Looking for new exercises for your abdominal muscles? Why not try roll-outs and knee-ups for your abs? A study by sports scientists at California State University in Sacramento shows that these train your abs more intensively than classic exercises like sit-ups and crunches.
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Ab-wheel wins
The researchers attached electrodes to the muscles of 21 subjects, got them to do a dozen traditional and less traditional abdominal muscle exercises, and then measured which exercise stimulated the stomach muscles the most. We don’t want to keep you in suspense: the most effective exercise was the roll-out [see below]. The subjects performed this exercise with a Power Wheel or Ab Wheel [see right], but of course you could also do it with a barbell.
In second place came the knee-up, which is shown above.
Rectus abdominis and obliques
The roll-out was the best exercise for the rectus abdominis muscles and the knee-up was best for the obliques.
The graph below shows that the traditional exercises such as crunches and sit ups fade in comparison with roll-outs and knee-ups.
The graph below is not complete. For more information we refer you to the original study, which is available in its entirety on the web. [ptjournal.apta.org]
Source:
Phys Ther. 2006 May;86(5):656-71.
