One of the first posts I ever submitted on the site covered that of abdominal training. It showed 15 exercises that would target your entire mid-section and help towards a flatter stomach (http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/340). In this post I will look at another 7 abdominal exercises that you can try instead of more conventional exercises such as crunches and sit ups.

Sprinters sit up: Start lying on your back with legs straight and the hands resting by the side of your head. As you sit up bring one knee towards you and bring the opposite elbow across your body towards you. Repeat to the opposite side.

V-ups single leg: Start lying on your back with legs straight and hands outstretched. Crunch up and lift one leg while keeping it straight and reach your hands towards the foot. Repeat lifting the opposite leg.

V-ups double leg: Same as above but lift both legs off the ground as you crunch up.

Crunch with leg switch: Start on your back with legs in the air in an alternating scissor position. Crunch up while keeping your legs still. When you return back to the ground switch your legs over and repeat.

Scissors with crunch hold: Keep your shoulder blades off the ground so you’re in the top position of a crunch. From here scissor your legs taking them as low to the floor as your can.

V-sits with ankle taps: Start in a v-sit position, extend your legs out while lying back and reaching your hands up. As you sit back up reach over your knees and touch your ankles.

Pommel horse:  Begin on one side resting on your hip with both feet held off the ground. Use your hands for balance, move your feet completely around to the opposite side without your feet touching the floor. Return to the original position and repeat.

TIPS:

: Aim to train your abdominals 2-3 x per week with at least one days rest in between sessions.

: Pick 2-3 exercises per session and aim to complete 3 sets of 12-20 reps of each one.

: Use a mixture of exercises rather than always doing the same ones, this will stop your body from adapting quickly and hitting a plateau.

: To achieve a flat stomach and the much sought after six-pack requires very low body fat. Alongside your abdominal exercises make sure to include aerobic training and an effective resistance programme that uses large compound exercises to target the whole body. As well as this, make sure you follow a healthy well balanced diet. All members of this site can contact me for help and advice on both an eating plan and training programme to help you achieve your goals whatever they may be.