How To Get Abs

An interview that will reveal some of the key secrets to losing stomach fat and getting six pack abs much faster…

CB: Mike, you have a site, The Truth About Six Pack Abs. So… what the heck is the truth?

MG: Well, from what I see on a daily basis, one of the most common fitness goals people have is to get a flatter stomach and if possible, achieve some sort of a “six pack abs” appearance to their stomach. Unfortunately, most people struggle for years without ever achieving this goal. Instead, I see so many people waste so much of their time on worthless abdominal exercises, and falling for every gimmick product that comes onto their TV screen promising them a 6-pack in only 2 minutes a day while sitting on their couch.

To be honest, seeing so many people over the years waste their hard earned money on all of these worthless ab gadgets, machines, ab belts, and bogus fat loss pills was really getting under my skin.

That’s why I developed my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program. Over the last couple years, this program I developed has gained popularity worldwide, and has now recently become the most popular abs program on the internet with tens of thousands of people in over 100 countries using my system.

So what’s the truth? The truth is that people are looking in the wrong direction to achieve this goal… abdominal exercises are NOT the answer to six pack abs! Sounds counterintuitive I know. In fact, ab-specific exercises are the LEAST important training aspect in getting a six pack.

Most people think there must be some magical “underground” abs exercise that is going to finally get them their six-pack after years of struggling.

The fact is, the real solution to seeing a visible six-pack is bringing your body fat percentage down to a low enough level to where the abs become visible. Most people already have them hiding under there and don’t know it. This is generally about 10% body fat or lower for men, and about 16-18% for women from my experience.

Heck, even my 7-year old nephew has a six pack… do you think he got that by doing “abs exercises”? No way! He has a six pack because his body fat percentage is extremely low since he’s so active running around playing all day at his age.

So the most important aspect to getting visible abs is actually a properly designed full body training program, combined with good nutrition that can be maintained for life (instead of a short-term gimmick diet).

CB: For a beginner, how much focus needs to be on abs? What other exercises would you give them for fat loss?

MG: For beginners, I generally start them off with the most basic bodyweight exercises such as bw squats, bw lunges, bw step-ups, pushups, inverted body rows, along with basic dumbbell exercises like overhead presses, rows, etc. We also work on body stabilizing exercises like planks and side planks and a few stability ball exercises to make sure they’ve learned to properly engage their entire “core” area in stablizing the body.

CB: What type of cardio/interval training do you use for fat loss?

MG: The programs I design are almost entirely based on high intensity resistance training instead of cardio. In fact, my resistance training workouts get people sweating and huffing and puffing much more than any boring cardio workout ever will.

The bottom line based on research as well as my personal experience… cardio is NOT necessary for fat loss! In fact, some of the leanest people I know NEVER do traditional cardio. Personally, I haven’t stepped foot on a treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike in about 8 years and I maintain single digit body fat year round.

Now don’t get me wrong about the cardio thing… in reality, I actually work on exercises that are much tougher and more intense than traditional cardio… I prefer wind sprints, hill sprints, swimming sprints, speed rope jumping, etc to complement my resistance training… all of which are more anaerobic in nature than aerobic.

This type of training stimulates a vastly higher metabolic response in the body than steady pace cardio.

Of course, most people can’t just jump right into doing wind sprints without injury until they’ve gotten themselves into pretty good shape first. I use various resistance training methods and interval training for most people before they are ever ready to even attempt any type of sprinting.

CB: Tell us about your favorite bodyweight exercises and how you use them in a fat loss program.

MG: I like to combine bodyweight exercises and free weight exercises into what I call “tri-sets” or “quad-sets” (aka – mini circuits). Basically, I pick 3 or 4 exercises that don’t work the same body movements (non-competing) and combine them into high intensity mini-circuits for my clients.

A great example would be:

1. mountain climbers for 20-30 seconds

2. dumbbell squat & presses (combination squat then press overhead)

3. stability ball leg curl-ins

4. stability ball plank holds (a little harder than a floor plank)

This type of circuit can be done without much rest at all between exercises and we would repeat the circuit several times before moving to a new circuit. This creates a high intensity fat burning workout that works almost every muscle in the entire body.

