Abs are often considered the most attractive muscles and usually the hardest to develop. While there are several exercises and equipment that help you build your abdominals, most people turn to crunches. There is no doubt that crunches are effective for abdominal development, but there are certain other exercises that give better results over a shorter time span. Here are 6 exercises which don’t rely on crunches but are going to help you see positive results in weeks.

The Side Plank

This is an excellent exercise which can be used as a fitness test as well. Basically you have to lie down on your side on an exercise mat. Now join your legs and feet together and start lifting your torso up with the arm on the mat. Bend your elbow and lift yourself up while keeping your forearm firmly planted on the mat. Once you have extended as much as you can, fully extend your other arm and keep it up at a 90 degree angle to your torso. Hold this position for 5 seconds for three repetitions on each side and gradually improve your time.

The Toe Tap

For this core building exercise you need to lie down on the exercise mat with your back and shoulders touching the floor. Now lift your hips up and bend your knees so that your calves stand parallel to the floor, like a table top. You need to lower one leg now until your toe touches the floor, but the key here is to not change the bend in your hips and the other leg. You need to keep your hips at a 90 degree angle and repeat the step with the other leg. 10 repetitions per leg should complete one set and you should slowly up the number as you build more resistance and core strength.

The Bear Crawl

The bear crawl is basically how children crawl when they can’t walk. Get back on your exercise mat and start in a position much like you do for pushups. Now bend one leg and place the foot farther ahead along with the opposite arm. Now take both of these back and move the other limbs forward. This way you are basically performing the crawling motion in a stationary position. The key here is to not let your back arch or change your elevation from the floor. To make it harder, you can start doing this faster. This exercise will build your core and develop your abdominals.