Q & A Monday: Work those abs!

This weeks question come from Crabby McSlacker over at Cranky Fitness:

If you wanted to pick a combination of just TWO (or OK, maybe 3) ab exercises to
get the most challenging, comprehensive ab workout you could, which 2 (or 3)
would you choose? I have a favorite combo but I've been doing them for ages and
need to mix it up

For abdominal work, I enjoy performing combination moves. The core is engaged during the majority of the activities we perform in daily life as well as in the gym, therefore, I tend not to focus on them in an isolated manner.

Try these moves as part of a circuit or on their own:

Accordion Crunch:
Focus: shoulder stabilization and core strength.

1. Place your hands on a bench and feet up on a stability ball.
2. Be sure to concentrate on rolling your sits bones down towards your heels to help activate your deep stabilizing muscles to protect your low back.
3. Inhale in place, exhale and bring your knees into your chest.
4. Maintain the soft curves in your back by picturing your sits bones floating above you as you pull you knees in (i.e. your back should stay still, only your legs should be moving)
5. Repeat for 8-10 repetitions.

Leg Drop II (progression of Leg Drop)
Focus: diagonal muscle activation, core strength and spinal mobility.

1. Lay on your back with your arms out to your side and knees bent 90 degrees at the knees and hips.
2. Mind your low back position (think of holding a grape under your low back without squashing or allowing it to roll away).
3. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you slowly lower your legs down to one side, head turns to the opposite side simultaneously.
4. Inhale in place, exhale to draw your legs back towards the center by starting the movement from your core.
5. Repeat for 8-10 repetitions to each side.

Squat with diagonal chop
Focus: diagonal muscle activation, core strength, spinal mobility and leg strength.

1. Begin standing with feet shoulder width apart. Hold 5-10 pound medicine ball in both hands.
2. Inhale to prepare, exhale and squat down through your heels, lowering the ball to the Left side of your body.
3. Push through your heels and twist as you extend the ball over your right shoulder.
4. Repeat for 10 repetitions on each side.

So what is your ab routine consist of? Do you focus solely on abs or integrate them into the rest of your work-out? What are your fitness goals right now??

Do you have a rehab or fitness question you would like answered here? Email me: 101exercises at gmail dot com!!