Traditional sit-ups aren’t an effective exercise to train your abs and worse yet, can get you injured. Here’s a better exercise that’s also one of the most effective ab exercises you’ll find. You’ll definitely feel this in the lower part of the abs the next day. The key to this move is to not swing the legs in order to raise the hips. You only need to lift your hips a few inches off the floor to make it effective.
Targeted Muscles: rectus abdominis.
Step 1:
Lie face-up, bend knees and align them over hips, calves parallel to the ground, arms at sides, abs pulled in.
Step 2:
Use abs to lift hips a few inches off ground, curling tailbone upward in 2 counts. Lower in 2 counts and repeat.
Reps: 12 2-count followed by 8 single-count.
Trainer’s Tip: Lift hips, don’t thrust them up. This is a small controlled motion, led by the abs, not leg momentum.