Best abs exercises !!

[Padawan787]

Not everyone is fat... even though most people are these days... and not every skinny guy has abs (far from it actually.) To call ab workouts a waste of time is way off. I have perfect body fat and wont get a six pack through cardio and dieting...

I didn't say that all ab workouts are a waste of time, but I do believe that crunches and similar exercises are mostly useless. You are much better doing hanging leg-raises and squats.

I wasn't implying that everyone is fat, I am far from being fat and have a natural "built" physique, but I can't see my abs because I have some fat on my stomach

Most guys who look skinny haven't "filled out," don't have broad shoulders, or it is their lack of muscle that makes them look skinny. I bet that most of them don't even have a bodyfat percentage under 15%...I know loads of guys who look very, very skinny but they actually still have a layer of fat on their stomach, no matter how thin it is that layer is always going to block their abs from being seen

You say you have perfect bodyfat, what is your percentage? If it isn't close to 10% it isn't surprising that you don't have visible abs

 

[4Samson]

I dont remember the exact percentage but I remember my dr saying it was very good at my last physical. I'm 5'8" 125lbs (was probaly around 135 when I saw my dr) so you can imagine i dont exactly have alot of fat on me (though you cant see my ribs popping out or anything). I have a perfectly flat stomach that would be pretty sexy on a girl I think lol. In 3 weeks my abs are already starting to be visible.

 

[4Samson]

I didn't say that all ab workouts are a waste of time, but I do believe that crunches and similar exercises are mostly useless. You are much better doing hanging leg-raises and squats.

I miss understood what you meant then. I agree those other exercises may be more intense and I do squats as part of my lower body workout. I use a medicine ball and ankle weights when I work out my abs and feel that it increases the intensity similar to more advance ab exercises.

 

[dejaview]

While we are at it , lets not forget genetics and also body shape as imporatant factor to determine success in getting those six pack abs.
Genetics will dictate how much effort is really needed in clearing the hump of being born with an innately weaker abdominal structure. Sure, we are all born with the same abs but some people will never get that same cover model appearance with all the exercises in the world. In fact I heard from one personal trainer that it might be in fact dangerous for some people to lose too much body fat in going for that ripped six pack look. It maybe that certain individuals are naturally predisposed to getting the six pack look without too much undue stress to their body. While for others it may not be that easy or in some case impossible to acheive that similar look.
As for body shape, I heard an interesting comment from a well established exercise and nutrition columnist. He stated that individuals with a short torso or with a large ribcage can have a harder job in gaining the six pack ab look than those born with a longer torso and more streamlined body shape. I guess if you look at the paragon of big chest development in bodybuilding i.e Arnold Schwartzenegger, his weak spot was always his abs.
Then take a Brad Pitt with his longer torso and less natural chest size and see how his six pack development came easier. And bear in mind that Arnold S by his own admission trained his stomach from hell and back to get any kind of decent six pack appearance for his contests.
My own feeling is that you do what you can do within your potential and the rest has been already dictated by other genetic and hereditary factors outside of your control.

 

[Padawan787]

I dont remember the exact percentage but I remember my dr saying it was very good at my last physical. I'm 5'8" 125lbs (was probaly around 135 when I saw my dr) so you can imagine i dont exactly have alot of fat on me (though you cant see my ribs popping out or anything). I have a perfectly flat stomach that would be pretty sexy on a girl I think lol. In 3 weeks my abs are already starting to be visible.

That is really light, you are 172 cm and 56 kg, I am 176 cm and 75 kg!

@miolner: great post

 

[4Samson]

That is really light, you are 172 cm and 56 kg, I am 176 cm and 75 kg!

@miolner: great post

Haha I know. Its technically not underweight though (just barely lol) and my bones are not popping out or anything. I plan on putting on 20 lbs of muscle by the end of the year through weight training. I consider myself lucky since with such low body fat if I gain 20lbs of muscle I think the result would look very impressive. I outlined my workout routine recently in my PE log. I have already seen a difference in just 3 weeks.

 

[Beavis]

The movement is very beneficial for our health. Health is very good. If your health, then you can do a good job, and there are many benefits. You have to do, because the morning, the atmosphere is very calm and silent, so you do not have a good exercise, you are not in the morning to disturb in the Morning.