The 2nd part of the abdominals interview will come shortly and we’ll cover the most important aspect… nutrition for fat loss!

According to a recent study by http://www.acefitness.org, many 6 pack ab exercises are indeed a waste of your time and energy. So in this article, you’ll learn which 6 pack abs workouts are worth your time and energy and another critical piece of advice you should know if you’re ever going to see those sexy 6 pack abs show through.

To cut a long story short let’s look at the what this survey brought back in terms of the least effective ab workout routines:

In last place, was using an ab rocker, closely followed by ab rollers and more suprisingly for some people, ab crunches.

Although we’ve been saying it for years, many people are led to believe that these ab workout equipment and methods are supposed to produce the best results.

It’s no wonder so many people are still slogging it at the gym and still going to bed with that spare band of ugly fat around their midrift.

What came out on top of the best ab workouts?

According to the same study, the most effective ab workouts were, in 3rd place, exercise balls, 2nd place captain’s chair and in first place was…

The Bicyle Maneuver.

However, the study went on to explain that you don’t need to purchase expensive equipment in order to get 6 pack abs , you simply need to know the right foods to eat, when to eat them and what types of other exercises you need to incorporate into your week in order to see results.

In fact, the Doctors involved in the study actually stated that a variety of specific exercises will prove to be the most effective in a) losing weight and b) forming well toned 6 pack abs.

So, before you rush away to find a guaranteed 6 pack abs workout, you should understand that in order to see yourself with a 6 pack anytime soon, you need to know what’s going in along with what’s being burned off.

If you are workout at the gym regularly you will know that one of the hardest muscles to build is your abs as fat around the abdominal area is particularly stubborn and hard to get rid of. This is even harder if you are overweight or have excess fat around your abdominal area. Obtaining solid ripped abs is always the main goal for every person who frequents the gym regularly. As with any tasks or goal, you need to have determination for you to succeed in getting those six pack abs. Without determination and a solid plan, you have already failed before you have even started.How to get abs? That is the most popular question every person wants to know. Well, the answer is actually very simple. There are 3 key areas that you need to focus on and they are: -1) Cardiovascular workouts2) Nutrition3) Abdominal weight trainingIf you are determined and follow these 3 golden rules, you will definitely see your abs. Along the way you are bound to feel that your hard work is not paying off. Keep at it and be persistent as your body needs time to adjust to your new routine and diet. A good indication that your hard work is paying off is when you feel a bit of strain around your abdominal area. You abdominal muscles feel tighter and firmer. Once you shed the fat around that area, you will be able to see your abdominal muscles.Key Area #1 – Cardiovascular WorkoutsGenerally, everyone has muscles around their abdominal area because if we did not, we would not be able to stand or walk as the abdominal muscles are closely related to our back muscles. The only reason why we cannot see them is because they are covered in a layer of fat. The best and most effective way to get rid of fat around your midsection is through cardiovascular workout sessions.Do not think that you can just do a particular exercise routine that focuses on your abdominal area to reduce fat around that area. Exercises like crunches and sit-ups are good only after you have shed the fat through a proper cardio workout. Make sure your cardio sessions include a mixture of high intensity and low intensity phases as you will burn more calories this way. A good example would be to run as fast as you can for 1 minute followed by a slow jog for 2 minutes then repeat the cycle for 20 to 30 minutes.You should incorporate 3 – 4 cardio workout sessions per week in your routine. Among the recommended cardio workouts are running, jogging, biking, the elliptical, aerobics and swimming. However, research has shown that running and jogging burns the most number of calories as it is intense and efficient. If you find running or the road or tarmac hurts your joints, try running on a dirt path or a treadmill. It is much easier on the knees and has less impact.Again, you MUST do a minimum of 3 to 4 cardiovascular workouts per week for a duration of at least 20 minutes if you want to shed fat around your abdominal area in the shortest amount of time. Do not forget to incorporate high and low intensity paces as well in your cardio sessions.Key Area #2 – NutritionAlthough it is common to feel hungry after an intensive workout at the gym, that does not give you the privilege to eat anything and everything that you desire. To shed fat effectively, you need to watch your diet and incorporate a proper cardio workout in your routine. The goal is to burn more calories that you consume each day so as to create a calorie deficit in your body. If you consume more calories than you burn, you are adding fat to your body and you will NEVER see those abs no matter how hard you train.Nutrition plays a very important factor as with proper nutrition you are able to reduce your calorie intake and hence your cardio workouts will be more effective. Instead of eating 3 square meals a day, eat five to six small but nutritious meals spaced apart about every three to four hours. That way, you will not have hunger pangs and desire to snack. If you really have to snack, go for something light like fruits or salad. These snacks are nutritious and have high fiber content.

