A study at the Bio-mechanics Lab at San Diego State University compared 13 of the most common abdominal exercises and ranked them from the most to least effective. The top three exercises were:
1. Bicycle Maneuver
Lie flat on the floor and put your hands beside your head.
Bring your knees up to about 45 degree and slowly perform a bicycle pedal motion.
Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.
2. Captain’s Chair
This exercise involves gym equipment.
You stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds and lightly pressing your lower
back against the back pad of the chair.
Raise the legs and lift the knees toward your chest. Slowly lower back down and repeat.
3. Exercise Ball Crunch
you’ll need an exercise ball, which costs about $20-30.
Lie face up with ball under your mid/lower back.
Cross your arms over the chest.
Contract your abs raising your torso to about 45 degrees and
Lower back down and repeat.
Strengthening the abs can help maintain good posture and alleviate lower back pain according to Dr. Francis who led the study at the San Diego State University.
Study results for best to worst exercises for strengthening the rectus abdominus (flat muscle extending the length of the abdomen):
1. Bicycle maneuver
2. Captain’s chair
3. Crunches on exercise ball
4. Vertical leg crunch
5. Torso Track
6. Long arm crunch
7. Reverse crunch
8. Crunch with heel push
9. Ab Roller
10. Hover
11. Traditional crunch
12. Exercise tubing pull
13. Ab Rocker
Best to worst exercises for strengthening the obliques (long, flat muscles extending along the sides of the abdomen at an angle):
1. Captain’s chair
2. Bicycle maneuver
3. Reverse crunch
4. Hover
5. Vertical leg crunch
6. Crunch on exercise ball
7. Torso Track
8. Crunch with heel push
9. Long arm crunch
10. Ab Roller
11. Traditional crunch
12. Exercise tubing pull
13. Ab Rocker
To get the best results, Dr. Francis recommends choosing several of the top-rated abdominal exercises and doing 5 minutes of exercise. Train safe.
Learning & implementing the 3 KEYS is the only way to have control over your long term health and fitness.
If you want the guidance and accountability to finally reach the finish line you NOW have a free fitness consultation with me, Destin Personal Trainer Geoff Kalmbach, no obligations or strings attached.
Simply click on this link and type free consult in the subject line, or you can call me at 305.393.1282 Either way don’t delay, your new body is waiting and so am I.
To Your Fittest Body Ever
Geoff Kalmbach
Owner/and Destin personal Trainer
Functional Fitness Training and Consulting
305.393.1282
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