If you want to build strong abs, it is best if you add some abdominal exercise equipment to your workout routine. Your abdominal muscles are primarily made up of your upper and lower rectus abdominis and upper and lower obliques, which are at the sides of your abs. There are different pieces of gym equipment that best suit each muscle group in your abs. Learning how to use the gym equipment for your abs is just as important as selecting the right one.
Captain’s Chair Vertical Leg-Hip Raise
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Use the captain’s chair, which is also known as the power tower. It is a piece of exercise equipment that allows you to perform vertical leg-hip raises, which develop your rectus abdominis and obliques. Place your forearms on the padded bars and grip the handles.
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Flex your hips and knees simultaneoulsy to raise your legs upward. Continue to raise your hips off the vertical pad on your backside by engaging your waist until your knees are almost parallel to your shoulders.
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Return your knees, waist and hips to the starting position and repeat. Place a dumbbell or medicine ball between your ankles to increase the intensity, if desired. Aim for six to twelve repetitions in three to five sets.
Medicine Ball Tap
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Do the medicine ball tap. There are several abdominal workouts that can be performed with the medicine ball. Its diversity makes it one of the best pieces of gym equipment for your abdominal muscles. The medicine ball tap targets your oblique muscles. Stand about two inches from a wall and hold the medicine ball with both hands. Extend your arms forward and hold the ball up at an upper-chest height.
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Rotate your torso from the waist until the medicine ball taps the wall. Avoid bending your knees or twisting your hips.
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Turn your torso back to the starting position and repeat the same movement on the other side. Perform ten to fifteen repetitions in two or three sets.
Ab Roller Wheel Rollout
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Kneel on an exercise mat with your knees slightly apart and grab both sides of the ab roller with an overhanded grip. ExRx.net suggests that the wheel rollout exercise gives you an abdominal workout and also engages your chest, shoulders, back and hip flexors.
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Position the wheel in a few inches from the center in between your knees. Keep your arms fully extended and lower your body toward the mat as you roll the wheel away from your body. Continue until your body is almost fully extended.
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Engage your abdominal muscles and hip flexors to raise your body back up to the starting position. Return until your hips are extended and your upper body is leaning slightly forward and repeat.
Tip
Warm up for five minutes before your workout. Cycle or walk briskly on a treadmill to get your heart pumping. A warm-up routine will help you prevent musculoskeletal injuries during your workout.