Two highly effective ab exercises

Here are two really effective abdominal exercises for spot toning. You can't spot reduce (lose fat in just one area), but you can definitely spot tone.

1. My favorite oblique (love-handle) movement. Not only does it give me a stretch, it also helps keep my obliques defined. Tennis players love this one because this helps you stretch and strengthen the muscles you need for an explosive serve.

Take a weighted bar, not dumbbells, a bar over your head and stretch your hands up. Slowly lean to one side keeping your body as straight as possible. Lean as far as you can with control and slowly come back up.

Oblique movement

2. Swiss ball abs crunches are intense and target the front six pack. You can do these any way you please. The important thing is to remember to lift your chin to the ceiling, not your neck. Doing about 100-200 reps helps my abs without a doubt.

Swiss ball abs crunches

About the author

Neha began playing tennis at the age of 3 following her two elder sisters, to the public tennis courts. At 9, she moved with Shikha to train at the prestigious Saddlebrook tennis academy. Just 16 years old, Neha completed her freshman year at Princeton University winning the Ivy-League Rookie of the Year award for her accomplishments on the tennis court. Taking a leave of absence from Princeton, she joined her elder sister, Shikha on the tennis tour.

Neha reached a singles career high of 196 and doubles 110 in the world, boasting wins over a top 50 players (Nicole Vaidisova, Sesil Karatencheva, Lisa Raymond, Angies Radwanksa, Sofia Arvidsson, Varvara Lephchenko and Elena Vesnina). After 5 years on the tour, Neha returned to Princeton University to complete her degree in Sociology and graduated this past June (2012).

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Edited by Staff Editor