Best Ab Exercises for Men

Article by Whitney Rannells

Most men who workout wish to have ripped and firm muscles. In addition to biceps, abdominal muscles are at the top of their list when building muscles. Obviously, having a sexy six pack abs is a dream for many male individuals today. In order to develop abdominal muscles, we should know what are the best ab exercises for men to get the best results. Before that, let us first understand the importance of having abdominal muscles.

Abdominal muscles consist of rectus abdominis, oblique, transverse abdominal muscles and external oblique. When they shrink, it can assist the trunk to flex and rotate as well as prevent the pelvis from moving forward. Abdominal muscles also play an important role in supporting and maintaining the stability of your lumbar activities. Furthermore, it controls the movements of your spine and pelvis. Having weak abdominal muscles can actually cause the pelvis to move forward and increase the curvature of your lumbar as well as increase the risk of lower back pain.

Here we will look at five best ab exercises for men that effectively strengthens the rectus abdominis:

Fitness ball crunchLay on the ball, feet flat on the ground, hands on side of your head with arms open. Slightly move your chin closer to your chest, breathe, contract your abdominal muscles and lift the upper body to about 45 degrees, hold for 2 seconds, then slowly return to starting position. To maintain balance, your legs can be separated further. If you wish to increase the difficulty, just put your feet closer together.

Traditional crunchSit on the floor with your lower back close to the ground. Hands on the side of your head with arms open. Legs and knees flat on the floor. Slightly move your chin closer to the chest, contract your abdominal muscles, exhale then lift the upper body, lower back shouldn’t be off the ground, hold for 2 seconds, then slowly return to starting position.

Reverse crunchSit on the floor, lower back close to the ground, hands on both sides of the body, lift your legs until it’s 90 degrees from your upper body, legs crossed and bend the knee. Tighten your abdominal muscles, exhale while slightly lifting the buttocks, ensure lower back slightly off the ground, hold position for 2 seconds, then slowly back to starting position.

Leg Raise CrunchSit on the floor, lower back close to the ground. Hands on the side of your head with arms open. Lift your legs so it’s 90 degrees from upper body, legs crossed and bend the knees. Breath, contract your ab muscles, lift the upper body, lower back can not be off the ground, hold for 2 seconds, then slowly return to starting position. Keep the chin slightly close to the chest.

Bicycle CrunchSit on the floor, lower back close to the ground. Hands on the side of your head, arms open. lift your legs, slowly do the cycling motion. Breath, raised your upper body, with the right elbow touching your left knee, hold the position for 2 seconds, then return to original position. Then, touch the right knee with left elbow, hold for 2 seconds, then slowly return to starting position.

Through electromyography (EMG), tests by American Council on Exercise (ACE) have found that the bicycle crunch is the most effective exercise for the rectus abdominis. Coming second is the leg raise crunch, and the third is the fitness ball crunch. Research shows that when an abdominal exercise requires sustained stability and body rotation, the abdominal muscles produces maximum activity. Due to the need to control balance in unstable environments when doing crunches, fitness ball crunches require more muscle contraction and control than traditional crunches. All the best ab exercises for men mentioned involve a great degree of these elements.

Besides performing the best ab exercises for men, try to regularly conduct a variety of exercise because it can workout the different muscle groups and also help reduce boredom. Whichever way you choose to workout, strengthening and training of the abdominal muscles take time and patience. Finally, remember to do stretching after exercising the ab muscles.