You need to get in shape for summer because those sunny periods are just around the corner and almost everyone is shopping for their bathing suits. A major consideration during this time also is whether the swimwear will fit, and if the legs are toned and the arms fit.

To get the perfect shape you desire, you need to keep up with the daily sit-ups, though many people don’t seem to like it, but those darn abs workouts are very beneficial. Despite the reluctance of most to embrace exercise, they still want a great set of abs, which is why there are several abs exercise equipment in the fitness market. Irrespective of your gender, abs are important, and you really need to test out some of the modern abs exercise equipment.

I don’t have any abs exercise equipment, and to be honest, I prefer doing my workouts without machines. Why? Because I believe doing pull-ups, push-ups, etc is not the right way for anyone who is trying to stay fit. However, most people will rather go for current abs exercise equipment in the market like benches, treadmills, and Stairmasters, no doubt these are great stuffs if you can afford it. You can utilize any of the present aids if they are available.

My wife has this big rubber balls-I must admit I don’t know what it is. The variety of workouts she uses this abs exercise equipment for is amazing, as I have seen her use them for stomach and back workouts. I was surprised when I first saw it, but I now realized how it could provide a platform for strenuous workouts and help to build muscles. Till today, my wife continues to use it daily for several workouts.

Certainly you will have your own preference of abs exercise equipment, perhaps it is the abs exercise equipments in the local gym or fitness club that catches your fancy These two places typically have different types of abs exercise equipment for members use, but regardless of what type you prefer, daily abs workout routine is necessary to maintain a tight stomach.

And if you need help about abs exercise equipment or simple regimes, the Internet is there to answer all your enquiries. From information on diets to fitness routines, you will find it all on the huge resource of the Internet.

1) The very first step in how to get flat abs fast is: Committing Yourself.
It is easy to see people with really sexy stomachs and tell yourself that you want to achieve this, but how dedicated are you to actually getting them? If you are serious about getting results you have to realize that results can come fast if done right – but not over night. (Time to close that copy of “How To Get Really Ripped In 3 Seconds A Day While Watching TV!”) If you want to see how to get flat abs fast, you are already on the right path by identifying the problem and seeking assistance. (This article) The next step is stopping and promising yourself you will stick with it, without letting it run your life. This is the most important step in how to get flat abs fast.

2) The second step in how to get flat abs fast is: Ya Gotta Eat Right!
I know… I know… I’m probably sounding like your mother right now, but guess what? She’s right! Contrary to popular belief, owning that awesome set of abs starts in the kitchen. Now most likely when I mention the word DIET (wipe that frown off your face!) you will most likely have a negative image in your mind about what a diet actually is. In reality a good diet is a crucial step in how to get flat abs fast. A diet does not mean eating less, or starving yourself, or going on nonsensical crash diets! It simply means knowing what foods are right for you, and getting used to a routine. So, in order to know how to get flat abs fast you have to know what to eat. What are these foods you ask? Try to lower your fatty foods intake and increase the amount of protein you eat. Great sources of protein are: Fish, beef, poultry, milk, eggs, vegetables, red beans, baked potatoes, cashews, peanuts, soybeans, and cheese.

3) The final step in how to get flat abs fast is: Raising Your Metabolism.
Have you ever wondered why your best friend (the one you envy because they are so skinny) can eat 32 cheese burgers every time you both go to dinner, yet still make you look fat every time you go to the beach? Thats right – its because they have great metabolism! Meaning their body burns more of the calories they eat in a shorter amount of time. This doesn’t mean you have to mope around the house because your friend has been blessed with the metabolism of a jungle cat and you were stuck with that of a baby elephant. Knowing how to get flat abs fast, means knowing how to raise your metabolism. How are you supposed to raise your metabolism? Firstly, by eating more often. (This diet thing doesn’t sound so bad anymore, huh?) By eating 5-6 small, healthy meals a day your calories will be used as energy instead of being stored for fat. This way your body will always look towards the small meal you put in your body first when it needs energy instead of using only your muscles which will burn fat and quickly help you see how to get flat abs fast. If you wait too long in between your meals your body will say “WHOA – he’s trying to starve us! We better not use up too much of these calories!” Which means your body will slow down your metabolism giving you those love handles we know you love so much. Also, a combination of total-body workouts, and drinking lots of water will go a long way in helping your body burn fat.

