Abdominal (Core) Training for Great Six-Pack Abs

Having visibly appealing abs - the so-called "six-pack" - has almost nothing to do with training abs! The key to seeing your abs is low body fat. Someone with very muscular abs who has high body fat will not see any definition, and someone who has not trained their abs at all with low body fat will see plenty of definition. In order to see abs, most men have to reach at least 10% body fat or lower, while women must reach 14% or lower.

The abdominal muscle is a large slab of muscle. The shape of the six-pack is due to tendons that stretch across the muscle. You cannot change a tendon's size, position, or shape through training, so the shape of your six-pack will not change.

Protruding Abdominals?

Abdominal muscles bulge in their relaxed state. The abdominal wall is pulled flat when it contracts. If you improperly train abs, either by training to add significant mass and/or by neglecting other supporting muscles, your abs will protrude. You can see this in certain sports, such as professional wrestling - certain athletes is so lean that you can see their six-pack, but their stomach protrudes as if they have a beer gut! While it is possible to store fat internally (i.e. "beer gut") and still have little fat underneath the skin, this condition is more than likely due to overtraining the abdominal wall while neglecting supporting muscles.

Ab Muscle: The Pelvic Girdle

The pelvic girdle is a group of internal muscles that support your internal organs. When you perform abdominal work, your internal organs can shift and change your center of gravity. This is most evident when someone is performing hanging leg or knee raises and begins swinging.

By engaging the pelvic girdle during abdominal training, you not only strengthen your center of balance, but force more tension on the abdominal wall.

The pelvic girdle is tightened by clenching your insides - squeezing your rectum or performing the same action as cutting off the flow of urine. This exercise is known as the Kegel, and men as well as women can perform these. By performing a Kegel during abdominal work, you ensure not only that the pelvic girdle is strengthened at the same time, but also that you are building a strong core or center of balance.

A proper hanging knee raise or leg raise will result in no swinging whatsoever - the torso will remain still and movement will be only around the pelvic area and through the legs.

Ab Muscle: Transversus

The transversus is another internal muscle that serves to pull the abdominal wall back. The transversus is contracted when you suck in your gut or try to pull your belly through your lower back.

If you work your abdominal wall without working your transversus, the abdominal wall may increase in mass and begin to bulge or protrude. By keeping your stomach pulled in and tight during abdominal training, you strengthen the transversus at the same time.

You can also perform an exercise known as the "vacuum" frequently to further strengthen the transversus - vacuums (where you simply pull in your gut and keep it pulled in while breathing slowly) can be performed while driving or even standing in line at the supermarket.

Ab Muscle: Obliques

The obliques are muscles that run diagonally across the abdominal wall and are attached to bone at your sides. Increasing the size of your obliques can increase the width of your waist, but not necessarily the circumference.

These are "muscular love handles." Some people avoid training obliques for that reason. There are many sports-specific applications for working the obliques - contact sports such as football require the ability to maintain balance while twisting, and strong obliques are critical for this. Because obliques cross over the abdominal wall, having strong obliques means that your abdominal wall will be pulled flat (as with the transversus). Therefore, while training obliques may increase the width of your waist, it can also serve to pull your stomach flatter!

Ab Muscle: Spinal Erectae

The spinal erectae are a group of muscles that support the lower back and spine. They work in conjunction with the abdominal wall, obliques, and transversus, similar to the way that the biceps and triceps or deltoids and lat muscles work together.

Neglecting your spinal erectae can result in an imbalance that will pull at your spine and cause lower back pain. Effective back exercises that should be balanced with abdominal training include good mornings, hyperextensions, and dead-lifts.

No Need to Overtrain

The abdominal wall and supporting muscles are not "special" in the sense that they require constant training. Because these muscles form your core strength and stabilize your torso, almost any activity will work these muscles - from a bench press to running. Therefore, the notion that they need to be trained every day is flawed.

Train Only Once or Twice a Week

Training your core once or twice a week should be sufficient. Because the core muscle group does contract constantly to stabilize your torso, these muscles typically contain more "endurance" fiber - this means that higher repetition training may be beneficial. By higher rep training, I'm referring to the 12 - 15 rep range.