Do not think that by skipping meals, you will lose weight faster. In fact, it is the opposite. When you skip a meal your body slows down its metabolism rate and instead burns fat less effectively as it is trying to conserve energy. Also, when you are too hungry you tend to snack and eat whatever you can get your hands on. You do not think of nutrition but rather how to recover from your hunger pangs. A good general breakdown when it comes to nutrition is to think of a pyramid whereby protein is at the base level followed by carbohydrates and finally fats. Hence your diet should consist of 50% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 10% fats. Our muscles are typically made from tightly-wound protein molecules. When we workout, our muscles will get damaged and when they recover they become stronger and bigger. That is why; you need to keep your protein intake high to help with the recovery of your muscle tissues.Most people who go on diet tend to shun away from carbohydrates but the fact is, carbs play a vital role in the body which is to provide energy needed during workouts. If you do not have this source of energy, you will lethargic and weak during your workout sessions. However, do not overload yourself with carbohydrates as they are converted to sugar it not used. Keep away from soft drinks and simple sugars like honey, cane sugar, syrups and also a lot of fruit.Water is also very important and you should drink at least a gallon of water each day. As our bodies are 80% fluid, water helps in nutrient absorption and digestion. It also aids in flushing out harmful toxins from your body. After working out, make sure you replenish your fluids by drinking lots of water or isotonic drinks. Click Here For LinksThe key to getting your six pack abs to show is by getting rid of the fat around your abdominal area. The most effective way to do this is by making sure you supply your body with the proper nutrition every 3 to 4 hours and to have a proper cardio workout session 3 to 4 times a week. Create a calorie deficit to increase the metabolism rate in your body and you are on your way to seeing that six pack of abs you have always dreamt of.Key Area #3 – Abdominal Weight TrainingPeople often have this mentality that when it comes to abdominal workouts, they do not need weights. However, when it comes to training other parts of like biceps, chest and triceps they will automatically include weights in their training. Your abdominals are just like any other muscle and therefore you need resistance to strengthen and build them. Below are some proven and effective abdominal workouts that will deliver proper stimulation to your abs.Weighted Leg RaisesLie flat on your back with your hands under your butt. Wrap your feet around a light dumbbell and raise your feet above the ground. Start with 6 inches above the ground, then raise them higher to 12 – 16 inches from the ground and then slowly go back down. Repeat the cycle for 20 reps and gradually increase the weight after you have gotten used to it.Seated Ab MachineWhen you do this, remember not to swing all the way down, just about 30 degrees down to fully contract your abdominal muscles. Hold your position for 3 seconds then go back up. Repeat the cycle for 20 reps.Cable Rope CrunchesGrab the tricep rope, kneel down and bend downwards while contracting your abs. The concept is the same as crunches, only now you are on your knees instead of lying down. Do not swing your hips, just go down until you feel your abdominal muscles contract. Hold your position for 3 seconds then go back up. Repeat the cycle for 20 reps.Weighted CrunchesTake a dumbbell and let it lie on your upper chest or below your chin while performing crunches. You will notice you will have added more resistance to your workout. Experiment with the dumbbell weight till you can do about 10 to 15 reps. Keep in mind that for an effective abdominal workout, you need to have enough resistance.No matter which exercise you perform, you must always remember the weight / resistance factor. If you do not add resistance, you will not be able to increase the amount of lean muscle tissue in your abdominal area. Do not overwork your muscles; twice a week is sufficient for maximum results. The combination of cardiovascular workout, proper nutrition and weight training will guarantee you a six-pack abs in no time. You only need the determination and persistence to achieve it.