So now that you know the basics of how to get flat abs fast, what are you waiting for? Go out there and get things going! With dedication in how to get flat abs fast you should be able to see results before you know it. Also, if you are serious about getting that sexy stomach you deserve, don’t forget to check out the link below – it will give you tons of more awesome information on how to get flat abs fast. Reprinting this article is fine by me, but only if all the content, links, resource box, and author bio stays exactly as it appears here. Enjoy your new set of abs!

So you want to know how to get flat abs fast before the summer? Well I want to tell you about a few things to help you along the way. Hopefully I can provide some information that will assist you so that you can have six pack abs in time for beach season! As you are probably aware there are countless health foods that are being sold which are actually junk foods that, believe it or not can make you gain weight and more belly fat.

Marketers within the dieting industry have been manipulating their sales pitches for years so they can maximize their profits. Unfortunately, doing only abs exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, and abs machines alone is not how to get flat abs fast.

It is necessary to incorporate some type of other program or regiment into your routine. We’ll explore what types of exercises really work in a minute. Thankfully repetitive cardio exercise routines are not the best way to lose body fat and uncover your flat abs. Let me make it very clear, you do not need to spend your money on an expensive extreme fat burner pill or other bogus supplements. That is not how to get flat abs fast!

Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks. They’re all a complete waste of your time and money. So the real answer to your burning question “how to get flat abs fast” is simple. The answer is real workouts and real nutrition strategies. So where can you find the best program and nutrition strategies you ask?

The program I have used is called the Truth About 6 Pack Abs program. Mike Geary, who is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist, has developed this program. He is a top expert in his field and I read many of his articles in some reputable magazines.

The Truth About 6 Pack Abs Program is currently the most sold fitness ebook on the Internet. Is this the answer on how to get flat abs? Well when I first went to his website I though it sounded very hyped up and looked like a complete sales pitch. But as I read more I found some of his explanations of the five biggest myths on how to get flat abs. He explains it very well and I found that what he talked about was exactly what I have experience through my fitness routines.

This program was built on the notion that abdominal exercises are ok, and you do need to do a certain amount of them to develop the abs as best as possible. However, abdominal exercises do not by themselves burn fat away from your abs!

Most people that are trying to get better looking abdominals waste too much time training the abs directly. What you need to focus on is burning off the extra fat that is covering them up. Like mentioned early this can only be accomplished by following a much more comprehensive full body training routine that will maximize your metabolic response and your hormonal response to your workouts.

This is the main focus of the Truth About 6 Pack Abs Program. The real fact of the matter is that you must focus most of your efforts on the types of exercises, sequencing, and combinations that stimulate the biggest increases in growth hormone response.

A majority of people often overlook this aspect of their workouts, yet it is the most important thing that is going to get you insanely lean and cut! Do not waste your time and money anymore by pumping away with crunches, sit-ups, torso twists, leg raises, and ab machines. I spent a mere $30 on the The Truth About 6 Pack Abs Program which is a complete and effective abs program that helped me incorporate several factors into my program and made me successful! This is truly the answer on how to get flat abs fast!

For a more comprehensive review of The Truth About 6 Pack Abs click Here! 

You Must Remember This…

The first thing that you must remember is that the abdominal muscles that make up your six pack are like any other muscles in your body. They need hard work and high intensity exercises that push them to the limit if you want to see maximum growth and definition.

A lot of people who are content with keeping toned to look healthy will find that simply doing crunches each day will achieve what they want, however if you are serious about getting a six pack you are going to have to do an awful lot more to really get rock hard six pack abs. Until you start working out with high intensity exercises that really challenge your abs you won’t see the results you want.

Here’s What You Should Be Doing

Don’t fall into the same old trap that most people do; instead kick the routine of doing hundreds of crunches because we are going to take your abdominal workout to the next level and you’re going to learn how to get six pack abs!