 

[bigmoe5067]

its hard to say their is a specific best ab exercise. your abs are responsible for movement in 3 planes. no specific exercise can use all three layers of your abs.

i do circuits of 4 exercises. not always the same exercises but some variation of these to target all movements
-leg lifts (target the lower abs involved in hip flexion in sagital plane)
-crunches(target upper abs involved in hip flexion in sagital plane)
- weighted side bends( target oblique abs in lateral flexion in frontal plane)
- russian twists ( target oblique abs in upper body rotation in tranverse plane)

 

[W210mb]

Best post in this thread so far.

Ad pull ups and these are the 3 best core exercise you can do according to muscle activation tests.

Diet, Diet, Diet as many have stated.

The best movement i know for making the Rectus Abdominis pop out (which is what most are after) are crunches on a swiss ball with a BIG dumbbell on your chest. 3x8-12 reps only TILL FAILURE. Many people treat abs totally different than other muscles (yes there are 2 muscle types Phasic and tonic and should be trained slight differently but lets not get side tracked) and do things like 100 cruches in sets. You might have a hard flat abs (if you get sub 11% BF) but they dont pop out like you see on some guys.

I'll also ad a fav quote of ours "No! Bulk Up! Abs on a Skinny guy are like big tits on a fat chick. THEY DONT COUNT"

In closing il repeat. diet, DIET, DIET

Best post on here. Abs are a muscle and need to be built. PERIOD. I used to have a teacher in high school who was a professional body builder and mr.minnesota. He always told us this.

 

[Metroman35]

Best ab/core exercises hands down are dragon flags

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...7fGdBA&usg=AFQjCNEpOiUB0aSgWC-fgqb9b-YhCCTJZg

 

[Long Dong Silver]

you have to differentiate best and hardest... dragon flag is hard as sh*t, when you can do them, either you are a gymnast or you just need maintenance training...the scale of easiness starts with lying leg raises or crunches, comes to captains chair with bent legs, to captains chair with bent legs, variations of this (like feet paddling) and ends with dragon flag. check out 'hannibal for king', 'juice' and 'beast'/'lord vital'. those guys pull some serious bars and thats what kicked me into body weight training, machines suck for functional strength and health.

 

[Chungungo]

Swimming is great but running by itself is not a complete excercise, if you want a beautiful back try butterfly, you´ll get nice traps.

 

[bigmoe5067]

running by itself is a not a complete exercise? that makes no sense. a complete exercise does not need to work every muscle in the body.

 

[Greatdane]

Best ab/core exercises hands down are dragon flags

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=dragon%20flag&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBoQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnjKXkuhY7_0&ei=uaCNT_STI8S50QGf7fGdBA&usg=AFQjCNEpOiUB0aSgWC-fgqb9b-YhCCTJZg

this is difficult to do

 

[arkham]

Maybe it will help someone.

http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/bestworstabexercises.pdf

A little update. I got nice abs but they are covered with fat :/ Need to lose like 5-7%bf

 

[second lensman]

The basic leg raiser is the easiest on the back.

 

[bigmoe5067]

The basic leg raiser is the easiest on the back.

this is because of the angle of the motion, and more muscles in the abdominals can be activated. standing/hanging leg raises put more emphasis on the lower abs and groin.

girls i know can orgasm from standing/hanging leg raises due to the pressure exerted by their groin muscles on their private parts if they do enough repititions

 

[second lensman]

Big Moe I use leg raisers to control Sciatica along with certain yoga exercises. If done daily these efforts can completely eliminate
Sciatic symptoms in many people.

 

[bigmoe5067]

Big Moe I use leg raisers to control Sciatica along with certain yoga exercises. If done daily these efforts can completely eliminate
Sciatic symptoms in many people.

i wouldnt be surprised at all. i do both since i can push myself harder if im constantly changing the angle of attack. i would suggest them done lying down first to untrained populations....good luck with your healing. those type of traumas are a long road to recovery

 

[TheSperminator]

This is my killer-abs workout. Prepare to die!

!!!SIX PACK ABS CIRCUIT TRAINING!!! How to muscle gain and lose fat FAST - YouTube