Please visit some of my sites 6 Pack Abs and Ab Workouts.

With this article, I want to show you why you might be struggling to lose that stubborn stomach fat that is covering up your abs. These are the main reasons most people just can not seem to get those six pack abs that everyone desires. If you haven’t already seen me around online somewhere, I’m the creator of one of the most popular abdominals and fat loss programs on the internet.So in this article I want to highlight for you the main points and strategies that I use to make this program one of the most effective programs in existance for fully developing your abdominals as well as getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat that is covering them up.Pay attention, because once you get this stuff right and start using these techniques regularly, you’ll be showing off your ripped abs in no time flat, whether it’s at the beach, at the pool, in the bedroom, wherever… Just think how great it’s going to feel when people are complimenting you on your washboard stomach!Alright, here’s what make’s The Truth about Six Pack Abs different:1. The main focus of this program is NOT abs exercises… And, better yet, this program consistently get’s better results by NOT focusing on abs exercises!I know that sounds counterintuitive, but the fact of the matter is that abs exercises are ok, and you do need to do a certain amount of them to develop the abdominals as best as possible. But to be honest, most people that are trying to get better looking abdominals waste WAY too much time training the abs directly. What you really need to focus on is burning off the extra fat that is covering them up.Let’s get this straight right now… Abs exercises do NOT burn fat away from your abs! This can only be accomplished through a much more effective full body training routine that maximizes both your metabolic response and your hormonal response to your workouts. This is the main focus of my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program.Now don’t get me wrong. It wouldn’t be an abs program if I didn’t show you the most effective exercises for developing your abdominals. I also give you detailed instructions and photos on how to do them right. But like I said, the main focus of this program is the secret method that I use to compile the full body training routines and maximize your fat burning effect.This is the main reason that this program will be much more effective for you than any other abs programs you’ve ever tried before. You’ve got my word on that.2. This program uses none of your typical boring monotonous cardio routines.In fact, you don’t have to do any typical cardio if you don’t want to! I actually recommend against it.Seriously, almost every program out there tells you that you must do endless cardio exercise regularly to lose the body fat that is covering your abs. Most of them tell you to do 30-60 minutes of cardio exercise 3-4 days/week in addition to your strength training routines.The truth is that this is not only unnecessary, but it can actually be counterproductive if you’re really trying to get as lean as possible, as quick as possible. I go into this in much more detail in the book, but basically this all comes back to the aspects of your metabolic rate, how much lean muscle you have, the hormonal response in your body from the exercise, and the residual calorie burn in the hours and days following your workouts. And normal boring cardio routines are all wrong when it comes to maximizing these effects!Now you’re probably thinking that since I’m against typical boring cardio routines, then that must simply mean I’m a proponent of interval training. Yes, as a matter of fact, I believe interval training is MUCH better than typical cardio.However, I also use a special exercise combination and sequencing in my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program that gets even more powerful fat loss and muscle defining results than interval training. And that’s saying something, because interval training kicks butt! You’ll find out how this system works inside the program.Want proof that you don’t need typical long-duration steady-pace cardio?Well, first of all, I actually took a course recently that was devoted to scientific research into why steady-pace cardio exercise is actually not that effective at strengthening the heart. The focus of the research basically boiled down to the fact that the heart needs to be trained in a wide variety of ranges to actually be truly strengthened and ready for all the various stresses that life throws at it. Not only that, but steady-pace cardio was also proven in the research studies to be far less effective in the long term at reducing body fat stores.To give you a real life example… Personally, I haven’t done what most people would label “cardio” in probably well over 5 years, and I’m actually leaner now and have a lower bodyfat % now than years ago when I did cardio regularly. Not only that, but my heart is in the best condition ever, as I now consistently have the resting heart rate of an elite athlete at about 50 bpm (remember that lower is better). My resting heart rate used to be in the mid to upper 60’s years ago when I used to do typical cardio and strength training routines like most people do.This improvement in both body fat % and reduced resting heart rate is the direct result of the unique training methods I used in developing the programs in The Truth about Six Pack Abs.3. This program does NOT revolve around having to use