Partner-Assisted Ab Exercises

Partner-assisted abdominal exercises are a creative way to motivate you and help you stick to your fitness goal. Choose two or three of the partner ab exercises and try to do 10 to 15 repetitions of each one. As you progress with your workouts and it becomes easy to do the repetitions, try to do one or two more sets. After you complete your routine, you will have someone to share in your victory.

  1. No-Equipment Partner Ab Exercises

    • As a team, you can make a plank more challenging by balancing on one arm instead of two while you clasp your partner's hand. To start, you and your partner should be about a foot apart and facing each other in the pushup position. Ensure that your spine isn't sagging or arching so that you initiate your abdominal muscles. Lower yourselves to your forearms with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Balance on one forearm and your toes while keeping your hips off the ground. Use your free hand to put pressure on your partner's hand facing opposite of you for three to five seconds. Then alternate sides.

      The situp twist and clap exercise strengthens your obliques as well as your rectus abdominus muscles. Facing the opposite direction as your partner, lie down next to each other with your back and head flat on a mat. Your feet should be planted on the floor beside each other's hips, and your knees should be bent next to her knees. Simultaneously do a situp and twist to touch their outside hand with your outside hand. When you have completed one side, switch positions with your partner.

    Medicine Ball Partner Ab Exercises

    • Doing a situp with a weighted ball is more difficult than a body-weight situp, but including a partner makes it more like a game. Begin by lying with your back flat on a mat and your knees bent with your toes on the ground touching your partner's toes. Hold the ball with straight arms directly over your head and sit up keeping the ball high. When you reach the seated position, pass the ball to your partner and lower back to the mat as your partner repeats the movement. Alternate doing situps and passing the ball back and forth.

      The chop and toss is a full-body exercise that engages many of your larger muscle groups as well as your abdomen. Stand facing the same direction as your partner, with about 3 to 5 feet between you, and hold the ball over your head. Do a squat keeping your back straight and twist your upper body away from your partner while bringing the ball to the outside of your knees. Then stand up and rotate toward your partner. Throw the ball so that he can repeat the movement. Then switch positions after you finish one set.

    Exercise Band Partner Ab Exercises

    • The plank-pull is an advanced exercise that strengthens your core and also targets your triceps while challenging your balance. Face your partner in the plank position about a foot apart. Mirroring one another, each of you should grab one end of a band eliminating all of the slack. Stretch the band back toward your hip at the same time as your partner and keep your elbow at your side to contract your triceps. Try to keep from rocking your hips to help with balance and recruit your core muscles.

      Trunk rotations are a functional exercise performed while standing up that will effectively strengthen you and your partner's obliques. Stand across from your partner while you each hold the end of a band stretching it tight with both hands away from your bodies. Twist in the opposite direction at the same time. To make this exercise harder, balance on one leg. When you have finished with one side, repeat on the other side.

    Considerations

    • Begin all workouts with a five to 10 minute warm-up to loosen the elasticity of your muscles and to help prevent injury. While abdominal exercises strengthen and tone your abs, there is no such thing as spot reduction. To see your abdominal muscles, you need to do resistance training two to four days a week, eat nutritiously and incorporate at least 150 minutes a week of moderately intense cardio. Consult your physician if you are new to exercising or have any health conditions before beginning a new routine.