While the abdominal crunch is still one of the most popular ab exercises, there are numerous pieces of equipment for great ab exercises today.  With the Balance Ball, you can do a variety of different exercises and even add resistance.  Since the balls basically go anywhere you do, this is a great source of ab exercises you can do anywhere.

The BOSU Balance Ball is great for core exercises and it tones abs and provides a variety of challenges.  Just balancing on the BOSU is a workout all by itself until you get used to it.  While it is a bit pricey, the flexibility it offers may be worth it.  You can also take BOSU Ball classes and get the videos to work out at home.

Exercise videos are popular ways to work out in the privacy of your home and you can use these videos in conjunction with balance balls, dumbbells, resistance bands and other exercise equipment.

The rowing machine is a good piece of equipment for ab exercises.  Even though most rowing equipment features a full body workout you can target your abs while you’re doing other exercises. 

In fact, many of the ab exercises target more than your abdominals.  Just like the rowing machines target your core area and are great for back exercises, other so-called abdominal exercises in reality work more than just the abs.

Finding just the right exercise equipment isn’t always easy.  It’s hard not to get excited about some of the equipment portrayed in infomercials on late-night TV touting the latest thing for ab exercises.  It can be difficult to make the right decision when the television is the only place you can order a certain piece of equipment.  At least when you go to the gym, you can compare some of the equipment there with models that are currently in the stores.

Of course, some of the exercise equipment portrayed on television turns out to be great for ab exercises but one prudent step you can take before investing a lot of money in exercise equipment is to look for online reviews on individual products to see what other people are saying about the equipment you are considering purchasing.

Although you can sometimes find good used exercise equipment in second-hand stores, it’s important to inspect any used equipment thoroughly to make sure it is safe.  One drawback in purchasing used exercise equipment is that often the owner’s manual or user guide is no longer with the equipment.  It may still be worth it though if you can secure a user guide from the manufacturer or find one online.

Stay away from gadgets for ab exercises that promise unrealistic results in minutes a day or flat abs without any effort.  Exercise is hard work and quality equipment doesn’t do the work for you.  Just because exercise equipment is advertised on television or featured in an infomercial doesn’t make it suspect.  Just try to keep an open mind and fully investigate before you part with your hard earned money.

It’s important to make sure you are doing all exercises, including ab exercises correctly to prevent injury and to get the maximum benefit from your workout.  If you purchase home exercise equipment, make sure it is assembled or installed correctly and that you know how to use it before you begin.  If you’re exercising at the gym, don’t hesitate to ask for a demonstration before using equipment you’re not familiar with.

Another important consideration before you purchase any exercise equipment is to make sure you actually enjoy that type of exercise.  Just because you would like to have flat abs doesn’t mean you’re going to enjoy working out on every piece of equipment designed to tone up your abs.

Take the time to find out which exercises you truly enjoy before you invest in exercise equipment.