supplements or “fat-loss” pills.Trust me when I say that for the most part, about 95% of supplements are a complete waste of your hard earned money. I’ve been approached by supplement companies in the past looking for me to promote their products for them, and offering me a lot of money to do so. Well, you know what I do? I tell them to shove it! Seriously, I won’t promote something to my readers that I don’t honestly believe in.The fact is, I’ve learned over the years through my own experience, as well as hundreds of my clients and friends experiences with supplements, that they are really just selling you the dream that their pill or powder will be some “magical” solution to your struggle with getting that lean ripped body that you’ve been wanting for years. In reality, most supplements do nothing at all to help you improve your body.Don’t get me wrong… I’m not totally bashing supplement companies, but like I said, about 95% of the products they promote are worthless, and won’t create any noticeable changes in your body. I will admit that there can be a place for meal replacements for people that can’t find the time to prepare or pack all of their real food meals. I also admit that I do think a high quality, fast digesting protein like whey protein can be useful to mix into your post-workout smoothies.But the fact is that real food is always better for you than processed supplements (as long as you pick the right “real foods”). Anybody that tells you otherwise has either been brainwashed by all of the propaganda and super-hyped up ads that the supplement companies have spread throughout every magazine on the planet, or they have financial ties to selling supplements in some way themselves.I have dedicated myself to not being lured into the lucrative world of selling supplements. Even though I could make a lot more money selling supplements than by selling my abs program, it’s just plain against my morals to rip people off like that.Frankly, it amazes me that most people are more willing to spend $30, $40, even $50 or more on a bottle of pills or powder than to spend $30 on a comprehensive training and nutrition guide like this Truth about Six Pack Abs program, which will set them up for life on training programs and dietary secrets that will keep them lean and ripped for life. The only thing that bottle of pills or powder is going to do is give you expensive urine! You make the choice.4. This program does not revolve around using any fancy “ab machines” or “ab gadgets”.In case you were suckered into buying any of these worthless ab belts, loungers, rockers, or any other worthless ab gadget or machine, I have bad news… You were ripped off!The truth is that most of these machines and gadgets are not the best way to develop the abdominal muscles. Sure, some of them may help a tiny bit with strengthening the abdominals, but they are far less effective than some of the best floor, hanging, and standing abs exercises.Also, more importantly, virtually all of these abs machines, belts, and gadgets do absolutely nothing to burn fat off of the abdominal area!Again, losing the fat that’s covering up your abs can only be accomplished with a smart nutritional program, and a well designed progressional training program that increases your metabolism and stimulates your fat-burning hormones in your body. Achieving this is simple once you understand the secrets I reveal in the Truth about Six Pack Abs program.5. This program does not include some sort of fad diet or gimmicky diet trend.None of that here. I promise you won’t be given any more crap about needing to eat “low-carb” or “low-fat”, or low or high anything, for that matter. The nutritional secrets I reveal in this program go against all of the authors and companies out there that are trying to lure you in with another one of their gimmicks.The fact is that they need to come up with some sort of different “angle”, so that their diet program appears unique and gives the media something to talk about. That’s why there’s always some gimmick, like low-fat, or low-carb, or high protein, or the “colors diet”, the “low glycemic index diet”, the fasting diet, the cabbage diet, and so on.Instead, I wanted to give you the truth about what it really takes to eat a nutritious diet that not only will have you burning off that stubborn belly fat, but will also have you feeling full of energy every single day. If you don’t already feel energetic and alive every single day, then you are missing out, because it is an awesome feeling!The great thing is that once you start eating balanced and healthy all the time, you virtually eliminate cravings altogether. Personally, I used to crave sweets constantly before I adopted the nutritious diet that I currently eat. Now, I can honestly say I can’t remember the last craving I had. It had to be more than 5 years ago… no joke!Not only that, but I actually enjoy everything I eat way more than I used to years ago when I ate a lot of junk. Does that mean that I never eat burgers, or pizza, or beer? Of course not… We all have a social life. In fact, there are actually very healthy ways and variations to preparing healthier burgers and healthier pizza that I occasionally use.I hope this article has given you some insight as to where you may be going wrong with your exercise and nutrition plans in striving for those elusive abs. See below for more info on losing stubborn stomach fat and developing ripped six pack abs.Check out the Truth about Six Pack Abs Program for more tips on six pack abs program.