Performing 50 - 100 crunches simply means that you are using other muscles such as the hip flexors and not isolating the core muscles appropriately. When you isolate the core muscles, perform a vacuum and a Kegel, and balance training of the abdominal wall with the lower back, you can build strong, functional core strength using only body weight and moderate reps.

Add some well-balanced nutrition and 2 - 3 cardio sessions per week, and you'll be well on your way to a well-defined "six-pack"!

The Comprehensive Ab Routine

I recommend a standard core strength routine that fits itself to almost everyone. The reason this fits most people is due to various levels. You begin with the first level and work your way forward. Most people will not get past the first few levels for several months. It can take a trained athlete months and possibly years to reach the final level, depending on their existing core strength.

The following table is a "key" to each level:

Level, Exercises

I,Crunch,Crunch,Crunch

II,Crunch,Crunch,Hanging Knee Raise

III,Crunch,Hanging Knee Raise,Hanging Knee Raise

IV,Crunch,Hanging Knee Raise,Hanging Knee Raise,Parallel Leg Raise

V,Crunch,Hanging Knee Raise,Parallel Leg Raise,Parallel Leg Raise

VI,Crunch,Hanging Knee Raise,Parallel Leg Raise,Parallel Leg Raise,Full Leg Raise

VII,Crunch,Hanging Knee Raise,Parallel Leg Raise,Full Leg Raise,Inverted Scissors

The instructions are simple. Begin with level 1. Attempt to perform 15 repetitions for each set. You rest exactly 1 minute between sets. For level 1, you attempt 3 sets of 15 floor crunches. If you succeed in completing the entire level, then you advance to the next level. Only when you can successfully complete 15 continuous reps of each exercise prescribed do you advance to the next level. This may seem simple. In practice, however, it is very difficult.

Here are a few guidelines for performing these exercises:

Practice pulling your stomach in and keeping it in. Imagine pulling your belly button through your lower back. This will be referred to as a "vacuum". This is very important, because it engages the transversus muscle, a muscle underneath your abdominal muscle. Without engaging this muscle, which is responsible for pulling your stomach flat, your abs will begin to protrude!
Learn what a Kegel is. In simple terms, this is the contraction you make when squeezing your insides or stopping the flow or urine. While it is commonly known amongst women who have given birth to children, men can actually perform this exercise as well. When you clench your insides, you stabilize your pelvic girdle, which holds all of your organs. This will stabilize your center of balance.
Maintain the vacuum and Kegel throughout the duration of every set! If you cannot hold both for the entire time, make sure you "reset" or start a new vacuum and Kegel with every rep (i.e. if you lose one or the other during rep 5, reset them at the beginning of rep 6 and keep going).

You can easily perform these exercises hanging from a pull-up doorframe attachment instead of using the ab-straps - this will actually improve your grip strength. If you find that you have trouble holding on, i.e. your wrists fail before your abdominal muscles do, then you might consider investing in a pair of wrist-wraps to help you maintain your grip. These are very inexpensive.

Aim for Good Form

You may have seen individuals performing hanging abdominal work. They were swinging wildly and possibly had someone holding their back still. This is incorrect form and is mainly working the hip flexors. If you follow the simple steps outlined above, your torso will remain still and vertical; the only movement will be from your abdominal muscles. You will curl up, bringing your pelvis towards your sternum, and hold this. The tempo for all exercises is 211 (one second to contract upwards, 1 second pause, then 2 seconds to return to the start position.

When you have completed the entire workout, you should consider your lower back. The best exercise to perform for lower back is a "hyperextension". This can be done with a hyperextension machine or a Swiss workout ball.

You lie on your stomach with your hips supported. Your torso hangs down, inverted, with your legs parallel to the ground. You then bend at the waist and raise your torso until your entire body is parallel. You can perform 3 sets of 15 reps of this exercise then begin adding weight as needed. To add weight, either use wrist weights or hold a plate behind your head.

Visit our Abdominal Training Gallery [http://gallery.losefatnotfaith.com/thumbnails.php?album=7] for illustrations of these exercises.

Jeremy Likness is the founder of Lose Fat, Not Faith He is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition. Jeremy is a freelance writer and entrepreneur. Jeremy lost 65 pounds of fat and was a Top 2000 Finisher in the 2000 Body-for-LIFE Competition. He is the author of the internationally-selling book, Lose Fat, Not Faith: A Transformation Guide [http://book.losefatnotfaith.com].

