Best Ab Exercises

Yesterday's post detailed what I feel are the best "all around" (meaning full body stimulation) exercises (or categories of exercises). So, if I had to pick just 5 exercises to perform for the entire body, and I could only choose 5 for the rest of my life, the exercises I outlined yesterday would be my choices.

However, I thought I'd continue with this "best of series" and break it down by muscle group or "area" of the body. So let's get more specific and start with every one's favorite (or least favorite depending on what they look like), the abs.

Here are my top 5 movements to target the abs (the video playlist demonstrating each movement follows):

1. The Pillar Bridge (and it's progressions)

2. The Side Pillar Bridge (and it's progressions)

3. The Palloff Press

4. The Ab Wheel or Barbell Rollout

5. 3/9 Pivots

VIEW VIDEO PLAYLIST OF THE BEST AB EXERCISES

So, where are the crunches, sit-ups, side bends, twists, etc.?? They didn't make the cut. Yes, a number of those movements will make your abs "burn", but they also leave you open for lower back disc injury, and, in my opinion, do not build functional strength in the abs and other core musculature. The primary function of the abs (and other core muscles) are to stabilize the spine and RESIST...NOT PROMOTE...MOVEMENT. Performing dynamic flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation will build mobility and flexibility in the lumbar spine, and, despite what many physical therapists and chiropractors will tell you, YOU DON'T WANT MORE MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR LUMBAR SPINE! Stability? Yes. The ability to resist rotation? Yes. But NOT more mobility and flexibility.