Q1: How do I get abs like Dexter Jackson?Getting visible abdominal muscles or “abs” depends on reducing the amount of fat covering the abs, see Question 3. Getting hard, lumpy abs depends on developing the underlying muscles, for details, read on… ——————————————————————————–Q2: Should I do lots of situps to reduce fat around my middle?No. Exercising the area from which you want to lose fat is called “spot reduction”. Spot reduction is now believed to be a myth. Research shows that fat is lost all over your body, not just in the area that you work. Situps are also bad for your lower back (see Question 5). ——————————————————————————–Q3: How do I reduce the fat covering my middle?The answer comes in two parts: diet and aerobic exercise.DIETTwo principles loom large when trying to “sculpt” one’s body:* Calorie accounting: To lose fat, one must reduce calorie intake and/or increase energy expenditure so that stored fat is utilized as fuel for the body.* Biology is destiny: fat cells, whether increased in size, number or both, cannot turn into muscle cells.Reducing the fat accumulation in one area of the body is not easy. The usual measures to lose weight (including reducing calorie intake, increasing exercise or both) may lead to weight loss but not necessarily in a single area. In fact, short of having cosmetic surgery (such as liposuction), you cannot easily choose the area from which the fat will be lost. This is the reason that some women notice that their breasts (which are largely composed of fat) get smaller when they diet.And weight loss is more than just reducing “calories in” compared with “calories out.” The difficulty many people have in losing weight probably relates to a well-established phenomenon that seems terribly unfair: As you take in fewer calories, the body’s metabolism changes, so that fewer calories are burned with normal body function. In studies of persons losing 10 percent to 20 percent of their body weight, “calories out” diminished, despite similar activity levels, which slowed further loss of weight.Given this grim reality, you cannot readily transform an abdomen with excess fat into the physique of your dreams simply by doing lots of sit-ups. You’ll lose the fat by diet and/or exercise, and you’ll increase muscle mass by exercising those muscles. Of course, there may be other reasons to do sit-ups — for example, strong abdominal muscles reduce the chances of back problems; but shrinking your abdomen is not one of them.This is controversial, but most people agree that eating very little fat and lots of complex carbs (like rice, pasta and potatoes) helps ensure that you don’t add additional fat. Then you have to work at using the fat you already have stored which involves…EXERCISEAgain a bit controversial, but it’s widely agreed that regular, moderate, aerobic exercise 3-4 times per week works best to burn fat that’s already stored.”Moderate” because intense exercise burns glycogen not fat, so keep the intensity at about the level where you are beginning to puff a little.”Aerobic” means (very vaguely) the kind of exercise that requires you to inhale more. Some suggest that building more muscle through weight training helps as well, since muscle burns fat just by being there and moving your body about; so some weight training couldn’t hurt and will probably help.Many misc.fitness people agree that exercise periods of more than 20 minutes work best. But note that the longer you exercise, the more prone you are to injury since your muscles also begin to weaken. Two things which help prevent injury are:a good warmup 5-10 minutes of light exercise to warm your muscles, try to break a sweat stretching cautious 20-30 sec stretches for every muscle .——————————————————————————–Q4: How do I exercise the abs?The abs are designed to perform one main task, to shorten the distance between your sternum, or breastbone, and your pelvis. The only way to do this is to bend your spine in the lower back region.In short, any exercise which makes you move your sternum toward your pelvis or your pelvis toward your sternum is good. To do this safely, the lower back should be slightly rounded, not arched.In general when exercising the abs, try to maintain the natural arch of you lower back. The lower back will round slightly as you perform the exercises. Don’t fret about pressing your back into the ground. ——————————————————————————–Q5: