When someone asks you to name the best ab exercise, ‘crunches’ are probably the first thing that come to mind.
Crunches have to be one of the most well-known and popular core exercises; however, there are many other effective ways you can train your abs.
Below are 5 ab workouts from @wellnessnwander for people who are bored of crunches.
Planks
On all fours rest your forearms on the floor parallel to each other and straighten your legs far from the body, so that your back is straight and supported by your core.
The plank really works the core and is easy to vary depending on your fitness level.
If you’re finding a regular plank easy, try reducing the stability by using a TRX or medicine ball.
Russian twists
When sitting on the floor, raise your legs in a bent position in front of you and lean back slightly to feel the core engaging. Clasp your hands together and move them from side to side. This exercise is great for working your obliques.
To make this movement more challenging you can hold a weight or medicine ball, or even try sitting in a deeper V shape, so it is more of a challenge to stay upright.
Leg raises
Lying flat on the floor, raise your legs to a 90-degree angle in the air. Lower the legs to the floor slowly and then raise them up again - making sure not to touch the floor with your feet.
This is a great lower ab exercise, and can be made easier by bending your knees slightly or reducing how much you lower your legs.
Mountain climbers
Starting from a straight arm, press-up position - move one knee between your elbows with only the back foot on the floor. Jump the back foot off of the floor and swap it with the front foot to create a quick mountain climber movement.
This exercise is high intensity which will make you sweat and work your abs - it's a great addition to your HIIT circuits.
Hollow hold
Lying flat on the ground on your back, a hollow hold aims to raise your arms and legs in the air and hold that position for as long as possible.
Raising the shoulder blades from the ground can be tough for beginners as this requires good ab and core strength, but practice does make perfect.
If crunches are sending you to sleep, why not try the 5 exercises above and see how they challenge your abs in different ways.
What are your favourite ab exercises? Let us know in the comments below.
Hannah (@wellnessnwander)
wellnessandwander.com
