a 45 lb. Olympic bar and place one end in a corner to hold it in place. With your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms fully extended, hold the opposite end of the bar and rotate it overhead in a semi-circular motion. Be sure to rotate at the waist and feel the movement throughout your entire core. Do 1–3 sets of 15–20 reps.

Medicine Ball Throws on Swiss Ball

Assume the same position on the Swiss Ball as you would if you were doing weighted crunches, and position your feet under two dumbbells for safety. Ask a partner to help you with an 8–10 lb. medicine ball. While seated on the Swiss Ball in an upright position, have your partner throw the medicine ball over your head so you can catch it (under control) while lying back over the Swiss Ball. Sit up and throw the medicine ball back to your partner. Do 3 sets of 12–15 reps.

Cable Side Crunches

Using a cable in the highest position, grasp the handle with one hand and rest the other on top the hand grabbing the handle. Your hand should be at your temple. Keeping your arm completely stationary, crunch between the waist and lower chest only. The movement will be small and very isolated. Be sure to do both sides for about 3 sets of 12-15 reps with a challenging weight.