Strong abdominals are sought after by practically anyone who is involved in fitness. Many people want to obtain strong abs because flat, ripped abs look good. Others need to develop the abdominals in order to perform well in their chosen sport because abs are a vital core strength element.

The abdominal area is one of the toughest to keep fit and yet also one of the most important. Ab muscles work to stabilize your trunk, provide protection to your vulnerable midsection and assist with good posture.

Although you can develop strong abdominals at the gym, utilizing resistance bands offer a couple of good advantages. First of all, fitness bands are portable so you can work out at home, the office, or even on a business trip or vacation. If you accomplish your ab exercise program at home, you can free up more time at the gym for building muscle mass.

Exercise bands are also quite versatile, allowing you to easily change positions and angles in order to work the abs from various directions. By approaching abdominal exercises from various positions, the affects are enhanced and you obtain results faster.

Grab your resistance bands and try out the following abdominal exercises.

Kneeling Crunch

Attach the middle of a resistance band to an anchor that is at least head high or higher when in a kneeling position. The higher the band is attached, the more resistance you’ll create. Facing away from the anchor and kneeling on a mat, take a handle in each hand and hold them against your forehead.

From this position, begin doing crunches by bending forwards as far as you can. Keep your elbows tucked into your body and exhale as you contract, inhale as you release. You should try to do between 50 and 100 reps.

Seated Crunch

The seated crunch is another good resistance band crunch exercise which eliminates neck strain.

Sit in a sturdy chair and loop a fitness band around the back of the chair as high as you can. Sit up straight with your feet on the floor and legs slightly spread apart. Complete a crunch by bending forwards until you reach an approximate 45° angle, contracting your ab muscles as you do. Return and repeat. You can create more resistance by grasping the resistance band closer to the anchor point.

One Leg Band Rotation

This ab exercise is good for strengthening the oblique (side) muscles.

Anchor one end of a fitness tube at about waist level to a secure location. While holding the handle at the other end of the band, walk away until there is tension. Stand with one shoulder facing the anchor point, holding the band handle with both hands and arms straight out in front of you.

Lift foot of the leg farthest from the anchor point off the floor and balance on the other leg that’s closest to the anchor point. Rotate your upper body away from the anchor point as far as you can. Hold for a moment and then slowly rotate back to the starting position. Complete 10-20 reps and turn around and repeat from the other side.