

Inhale as you roll-out and exhale and you return. On your knees, roll-out until you get a stretch in your abs, then return to starting position. Attach Strength Bands to the handles and attach the other ends to your workout partner’s ankles/calves. Resisted Power Wheel ab roll-outs are probably one of the most difficult ab exercises you can perform (other honorable mentions include hanging leg raises and crunches using inversion boots). If you are using inversion boots it is safer to do this exercise with a training partner. I don’t like performing crunch-type exercises excessively too frequently (not more than once or twice per week) due to the shearing force that occurs between disks. Exhale as you crunch, inhale and you return to the starting position.

Crunch into the fetal position as best you can, and try to pause when the abs are in the shortened position and lower down slowly. Note: squats and deadlifts awesome for abs but are not ab isolation type exercises. They fall in my top 5 favourite ab-focused exercises (others include hanging leg raises, resisted ab wheel roll-outs, stir-the-pot, and ball transfers). Inverted crunches are one of my favourite ab exercises, or maybe I just like hanging out/hanging upside down. Please consult a physician before starting any exercise program. After you've completed all of your moves, start from the top and repeat twice more for a total of two rounds.*Personal Trainer in Toronto and those associated with are not held liable for any injury sustained during exercise. Perform as many reps as possible in that time, then rest for 15 seconds before continuing onto your next exercise.

Instructions: Choose three to four exercises below. No matter what, focus on your form.Įquipment: Medicine ball, stability ball, a weight (dumbbell or kettlebell) Mix one or two moves into your core routine or full-body sessions, or string them together for a spicy sequence that'll set those side abs on fire. (See, the obliques are clutch.)Ĭonvinced to add an oblique workout to your routine? The oblique exercises below are the best in the game and perfect for all strength levels. “Our trunk needs to be able to bend and fold and twist in order to execute everything that we do in daily life,” she says. Rotating trains your body to handle heavy loads while avoiding pain or injuries, she adds. There’s a common misconception that rotating will hurt your lower back, but “the ability to rotate and to manage rotation well is really fundamental to the way that we function,” Larson says. Meet the expert: Kristie Larson is a NASM-certified personal trainer at FitHouse and Rise by We in New York City. You have internal and external obliques that are responsible for rotating and flexing the trunk and working with the other abdominal muscles to create intraabdominal pressure (the sensation happening when you brace your core). You might think of obliques as your “side abs,” but all of your abdominal muscles are technically layered in the front, according to Kristie Larson, CPT. These core muscles are essential to daily function-stabilizing your body, coordinating your breathing, and supporting your lower back. your rectus abdominis)? It's easy to neglect the others, but sculpting a strong core takes a literal 360-degree approach-and your obliques are an important part. Are your abs workouts all about the six-pack abs muscles (a.k.a.
