5 Medicine Ball Ab Exercises

Even those areas of the country that had the coldest winter ever, are starting to see the sun and feel warmer weather. 

You know what that means -- summer is right around the corner. 

And if you happen to be a living, breathing, upright walking human being -- then images of making an appearance at a pool or beach are probably starting to pop into mind. 

Wait, wait ... don't get all depressed. I know, I know ... that six-pack that you were planning on hasn't quite come together yet. 

Have no fear. I've got some ab exercises to help make that dream a reality. Check out this video of my favorite ab exercises to do with a medicine ball. 

If you start today, and make sure you stick to a clean diet (did I mention, stick to a clean diet?), then you just might be in time to reveal those rock hard abs this summer after all. 

Exercise Demo: Medicine Ball V-up

Here is a challenging move to incorporate into your ab routine, the medicine ball v-up. Just grab any sized ball that you think is challenging (I used a 4 lb ball here).

When performing the exercise, make sure your abdominals stay contracted throughout the entire move. Once you reach the top of the movement (when toes and feet come together), squeeze your core muscles by trying to pull your belly button down toward the floor.

Start off doing 10 reps and then build from there. If you can ultimately get to 3 sets of 20 reps with proper form, you'll be well on your way to having a rock solid core.

Exercise Demo for Upper Body and Core Strength

Try this variation of the standard push-up in your next workout. This move targets the chest muscles, like the standard version, but it is also is great for your core, shoulders and arms. As you rotate from side to side, your abdominal muscles are engaged. Alternating the arms engages the shoulders and triceps in a different way.

Set goals by fitness level:
Beginner: 5-10 reps*
Intermediate: 10-20 reps
Advanced: 20-30 reps

*Rotate to each side to equal one rep.

4 Ab Exercise Mix-ins

It's easy to get into a rut with your ab routine. We end up going on autopilot and doing the same exercises over and over. If your goal is to get 6-pack abs, you have to mix things up. Our bodies adapt to the exercises that we do often, making those exercises less challenging. And when our bodies are no longer challenged, results no longer happen.

Check out these 4 ab exercises. There may be a couple new ones you haven't done before or haven't done in a long time and will be good to mix into your current ab routine. To keep seeing results with your workouts, it's important to keep your body guessing by changing things up.

Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps depending on your fitness level. If you can only do a few to start, that's fine. Be sure to hold your abs in tight during all abdominal exercises.

SLIDING KNEE TUCKS: These are great because they are definitely challenging, hitting the entire core area. You'll want to get a couple old towels and do this move on a tile or wood surface. You can also do this exercise on carpet if you have gliding discs.

SINGLE LEG KNEE TUCKS: Similar to the sliding knee tucks, the single leg version is the modified version, but still very effective, hitting the entire core are.

SINGLE LEG CROSSOVER KNEE TUCKS: The primary muscles targeted in this exercise are the obliques. The secondary muscles targeted are the rectus abdominis.

WALKING PLANKS: This move is a variation on the standard plank. Walking your arms up and down forces you to continually contract your abs in a different way than in the standard holding plank position. This move targets the entire core area.

The Secret to 6-Pack Abs

We all want them, right? C'mon, the thought of having 6-pack abs has at least crossed your mind. Either that, or it has been the single driving force behind dragging yourself to the gym.

Many fitness magazines routinely promote workouts that will give you "sexy abs" or a "washboard stomach" in a matter of days or weeks. The exercises are great, but that's only the half of it. They don't tell you the secret -- you must lose the fat covering your abdomnials before any definition can be seen. And that may take a lot longer than days or weeks.

This is where following a healthy meal plan, doing cardio and working out -- your entire body, not just your abs -- comes in. (And, yes, you can put some focus on your abs.)

If you're killing yourself by doing hundreds of crunches every day, stop. Constantly doing ab work alone, is not going to get you to your goal. If you're only doing a heavy amount of ab work, you are building up your abdominal muscles, but that's it -- the layer of fat on top that is hiding these sculpted muscles is not melting away.

I would like to dispel the most common myth associated with getting well-defined abs: spot reduction. This is the myth that you can reduce fat of a particular body part by doing exercises specifically for that area. Example: doing crunches with the specific goal to lose fat on the belly to have a flat, more defined stomach. Another example: doing leg abductor and adductor exercises -- the machines you sit in where you open and close your legs -- to get rid of the fat on the inner and outer thighs.

To get a sexy stomach with sculpted lines, start losing bodyfat while also developing the muscles. Here are some guidelines:

Reduce Bodyfat Percentage

• Eat clean diet: You have to get in the habit of cutting out processed foods, refined sugars (which basically is most things with sugar in it, with the exception of fruit) and high-sodium foods. Make it a point to eat more raw vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean meat and fish. Once you make the transition to only eating clean, the fat will come off more easily and quickly and then you will start to see definition.  
• Cardio: You need to incorporate cardiovascular fitness into your routine. This is the easiest way to burn  fat. Try to mix in intense cardio sessions like HIIT (high intensity interval training) or spinning with moderate cardio sessions, such as 30 minutes bouts on the treadmill or elliptical. This will prevent your body from adjusting to any particular training, which will make it efficient at burning fat. 
• Total body lifting workout: The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. Get on a total body weight program and put a little more focus on core training. 

It's a good idea to get your bodyfat checked periodically to monitor your progress. You can schedule an assessment at your gym. Below is a bodyfat chart. In my experience, those who fall in the range of athlete or fitness usually have visible ab definition. 

Image from ACE acefitness.org

Perform Effective Ab Exercises

• Doing hundreds of crunches is not the answer. You need to vary your ab workouts.
• Do 3-5 different ab exercises. For each exercise, do 3-4 sets of 20-25 reps. That's enough. 
• Do weighted exercises. i.e. medicine ball ab workouts and machine ab exercises. No need to use a lot of weight, just add enough resistance to make it more difficult. This will build your ab muscles which will make them more visible once you've reduced your bodyfat. 

TrainerTiff: Not Feeling the Crunch

Are you trying to get rid of that spare tire around your mid-section? Have you done more variations of crunches than you'd care to think about and still can't rid of it? Well, you're not alone.

Repeat after me: I can not reduce the amount of fat on my abs by doing thousands of crunches.

One more time: I can not reduce the amount of fat on my abs by doing thousands of crunches.

Spot reduction is the reduction of fat from a specific part of the body. It is also a myth -- a physiological impossibility.

You can't pick and choose where you lose fat.

So, the best way to lose that spare tire is to follow a total body workout routine (which includes ab training) and watch your diet. Sorry, but there's no simple fix -- despite the tons of products out there promising you amazing results by using some device for mere minutes a day.

Cardio and strength training several times per week in combination with a proper diet followed over a specific period of time (say, one month), ought to at least start deflating that spare tire. The longer you stick with a good program, the more results you'll see.

Tiffiany Moore is a certified personal trainer and NANBF figure competitor. Check out her site at www.trainertiff.blogspot.com. Questions or comments? E-mail trainertiff@hotmail.com.

Ab Training: Jack Knives

Are you in need of a new ab exercise?

Oftentimes, we fall into a routine and do the same exercises over and over.

Mostly, it's because we're comfortable with them, we know how to do them and -- let's be honest, here -- the thought of trying new stuff, can be intimidating.

Check out this link for a demo on doing jack knives. This is not a new exercise by any means, but it may be new to you!

Go ahead and give it a try, don't be scared.