The Power Of Abdominal Exercise Routines

The beauty of abdominal exercise routines is that they don't necessarily require any exercise equipment for their successful workout flow. The most that an exerciser would want to have would be an exercise mat, which is geared for an exerciser's safety, as well as comfort.

Most of abdominal exercise routines involve muscle work overload, as well as a progressing workout intensity scheme, and should be done on regular intervals, divided between "rest periods" for abdominal muscles to recover. Most abdominal exercise routines also consider the vital role of one's back, carefully targeting the internal and external obliques, as well as the rectus abdominis, which is the "six pack" muscles, as they are commonly referred to.

In understanding abdominal exercise routines, as well as successfully doing them, an overall knowledge with the abdominal region would greatly aid exercisers. The primarily targeted muscle in abdominal exercise routines would be the rectus abdominis, the muscle which spreads from one's ribs to the hips, and down the stomach area. Running down the sides of the stomach to the waist would be the internal and external obliques, which are also targeted by abdominal exercise routines.

An overall workout of these muscles, coupled with a balanced diet, would eventually yield to abs to steel. One thing worth knowing about abdominal exercise routines is that they are not geared to convert fat into muscle. They are simply strengthening workout routines. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet is said to effectively reduce flabby abs, coupled with a comprehensive abdominal exercise.

Here are two of the most simple of abdominal exercise routines.

Abdominal Crunches

With the exerciser lying face up on the floor with hands behind his/her head, or on his/her chest, abdominal crunches are accomplished by slowly lifting the upper torso two to three inches off the floor. An exerciser doesn't have to perform full sit ups, as sit ups strengthen other muscle areas in the body.

Exercisers simply have to focus on moving their upper torso regions towards their hips, completing the abdominal exercise routine with 12-16 repetitions.

Revere Curl

Reverse curls are successfully done with the exerciser first lying on his/her back, followed by raising his/her knees towards his/her chest, maintaining their hips' position. This abdominal exercise routine focuses on the lower abdomen areas, and is quite easy to do. 12 to 16 repetitions on a regular basis are oftentimes good enough.

With the regular workout of these two abdominal exercise routines, along with a balanced diet, "washboard" abs are bound to come to exercisers.

Milos Pesic is a professional fitness trainer who runs a highly popular and comprehensive Abdominal Training web site. For more articles and resources on abdominal exercises, abdominal workout tips, abdominal fitness equipment and much more visit his site at:

http://abs.need-to-know.net

As Abdominal Binders Help Exercisers Shape Up

Though built to support post operation, as well as muscle related injuries, abdominal binders are actually useful to exercisers who aim to have abs of steel. With today's focus in building up abs, abdominal binders help exercisers by enhancing muscle contractions as they go about their abdominal exercise regimen.

Dale Abdominal Binders lead the abdominal binders' line of products, providing recovery and performance enhancing abdominal binders, as well as image improving abdominal binders, ideal for those wanting to hide some of the flab in their belly.

Continuing a tradition of producing quality abdominal binders, Dale's Fifth Generation Abdominal Binders are superstars in the class of products. Built with pre-paneled stretchable material, Dale Abdominal Binders are made with an innovative joining stitch system which reduces the tendency of skin to be moving between and through the binder's panels, reducing "skin burns" and skin tears, assuring comfort to those in need of the benefits an abdominal binder shoulders out to users.

With most of Dale Abdominal Binders weighing one pound, they provide the ample support needed for post operation patients and exercisers aiming for an overall abdominal support during their workout set.

Along with its gap free stitch system, Dale Abdominal Binders come with a Velcro closure feature, making it easy to wear, for the wearer or wearer's assistant's sake. The Velcro closure device can be "closed" at any point of the abdominal binder, assuring a secure circumference, for better fit.

For post operation abdominal binder users, Dale Abdominal Binders provide the support needed for post operation ambulation exercises, which are essential exercises, as they enhance pulmonary functions, as well as reduce operation incision pains. They encourage patients to go about their mobile exercises, without having to worry about their "sewn up" operation cuts to accidentally open up, leading to a whole new set of problems.