Start off by intensifying your abs workout by doing them on an incline, do the same as you were doing on the floor but take your last set to failure, until you physically can’t do anymore. As you improve gradually increase the incline you workout on and aim to increase the number of reps you do until failure.

Once you’ve mastered this you can get on to the serious stuff. While incline crunches are a great start, it is not until you start to use weights in your abdominal workouts that you will start to see the results you want. You can do this by simply holding a weight plate across your chest as you do your abs workout, but your need to build up to it slowly. Doing weight training is really beneficial and will help you build the abs that most people dream off.

You Will Fail If You Don’t Do This…

However if you don’t maintain a healthy diet, do cardio vascular training and train the rest of your body, you won’t get six pack abs. It is the cumulative effect of all these factors that will give you the abs of your dreams.

Don’t Be Fooled

Whatever you do don’t be drawn into buying the abs machines you see advertised on TV, the bottom line is that people with rock solid six pack abs don’t use them. Save your money for a gym membership and be prepared to train hard and live a healthy lifestyle, educate yourself as much as possible and try and follow a proven training plan, only then will you get the abs of your dreams.

Uh-oh, that one always gets people, I know it . Those darn abs workouts. Let me tell you the truth. Although they can be a little annoying at times, they’re necessary to say the least. I can’t overemphasize them. Come on, we all want to display a great set of abs and walk around showing them to everyone. Why else do you think we have so much abs exercise equipment reigning the fitness market at all times? Regardless of your gender, the abs are absolutely critical. Are you testing out some of the new-age abs exercise equipment?

When it comes to abs exercise equipment, I don’t have any. I prefer to do all my exercises without machine interference. You know, all those traditional exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, leg-raises, dips, etc. Now, this is not the chosen route for every individual who is striving to stay fit. Many people prefer some of the latest benches, treadmills, stairmasters, and abs exercise equipment on the market. This stuff is great if you can afford it. Why not take advantage of any contemporary aids if available? If you have the money and think it fits you, I say go for it.

Let’s take my wife as an example. My wife has one of those big rubber balls you see pretty girls swear by on television ads. While I’m pretty certain that they have a more politically correct name, I don’t know what it is. She uses this abs exercise equipment for a wide array of stomach and back workouts. I have to admit that I was rather surprised the first time I saw it. I could certainly see how it would provide you with a strenuous workout and build your muscles. She continues to use it daily for a variety of exercises.

What abs exercise equipment do you prefer? Maybe you get your frequent dose of abs exercise equipment at the local gym or fitness club. They typically have a variety of abs exercise equipment ready at your service. Regardless of what regimes you prefer, you know that your daily dose of abs workouts are compulsory for keeping that bare, tight, flat tummy. If you are in need of advice concerning abs exercise equipment or just simple routines, you can hop online and acquire anything your heart desires. From diet plans, to fitness regimes galore, you will find it all on the World-Wide-Web. They are abundant and free! Get started today and get those abs you’ve always wanted!

1. Tummy Isometric Crunch – exhale, then suck in your stomach as far as you can, hold for about 15 seconds. Relax and breathe. Visualize moving your bellybutton straight toward your back. Holding in your tummy muscles and tensing your abs is a good way of firming and strengthening them. You will also become more aware of how to control your tummy muscles. Repeat several times. This exercise can be done anywhere, anytime.

Note – if you have high blood pressure, do not hold your breath for extended periods of time.

2. Rectus Abdominis Tummy Exercises (sounds great, no?):

a. Lie on your back on the floor with bent knees and your feet flat on the floor, knees and feet spread apart the width of your hips.

b. Place your hands gently on the sides of your head for support, spreading your elbows so you cannot see them.

c. With your chin tucked toward your chest, gently curl upward and forward so that your head, neck and shoulder blades lift off the floor and your lower back presses against the floor (if you want, start with your head resting on a pillow which has your head and neck in the correct position to begin).

d. Pause just a moment, then gently return to the starting position.

e. Repeat several times.

