Advance Your Abs with These Six-Pack Sculpting Exercises

Advanced Ab Exercises

Your diet is dialed. Your cardio and resistance interval training has you leaner than ever, and your abs are starting to come into focus. It’s time to start sculpting your six-pack!

Doing simple crunches and sit-ups over and over again isn’t going to get you there. Like any training program, you know that variation and program progression is the key to getting results. But you need some new, tougher, more advanced exercises.

No problem. These Advanced Ab Exercises are sure to help.

Reverse Crunch w/Heel Tap

1. Lie on your back.
2. Keep your fingertips behind your ears, not your head (this will keep you from pulling on your head and neck).
3. Crunch up/in and bring in your knees to your chest.
4. Lower your upper body, but stop just short of touching your shoulders and head to the ground; simultaneously lower your feet until your heels tap the floor and then immediately crunch back in.
5. Try to do 20 reps or more, but focus more on working each set until you fatigue.

 

Stability Ball Exchange

1. Lie on your back holding a stability ball behind you with your arms extended.
2. Bring your legs and arms up simultaneously and place the stability ball between your calves and feet.
3. Lower your upper body and legs back toward the ground, but stop short of allowing your arms, head, shoulders, feet and legs from touching the ground.
4. Bring both your arms and legs (with the ball) back up and exchange the ball back into your hands and lower once again.
5. Try to do 20 reps or more, but focus more on working each set until you fatigue.

 

Ab Scissor Ball

1. While on your back, grab your shins with your hands, with your knees tucked into your chest. Remember that your head and shoulders should be slightly off of the ground.
2. Release and simultaneously pull your body up to a seated position, reaching forward with your hands, and with your legs in a scissor position.
3. Bring your knees and hands back into the starting position as you lower your torso.
4. Repeat step 2 switching leg positions.
5. Continue the exercise for 1 minute or until you are fatigued.

 

Standing Crunch and Knee Crossover w/Med Ball

1. Stand in with your feet slightly staggered while holding a medicine ball above your head.
2. Bring your back foot up, kicking your knee slightly across your body, while simultaneously engaging your abs—crunching forward at your waist—and crossing your body with the medicine ball.
3. As you bring the ball back up over your head, kick your foot back again, touching your toe the ground and then immediately repeat the movement.
4. Do 10 reps and then switch sides. Continue until you are fatigued.

 

Oblique and Ab Pendulum w/Stability ball

1. Lie on your back while holding a stability ball.
2. Place the ball between your feet and calves.
3. Place your arms out to each side.
4. Move your legs and ball from side to side, while controlling the motion with your core muscles.
5. Continue the movement for 1 minute or until you are fatigued.

 

Opposite Reach Super Plank

 

1. Get in a plank position.
2. Reach out with one arm and lift the opposite leg.
3. Hold the position for 3 to 5 seconds, and then bring down your arm and leg.
4. Switch your arm and leg. Repeat.
5. Continue switching for 1 minute or until you are fatigued.