Ab exercises for strength?

[DarkXacreD]

Y'know how you can use high resistance and low reps to increase strength?

Well I want to know some exercises like that I can do to increase the strength of my abs.

Preferably bodyweight exercises. Kinda like one armed pushups to increase pushup strength, but for the abdomen instead.

[chicanerous]

At bodyweight, you have to use harder variations. Look at the exercises gymnasts would use in general for conditioning for their strength events and moves.

[Pale Nimbus]

Do you know how you can elevate your feet to make pushups harder? That same principle of making the movement more mechanically disadvantegous for your chest and arms can be applied to all exercises, including abdominal exercises. For example, you can make the movement of the sit-up more mechanically disadvantegous by trying them declined.

In my experience with trying to find bodyweight-only exercises for abs, the exercises that I currently find challenging are decline crunches (with an extreme decline, almost to the point of being upside down, but not quite there yet), and hanging leg raises with legs locked straight (I make an honest effort to raise them as high as possible). I also like to assume a headstand/handstand and lower my legs to the ground slowly while keeping them locked straight, but my arms aren't yet strong enough to do enough reps to effectively train my abs.

Just try to be creative and find out what you can do to decrease the leverage of your favorite abdominal exercises.

[Solfire]

Do you know how you can elevate your feet to make pushups harder? That same principle of making the movement more mechanically disadvantegous for your chest and arms can be applied to all exercises, including abdominal exercises. For example, you can make the movement of the sit-up more mechanically disadvantegous by trying them declined.


I'll tell you, doing these in a gym with a medicine ball, REALLY ripped my abs within the first 2 days. I mean, body weight is great, but maybe carry some books, or a backpack on you for added resistance.

[flipster]

http://www.beastskills.com/AbWheel.htm

[compleks]

Dragon flags
Hanging leg lifts
Janda situps

[Steve]

Back handsprings

[rock_ten]

http://www.beastskills.com/AbWheel.htm

yes, definately.

ab wheel shit is the shit

you can get them for a few £/$ or just use something else like an adjustable dumbell (or barbell) without the collars on.