For exercisers aiming to strengthen their respective abdominal regions, Dale Abdominal Binders provide the support they need, as the abdominal binder is made with elastic material, which evenly spreads compression around the abdomen area, moving only in one direction, consistently supporting the wanted degree of support in the abdomen area.

Not only are exercisers' abdomen areas supported, but their backs are supported as well. Dale abdominal binders aid abdomen exercise workouts by encouraging the contraction of the abdomen muscles during the flow of the workout.

Going beyond their roles as post operation supporters, as well as exercise supporters, Dale Abdomen Binders also stand as girdles for those who wish to hide the flab in their abdomen regions.

If you're in the lookout for an abdomen binder, look no further. Dale Abdomen Binders are just what you would be looking for.

Milos Pesic is a professional fitness trainer who runs a highly popular and comprehensive Abdominal Training web site. For more articles and resources on abdominal exercises, abdominal workout tips, abdominal fitness equipment and much more visit his site at:

http://abs.need-to-know.net

Best Abdominal Exercises - A Guide to the Best Abdominal Exercises

Anatomy of The Six Pack Muscles The rectus abdominis is a pair of long and flat muscles that (when people refer to the six pack, this is the muscles that they are referring to), along with the external oblique, the internal oblique and the transverse abdominal muscles, form the abdominal wall. This pair of muscles lies on either side of the midline running from the ribcage above to the pelvic bone below. Each of them is enclosed in a 'rectus sheath', a fibrous covering formed by the aponeuroses or white, fibrous portions of the other abdominal muscles. The front of this muscle has three tendinous intersections to help attach it to its fibrous covering. These are horizontal lines of tendon on the surface of the muscle so that when it contracts, the muscular parts stand out in packets in between these intersections.

The first of the three intersections lies at the level of the lower border of the breast bone, the third at the level of the umbilicus or the belly button and the second midway between the two. The edge of the muscle is also well defined, this being the place where the fibrous portions of the other abdominal muscles split to enclose the rectus abdominis, forming the rectus sheath. In the midline the rectus sheaths of both sides fuse to form the linea alba or the white line. Together, these lines define the shape of this muscle and help give the six pack look when it is contracted.

The Rectus Abdominis The rectus is attached to the 5th, 6th and 7th ribs above and the pelvic bone below. So when it contracts, it helps flex or bend the vertebral column forwards. This is why the muscle is best defined when a person lies flat and tries to raise the head and shoulders from the floor. This is also why abdominal crunches and other exercises involving flexing the spine are used to strengthen the rectus muscles. These muscles also help in expiration.

Abdominal Fat In the abdominal wall, the superficial fascia or the tissue layer just below the skin contains a variable amount of fat. There is usually greater deposition of fat in the lower abdomen, around and below the level of the umbilicus. This fat layer easily hides the rectus abdominis muscles. This is why losing abdominal fat is also vital to gaining six pack abs. Abdominal Crunch So here is the answer that you have been waiting for, your layer of fat hasn't just appeared over night. It will not simply take 100 crunches, sit-ups every morning and every night. You need a carefully thought out plan. Ultimately what it will take is hard work, proper well balanced diet and functional high intensity interval training along with selected few ab strengthening exercises. Balanced diets includes plenty of fresh fruit and veg, lean meat, low GI carbohydrates (i.e, avoid white bread, white pasta, white potato, sugar, pop drinks, dairy cholocate...) and drink water. High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) simply put are functional exercises preformed are very high intensity. This is not a walk in the park or a light jog on the treadmill. Consider this your "cardio session" if you will, with resistance training. A example of HIIT programme could consist of hill sprints and timed circuits with minimal rest done over a 30 minutes period.

Best Abdominal Exercises 1. Overhead Squat Clean and Press or Snatch the barbell overhead with very wide overhand grip. Position toes outward with wide stance. Maintain bar behind head with arms extended. Descend until knees and hips are fully bent or until thighs are just past parallel to floor. Knees travel in direction of toes. Extend knees and hips until legs are straight. Return and repeat. Keep head forward, back straight and feet flat on floor; equal distribution of weight through forefoot and heel. Accelerate when squatting up slowing just before full extension.

