Abs

1. Sit on the end of a bench with your legs fully extended in front of you angled towards the floor slightly.
2. Grip the sides of the bench for stability.
3. Leaning back to about a 45-degree angle from the bench. This is the start position.
4. Pull your knees in toward you at the same time moving your torso towards them. Make sure you exhale as you perform this part of the movement. Hold for a count of one.
5. Return to the start position by extending your legs out and relaxing your abdominal muscles. Breathe in as you do this. Pause and repeat.

This exercise can also be performed on the floor by placing your arms to the sides and raising your legs off the floor slightly. slightly over the floor. More advanced athletes can use a dumbbell between their feet or attach a pulley to them for added resistance.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Lie on your back on a mat with hands under your lower buttocks on either side to support your pelvis.
2. Legs straight out in front of you, ankles together and feet slightly off the floor.
3. Keep your knees straight and raise your legs by flexing the hips until they are completely flexed.
4. Return to starting position.

1. Lie flat on an exercise mat on the floor keeping your lower back straight with no arching of your spine and with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands lightly on the sides of your head.
3. Curl your torso upwards so your shoulders are slightly raised off the floor..
4. Raise your knees until your thighs are at a right angle to the floor and your calves are parallel to the floor. This is the start position.
5. Slowly move your legs in a pedaling action as if you are riding a bicycle.
6. As you do so, exhale and bring your opposing elbow close to each knee by crunching to one side. Left elbow to right knee. Right elbow to left knee.
7. After each crunch, return to the start position inhaling as you do so.
8. Without pausing, repeat the movement to the other side.
9. Repeat without pausing for the desired number of repetitions to each side.

Do not use your hands to pull your head and neck up during this exercise. Doing so may cause injury. Concentrate on a slow rhythmic cycle from side to side with perfect form for each repetition.

1. Lie on your back. Bring your knees up to a 90-degree angle. Shins should be parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head and bring your shoulders off the ground.
2. Exhale and contract your abdominals. Bring your head towards your knees while moving your knees toward your chest.
3. Pause and return to the starting position.

1. Lie on an exercise mat, with your back flat, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Fully extend your arms down the side of your body, palms facing in. This is the start position.
3. Exhaling, crunch your torso forward and to the right until you can touch your right heel with your right hand. Hold for a count of one.
4. Return to the starting position smooth motion, inhaling as you do so.
5. Repeat the movement, this time to your left side.
6. When you have completed the movement on both sides, you have done one repetition.
7. Repeat.

1. Lie on a mat with your hands under your buttocks and raise your legs slightly, keeping knees straight and ankles together.
2. Keep abs engaged and perform short kicks in an alternating fashion.
3. Repeat as needed and then lower legs to the ground.

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart and hands by your sides. This is the start position.
2. In one smooth motion, squat down and place your hands palms down on the floor in front of your feet.
3. Lean forward, so your weight is on your hands, at the same time jumping your legs out behind you until they are fully extended. Your body should form a straight line with your weight supported on your toes and the balls of your feet and your arms fully extended. (In a push up position)
4. Jump your feet out by spreading your legs, so that they are wider than hip width apart, then immediately jump them back together.
5. Complete 1 full push up.
6. Jump your feet forward to just behind your hands.
7. Use an explosive motion to push through your heels and return to the start postion.
8. Repeat.

1. Lie face down on a padded surface. Place your hands beneath your shoulders and make sure your feet are extended straight behind you. Push yourself up into a classical Push-Up position. Keep your hips are slightly elevated. Tighten your core.
2. Keeping your gaze straight, push off the ground with your feet. Bending your knees, allow your feet to come up near your hands.
3. Immediately, push off the ground again with your feet, extending your legs straight behind you once again to the starting position.

1. Stand straight, your feet shoulder width apart, while holding a dumbbell in your left hand with your palm facing in to your body.
2. Place your right hand on your waist, palm facing in. This is the start position.
3. Keeping your back and head straight, bend only from your waist to the right. Inhale as you bend.
4. Continue as far as possible, then hold for a count of one.
5. Return to the start position, exhaling as you do so.
6. Repeat the movement this time bending to the left and returning to the start position.
7. Complete all repetitions holding the dumbbell with your left hand before changing hands.