What’s wrong with situps?Traditional situps emphasize sitting up rather than merely pulling your sternum down to meet your pelvis. The action of the psoas muscles, which run from the lower back around to the front of the thighs, is to pull the thighs closer to the torso. This action is the major component in sitting up. Because of this, situps primarily engage the psoas making them inefficient at exercising your abs. More importantly, they also grind the vertebrae in your lower back.They’re inefficient because the psoas work best when the legs are close to straight (as they are when doing situps), so for most of the situp the psoas are doing most of the work and the abs are just stabilising.Putting the thighs at a right angle to the torso to begin with means that the psoas can’t pull it any further, so all of the stress is placed on the abs.Situps also grind vertebrae in your lower back. This is because to work the abs effectively you are trying to make the lower back round, but tension in the psoas encourages the lower back move into an exaggerated arch. The result is the infamous “disc pepper grinder” effect that helps give you chronic lower back pain in later life.Q6: What are good ab exercises?We’ve divided the exercises into upper and lower ab exercises. Note that there aren’t two separate muscles that you can truly isolate, so all the exercises stress the whole abdominal wall. However there are “clusters” of muscle separated by connective tissue (these make up the “washboard” or the “six-pack”). You can focus on the upper clusters by moving just the torso and the lower clusters by moving the pelvis.For the lower abs, in increasing order of difficulty:lying leg raises reverse crunches vertical lying leg thrusts hanging knee raises hanging leg raises For the upper abs:ab crunches 1/4 crunches cross-knee crunches pulldown crunches Lower Ab ExercisesLying Leg RaisesLie on your back with your hands, palms down under your buttocks. Raise your legs about 30cm (12″) off the floor and hold them there. Now trying to use just your lower abs, raise your legs by another 15cm (6″). Do this by tilting the pelvis instead of lifting the legs with the psoas. Make sure your knees are slightly bent.If you’re big or have long legs or both, you should probably avoid this exercise. For people with legs that are too heavy for their lower abs strength, this exercise pulls the lower back into an exaggerated arch which is bad (and painful). For reasons why it’s bad, see Question 5. If you have this problem you can either try bending your knees slightly and making sure you keep your lower back fairly flat, or just try another exercise. Reverse CrunchThis exercise can be done on the ground or on an incline situp board. All you need is something behind your head to hold. If you use the incline board, use it with your feet lower than your head.Lying on your back, hold a weight or a chair leg (if lying on the floor) or the foot bar (if using the situp board). Keep the knees slightly bent.Pull your pelvis and legs up so that your knees are above your chest and then return to beginning position.This exercise is very similar to a hanging knee raise, but a little less intense. Vertical Lying Leg ThrustsInitial position:Lie on your back. Put your fists under your buttocks to form a cradle. Raise your legs in the air 20-30cm (10-12″) off the ground, knees slightly bent. If you feel any strain on your lower back, bend your knees a little more. Raise your head and shoulders off the ground slightly if you can to help keep the abs stressed. The exercise itself has four phases:Raise your legs until your feet are above your pelvis; focus on contracting the abs. Thrust your heels to the ceiling, breathe out, keep contracting the abs raising the pelvis out of the cradle of your fists. Lower out of the thrust back to your fists, leaving your feet above your pelvis. Lower your legs back to the initial position. Legendary Abs II recommends these as safer than Lying Leg Raises. Hanging Knee RaisesYou need a chin-up bar or something you can hang from for this. Grab the bar with both hands with a grip a bit wider than your shoulders, cross your ankles and bring your knees up to your chest (or as close as you can get). Your pelvis should rock slightly forward. Pause at the top of the movement for a second and then slowly lower your knees by relaxing your abs. Don’t lower your