Best Abdominal Exercises 2. Kettlebell Windmill Clean and press or snatch a kettlebell overhead with one arm fully extended. Keep the kettlebell locked out and arms straight at all times and push your hip out in the direction of the kettlebell. Turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell. Lower yourself until you can touch the floor with your empty hand. Pause, and reverse back to the starting position. Finish the set and switch to the other arm. The kettlebell windmill exercise targets the abdominals, focusing particularly upon the obliques. It's a very popular kettlebell exercise because it develops flexibility and strength in the core muscles, shoulders and hips. It is one of the all time great exercises. Start with the kettlebell in your right hand and lie with your back on the floor. Press the kettlebell top above your chest position and keep the kettlebell locked out at all times. Bring your right leg in towards the butt and pivot to the left. With the support of your left arm roll onto your left triceps and continue rolling until your hand touches the floor. Using your left hand and right leg, drive your hips up and forward to raise yourself from the floor. Continue this motion and bring your left leg in and take your right leg forward until you are in the bottom position of a lunge. Hold yourself in this position for a second and then stand up with the kettlebell still raised in the lockout position above you. Complete the repetition by reversing the movement back down to the starting position.

Best Abdominal Exercises 3. Abdominal The Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up This is an excellent functional strength exercise that will see you raise yourself from a horizontal to vertical position whilst suspending a kettlebell overhead. It will primarily work the core body and abdominals but is an exercise which epitomises working multiple muscle groups in unison as it calls into play the quads, calves and shoulders also. 4.Hanging windshield wipers Assume a pull-ups position and bring your back horizontal with the floor. Raise your legs so the soles of your feet are facing the ceiling or the sky. Slowly lower the legs to one side, then the other, slowly moving back and forth like a windshield wiper.

Best Abdominal Exercises 5. Ring Rollouts Levels the rings so they are good few inches of the floor. Start with in a Press-up position. Brace your entire body and draw your navel into your spine. Contract your lats for shoulder stability. Extended one arm over your head and alternate the movement. Don't try to extend your arm too far to start with and if you feel tension in your lower back STOP IMMEDIATELY. This is probably due to failure in your posture. Remember to brace your entire body almost as if you are preparing for a punch to your stomach. Please note that this is a very advanced exercise and should not be by someone who has not mastered the basic plank, gym ball roll outs and wheel roll outs. This is at the top of the progression ladder.

The author Valentine Rawat is a leading highly qualified personal trainer with many clients, including professional athletes. He prefers training outside of a gym and has created may videos to help you workout effectively at home To view his professional profile and get links to his video guides visit: [http://www.fitbritz.co.uk/sports-professionals/valentine-rawat].

Fitbritz is the UKs largest Sports, Health and Fitness Portal find everything to do with sports health and fitness. Search for sports health and fitness facilities, exercises classes, fitness trainers, health professionals, therapists, jobs and courses. Buy tickets to top sports events and find offers on activities. Get health and fitness advice, articles and watch videos, from leading fitness professionals http://www.fitbritz.co.uk.

Losing Abdominal Fat The Easy Way

The single most important fact that you should know about losing abdominal fat is that there is no magical formula that can make your abdominal fat vanish in a jiffy. Losing abdominal fat permanently requires patience and commitment to some basic tips. But do not lose heart. It is a feat anyone can accomplish the easy way if one understands the reasons why abdominal fat develops and why it seems so frustratingly resistant to all those exercise or diet plans you have tried out but given up too soon to see results.

The first thing you must understand is that there is no physical exercise that can reduce fat from a specific part of the body. When you burn fat for energy, as during an aerobic activity, fat loss will occur systemically, i.e., from all over the body. But since fat distribution naturally varies from person to person, depending on inherited genetic factors, some people will tend to lose abdominal fat faster while others may lose fat at say hips or thighs faster. So do not compare your abdominal fat loss graph with others.

Another thing, doing countless sit-ups and leg-raises or slogging out day in and day out on the latest abs equipment without paying heed to your diet and an aerobic activity is not going to make your abdominal fat go away. What these exercises do is to shape up and tone your abdominal muscles, but do nothing to metabolize away the layers of fat covering them. That is why the shaped and toned muscles remain elusive to the eye.

There is one and only one way of losing abdominal fat the easy way, and that is with the combination of a balanced and nutritive diet, aerobic activity, and strengthening exercises for abdominal and other muscles. The best kind of workout to burn the layers of abdominal fat along with overall fat comprises a cardiovascular or aerobic exercise like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming or stair climbing, combined with abdominal exercises like crunches and hip lifts, and also weight training for other muscle groups. Weight training increases your lean muscle mass and hence your metabolic rate, implying that you burn more fat even while resting.

Glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is the primary fuel source during the first 10 minutes of an aerobic exercise. Substantial fat burning starts only after stored glycogen is depleted. Hence, the key to fat loss is working out at moderate intensity continuously for about 45-60 minutes. However, this comprises only 50% of the abdominal fat loss plan. The remaining 50% contribution comes from diet control. Abdominal exercises will help strengthen the muscles and give definition to the reducing midsection.

However, if your calorie intake is higher than your calorie expenditure, you are bound to put on abdominal fat as well as general body fat regardless of how diligently you work out and how many abdominal crunches you do - it is simple mathematics in action. Ideally, spread your calorie intake into five small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 big ones. Include a variety of foods that are rich in fiber and low in fat and sugar, with about 55% of the calories coming from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 15% from fat. Avoid carbohydrates late in the evening.

Remember, when it comes to losing abdominal fat, you have to adopt a holistic, whole-body approach - there are absolutely no shortcuts. A surgical shortcut like liposuction also becomes meaningless if you are not going to control to your diet, because removing fat cells from the abdomen by liposuction will lead to excess fat storage elsewhere - perhaps under the chin or on knees or shoulders - where it may look even worse than at the abdomen.

Lastly, here is a fact that is not exactly what you would want to hear: even if you are on a holistic exercise-cum-diet fat loss plan, abdominal fat is most likely going to be the last fat to leave your body.

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What Kind of Abdominal Exercises are Right for You?

When you are trying to choose the abdominal exercises that you should focus on you need to take into consideration what you are doing the abdominal exercises for. If you are doing these abdominal exercises in order to get rid of some of the extra pudge you have put on over the holidays then you will want to focus on abdominal exercises that will focus in on certain spots on the tummy. If you are doing the abdominal exercises in order to strengthen the stomach area then you will want to do a more diverse routine when it comes to your abdominal exercises.

Most people like to do well rounded abdominal exercises. This usually means doing more than one kind of exercise. For example you will want to do both upper and lower tummy crunches.

When it is the upper than you are focusing on you need to lie on your back and raise your upper body towards your lower body. To do lower body crunches then you will lie on your back and lift your legs to your upper body. These are sometimes called reverse crunches. Together these are very powerful abdominal exercises that will transform the look of your body.

Abdominal exercises will give men and women a better, trimmer figure. If you want to make yourself look more fantastic in a dress then you definitely need to start working abdominal exercises into your regular exercise routine. Only these abdominal exercises will give you the most desired shape of all. Not only that but the abdominal exercises we are talking about here will help your body to support your back. If you have a history of back problems then you need to start your abdominal exercises right away. These abdominal exercises can make all of the difference in controlling the trouble that you are so used to having with your back.

By doing regular abdominal exercises you can almost avoid future back problem immediately. But before you start the abdominal exercises you need to take care. Talk to your doctor or chiropractor in order to see the abdominal exercises that are right for this kind of solution. There are some abdominal exercises that can actually make your back problems worse so take the time to okay your choices with your doctor before you start doing them.

It is also important that you start off doing your abdominal exercises slowly. They need to be done on a slow pace when you are first beginning to make use of abdominal exercises, if you rush into serious abdominal exercises you can pull muscles that you did not even know that you had. And that is no way to start doing your abdominal exercises. So start slow and ease into the abdominal exercises that you choose and your body will be a much happier body as time goes on.

Free Fitness and Exercise Tips http://free-fitness-exercise-tips.com/ - lots of information to keep you fit, healthy and help you to get regular exercise.

Doing Lots of Abdominal Exercises is the Best Way to Get Great Looking Abs - Fact Or Fiction?

The abdominals are the muscles that people are concerned with more than any other part of the body. There are so many products developed, articles written, videos made, etc. about developing better looking abs that it could seem like everyone must be walking around with incredible abs. Of course, most people don't have great abs and genetics does play a part, but another reason is because people assume that doing lots of abdominal exercises is the best way to get great looking abs. The reality is that this belief, while common, is complete fiction.

