The Best Abs Crunch Exercise

This has got to be the most popular and asked question, ever. And it's also one without a real answer, since there are dozens of great abs crunch exercises. The best is a matter of continued debate and opinion, with personal trainers, bodybuilders, fitness experts, nutritionists, yoga instructors and hobbyists all arguing over which abs crunch exercise is the best.

Luckily, they do generally agree on a few things, which is that the best abs crunch exercise is actually a combination of several exercises rolled into one. This killer abs crunch exercise will work out your upper and lower abs (at least, it will work your rectus abdominis from several angles to ensure maximum fiber stimulation along the entire vertical length of the muscle, since isolation is impossible within a single muscle), it will attack your obliques, and promote size and strength of the entire abdominal section.

So here it is, the best abs crunch exercise. Be warned though, it's not for the faint of heart. If you want all in one, you have to be prepared to put in all your effort.

Lie on your back, and cup your hands behind your head. Lift your head off the ground, but don't use your hands to pull. They're just there for support - your abs should be the muscles doing the work. Next, bring your knees up to your chest. OK, that part was easy. Now comes the hard part.

Straighten out your right leg, keeping your foot 10-12 inches off the floor. Your left leg should stay where it is, bent with your knee up to your chest as far as is comfortable. As you straighten your right leg, lift your shoulder blades off the floor, lean forward and twist your upper torso so you touch your right elbow against your left knee. Feel the abs and obliques working?

To complete one repetition, you basically swap legs. Relax your shoulder blades back onto the floor, then draw your right knee back into your chest and simultaneously extend your left leg. As you do so, lift the shoulder blades off the floor and twist your upper torso the other way, touching your left elbow against your right knee as it reaches your chest. You should be doing a kind of bicycle motion with your legs, and twisting your torso left and right alternately whilst doing mini crunches. Perform 10-15 reps, then rest. After 90-120 seconds, do another set, and then another if you can manage it.

After doing a few sets of the best abs crunch exercise, you should be able to feel the effect all over your abs. The twisting works your obliques, the crunches work your upper abs and the bicycle legs work your lower abs, all at once. So there you have it. The best abs crunch exercise.

David Spencer is a fitness nutcase. He has spent years learning about exercise and just as long working on his own six pack abs Getting your own flat abs is not as hard as everyone makes out, but you do have to do it properly - visit The Truth About Six Pack Abs to find out exactly how David and hundreds of others got theirs, and how you can get yours.