legs all the way. Repeat the movement using just your abs to raise your knees.Make sure that you don’t start swinging. You want your abs to do the work, not momentum. It’s important that you don’t move your legs too far or your psoas muscle will be doing a lot of work and possibly causing back problems as in a situp.Make sure your pelvis moves, your lower back stays neutral or slightly rounded, not arched, and that your abs are doing the work, not your hips. Hanging Leg RaisesJust like knee raises except you keep your legs straight. This requires good hamstring and lower back flexibility.Although Legendary Abs recommends these, The American Council on Exercise’s Aerobics Instructor book warns that they have the same back problems as conventional situps. This makes sense since, like situps, the legs are kept straight and the hips move. The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) also regards hanging leg raises as dangerous.For safety you should probably stick to leg thrusts and knee raises.If you do do hanging leg raises, make sure your lower back stays neutral or rounded.There is an isometric variant done by gymnasts called the “L-Support”, which basically consists of taking the leg raise position with the legs held straight at a level just above the hips. The position is held for 10 seconds. When you can complete this easily, try a higher position. The same cautions about back position still hold.Upper Ab ExercisesAb CrunchesLying on your back, put your knees up in the air so that your thighs are at a right angle to your torso, with your knees bent. If you like you can rest your feet on something, like a chair. Put your hands either behind your head or gently touching the sides of your head.Now, slowly raise your shoulders off the ground and try to touch your breastbone to your pelvis, breathing out as you go. If you succeed in touching your breastbone to your pelvis, see a doctor immediately.Although the actual movement will be very small (your upper torso should move through less than 30 degrees) you should try to go as high as possible. Only your spine should bend, your hips should not move. If the hips move, you are exercising the psoas.Do these fairly slowly to avoid using momentum to help.You can increase the difficulty of the exercise by extending your hands out behind your head instead of keeping them at the side. Make sure you don’t jerk your hands forward to help with the crunch, keep them still. 1/4 CrunchesSame as an ab crunch except that you raise your shoulder up, instead of pulling them toward your pelvis. You can do these quickly, in fact it’s hard to do them any other way. Cross-Knee CrunchesLike ab crunches, take the lying, bent-knee position, but this time crunch diagonally so that you try to touch each shoulder to the opposite hip alternately. At the top position, one shoulder and one hip should be off the ground. Pulldown CrunchesDrape a towel or rope around the bar of a pulldown machine so that you pull the weight using it instead of the bar. Kneel facing the machine and grab hold of the towel and put your hands against your forehead. Kneel far enough away from the machine so that the cable comes down at a slight angle.The exercise is the same movement as an ab crunch, but using the weight instead of gravity. The emphasis is still on crunching the abs, pulling the sternum (breastbone) towards the pelvis and making sure you exhale all your air at each contraction. ——————————————————————————–Q7: Is there a specific order I should do exercises in?According to Legendary Abs, you should exercise the lower abs before the upper abs and do any twisting upper ab movements before straight upper ab ones. Twisting exercises work the obliques as well as the upper abs. ——————————————————————————–Q8: How do I structure an ab routine?According to the guidelines in Legendary Abs:Try to do sets in the 15-30 rep range. Follow the ordering rules in Question 7. Pick easy exercises to start with and when you can happily do about 2 sets in a row of an exercise, try harder ones. Only rest when you absolutely must, so take a short (10-15sec) rest between two sets of the same exercise, but none between lower and upper abs. Try to take about 1 second for each rep, except for ab crunches which you do slower (2 secs/rep) for a better contraction and 1/4 crunches which you should do fast (2 reps/sec) because you’re hardly moving.