Russian Twists
Russian twists work the abs in a different way than most other exercises. This movement is all about balance; the effort placed on your abs results from your core being forced to stabilize the rest of your body. To start off, sit down on the mat and cross your legs at the ankles, then lean back until your legs are in the air. Extend your arms out in front of your chest and rotate them to your left, while at the same time rotating your legs slightly to the right.
Move your arms and legs in the opposite direction to feel the effort in the other side of your abs. It can be difficult to maintain your balance when you first begin performing this exercise but if you keep up with it, it will become easier to perform fairly long sets and you will feel a strong burn in your abs. You can count one rep as a single rotation, a rotation to each side, 2 rotations to each side, or various other amounts depending on your level of strength and endurance. Difficulty Rating: 2 Variation on Exercise Ball
If you have a superb sense of balance and want to make this challenging exercise even harder, try doing it on an exercise ball. Position a few dumbbells or other heavy objects around the ball to prevent it from rolling on the floor. Then, perform the same movement as described above while sitting on the ball and trying to maintain balance for as long as possible. It is extremely difficult to stay balanced for any longer than 10-15 reps; still, this variation is a fun and challenging way to really test the limits of your abdominal strength and endurance. Difficulty Rating: 3
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