Exercises for Abs - How to Uncover the Best

Who else is frustrated and confused about all the contradictory information about the best exercises for abs?  You may be wondering what you can do about it.  What if you could find out for yourself a way to uncover whether specific exercises can be regarded as the best exercises for abs.  In this article, I am going to give you a few ideas you can use to uncover the quality of an abdominal exercise. I will also give you examples of the best exercises for abs.  By the time to finish reading this article, you will be armed with the resources you need to design your own exercises that are best for the abs.

Now, the abdominal muscles carry out a specific function.  Understanding these roles and how the abdominals work will give you a benchmark to use when selecting the most effective exercises for working your abs.  The best exercises for abs should combine as many of the tasks of the abdominal muscles as possible into one exercise.

Here's how they work.  The abdominal muscles stabilize the spine.  This provides a solid base from which the arms and legs are able to anchor in order to move effectively.   For example, a standing figure 8 with a weight plate or kettlebell requires the abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine and trunk so that the arms can perform the figure 8 movement. 

What else?  Stabilization also helps to prevent movement of the trunk.  One example of an exercise that trains stabilization is the plank.  Strong abdominals help to prevent hyperextension of the back when in the plank position.

Now wait…there’s more.  In addition to stabilization, your abdominals have to rotate or slow down the rotation of the spine.  They may even need to prevent rotation.  Any motion involving rotation can be used to train this particular abdominal movement.  One of my favorites is sometimes referred to as a landmine.  This involves holding the end of the barbell at shoulder level with the opposite end of the barbell planted on the ground in the hole of a weight plate or at the corner of a wall.  Swing the barbell from side to side while bracing your abdominal.

This is one of the most commonly overlooked functions of the abdominals.  Abdominal muscles prevent hyperextension of the spine.  Not only do the abdominal muscles flex the spine, bend forward, but they prevent excessive extension of the spine.  It isn't that difficult to flex the spine, especially when you are standing up.  However, lift a weight above your head and behind your head and see what your abdominals do. 

So think about this.  How much effort is required to lean backward with a weight overhead under control and without falling backward?  So, one of best exercises for abs to train this movement is to stand with your back to the wall about a foot’s length away with your hands overhead.  Slowly reach back and as high as possible to touch the wall.  You can also use a medicine ball and throw it against a wall with your hands above your head.

Now that you have discovered the most critical functions of the abdominals, you can determine the best exercises for abs by deciding how many of these functions the exercise trains at the same time.

Finding the best exercises for abs doesn’t have to be complicated if you follow the criteria I give you in this article.  For more information on the best exercises for abs and to get FREE instant access to our 10 day Interval Training Secrets Mini Course go to http://www.IntervalTrainingGuide.com?tid=bl304 now.