In most conversations, the topic seems to evolve around naming the best abs exercise. When pressed further, people are not shy to tell us why in their opinion, a particular movement deserves the title of the best abs exercise. 

More likely they pick the exercise either because it either works for them or that it’s easy to do thousand of reps using it, or just that because it works the abs thoroughly according to scientific research. Those are all perfectly valid reasons.

Funnily enough the bulk of those who makes these remarks tend to be your average joes who works out a lot at the local gym and are not professionals. Only a few were actually qualified personal trainers or professional body builders.

Does that mean anything? Probably not. These guys also knows their stuff after all they live and breath iron week in week out. (I have made a point here to ask more professionals if I get a chance later).

So what is your best abs exercise and how do you choose an exercise to be the best exercise in your view?

For me, it’s very hard to go past the crunches as one of the best eventhough it only affects your upper and middle abs.  Most people like crunches because they are so natural to perform and they affect a lot more abdominal muscles than other exercises.  By varying the way you do them – twisting, ball, elevation or angle, you can get your abs exercised pretty thoroughly with crunches.

One of the best abs exercise that I cannot ignore will have to be the V-sit.  And yes my decision is not made because I can do them well.  It is more because, like the crunches, they affect most of your abs muscles and has been proven to stress the deeper muscles that are harder to reach.  It is a more complete exercise that the crunches.

Another one will have to be the reverse crunches because the way it stresses your lower abdominals.  It is not a complete exercise in my opinion but the way it affects your lower abs mainly gives it right to make the lineup.