Ab Crunch on a Balance Cushion / Exercise Disc /Wobble Cushion

Equipment Setup

Lie down with the exercise disc under your lower back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Place fingertips, unclasped, behind head, elbows wide.

Action

Contract your abs, bringing your ribs towards your hips and spine to a neutral position. Raise your head, neck and shoulders off the floor as one unit, while continuing to contract abs throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly lower to start. Repeat.

Variation

Point one arm towards the opposite knee, contract your abs and raise your head, neck and shoulders off the floor as one unit. Slowly lower to start. Repeat.

Perform the same exercise again with the other arm.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your stomach tight
• Ensure your shoulder blades come off the floor
• Breathe out on the contraction and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout
• Avoid pulling or holding your head with your hands
• Avoid bringing your chin to your chest
• Avoid arching your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Obliques, Transverse Abdominals

Twist Crunch with Medicine Ball

Equipment Setup

Sit down on the floor, knees bent and with the medicine ball in front. Lift legs – for added difficulty.

Action

Tap the ball on the floor on the left and then on the right while maintaining your balance and keeping your body in the same place. Repeat.

At the end of your reps, hold the ball straight up for an added burn.

Exercise Tips

• Use slow, controlled movement throughout
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain your balance throughout
• Avoid moving your body or legs to help with the movement

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Obliques
Secondary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals), Transverse Abdominals

Leg Raised Ab Crunch

Equipment Setup

Lie down, legs up in the air so they are vertical with your feet together. Hold your legs there throughout the exercise. Point your arms in the air towards your toes.

Action

Raise your head and shoulders off the floor by contracting your stomach muscles. Once your shoulder blades are off the ground then slowly lower back down again.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your legs vertical and stomach tight
• Ensure your shoulder blades come off the floor
• Use slow, controlled movement throughout
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout
• Avoid pulling or holding your head with your hands
• Avoid bringing your chin to your chest
• Avoid arching your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Transverse Abdominals, Obliques

Leg Curl on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Lie down on your back, with your heels resting on the ball. Place your hands out to the side with your hands facing up. Lift your hips off the floor so your body is straight. Only your shoulders and head should be on the floor.

Action

Pull your heels towards your bum as far as you can. Slowly push out into the starting position. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Use a slow, controlled movement throughout
• Keep your body straight and hips as high as possible throughout
• Use your hands for stability but not to push or help with the movement
• Breathe out on the way in and in on the way out. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout.

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Gluteus Maximus

Dorsal Raise (aka Back Extension) on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Beside a wall, lie down on the ball. Anchor your feet by pressing firmly against the wall. Position your stomach on the ball with your head facing the floor and fingertips on your head.

Action

Raise your shoulders and chest off the ball as high as possible using your lower back muscles. Slowly lower to starting position. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Look at the floor throughout exercise
• Use a slow, controlled movement throughout
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Keep your head inline with your body

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Erector Spinae
Secondary Muscle:

Modified Push-Up on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Place your legs on the ball. Walk your hands out into a press-up position with the ball directly under the middle of your thigh. Hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, directly under your shoulders and body straight.

Action

Lower your body by bending your arms. At the lowest point, your arms at your elbow joint should reach 90 degrees. Push up until your arms are straight without locking your elbows. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Stop when your elbows reach 90 degrees
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Keep your body straight
• Keep your hips inline with your body. Avoid raising your hips higher than your shoulders or letting them sag down.

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Pectoralis Major (Pecs)
Secondary Muscle: Triceps Brachii

Reverse Ab Crunch on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Place your feet on the ball. Walk your hands out into a press-up position with the top of your feet on the ball.

Action

Pull your knees into your chest. Push back to the starting position. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your tummy tight
• Breathe out on the way in and in on the way out. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout with head steady and facing the floor
• Use a slow, controlled movement throughout

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Obliques, Transverse Abdominals

Equipment Setup

Position the machine’s bottom leg pad in front of shins (above ankles) and adjust back pad to sit with hips and knees bent 90 degrees. Sit with hands resting on supports and knees pressed firmly against the edge of the seat pad.

Action

Slowly straighten legs while keeping your tummy tight. Stop the extension just before they become straight and the knees lock. Lower legs to starting position but before the weight stack touches. Repeat.

Variation

Single leg-extension: Instead of using both legs to lift, perform this exercise with only one leg at a time. Switch legs and repeat to complete the set.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your tummy tight
• Use slow, controlled movement throughout
• Ensure your back is against the backrest
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout. Avoid arching your back or leaning
• Avoid swinging your legs

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Quadriceps
Secondary Muscle:

Ab Crunch Action

Lie down on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place fingertips, unclasped, behind head, elbows wide.
Contract your abs, bringing your ribs towards your hips and spine to a neutral position. Raise your head, neck and shoulders off the floor as one unit, while continuing to contract abs throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly lower to start. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your stomach tight
• Ensure your shoulder blades come off the floor
• Breathe out on the contraction and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout
• Avoid pulling or holding your head with your hands
• Avoid bringing your chin to your chest
• Avoid arching your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Obliques, Transverse Abdominals

Equipment Setup

Use a barbell rack at just below shoulder level. Get the barbell on your shoulders by doing a small squat. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip distance apart and rest the bar comfortably on your shoulders. Your feet should be slightly infront of the bar so that it feels like your weight is going through your heels. Take the weight onto your shoulders and step away from the rack.

Action

Slowly lower your body as if to sit in a chair with your hips going backward and not just down. Keep your weight over the heels of your foot. At the lowest point, your knees should form a 90 degree angle. Once complete, start to stand up, squeezing your glutes tight and pushing your hips forward as you rise. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Use a rack
• Sit back like you would into a chair
• Keep your feet parallel and facing forwards; not pointing outwards
• Put your weight through your heels; not toes
• Squat down to a 90 degrees angle with your knees before you stand up
• Concentrate on sticking your hips out behind you
• Move slowly and keep your back straight
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Avoid going less than 90 degrees
• Avoid letting your knees go over the vertical line of your toes
• Avoid slouching or rounding your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Quadriceps (Quads)
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus

Equipment Setup

Attach a long bar to the lat pull-down machine. Sit down with good posture with your knees bent under the knee pads and feet flat on the floor.

Hold the bar wider than shoulder width apart. Lean back from hips so bar is inline with collarbone with arms extended.

Lat Pulldown Action

Move shoulder blades down, and then bend elbows in toward waist to lower bar towards collarbone. Straighten arms by following the same path as on the way down. Stop when your arms are as straight as possible but before the weight stack touches. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your tummy tight
• Keep your back straight
• Lean back slightly keeping the bar in front of your body
• Breathe out on the way down and in on the way up. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout exercise
• Avoid letting your back arch or curve
• Avoid bring the weight down behind your head
• Avoid using your body to help the movement

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)
Secondary Muscle: Biceps Brachii, Rhomboids