The Best Ab Exercise Using an Exercise Ball

I am not a big fan of the majority of ab exercises.

The problem with doing crunches to work your abs is that you will eventually kill your back.

To be honest, six pack abs are really more about diet and cardio than they are about ab exercises.

That being said, it certainly doesn’t hurt to work your abs directly if you choose an effective exercise. I have discovered a great one, but let’s talk about traditional ab exercises first.

Crunches Don’t Work Your Whole Abdominal Region

When you do a set of crunches you are really just isolating the rectus abdominis.

This is the main muscle that people think about when they think about six pack abs. It runs from the pelvic bone to the lower chest.

Crunch type exercises really target the upper abdominals extremely well and the lower abs to a lesser extent.

The problem with focusing on just this part of the abs, is you are ignoring a very large portion of your abdomen.

Lower ab workouts help, but there is an even better alternative…

How to Work Your Entire Abdominal Region in One Exercise

I have found a wonderful exercise that is healthy for your back and will build amazing definition over your entire midsection.

Have you ever heard of “planks”?

I’ll try to explain in words. Think of doing a push up on the floor.

Your body is flat like a board while doing the push-up. This is caused by tightening up your body and midsection.

Well, a “plank” is similar to being in push up position, but you are resting on your elbows instead of your hands.

Instead of doing any sort of motion you are just going to hold your body in a stiff “board like” fashion for as long as possible.

How Can a Static Hold Build Definition?

Believe it or not, static holds are an amazing way to build definition.

If you want to build a muscle then it is best to perform resistance exercise through a range of motion.

With abs, you really don’t want to build up the muscle, you want to increase the density and definition of that muscle. Static holds are perfect for this.

It defines your intercostals, obliques, and every part of your torso.

This is kind of a revolutionary way of thinking about getting a six pack, but it works extremely well! It will tighten and sharpen instead of building bulk.

How to Do Planks On An Exercise Ball

This is actually quite simple.

Just put your feet on the floor and your elbows on the ball. Make sure you keep your body as straight as a board.

What you will find is that it is easy at first, but in a minute or two, you will start to wobble around a bit.

You may even find that a certain part of your midsection starts to burn or hurt.

Planks on an exercise ball really expose your weak points.

When this exercise becomes easy, put your elbows close together or roll the ball forward a bit. Give this exercise a shot 3-4 times a week and you will transform your abdominal area.