With an aim to attain six pack abs you started crunches, but found that it is tiring and time consuming, which led to skipping of your ab workout. But no more you need to worry about those six pack abs here are some hardcore exercises that will help you gain those six packs without doing crunches. Abs are the core your body, strong abs depict a healthy body. The exercises below will destabilize the body as best as possible so that every muscle tissue must contract to help maintain balance. Here are some exercises that donot require crunches and yet work best on your abs.
Add one or two of the following exercises to your program to eliminate the need for additional ab crunches at the end.
Single leg deadlift workout
The single leg deadlift is an efficient workout for the hamstring muscles also working on your abs and midsection. These can be performed with either a set of dumbbells or a barbell, so you can do these at home as easily as you can at the gym. Since you are only on a single leg while executing them, you’ll find a much lighter weight will challenge you compared to the standard deadlift exercise.
To perform this movement, place the dumbbells or barbell down directly in front of your feet. From there, place one leg back up on a bench behind the body and reach down towards the barbell. Slowly rise up until you are back in a full standing position, keeping both legs as straight as possible throughout the movement. Pause at the top for a brief movement and lower again.
Because this exercise requires a lot of balance to execute it properly, this is where the abs are called into play.
Plank on an exercise ball workout
Another great exercise for the core is the plank on an exercise ball. The standard plank is well known for working the core, however, by adding the exercise ball to the mix, you boost the intensity so you can get more out of this movement.
To perform this, simply place your arms up on an exercise ball so that the forearms are resting on top. Extend your legs out back behind you so your body is in a straight but diagonal line and then hold this position for up to one minute.
Be sure while executing this option to keep your body as flat as possible throughout your core. If you start to form an arch or dip at any point, this is a signal that it’s time to come down and rest before finishing off the exercise.
Single leg raise with back on the ball workout
Here is one more cool exercise which is crunch-free this incorporates the exercise ball and single leg raise with your back on the ball. Since you are going to be reducing your base of support while doing this exercise, that’s what will increase the intensity that’s placed on the ab muscles.
To perform this, lie so that your back is flat against an exercise ball, with your legs out in front of you and your knees bent at 90 degrees. Your feet should be firmly planted on the ground.
Once you’ve found your balance, lift one leg up off the exercise ball and extend your knee so it’s perfectly straight. Hold this position for up to one minute before lowering the leg and switching sides.
If you find this too easy, you can increase the difficulty by extending the opposite arm, directly in front of your head, holding a five- to ten-pound dumbbell.
Hanging leg raise workout
Atlast, the last crunch-free ab exercise is the hanging leg raise, which is great for working the abs and the hip flexors. When performing these, aim to keep your legs as straight as possible and your breathing pattern regular.
Get yourself into a hanging leg raise machine with your back pressed firmly into the pad. From there, lift both legs up while contracting from your abs and hold then at 90 degrees for a quick second before lowering them down again.
Just like your usual abdominal exercises, you’ll still want to perform these towards the end of your workout to ensure that your abs are not fatigued going into your major lifts, where you will need them for maximum stabilization purposes.
Source:askmen.com