Ab Ripper X is one of the best abdominal workouts around. It builds core strength by using the movements of your hips and chest. The simple exercises are painful, but produce rewarding results. Ab Ripper X should be done at least every other day.
Number of Reps Per Exercise: 25
Duration of Workout: Approximately 16 minutes.
- In-and-Outs: Sit down on the mat with your legs straight out in front of you, then lift them off the ground with your knees bent. While keeping your back as upright as possible and your arms up in the air, pull your legs into your chest and straighten them back out. This is one rep. You can make this exercise easier by putting your hands on the ground beside or behind you.
- Bicycles: While in the same starting position as in-and-outs, start to move your legs in a circle like you are riding a bike. Do this for 25 seconds, stop, and reverse the circle. Can also be done with hands at the side or in the air.
- Crunchy Frog: This is exactly the same as in-and-outs with one major difference. When you pull your legs into your chest, wrap your arms around your knees; and when you straighten them stretch your arms straight out to your sides (in the air).
- Cross-Leg or Wide-Leg Sit-Ups: There are two ways to do this one. The easier way is to sit with your legs spread out wide. Lie down and put your right arm behind your head, and then sit up with your left arm pointing straight in the air. Once you are sitting up straight, touch your left arm to the opposite leg. Note that it’s important to go straight up first and then over to touch the opposite leg. That’s one rep; the second rep is the same thing but with the opposite arm. This can also be done with your legs crossed, which is harder.
- Fifer Scissors: Lie down with your legs straight and lift both of them off the ground. Lift your right leg at a ninety-degree angle and hover your left leg right above the ground. Switch the left and right leg positions and repeat, keeping both legs straight and off the ground the whole time.
- Hip Rock-and-Raise: Start in a "butterfly stretch" position with your legs bent and feet together, with you knees pointing away from each other. During the exercise, maintain the same distance between your knees. Rock backwards and raise your hips off the ground. This exercise is all about moving the hips up and down, while using the core to keep the position of your legs intact. Each up-and-down motion counts as one rep.
- Pulse-Ups: The motion is the same as the hip rock-and-raise, only both legs are pointed straight up in the air. Leave them in that position and, while lying down, move the hips up and down.
- V-Up/Roll Up: Lie down with the legs straight. Do a sit-up and touch your toes. As you pull away from your toes roll up your legs; in other words as you sit back down raise your legs to the air. When you are about halfway sitting down (your arms always remain in the air) touch your toes again. Leave your hands in the air and bring your legs back down. Repeat. Each time you touch your toes counts as one rep. Sit up, and then sit up with legs in the air.
- Oblique V-Ups: On your side, with your legs at a forty-five degree angle. Arm at your side, and other arm behind your head. Bring legs towards chest, by getting all your weight on to your hips. 25 each side. Crunches on the side.
- Leg Climbs: One leg is straight up, the other one either half bent or straight in front. Many ways to do this, depends on how your feeling. Can either reach straight up and touch your toes, or you can grab the side of your leg once for support and then touch the toes. Do 14 on each leg. One leg straight in the air and reach up and touch it.
- Mason Twist: Sit up straight with the knees slightly bent. Bring your feet off the floor. Clutch your hands together in a fist. Then quickly touch each side of your body at a relatively fast pace. Touching both sides once counts as one rep. Do as many as you can.
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