Do you want sculpted abs, a flat and well-defined stomach? Here are the most effective exercises to achieve this. In any case, this is the credo of Max Posternak, founder of Gravity Transformation, a YouTube channel with more than 5 million subscribers who sought to find out which movements are validated by science.

The Best Ab Exercises According to Science

There are plenty of exercises for your abs, but some are better than others. Favoring the most effective ones, by practicing them consistently, could help you obtain those chocolate bars you are hoping for.

This was established by research conducted by the American Council on Exercise, which studied different movements to determine which were the most effective, by measuring stimulation and muscle activity. Here are the 6 best exercises, classified in increasing order of effectiveness.

6. Crunches with arms extended

This exercise allows you to work the rectus abdominis muscle, which produces the famous chocolate bars. The crunch, of which there are different variations, is an essential exercise for training the abdominals. It is also simple to execute: lying on the ground, knees bent at a 90 degree angle, lift your shoulders while keeping your hips firmly on the ground.

The crunch with arms extended is done, as its name suggests, by keeping your arms straight above you. Max Posternak suggests using weights to increase intensity, based on a study that confirms the effectiveness of weights for stimulating the abs.

5. The ab rollout

This exercise is performed as its name suggests with an “ab roller”, or abdominal wheel, and it is certainly the exercise which uses the most of the abdominal belt as a whole. Not only does it require the stability of the abs but it requires significant force which engages the shoulders and backs.

You have to get on your knees in a table position and then move the wheel forward. This exercise allows you to work on the stabilizing role of the abdominal muscles, which is its primary function. In the full variation of the exercise, you place yourself in a plank position and let the wheel move forward, with your body parallel to the ground, until the accessory is beyond your head. So, it is rare to see a person succeed in this exercise on the first try.

4. Crunch with vertical legs

Here is our trainer Max Posternak's favorite abs exercise. He even recommends switching to variations with weights to increase the intensity. Lie on your back on a gym mat, or another comfortable surface. Raise your legs to the sky, bending your knees slightly.

We contract the abdominals and gently lift the trunk, detaching the shoulders from the ground. Keep your legs still, pointed towards the ceiling. We keep the position for a few moments, shoulders still off the ground. The body is slowly unrolled to bring it back to the ground. We repeat this movement in sets of ten until we reach the goal of four sets of 30 repetitions.

3. Crunch on a ball

Max Posternak is full of praise for the gymnastics ball or Swiss ball. Exercises that use them engage the stabilizing muscles and provide a wider range of motion. To strengthen the abdomen and flatten the stomach, you can use the ball as a support for the legs to perform crunches.

Lying on a sports mat, position the calves on the fitball, thus forming a right angle with the thighs. Be careful, however, not to lift the lumbar area. The movement is carried out with the abdomen alone, be careful not to force it with the neck or the head, which will be easier if you keep your shoulders wide and look towards the ceiling.

2. The Roman chair

We lift the legs, or just the knees. This is simply one of the best exercises for chocolate bars . Max Posternak advises mastering the movement before adding weights.

1. Bicycle abs

The bicycle exercise works all parts of your core, but you still need to perform the movement correctly. Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees and raised, your hands behind your neck, your elbows out, and your forearms straight. Keep your arms in this position throughout, it's important.

As you perform your crunch, touch the opposite elbow and knee. Be careful, the bust must not rise too much. Rather than faithfully replicating the pedaling movement, raise your knees more.

Exercises not recommended

Abs are essential for posture, posture and many other things. But, exercises alone cannot be enough to get rid of your brioche, you will also need to follow a balanced diet. Among ab exercises, some are more effective than others, and less harmful to your body. Here are the exercises not recommended:

The classic sit-up: Where starting from the lying position we raise the bust towards the knees, puts too much pressure on the lumbar and cervical vertebrae, which can lead to back or neck pain.

The crunch on the ground: Where we slightly lift the chest. An exercise that is not very effective because the range of movement is limited and does not sufficiently stimulate the abdominal muscles.

Leg lift lying on a bench: This exercise mainly works the hip muscles, not the abdominals. In addition, it can create tension in the back if you do not pay attention to the curvature of the spine.

To better understand the challenges of each of these exercises validated by science, discover Max Posternak's video below.

[Via GQ France]