A new study has discovered the best moves for working the abdominals.
Which exercises give you the strongest abs? In a test of 30 volunteers at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama, the most effective moves for targeting deep abdominal muscles were side planks and two Pilates exercises—the double-leg stretch (lying down and hugging the knees to the chest, then forming a V with the body by extending the arms and legs) and the Pilates 100 (lying on the back with legs raised in "tabletop," curling the torso forward, and pumping outstretched arms in small up-and-down motions while inhaling for five short breaths and exhaling the same way for ten rounds). Yoga's boat pose and a facedown plank on an exercise ball worked all the muscles important for toning the abdominals, including the obliques.
Least effective were standing abdominal exercises, such as standing crunches and side bends. To get a flat stomach, you also need to burn calories by doing cardio, says study author Michele Olson, a professor of exercise physiology.
