Caroline’s Favorite Effective Ab Exercises.

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I often get questions about the most effective exercises for the abs. It seems everyone is looking for quality ways to tone their tummy in less time. There are countless exercises that target the abs, including fitness DVDs (Does “Six Pack Solution” sound familiar?) and even pricey machines that infomercials swear can help you. But do you really need a video or specialized piece of equipment to get the most out of your ab training?

NOPE! A study conducted at San Diego State University’s Biomechanics Lab (and published by ACE, the American Council on Exercise) revealed that the best ab exercises  don’t require any quick fixes or fancy gizmos, and are surprisingly easy to fit into your day.

Researchers looked at the effectiveness of 13 common abdominal exercises—everything from crunches to the “Ab Roller”  machine. Using EMG (electromyography), they measured the muscle activity of the participants to determine which exercises best targeted the abs and the obliques, while also limiting the activity of the hips and thighs (because when an abdominal exercise is executed poorly, the hips and thighs engage to “help out” the abs). To view the entire study report from ACE, click here.

Overall, researchers said that all of these exercises are “relatively effective” ways to train the abs—but some are more effective than others. The top ranking moves from their study were body weight based and moves anyone could do at home, the gym, or outside. The big takeaway here is that you really don’t need to buy anything special to train your abs —traditional exercises prove to be better in training your stomach muscles.

That being said, here are some of my all time favorite effective ab exercises that don’t require a gym membership, fancy equipment, or tight spandex.  Who needs a gym when there’s the living room floor? I swear by these moves and if you focus on quality movement you will too! You don’t need a lot of time or a lot of gear just press play wherever you are and get to it. Just remember that the secret to results comes from combining core training with a clean diet, total body strength training, and a fat-burning cardio regime (like high intensity cardio). You can read all my six pack secrets here. I hope you enjoy the video below – take me home with you or when your travel, we can workout together anywhere and keep your stomach muscles feeling powerful!

SUBSCRIBE to my youtube channel for more no-equipment needed moves you can do anywhere! And as always if you like this video and please always feel free to share with your friends 🙂 What are your favorite body weight moves for a strong core? Leave me a comment below, I love hearing from you!

Cheers to your health,

Caroline

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