Note – do not use your arms to complete the curl. If you can see your elbows, you’re cheating. Do not put your feet under anything since this lessens the effectiveness of these types of flat tummy exercises. If this female abs exercise is too difficult for you, do the next one below.

3. Sit-Back Flat Tummy Exercises – if your female abs muscles are weak and you have trouble lifting yourself off the floor in #2 above, here is an alternate flat tummy exercise for you:

a. Start in a sitting position on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor (secure your feet under a piece of furniture).

b. Cross your arms over your chest and roll your head and shoulders forward toward your chest.

c. Gently and slowly lean back, keeping your head and shoulders tucked. Continue until you begin to feel your stomach muscles contracting.

d. Then try to lean back just a bit more if you can and hold that position until your muscles start shaking. Try to hold this position with your muscles shaking for five seconds, then ease back to the upright sitting position.

e. Repeat in a few seconds.

4. Reduce Chewing Exercises – yes, as in jaw muscles used for excessive chewing as in overeating. Reducing overeating or exercising those jaw muscles less may be necessary to have great female abs. No one can see great female abs if they are covered with body fat! Having great female abs may require losing some body fat. Losing body fat means:

a. Cardio exercise on a regular basis – getting the heartbeat up with fun whole-body workouts several times a week.

b. Healthy eating habits – eating healthy foods, eliminating sodas/junk food and taking in fewer calories than you burn each day.

c. Besides flat tummy exercises, strength training for the whole body – any muscle tissue you add will burn extra calories 24/7.

Besides looking great, having great female abs is about good health. Visually and physically, the midsection is the center of the body and the foundation of strength. Weak abdominals leave a woman weaker looking and vulnerable to lower back pain. At first, the goal is to build up the basic strength in the female abs area with flat tummy exercises. And remember, always check with your health care provider before starting any exercise program. Start out slowly and gradually build up your strength and repetitions.

For great abs and good health, the ideal is to reduce body fat down to no lower than 15-20% for women. Sometimes, doing flat tummy exercises is the EASY part, losing excess body fat is the TOUGH part. Eat right, exercise right. It may take time, just do not give up on your dream of having those great female abs.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

To that end, one of the very first things that you need to learn is that not everyone can achieve the perfect abs status. For some people it is genetically impossible to get perfect abs, and unfortunately for these people they will have to settle for flat firm abs instead of the perfect abs they are dreaming of. However, since you can’t know for certain whether you are one of these people or not, there is simply no use in giving up the game even before it’s started.

The next thing you need to learn – and in some cases come to grips with – is that you will need to put a lot of time and effort into getting the perfect abs. They won’t just magically appear overnight after you have been exercising. No, they will take time to appear, and you will need to spur yourself on to greater heights if you really want to achieve the most perfect set of abs ever.

You will need to sweat and you will need to exercise, and you will need to do all of this on a regular basis, not a fairly regular basis, but on a regular basis. This means that although you can have an off day or two once in a while here and there, you cannot scrimp and skive through most of your days, nor can you go through the motions half heartedly. This simply won’t get you anywhere.

And – yes, there’s more – once you have wrapped your mind around these little facts, you will then have to wrap your mind around the fact that to achieve perfect abs it is not enough that you are exercising and sweating away. You will also need to adjust your diet accordingly so that you are not destroying all your hard work in one fell swoop with the food you’re eating.

But although it might seem like a disaster just waiting to happen, your trying to achieve the most perfect abs ever that is, you can be assured that once you do start on your way to getting those perfect abs, that it becomes easier. You become more used to everything that you need to do, and when you begin to see the results for the first time, you will definitely be glad that you started, and stuck with your desire to get the most perfect abs ever.

Foods that are high in protein are the main requirements in an abs diet for women. If you want to have an attractive six pack, eating high protein foods is a must. While you won’t be eating as much protein foods as men who are on an abs diet, the foods on your abs diet menu are going to be similar overall. For instance, your abs diet will consist of several lean meats like chicken and turkey. Your abs diet will also include plenty of fish, eggs, milk, and protein drinks and bars. Be careful eating the latter, though, because many protein drinks and bars have high sugar content. Make sure that you read the label first.

