Sculpting better abs is one of the biggest challenges for the dedicated gym-goers. Most folks find it difficult to achieve the desired results through their ab training regimen. Conventional ab training methods like crunching have become a bit restricted in terms of delivering long-term, sustainable results. The following exercises are more likely to yield faster results:
Doing Oblique Curls
You need a Stability Ball for this. Here, the movement of the sideways abdominal crunch is mimicked in a way that the side muscles of the abdomen and the lower back muscles are worked upon more comprehensively. The idea is to engage the obliques muscles of the ab core to a greater extent by increasing the amount of spinal rotation. The rotation is not recommended for those with a history of back problems but for the rest, this is a great exercise to develop a harder core and make the obliques stronger. This exercise can yield visible results in terms of actually reducing the waist size within a few weeks.
Isometric Abdominal Curls
This is essentially a modified form of doing Leg Extensions. You need to lie on the floor for doing this. Your upper body should be at a slight elevation. The hands should be under the head, supporting it. Now, try to raise your feet to a 90-degree angle, i.e. extend them above your hips. As you do this, try to slowly lower your legs towards the floor. This curling pattern helps to work the entire ab core. Ensure that you keep the legs a bit parted when lowering them. Ideally, you shouldn’t feel any pressure along the back but first-timers attempting this movement should take utmost precaution and should immediately stop if they feel a pinch in their spinal muscles.
Plank Abdominal Hold
This hold is meant to test the abdominal core and kick-start its strength training. You can start by lying down on a floor, i.e. face down. Place your elbows under the shoulders. Your forearms should be in front of your face. Now, try to imagine the center of the abdominal section and try to prop the upper body upwards, towards this center. This will invariably mean that the toes and forearms are also lifted. This helps to strengthen the entire central region of the body. However, you need to ensure that there is no sagging or arching. You hips can be slightly elevated to reduce the stress on the back but the back cannot be entirely curved. Keep contracting the abdominals as much as you can and sustain this posture or hold for at least two minutes, each time.
Hula Ab Hold
This hold is done in the standing position. You need to get hold of a weighted hoop, i.e. at least weighing 4-5 lbs. Hold this hoop at the waist level. Now, slowly open your feet, about a foot wide. Try to relax the knees. Now, with some force push the hips to get the initial momentum. Slowly release the hoop and move your hips at a constant speed to ensure that the hoop’s position is maintained around the waist.