{Abdominals}
[External Obliques}
Abdominal Movements
{Holding on to the end of the bench with the back of your ankles rather then the tops, engages the hamstrings and flattens the low back against the bench. This position allows for maximum abdominal contractions because it takes out the hip flexors AKA Iliopsosas and quads that pull the lumbar forward and perform the abdominal movement)
{Oblique side bends are the best way to get full range of motion from the obliques and strengthen the low back muscle quadratus lumborum at the same time}
{I’m not a big fan of exercise balls in gyms, but if you’re going to use them abdominals and stretching should be about all you use them for. Ball Crunches with twisting from side to side help engage the obliques as well as the rectus abdominus}
{Leg kicks are a very common low ab movement, but actually this is incorrect. Leg kicks only engage the fibers of the hip flexors not the abdominal fibers. The abs are actually in a isometric contrition not the desired isotonic contraction.}
{Correct low ab raises. Start position for low ab raises}
{Low ab raises executed from the pelvic with the legs motionless, bent when raised disengages the hip flexors and allows you to achieve maximal, low ab fiber, isotonic contraction}
{Regular floor crunches}
{Regular floor crunches with twisting motion to engage the obliques}