Aside from the protein-rich foods, your abs diet will also include fresh vegetables. And if you really want to have attractive flat abs, you will have to refrain from eating fatty foods, junk foods and high sugar foods. Needless to say, you will need to avoid eating fast foods and greasy take out foods.

Just because you are on a high protein abs diet does not mean that you have to avoid carbohydrates altogether. You also need to eat carb foods. For best results, eat foods that are high in fiber and are of the wholemeal varieties. Avoid consuming white bread and food products made from bleached flour. Your abs diet can include foods that are rich in carbohydrates such as brown rice, potatoes, oatmeal, high fiber cereals and breads.

When you are on an abs diet, eat moderately. Avoid eating large amounts of foods. Instead of eating two or three big meals a day, eat small amounts several times a day. Not only doing this will help your metabolism, it will also prevent you from having a bloated and tired feeling after every meal.

So that’s it — a basic abs diet for women that you can follow whenever you are ready to start building your abs. Incorporate this abs diet in your daily routine, exercise regularly and you are on your way to having great abs!

Sure, a lot of meatheads would still choose big biceps… but that’s only because they have bloated midsections and no chance at chiseled abs. And let’s face it, the desire for a well-defined abdomen unites the sexes in ways that relationships, group sex and naked Twister just never could. Why do you think God invented the belly shirt for women and Calvin Klein underwear for men, for Christ’s sake? Duh! The Lord knew what he was doing, that’s why.

But if matters of divine intervention just aren’t your cup of tea and you need more logical proof, consider this; Any physical attribute that says ‘I’m young, sexy and ready for any action you wanna bring my way’ packs a wallop in the scheme of success with all matters of sexual prowess. Can you think of another visible male body part that can say that much with a mere peek? Good abs scream, “I’m a SEX GOD and can go ALL NIGHT!” Doesn’t that mean anything to you flabby-gut couch jockeys out there??

If it does, we’re sure you’ll be reading on.

If not… go in peace, portly son, and eat a bag of Cheetos for us while you’re at it!

It’s all a matter of priorities. You either want the physical edge with the ladies and the stud status that can bring, or you’re content with the same boring TV dinner that is your wife or current girlfriend because you’re too lazy to better yourself and she doesn’t deserve it. That is, of course, unless the lady in your life is in better shape than you. If that’s the case, you’re just biding your time until Julio the pool boy swoops down with his net and skims the suit top right off your woman.

There’s really no good reason to wait around to build your abs, let’s not disagree on that much. But since nobody goes to the gym strictly so he can build his midsection, it needs to become a priority and part of something bigger. That balancing act between what is most important at the time and what is ultimately important in the big picture is what you need to rectify before you receive the bounty of goods, shaped like the underside of a tortoise shell, that will replace the flab you now have.

Good abs are obviously best appreciated in the spring and summer months of the year. Since that’s the case, you’ll need to focus on them all year long, but with special emphasis on a seasonal basis. We say, “good legs in the winter and good abs in the summer” as a general rule of thumb. However, if you live in either Florida or southern California, you’ll want to scratch that thinking because if your front porch is shaded by palm trees of any variety, you’ll need to prioritize your abs all year long.

Something You Never Knew About Abs

Abs aren’t like any other muscle in the body. If they are like any muscle group, they are closest to calves in the way that they respond, but truly, they aren’t even like calves. The abs are a muscle group that have a high threshold for stress and strain. They can take a beating and recover rapidly. And unlike smaller body parts, such as biceps or triceps, the abs can take a tremendous amount of stress and actually benefit from it. Whereas,
you might take your arms to failure once or twice a month to get them to respond to a different sort of stimulus, it’s going to take you a lot of imagination to come up with ways to actually beat your abs at the endurance game. You know the saying “more is better”? Well, in this case, it’s true.

Endurance isn’t something most people equate with building good muscle mass. In fact, it’s usually just the opposite. But the truth is, it is through endurance that you will build your best abs. Endurance, however, by its very name and definition, takes time to cultivate and accumulate. It’s not like you can expect to be able to do a thousand crunches tomorrow night right off the bat, even using poor form. You have to work up to it.

