Men who are hoping to get some well-defined abdominal muscles may want to try these exercises.
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The bicycle maneuver
Lie on your back and lace your fingers behind your head. Bring one knee toward your chest as you press your lower back into the floor. Twist your body so the opposite elbow touches the knee you raised, all while extending the other left out straight and off the floor. Reverse the motion, bringing the other elbow up to touch the opposite knee. Repeat this 20 times, resting between three sets of 20.
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Sit-ups on an exercise ball
Sit on an exercise ball with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Slide down on the ball until your lower back is against the ball. With your feet on the floor, place your hands behind your head and engage your abdominal muscles to perform a sit-up. Lower to the starting position and repeat 20 times, resting between three sets of 20.
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The captain’s chair
This is normally done on a knee-raise station at a gym. Place your back against the support, rest your forearms on the armrests and grab the handles. Bend your knees toward your chest and hold for a couple seconds. Lower your legs and repeat 15 times. Do this for a total of three sets. You can also try to do this with straight legs instead of bent knees, only lifting until your legs are parallel with the ground.
Understanding the abdominal muscle groups
Your abdominals are made up of four major muscle groups:
- internal obliques: lower, outer stomach
Purpose: support twisting
- external obliques: sides of upper stomach
Purpose: support the torso to twist to either side
- rectus abdominis: two bands of muscle that run down from around the sternum
Purpose: for breathing and posture
- transverse abdominis: deep muscles running side to side
Purpose: for stability and strength
