Believe it or not, one of my favorite ab exercises includes one of those cheap infomercial gadgets, “the ab wheel”. You can pick oneup at Walmart for under 20 bucks, and it works your abs hard without crunches.

But do other ab gadgets hold up?

Researchers (from the Mayo Clinic, of all places) tested the”Ab-Slide” device and compared it to the ab crunch, the supine double leg thrust (seated knee tuck-in), and side plank.

Reference:

J Strength Cond Res. 2008 Nov;22(6):1939-46.

Ten young men and twelve young women did all the exercises.  

Tests showed that the Ab-Slide, a contraption fairly similar to the Ab Wheel, worked the abs the hardest.  

On the other hand, the seated knee tuck-in required a lot of hip flexion, and the doctors believed it could cause BACK PROBLEMS in people prone to low back injury.

Personally, I’m going to stick with the Ab Wheel, but as usual, I’m going to keep crunches out of my program, and add the Seated Knee Tuck-in to my list of ab exercises to avoid.

Not only are crunches and knee tuck-ins hard on your low back, they are also useless for helping you get a flat stomach. Instead, stick to interval training and research proven ab exercises if you want to transform your body.

To do the ab wheel exercise, kneel on a mat with your hands on the ab wheel. Keep your body in a straight line, brace your abs, and keep your low back tensed. Slowly roll out as far as is comfortable. Keep your abs braced, and contract them maximally to come back up to the start. That’s a great ab exercise.

If you don’t have an ab wheel, you can use a stability ball for a similar exercise. Kneel on a mat and place your clasped hands on the top of a medium sized ball. Brace your abs and slowly lean forward and roll your hands over the ball while the ball moves away from your body. Keep your body in a straight line and go as far as you can with perfect form. Contract your abs and reverse the motion to return to the upright position.

And to do the side plank, Lie on a mat on your right side. Support your bodyweight with your knees and on your right elbow. Raise your body in a straight line so that your body hovers over the mat. Keep your back straight and your hips up. Hold your abs tight. Contract them as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach, but breath normally. Hold this position for the recommended amount of time. Switch sides.

All of those exercises are powerful, non-traditional ab exercises that will help you get more results in less time, plus they are safe for your back. Avoid crunches and stick to those exercises to work your abs.

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Learn more About a Few of the Best Ab Workouts You Can Use

Developing the perfect set of abs means looking further to starting the most beneficial ab exercises one can find. Ignore working at infinite amounts of crunches and leg raises, as there are many more effectual exercises to try. Although these tend to be good workouts, they aren’t the best ab exercises.

Mountain Climbers Using A Swiss Ball

This can be a powerful method to start using the best ab exercises. You will want a Swiss ball or something equivalent, and the strategy is to position your hands on top of the Swiss ball much like you will when doing push ups. You then tighten your ab muscles and gradually raise one knee in order to meet your chest. Maintain that knee in position for 3-5 seconds then slowly lower back to the floor. Do this again with the other leg. Repeat this about 10-15 times initially and steadily increase the number of repetitions in your set making sure you feel fine with the increase every time. If you are performing (as we suggest) 2-3 sets on a daily basis, make sure you allow for a minute or so in between each set of exercises.

Another of the best ab exercises will be the bicycle crunch. Laying flat on your back with your legs at an angle of 45 degrees, bring one leg slowly toward your chest, while at the same time bringing down the opposite arm to meet the leg in action. Visualize this as you would ride a bicycle while laying on the ground.

Among the best ab exercises is what is generally referred to as the “side plank”. It usually requires that you lie on your side on the floor using your lower arm to support your upper body up off the floor. Afterward you have to raise your body off the ground to form a straight line (like a plank) from the ankles to the shoulder. When you have this posture, tighten your abs and maintain the position for a minute. Carefully return your body to the starting position and wait 20 seconds prior to proceeding to the next rep (repetition)

Though there are usually many hundreds of workout routines that will provide great ab structure over time, it is important to be involving yourself with the best ab exercises to quickly attain the desired results in the desired time frame. Obviously workouts are just one element, and diet is another. Sustaining a good diet, with healthy and nutritious food items, works in unison together with your best ab exercises and both need to fit into your way of life as well as your daily schedule.

Working on your goal to achieve great looking abs, should be fulfilling and you need to be able to feel and see results. If this is not the case after a couple weeks, look to implement alternatives to benefit you.

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