But here’s the Catch-22 that makes ab training so frustrating:

As you work up the steam and endurance through practice, your abs will become stronger and stronger and require more and more resistance and endurance in order to benefit and continue showing results. So essentially, the harder you work, the harder you’ll have to work to see the same progress!

Now when we talk about resistance, it isn’t so much in terms of adding more weight to your ab workouts, it just means that the abs are a demanding and often times a harsh mistress who never seems satisfied with your less-than-paltry efforts. Get used to the fact that your abs will continually demand more and more of you (read: drain you dry) the more you go after good midsection conditioning.

Sound familiar? Get over it! No one wants to hear your social sob stories!

So why does this happen? The abdominals are a muscle group that quickly re-oxygenate themselves following periods of intense stress having been placed on them. That is to say they recuperate extremely fast from the stress placed on them, and are ready to go again in a matter of a minute or less. Try that with your quads and you’ll end up amputating your legs from the knees down. Don’t do it with your abs and you’re destined for a mediocre midsection.

If you’re not ready to go when your abs are, it can actually hinder your progress because the abs require constant cumulative stress over a period of at least 20-30 minutes for any benefit to occur. Hence, the need for accumulated endurance. The only way to get endurance is to practice endurance. Long story short? Your first few weeks are going to seem like the longest, most excruciating kidney stone passing in the history of the modern world. Your only solace will be found in the fact that you’ll feel it in your belly and not your nether regions. Thank goodness for small miracles.

The Unadulterated Truth

When anyone looks at a good midsection, they think, ‘If I just do hundreds of sit ups, I’ll get there like that guy did’. Truth is, he’s only partly right. That’s because there are several truths to consider when putting together a routine that will actually work for you. Forget or deny these truths and you’ll surely fail.

Truth #1: There is no end to good ab training in the big picture, just as there is no room for backing off on intensity and stress in the smaller, single workout picture, there is no room for it in the big picture either. Endurance is the key in the short term and longevity is in the long term. If you do not remain consistent with your training, you’ll lose it as rapidly as you got it!

Truth #2: There is more to the midsection, and to making it look like a million bucks, than just the few vertical slabs that run East to West across your belly. Truly impressive abs require the inclusion of many exercises, other than crunches, that are designed to target other areas of the total midsection. There are three whole other parts to consider!

Truth #3: Diet is almost 80% of your success in the end. You can train your ass off from morning until night and have abs so strong you could crush a V-8 can in the up position, but if it’s shrouded beneath a layer of ugly flabby fat, all your hard work is basically invisible. And we all know, if it can’t be seen, it just doesn’t exist. Just ask anyone!

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
The abs are comprised of 5 parts:

•Upper Rectus Abdominus
•Lower Rectus Abdominus
•Serratus
•Intercostals
•Obliques

The rectus muscles are the parts of the midsection that most people equate with “having abs”. They are the vertical muscles that, depending upon your genetic make-up, comprise 4-5 different sections that run across the width of the abdominal cavity. They are typically broken up in the middle and either staggered like bricks or evenly dispersed straight across like tiles. Everyone is different in how they are configured genetically and it’s not something that is negotiable. Hey, you can do a lot with the human body, but choosing how your muscles are laid out is not an option.

The Obliques are the muscles that run from along the lower part of the ribcage and down to your hips. They comprise what most people call the ‘waist’. Insanely drugged out bodybuilders have hugely developed obliques, but typically not by choice. It just happens as a matter of not watching the waistline, straining and not taking care to keep these muscles stress free. However, they do need to be worked; just not too extreme. They need work only to tie in and make the rest of the abs flow together well. They are part of the sum total of a totally amazing abdominal picture.

The Serratus and Intercostal muscles are the finishing touches on the whole picture. They lace together like lattice over the top of the ribcage just below the pectoral muscles. They come in at a 45 degree angle toward the middle of the upper rectus abdominus like two sets of fingers diagonally interlaced.

