Best Upper Ab Exercises

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A Collection of the Best Exercises for Your Upper Abs

Here at BestExercises.co.uk, we strive to help England return to fitness. This particular set of ab exercises is meant to target your upper abs. Take a look, try them out, and please leave comments below and let us know how we're doing, how we can improve, etc.

Best Upper Ab Exercise 1: Basic Crunch

Lie flat on your back on the floor. Bend your knees to a 90 degree angle and rest your feet flat on the floor several inches away from your buttocks. Overlap your hands and let them rest on your chest.

Lift your head and shoulders off the ground. Continue lifting the chest toward your knees. Be sure your feet do not come off the ground. Be careful not to use your shoulder muscles to pull you forward, but instead, use your stomach muscles. Raise up as far as you can without fully reaching a sitting position. Slowly lower back to the floor without touching your head to the floor. Repeat this action several times.

Best Upper Ab Exercise 2: Exercise Ball Crunches

A big exercise ball is fun and comfortable and it provides a nice diversion to your regular exercise routine. Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor. Cross your hands over your chest. Let the ball roll back slowly as you lie back on the ball. Your thighs and torso will be parallel with the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles to raise your torso to a 45 degree angle over the ball. You will be in an upright position, but not completely sitting up. Return to horizontal position to repeat the full movement several times.

Best Upper Ab Exercise 3: Weighted Curls

Lie flat on your back on the floor. Bend your knees to a 90 degree angle and rest your feet flat on the floor several inches away from your buttocks. Hold a weight plate over your chest. Curl up just enough to lift both your shoulders off the floor several inches. Hold this position for several seconds and return to the starting position.

That's the three best upper ab exercises we were able to find, and we do them ourselves on a regular basis. Let us know what you think, and if there's any upper ab exercises you're particularly fond of, feel free to share them and we'll make sure to add them to this article!

View Comments

Good Article. Thank you!

Submitted by eury on December 4, 2011 - 2:43am.

This is a great little article with 3 solid upper ab exercises. The upper abs are somewhat illusive. When I first started thinking about doing ab exercises, I just thought it was one set of muscles, but you have got to tone your upper abs, lower abs and obliques. It is a lot. Honestly it would be easiest if you just had to do one exercise for all of it, but perhaps that is too much to hope for. I have been kind of scared to buy an exercise ball. Even though I know keeping your balance on it is probably quite easy, I just do not like the idea of it. Also, I do not like the idea of relying on some form of equipment just to keep in shape.

Ab Ripper X

Submitted by malinova (not verified) on December 27, 2010 - 10:56am.

These are great ab exercises, and pretty much the only ones I was doing until I ran into P90 X's "Ab Ripper X." That workout program is awesome! But also a little crazy - who can find the time to do a 1.5 hour workout each and every day? I'm down to a 2-3 a week but still seem to be benefiting tremendously (as evidenced by my extreme soreness every other morning, lol!).

The P90X system is certainly

Submitted by amyb on January 30, 2012 - 1:11am.

The P90X system is certainly a great system for some people; however, it is not a good solution for everyone. The P90x system tends to be a very intense routine and not everyone is in peak physical condition and they cannot manage such intense exercise! Good for you for training so hard but just remember, don't push yourself past what you are able to do without hurting yourself - there is a difference between the ache that comes from a good workout and the pain that comes from overdoing it!