1 millions crunches, 200 sit ups, holding a plank for 1 hour.... forget it! Ain't nobody got time for that!
Here's the best scientifically proven ab exercise:
In a 2010 research study titled “Core Muscle Activation During Swiss Ball and Traditional Abdominal Exercises", the researchers found:
“The swiss ball roll-out and swiss ball pike were the most effective exercises in activating upper and lower rectus abdominis, external and internal obliques, and latissimus dorsi muscles, while minimizing lumbar paraspinals and rectus femoris activity.”
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40(5):265-276, Epub 22 April 2010. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.3073
Translation: The exercise forces your abdominals to work hard while your lower back and hip flexors -- areas that can sometimes take control during traditional ab exercises -- are left out and not used at all. So while crunches etc work your abs with the extra help from other areas, the roll-out pike isolates your abs muscles hitting your upper abs, lower abs and obliques all at once.
Here's how:
To start the pike/roll-out, hold yourself in a pushup position with your feet on a swiss ball. With your body is in a plank (straight) position, keep your legs straight as straight as possible bend your hips by drawing the ball with your feet in towards your chest. Squeeze and hold at the top for a couple seconds and then release your legs back into the starting plank position by rolling the ball back with your feet. That's one rep, now, repeat. TIP: If you want to make these even more ab blasting then continue rolling back on the ball past the plank position into a Superman plank hold. Ouch!