🚨 6 Pack Abs Guide
✅ If you really want to get your strongest, firmest abs you want to choose exercises that target all the muscles of the core, including the rectus abdominis (or the “six pack”), obliques, transverse abdominis, and the lower back.
✅ While there are a wide variety of exercises you can do for the abs, there are some that are better than others.
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🚨 Bicycle Crunches
✅ Now get started with bicycle crunches:
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- Lie face up on your mat and place your hands behind your head, lightly supporting it with your fingers.
- Bring the knees into the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
- Rotate to the left, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee as you straighten the other leg.
- Switch sides, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
- Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
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🚨 Captain’s Chair Leg Raise
✅ Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
- Press your back against the pad and keep the shoulders relaxed.
- Bend the knees and contract the abs to lift the knees to hip level.
- Try not to arch the back or swing the legs up.
- Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
The captain’s chair leg raise, usually available in most gyms, works the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques.
If you don’t have access to a captain’s chair rack, you can try holding onto a pull-up bar or ab straps.
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🚨 Vertical Leg Crunch
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- Lie on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
- Place your hands behind the head for support, but avoid pulling on the neck.
- Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
- Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
- Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominis and the obliques. It’s similar to a regular crunch, but your legs are straight up, forcing you to use your abs to do all the work and adding intensity to the exercise.
🚨 Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles
✅ Our forum members shared their best tips for strengthening oblique muscles. Here are the exercises that rose to the top.
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✅ A lot of focus is placed on training abdominals with crunches and planks, but many people forget the neighboring oblique muscles. Move beyond the same old side planks and bicycle crunches! These tips from Bodyspace members show you how to train your whole core.
🚨 Best Oblique Exercises For Strength, Power, And Function
✅ Dumbbell Or Barbell Side Bend
Stand up straight holding a weight in one hand or a barbell behind your shoulders. Bend only at the waist to the side as far as possible. Hold for a second and come back up to the starting position.
✅ Medicine Ball Rotational Throw
Stand a few feet away from a wall with your shoulder facing the wall. Holding a medicine ball, twist your torso powerfully in order to throw it against the wall. Catch it when it comes back to you and repeat.
✅ Decline Oblique Crunches
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Lay back on a decline bench. Raise your upper body and put one hand beside your head and the other on your thigh. Continue to raise your upper body while turning your torso to the side. Lower back down. Do all the reps for one side, then switch sides.
