There is an on-going debate going on between trainers, fitness professionals, doctor’s, fitness fanatics, and those who just think they know everything about everything about which ab exercises are the best to build 6-pack abs.  I am not even going to attempt making a statement about what the absolute best exercise is, frankly because their are so many exercises to choose from, why commit to just one??

I will tell you that the two exercises below will be easier on on your back and help build your abdominal muscles better than sit-ups can!  Another controversial topic, but it is a known fact that training with core stabilization exercises are much more effective than just doing plain old sit ups.  Not only do sit-ups put a lot of pressure on your spine, but you are not teaching your body to stabilize itself.  Performing exercises like the one below will not only work all of your core muscles (not just the “6-pack” muscles), but you are working more muscle groups, which means you are burning more calories and teaching your body to stabilize itself in a more “real life” movement.  This is what I call “functional strength” – teaching your muscles to work and stabilize your spine in movements that are similar to movements you perform in everyday life.

Ok enough chatting, let’s get on to the exercises…..

Here are 2 of my fave exercises to perform back to back

Get down on the living room floor during a commercial break and give these a try:

Perform 1 set of 12-20 reps of each exercise with minimal break between and then repeat for 2-3 sets of each exercise.

If you feel any back pain while performing either of these exercises – stop immediately!

SEATED ROPE CLIMB

PLANK CIRCLES

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!!!