Stronger abs

Abdominals are made to be strong, but you can’t start with the toughest abs exercise and expect to ace it right away. Like any type of exercise, there is a progression needed, from the easiest to the toughest versions.

Take the regular floor crunches as an example.

Level 1 Arms lying on your sides

Level 2 Arms crossed on your chest

Level 3 Arms behind your head

Level 4 Arms straight over your head

Level 5 Weight on your chest

Level 6 Weight behind the head

Level 7 Holding weight with arms straight over the head

Level 8 low pulley with rope

For each level, there are 3 sub levels. Sub 1: where your feet are anchored under a bench or something holds your feet down with your legs bent at 45°. Sub 2: where your legs are bent at 45° without your feet being held. Sub 3: where your legs are straight and both on the floor.

As you can see, there are so many variations. You can basically do the same with a swiss ball, adding another 24 variations to your arsenal.

Coach Eric

ATP