If you have been attempting to build toned and sexy abs but have been struggling to do so you may need to add a few new exercises to your routine to get the abs you want. A lot of people have trouble getting strong abs simply because they don’t vary their workouts enough. Sticking to simple crunches and using ab lounges won’t give you the results you want by themselves. One thing you can do is throw a few exercise ball ab workouts in the mix to really work your core.

Exercise ball ab workouts are made up of pretty much the same things you would normally do to work on your abs including crunches and back extensions. The difference is that exercise balls are more challenging and provide a much more intense workout than performing these exercises normally. With an exercise ball you not only have to focus on completing the exercise but you also have to keep balanced on the ball which makes for a much more complex and effective workout.

There are many different exercises that you can do while using exercise ball ab workouts. These include crunches, back extensions, butt lifts, hip extensions and ab rolls. One of the best things about doing these exercises on an exercise ball is that you work many more muscles than you normally would. Some of the muscles you will work during these routines include the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques and the erector spinae. So you are getting a more efficient workout when you use an exercise ball.

If you have never used exercise ball ab workouts before you may want to position yourself somewhere that has a wall that easily accessible or just something sturdy that you can prop the ball against. Exercises on the ball may look easy but if you have never done them before, getting used to balancing yourself while performing them may prove to be more difficult than it seems. Not everyone is great at balancing themselves and for many people it takes a while before they can pull off these exercises easily.

Before you proceed to get on the ball and begin working out you should take the time to stretch and possibly do a short cardio workout of 5 to 10 minutes. This is just to warm up and prepare yourself for an intense ab workout. Exercise ball ab workouts can be very demanding and you will need to be prepared to balance and control your form.

You will want to vary the entire workout and incorporate crunches, back extensions, ab rolls and several other exercises to ensure you get the most effective workout you can. For each exercise you will want to do between 1 and 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. When you are first starting out make sure that you focus on getting the form right and balancing yourself. It is important to do this because if you twist or turn suddenly on the ball you can injure yourself.