All of these sub-groups of muscles within the muscle grouping itself must be trained in order to attain a great result. It’s also the way to keep your trunk strong in a complete sense for other athletic endeavors where trunk strength, balance and coordination are important. That goes for just about every sport, genius!

THE EXERCISES

You must do at least 2 exercises per section of abdominal muscle sub-group in order to fully work the abs. We’ll give you a few per sub-group to get you started. Just know, there are tons more variations out there; the world is your oyster. And if you’re anything like us, (we puke when we eat oysters too fast) hopefully, you’ll puke after each ab workout!

We also recommend that you work the abs at least 4 times per week to keep the heat on and keep the abs from totally recovering. They are a highly adaptable muscle and require consistency. Working the abs 4+ times per week will also help you build the endurance you need to keep improving and actually go the distance in a tough workout. Take just 30 – 45 seconds between sets and try to superset your exercises in a way that keeps the overall focus and intensity on the abs, but gives a slight break to each sub-group.

For example: When you do a set of crunches, also do a set of hanging leg raises immediately following to give the upper rectus a rest and the lower rectus a run for its money!

Make sure to go at least 15 reps or to failure when you can. You won’t overtrain your abs like you would another body part doing this. You’ll just make them harder and better!

Upper Rectus

Crunches (with knees raised or on an ab slant board)
The point is to lift with your upper rectus only. That means finding a spot on the ceiling with your eyes and sticking to it! Keep your lower back anchored to the floor or ab board. Use knees raised initially, and move to ab slant for a tougher workout!

Weighted crunches in kneeling position
Hold upper cable pulley with rope attachment and a slight amount of weight. Keep elbows alongside your ears and don’t move ‘em! Use your abs to crunch down over yourself in a kind of praying monk position.

Nautilus Crunch machine
Most gyms have these, where you sit in a chair and immobilize your lower body while crunching over your abs.

Lower Rectus

Hanging Leg Raises
You can use elbow cuffs or just your hands to hang from a high bar. Straighten your legs and become motionless, then, raise your knees by curling from the tailbone and tucking your butt. Bring your knees as high as possible or until your hang time ends.

V-Up/Knees into Chest
Using the end of a flat bench, balance on the long end of your butt right about at your tailbone. Lean back with your upper body, grab hold of the bench sides, and balance on your butt as if it is the bottom of a V. Tense your upper rectus, and pull your knees to your chest.

Obliques

Unweighted Broom Twists
Use a broomstick, sans natty hair for this. Any common dowel will do, but do not use a barbell or even a naked straight bar since it will be too much weight! Stand with your feet 24 inches apart, bend your knees, tuck your butt underneath you, lace the dowel over your shoulders like a squat bar, keep the lower body still and twist at the waist. This is really one of the only “safe” exercises for your obliques. Some gyms have a seated apparatus that does the same thing, but requires that you use weight. Don’t do it!

Cross Knee Crunches
When you do a standard crunch this time, you’ll be leading with the right elbow, touching the left knee and the left elbow reaching out for the right knee. All crunch work is okay for obliques because it won’t tend to bulk them out into huge baboon-like formations.

Serratus/Intercostals

Lying Side Crunches
Use the exact same position as a standard crunch, but drop your knees to the side. Keep your upper back flat against the floor and lift up over the top of your ribcage, keeping your legs and feet still and plastered down.

Weighted Kneeling Crunches
(to the side)
See Upper Rectus section and do some pulls to the side. You’ll have to kneel down a bit further from the pulley station, but you’ll get the hang of it. Do these separately from the other exercise intended for the upper rectus.

Decline 180’s
Using a decline bench, come up into the crunch position (keep lower back against pad) but swerve rapidly from side to side in a 180 degree motion. Come back to center and head back down to the start position.

If you do all of these exercises on a rotating basis, careful to do at least 2 exercises per area of the abs in each workout, and employ things like supersets, giant sets, and utilize an apparatus like the ab board, hanging leg raise elbow cuffs, pulleys, etc., you’ll develop pro quality abs in no time. But remember… that’s not the final piece to the ab puzzle….

