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Done properly, the air bicycle abdominal exercise is a very effective movement because you are engaging your upper and lower abdominal areas at the same, while simultaneously exercising your hip flexors.

Although there is really no such thing as the “upper” and “lower” abdominal area, there are certain exercises where you will feel the burn in one area more than the other, which is what makes the air bicycle movement so effective. By keeping your shoulders elevated, you are tightening up the part of  your abs that are closest to your chest while at the same time moving your legs which targets the hip flexors and the lower abdominal area.

The keys to this movement are:

• Don’t stop until you feel the burn, and even then try to go for more reps
• Support your head with your hands, but do not pull on your head
• Bring your knees up as far as you can on each repetition
• Focus on every repetition rather than just getting into a “groove” of back and forth movements

Air Bicycle Abdominal Exercise

For an incredibly effective abdominal training routine, be sure to check out the Ab Ripper X portion of the P90X Extreme Home Training Program.

This is another one of those exercises that looks a lot easier than it really is! However, when done correctly, it is a great core training exercise, and you will build up the stability of your shoulder joints as well.

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Forward Ball Roll

The basic idea behind this exercise is to control your decent as you push the exercise ball forward, and then also control pushing yourself back up into the starting position. Your natural inclination will be to bend over at the waist in order to accomplish the movement, but doing so will almost completely retard the effectiveness of this exercise.

During the entire exercise, your body should be in a straight line from your knees all the way up to your shoulders. It is in keeping that straight line where the benefit of this exercise becomes clear.

As you move forward and then backward on the ball, you will need to forcefully contract your abdominal muscles as well as the muscles of your lower back in order to keep your body in a straight line. Consistently practicing the proper execution of the forward ball roll will build up the strength of your core musculature, and it will also radically increase your level of neuromuscular coordination, particularly with regard to the muscles in your back and abdominal area.

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If you want to work your abs, build up your level of core stabilization, and get a great shoulder workout all at the same time, then The Pike is the exercise for you!

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The Pike

The graphic shown here does a great job of depicting how The Pike is done. However, I recommend taking the range of motion even further. Work yourself up to the point where you can bring your toes up onto the ball and bring your legs very close to your upper body. When done at the maximum range of motion, it will almost look like you are bent completely in half!

As with all exercise ball exercises, controlling the movement is one of the keys to getting the most out of it. Related Downloads:
Upper Body Exercises
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Abdominal ExercisesYou can't just throw your bodyweight around and expect to get a lot of out this movement. However, by focusing intently on a full and proper range of motion, you will get a great overall body workout, and you will also keep your heart rate up!

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Ask the Experts: Exercise Ball Exercises
Workout Resources: Exercise Ball Exercises

Doing push ups in an elevated position on an exercise ball turns an already effective upper body exercise into a great core training workout as well!

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Elevated Push Ups on Exercise Ball

To get into position for this exercise, bring the exercise ball close to the box, table, chair or other elevated surface, put your knees on the surface, your hands on the exercise ball, and then slowly roll yourself out until your toes are bracing your lower body, and your hands are shoulder width apart on the exercise ball.

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Upper Body Exercises
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Bodyweight Exercises
Abdominal ExercisesSlowly lower your upper body down until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the ground, then push yourself back up into the starting position. Do as many repetitions as you can do safely and correctly, and then drop one leg, then the other, down off of the elevated surface to complete the exercise.

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Ask the Experts: Exercise Ball Exercises

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Crunches on an exercise ball are a very effective abdominal exercise, but you need to do them right if you want to get the most out of the movement!

For a complete list of exercise ball workouts, be sure to visit FitnessBallU.com!

Crunches on an Exercise Ball

When doing crunches on the exercise ball, be sure that your lower back is the only thing in contact with the ball! The whole idea here is to increase the range of motion of the crunch movement, and if your shoulders are on the ball, you will not get very much additional benefit over just doing standard floor crunches.

Also, just as with a floor crunch, do not pull on your head as you come up. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your upper body off of the ball, and then hold yourself in that elevated position for 1 or 2 full seconds. When you return back to the starting position, do not rest on the ball! Immediately come back up for the next repetition, then continue that pattern for 15 to 30 focused and intense repetitions.

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