Strengthening your ab and surrounding muscles should be the goal of your core workout regime. Here are a few smarter ab exercises for gaining better results.
Reverse Hike
Start this exercise lying flat on the floor. Curl your lower back off the floor and hike the legs over your head. Keep stretching your legs backward until they reach the floor behind your head with your toes touching. Slowly uncurl your body back to the starting position taking 60 seconds. You have to do it in one steady and slow movement while keeping the legs straight.
Dead Bug
To do it, lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your feet raised at 90 degrees off the floor. Raise your arms above your head. Extend your right leg by pressing the lower back into the floor. The leg should be straight will the foot hovers just above the floor. Simultaneously, take your left arm behind your head and stretch straight back until it nearly touches the floor. Exhale deep and bring your body to the starting position. Switch sides and repeat to complete one rep.
Ball and Chain Plank Walk
Attach a kettlebell to a short rope. Now make it like a necklace by hanging the rope around the neck. Start in a plank position. The kettlebell should rest on the floor. Then lift the right hand and move it forward. Do the same with the left one. Repeat with the right and left legs. Keep walking forward in the plank position for 60 seconds, while dragging the weight with you. Take a rest for 15 seconds and walk back similarly.
Kettlebell Figure 8
This exercise makes the pecs, obliques, and traps work to reduce fat deposition on the ab. Stand with a shoulder-width apart stance with knees slightly bent. Take a medium-weight kettlebell and hold it in front of you. Now swing the kettlebell in the shape of figure eight by passing it through two legs. All the while, engage your core muscles and keep the arms straight. Make ten figure eight and then go for another ten by reversing the direction.
Sprinter’s Crunch
First, lie on your back on the floor. Keep the legs straight and arms by your sides. Use the ab muscles and roll up like doing a sit-up. But, as you go, bend and raise your right knee and left elbow to your chest tightly like a fast sprinter pose. Release and repeat on the opposite side to complete one rep. Do a total of 20 reps.