Doing lots of abdominal exercises is definitely not the best way to get great looking abs and believe it or not, it is actually a very inefficient way to get the abs you desire. That said, it is still very important to incorporate abdominal exercises into your overall routine. Just keep in mind that abdominal exercises have more to do with the way your abs work (strength, endurance, etc.) and less to do with making significant changes in the way they look.

One of the common beliefs people have is that their abdominal muscles are not big enough to be clearly seen, so they think doing a lot of abdominal exercise will make them stand out more. Doing abdominal exercise can tighten, tone, or increase the size of your abs, but the problem is rarely that your abs are not big enough to be seen. The real issue is the significant layer of fat that almost everyone has on top of their abdominal muscles. Until the majority of that fat is lost, your abs will never be visible, regardless of how much you train them.

Other people understand the layer of abdominal fat is the real problem, yet they still often develop the mindset that doing lots of abdominal exercises will get rid of their abdominal fat. The assumption being that exercising a particular body part will result in fat loss around those muscles, but unfortunately your body will lose fat from wherever it chooses, regardless of what muscles are being worked. Many people, including myself, tend to lose fat from the arms and legs first and from the abdominal area last. This can happen regardless of the types of exercises performed during your workouts.

In the end it all comes down to losing enough fat to make your abdominal muscles visible. This means your goal should be to use strategies that maximize your overall fat loss, instead of focusing on just trying to lose the fat around your stomach. Anything that results in you losing a significant amount of fat will make your abs look better, regardless of how much time you spend doing abdominal exercises.

The real keys to fat loss are consuming fewer calories than your body uses/burns by eating healthy foods, while not starving yourself, and performing challenging workouts that help you maintain your good weight (muscle, bone, etc.) and stimulate positive changes in your body. For most people the place to start is with their nutrition, because a great workout program will not make up for poor nutrition and it is almost impossible to achieve and maintain significant fat loss until you develop good eating habits.

Exercise plays a significant role in developing great looking as too, but abdominal exercises are not the key to success. Since the goal is to decrease your overall body fat enough to reveal your abs beneath the fat, your focus should be on performing exercises with a high metabolic cost. In other words, you want to perform exercises that are challenging and cause your body to burn a higher number of calories both during and after your workouts.

The best exercises for this purpose are ones that use the greatest amount of muscle mass, because more muscle used means more calories burned. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges are great, because they use the majority of your lower body muscles and focus on the quads (front of your thigh), which is the largest muscle group in the body. One good set of these types of exercises will have a more significant impact on fat loss than many sets of exercises that focus on just your abs.

Of course, performing a few sets of quality squats will not magically make you lose a bunch of fat, but over time, performing exercises that focus on your largest muscle groups will result in more significant improvements than performing the same amount of exercises with smaller muscles, such as your abs. Other exercises, such as bench presses, push-ups, bent rows, and pull-ups are also examples of exercises that work a large amount of muscle at one time.

However, I don't want to give you the impression that you should only do exercises using your quads, or other large muscles because you should always have a complete training program that works your whole body. Focusing too much on any muscle group will result in muscle imbalances and cause problems such as pain or injury in the future. The best approach is to work your whole body, but spend more time doing exercises that use your larger muscles or use multiple muscles at the same time.

Traditional abdominal exercises are simply not very physiological demanding and they do not burn as many calories as many other exercises, so they have little impact on fat loss or overall body transformation. This is why doing lots of abdominal exercises is an inefficient way to get great looking abs. Even though you want to have great looking abs, the best thing to do is stop focusing on your abs and really focus on your whole body.

That said, abdominal exercises are still an incredibly important part of every health and fitness routine. Having well functioning abs will help protect your spine, stabilize your body, transfer force/energy from one part of your body to another, and significantly lower your chances of experiencing low back pain. Correctly performing abdominal exercises will tone, tighten, strengthen and build endurance in these very useful muscles, but doing lots of abdominal exercises is definitely not the best way to develop great looking abs.

Ross Harrison, CSCS, NSCA-CPT is a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, nutritional consultant, and has a BA in psychology from Grinnell College. He takes a holistic approach to health and fitness and teaches people how to lose weight, get in shape, and improve their quality of life with exercise and nutrition. If you want to find out more about his services or contact him for any reason, please visit http://precisionhealth-fitness.com/.