From Jelly Belly to Washboard Abs

The American Council on Exercise Rates the Most Effective Abdominal Exercises

Now that summer is here, it’s time to get your body in beach-ready shape. To help you get the washboard abs that will leave you the envy of everyone on the boardwalk, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently commissioned a study to research the effectiveness of 13 common ab exercises. You may be surprised to find that you don’t need the latest ab gadget advertised on television or in magazines to get the most effective workout; most of the exercises studied by ACE require little or no equipment.

For the study, researchers at San Diego State University recruited 30 healthy men and women ages 20-45, ranging from occasional to daily exercisers. Using electromyography (EMG) to measure participants’ muscle activity during each of the exercises, the researchers were able to determine which exercises most effectively targeted the abdominal muscles and obliques. They also measured the extent of hip and thigh engagement for each ab exercise– a high level of hip and/or thigh engagement may be the result of poor execution or may require use of muscles other than the abs and obliques, both of which can result in a less than effective ab workout.

The exercises studied by the researchers at San Diego State are ranked below, from most effective to “least” effective. It’s important to note, however, that the researchers reported each of the exercises listed is “relatively effective,” and you may find that some exercises work better for you than others. Lead researcher Peter Francis, Ph.D, suggests choosing several of the top-rated exercises and creating a 5-minute routine to perform daily.

Ranking of Exercises for the Rectus Abdominus:

1. Bicycle Crunches
2. The Captain’s Chair
3. Crunches on an Exercise Ball
4. Vertical Leg Crunches
5. Torso Track Machine
6. Crunches with Arms Extended
7. Reverse Crunches
8. Crunches with Heel Push
9. Ab Roller
10. Plank
11. Traditional Crunches
12. Exercise Tubing Pull
13. Ab Rocker

Ranking of Exercises for the Obliques:

1. The Captain’s Chair
2. Bicycle Crunches
3. Reverse Crunches
4. Plank
5. Vertical Leg Crunches
6. Crunches on an Exercise Ball
7. Torso Track Machine
8. Crunches with Heel Push
9. Crunches with Arms Extended
10. Ab Roller
11. Traditional Crunches
12. Exercise Tubing Pull
13. Ab Rocker