subject: The Single Best Ab Workout Exercise [print this page] The Single Best Ab Workout Exercise The Single Best Ab Workout Exercise
Let's be honest: odds are that if you're reading this article you probably don't have the most chiseled six pack out there. We can also assume that you are reasonably serious about remedying that situation, and would like to do something about it. That might involve exercise, diet, and discipline, but what you really want to know is what you can do that will really blast your core. What is the single best ab workout exercise out there? If you had to pick only one move, what would you select? In this article we'll tell you what that exercise is, and show you how to modify it for even better results.
Alright, no more waiting: the best single ab workout exercise for building core strength and acquiring the best all-round ab definition is the plank. This is a deceptively simple position that requires you to hold your body in a rigid line as you rest your weight on your tip toes and forearms. In effect you are to assume a push-up position and then lower down so that your forearms are on the ground, hands flat on the ground beneath your face.
Why is this the best ab move? Surprisingly, it pulls into play almost every core muscle you have to help you maintain your position. You need to use both your back and front core muscles to remain still, using your abdominal front muscles and obliques as you seek to not allow your hips to either rise toward the sky or sink toward the ground. Holding this position is surprisingly difficult. On your first go, don't be surprised if you can only hold it for about twenty seconds. Your goal should be to hold it for a minute, taking a ten second break between three reps of this exercise.
A fantastic variation is the side pank, where you extend one arm toward the sky and stack on foot ontop of the other, facing out to the side with all your weight resting on one arm. This move is fantastic because it is tougher to hold, and will also blast your obliques.