DIET
We mentioned that diet is about 80% of the success of any living human being in being able to parade their chiseled abs unashamedly. Well, it’s true! And it didn’t stop being true just because we showed you some of the best exercises.

Here’s what you have to do:

Eat less sugar and starch – that’s all the candy you pile into your mouth at lunch or during “American Idol”, all the potatoes and pasta you inhale at dinner after 6pm, and anything else that isn’t nailed down that is empty food. Yeah, we know, pasta was all the rage a few years ago, but how many Italians do you see with great abs over in the old country, huh?

Eat more protein – protein is the ultimate precursor to boosting the metabolism. Boost the metabolism and you’ll drop ugly body fat that is shrouding your abs. Get at least 1-2 grams per pound of your current body weight, not what you hope to weigh.

Eat more veggies and less fruits – Fruits are great for you, if you’re a 10 year old and don’t put on weight. But once you stop growing in height, all fruit does for you is pack in sugar that you don’t need and probably won’t use much of. Juice is especially bad because at least whole fruit has fiber! Eat more leafy green vegetables and avoid the starchy ones like corn and peas. (That means tortillas too, pal!)

Quit drinking milk – Geez! You stopped being able to digest dairy when you were about 14! Give up the “builds strong bodies 200 ways” schtick and lay off the dairy. It leaves an unsightly film on your ab wall and is really… well… childish, we think!

Do Cardio – This, combined with diet, is the fastest way to get lean and see your hard earned muscle come to life! Do cardio at least 3-4 times per week, at a minimum time of about 30-40 minutes.

Do cardio, keep a good diet, do your ab exercises religiously and you won’t be disappointed. We promise! And if you aren’t snagging at least 20 more female prospects per year, as “Future ex-Mrs. So-and-so” candidates, then you’re probably reeeaaalllly ugly! Oh well, at least you can run your own fingers over your abs and be content.

By working your bodies’ larger muscle groups, you increase overall muscle mass, which in turn boosts your metabolism. You can’t spot reduce body fat, so if you want a flat tummy and toned abs, you need to work your entire body and aim towards total fitness. To achieve this you should concentrate on multiple joint movements working your larger muscle groups such as – quads and hamstrings (front and back of thighs), buttocks, back, chest, and shoulders. The smaller muscle groups consist of the triceps, biceps, calves, hips, forearms and abs.

The reason to work the abs at the end of your daily workout is twofold:

First, the abdominal muscles are naturally used when working other muscle groups.

Second and most important is the fact that the abs help keep your form stabilized. By working your stomach muscles first, they will grow fatigued by the time you work your larger muscle groups, decreasing the effectiveness of the latter workouts. This is why professional fitness trainers recommend working from the larger muscle groups down to the smallest. It’s the quickest road to gaining six pack abs!

Let’s take a look at the basic muscle groups:

Lower Torso: Buttocks, Legs (thighs and calves), Hips

Middle Torso: Stomach, Mid-Section, Abdominals (Abs)

Upper Torso: Chest, Shoulders, Back, Arms

Since your reading this article to get “super sexy six-pack abs” let’s look at some specific exercises for the abdominal muscles that will help you achieve a flat tummy after working your other body parts properly:

Crunches – This is a great exercise, but most people do them wrong. Remember to keep your back straight and head up. Also as you progress you will need to add weight to up the intensity.

Twisting Crunches – This exercise will work your obliques or the sides of your stomach. Again for those who may already have somewhat developed abs, you’ll need to add weights to this exercise to increase the intensity.

Leg Raises – Another great exercise for developing six pack abs ! Make sure you have a slight bend in your knees and your head is slightly raised. Once again you will need to add weight to this exercise as you progress.

Cable Crunches – This a great exercise and should be done by anyone who wants a flat tummy. Make extra sure you use proper form. Keep your back stright and your hands above your head. Pause for a second when your head reaches the floor and return to the starting position in a controlled manner. This exercise is best peformed in the 8-12 rep range.

Remember, concentrating soley on you abs and ignoring the rest of you muscle groups will only lead to disappointment on your journey to sculpting six pack abs.