5 Great Ways To Better Abs And A Stronger Core

You want better defined abs and a stronger core? Then look a bit past the usual crunches!

Strange, But It Works: Standing Leg Raise

The first tip to work your abs and core may seem strange, because it’s an exercise you can do while brushing your teeth! But it really works!

Please make sure you don’t accidentally swallow your toothbrush! I imagine getting it removed is an unpleasant bit of surgery!

Don’t Frown At Them: Planks

I know, to any guy worth his 100 lbs barbell curls planks look so… yogaesque. Almost like you just need your exercise mat and will buy pink little dumbbells next.

But when you do a plank, about all ab and core muscles work to stabilize the body. Your spine presses from one side, your ab muscles from the other, they balance out and keep your body in the plank position.

Twisted Crunches

The regular crunch you’ve done to death, but with a (literal) twist to them you can work that exercise to work the oblique abs.

Lying Leg Raises

This one you often see advertised as an ab exercise, but in reality the abs only co-star in the credits. The true targets of lying leg raises are the deep core muscles: the hip flexors (illiopsoas) and companions.

Standing Up: Side Bends

There are very few ab exercise you do in standing position and when you finally do one that way, the fresh wind it brings to your ab workout can make a lot of difference!

One of the few beside the standing leg raise is the side bend that works your obliques. Keep in mind what I say in the video: only use one dumbbell or you cancel out the effectiveness of the exercise!

There’s One More Thing!

If your ab workout progress stalled, introducing one or two of the above exercises should get you over the hump. But never forget: getting abs is more than just doing some exercises! It also requires the right nutrition!