This exercise can be performed with a kettlebell or a plate weight.

1. Lie on a padded surface on your left side. Stack your legs and bring your right hand behind your head. Lie your left arm in front of you or across your body. Brace your core.
2. Pulling from the obliques, bring your elbow up and towards your feet. Do NOT pull yourself with your hand.
3. Pause and feel the contraction in your obliques then slowly return to the starting position.

1. Lie on a mat with your hands under your buttocks and raise your legs slightly, keeping knees straight and ankles together.
2. Keep abs engaged and perform short kicks in an alternating fashion.
3. Repeat as needed and then lower legs to the ground.

1. Grip a chin up or pull up bar with a firm overhand grip.
2. Hang from the bar with your legs straight.
3. Raise your legs by flexing your hips forward and bending your knees up towards your chest.
4. Continue to raise your knees towards your chest by flexing your waist forward. Don’t swing your body to use momentum. Use your abdominals to pull your legs up.
5. Return to the starting position, lowering your legs slowly until they are straight.
6. Repeat.

For added resistance you can wear a dip belt with weight suspended from.

1. Place your forearms are on the pads or bars of the apparatus you are using and grip the handles or bars. Your arms should be bent at 90 degrees and your upper arms in a straight line with your sides.
2. Your torso should be straight and your lower back pressed against the pad of the bench if using one.
3. Keep your legs extended and pointing down to the floor. This is the start position.
4. Exhale and as you do so, lift your legs up in a smooth arc bending at the knees until your thighs are about parallel to the floor. Hold for a count of one.
5. Return to the start position in a smooth, controlled movement while inhaling.
6. Repeat.

Do not use momentum or swing your legs to perform this exercise. As your strength increases, you can rotate your pelvis forward at the top of the movement to engage more of your lower abdominal muscles. You can also keep your legs fully extended throughout the movement to increase the resistance and difficulty of the exercise.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Position yourself underneath a pull-up bar. Reach overhead, taking a grip that is at or just outside of shoulder-width. Place a slight bend in the elbows at all times.
2. Breathe out forcefully as you bring your knees up and towards your chest. Minimize swinging by contracting your abdominals throughout. Pause at the top of the movement.
3. Slowly bring your knees to the starting position. Repeat.

1. Place your forearms are on the pads or bars of the apparatus you are using and grip the handles or bars. Your arms should be bent at 90 degrees and your upper arms in a straight line with your sides.
2. Your torso should be straight and your lower back pressed against the pad of the bench if using one.
3. Keep your legs extended and pointing down to the floor. This is the start position.
4. Exhale and as you do so, lift your legs up in a smooth arc bending at the knees until your thighs are about parallel to the floor. Hold for a count of one.
5. Return to the start position in a smooth, controlled movement while inhaling.
6. Repeat.

Do not use momentum or swing your legs to perform this exercise. As your strength increases, you can rotate your pelvis forward at the top of the movement to engage more of your lower abdominal muscles. You can also keep your legs fully extended throughout the movement to increase the resistance and difficulty of the exercise.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Stand a dumbbell on one of its plates about 2 feet away from the edge of a bench and sit comfortably on the edge of that bench, using you hand-grip for support. Fully extend your legs towards the dumbbell.
2. Using your amazing foot-eye coordination, pin each foot underneath the top plate of the standing dumbbell, on either side of its bar.
3. Bring your knees in towards your chest, taking care not to drop the dumbbell in the process, and hold them as close as you can to your chest for 1 second.
4. Extend the legs back down towards the floor to the starting position.

1. Kneel in front of a cable station with a rope attachment connected to the top pulley.
2. Grip the rope attachment and place your wrists against your forehead.
3. Flex your hips slightly to take the weight and to hyperextend your lower back.
4. Keeping your hips stationary, bend at the waist so that your elbows travel down towards the middle of  your thighs. Hold for a count of one.
5.  Return to the start position in a controlled movement and repeat.

1. Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Alternatively, you can place your feet up on a bench a few inches apart with your toes turned inwards and touching.
2. Hold a plate, dumbbell, kettlebell, or medicine ball securely above your head.
3. Keep your elbows locked.
4. Push your back down flat into the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles.
5. Gently curl your shoulders forward and up off the floor.
6. Continue to push down into the floor with your lower back.
7. Raise your shoulders about four to six inches only.
8. Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.
9. Return to the start position in a smooth movement.

Make sure the weight is held very securely!

1. Lie face up on with a medicine ball between your hands and your arms extended behind you. Keep your arms and legs straight and then raise your feet an inch off the floor.
2. Raise your torso and legs up at the same time and touch the medicine call to your feet. Hold for a moment.
3. Lower down to starting position with arms and ball behind your head.

1. Lie flat on an exercise mat, extending your arms straight back behind your head.
2. Fully extend your legs also. This is the start position.
3. Bend at your waist and at the same time, raise your legs and arms to meet in a closed jackknife position. Exhale as you do this.
4. At this point, your legs should remain fully extended at between 35-45 degrees from the floor.
5. Your arms should be fully extended, parallel to your legs.
6. Your upper body should be raised off the floor.
7. Return to the start position by lowering your arms and legs back to the floor, exhaling as you do so.
8. Repeat.

1. Lie on your back on a mat with hands under your lower buttocks on either side to support your pelvis.
2. Legs straight out in front of you, ankles together and feet slightly off the floor.
3. Keep your knees straight and raise your legs by flexing the hips until they are completely flexed.
4. Return to starting position.

1. Lie on a mat with your hands under your buttocks and raise your legs slightly, keeping knees straight and ankles together.
2. Keep abs engaged and perform short kicks in an alternating fashion.
3. Repeat as needed and then lower legs to the ground.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Get into a push­up position with hands under shoulders and body straight from head to toes.
2. Engage your core and bend your elbows, keeping them in towards the body.
3. Lower your body towards the floor.
4. Straighten your arms and quickly jump the feet forward to outside of the hands.
5. Jump back to starting position.

1. Lie on a mat and position yourself in a plank position. Place your elbows on the floor beneath your shoulders. Your toes should touch the floor and your torso should be lifted in a straight line.
2. Engage your core muscles and lift one foot off the floor. Keep the rest of your body as still as you can. Your heel should lift until it is in line with your buttocks.
3. Slowly lower the leg to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

1. Get into a face down position on the floor supporting your upper body on your forearms. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees.
2. Extend your legs straight out behind you, supporting them on your toes and balls of your feet.
3. Keep your body in a straight line by tightening your abdominal and oblique muscles.
4. Hold for as long as possible.

For extra balance training and core strengthening, you can lift one arm or leg.

1. Sit on an exercise ball, your feet flat on the floor.
2. Roll the bottom half of your glutes off the ball by walking your feet away from the ball. Your lower back should be positioned at the top centre of the ball.
3. Place your hands loosely behind or on the sides on the sides of your head, but don’t use your them to pull yourself up. Doing so can cause neck injuries.
4. Curl your upper body forward rolling your shoulders forward and down towards your hips.
5. Continue curling forward as far as comfortable. Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.
6. Return to the starting position and pause, then repeat.

For added resistance,you can hold a weight plate to your chest.

1. Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Alternatively, you can place your feet up on a bench a few inches apart with your toes turned inwards and touching.
2. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head.
3. Keep your elbows in  so that they are parallel to your body.
4. Push your back down flat into the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles.
5. Gently curl your shoulders forward and up off the floor.
6. Continue to push down into the floor with your lower back.
7. Raise your shoulders about four to six inches only.
8. Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.
9. Return to the start position in a smooth movement.

1. Lie on your back. Bring your knees up to a 90-degree angle. Shins should be parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head and bring your shoulders off the ground.
2. Exhale and contract your abdominals. Bring your head towards your knees while moving your knees toward your chest.
3. Pause and return to the starting position.