The abdominals are one of those muscles that you can workout everyday. This Workout Program For Abs consist of three different elements that will get you on track to having a well shape core…

• Abdominal Exercises
• Diet
• High Intensity Interval Training

Abdominal Exercises

In this article – Part 1, I list the best Ab Exercises along with a brief explanation of each. Over time try them all and then pick the ones that work best for you. Remember, for best results confuse those abs by switching to different exercises from time to time.

Crunch

Crunches focuses on the upper abdominals.

Lay on your back with your legs bent. Bend your knees to a 90 degree angle with your knees facing toward the ceiling and your feet on the ground. This will be your starting position of the crunch. Place your hands behind your neck and using your ab muscles, slowly roll your body up until you feel the tension. Then slowly lower your body backwards until your back is flat on the floor again.

Crunch Twist

This exercise stresses the upper abdominal and the obliques.

Performed the same as the crunch except now you are trying to touch your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa. You want to engage the twisting motion of the obliques.

Side Crunch

This works your oblique muscles.

Lay flat on your back and have your hands by your side. From this position, try to touch your right hand to your right ankle and then your left hand to your left ankle.

Push Through

A variation of a crunch.

Lay on your back with your legs slightly bent. Your knees should be bent to a 90 degree angle with your knees facing toward the ceiling and your feet on the ground. From this position, reach your arms straight out and try to touch your feet. Have your hand go in between your knees when you do your crunch. Another variation is to reach on the outside of your knees when you try to touch your feet. This will engage the obliques more.

Legs Up Crunch

Also a variation of the crunch.

Lay flat on your back and have both your legs straight up in the air. They should be perpendicular to the ground. Now try to touch your ankles by reaching upwards and flex the abs when you go up.

Knees Bent Crunch

Another variation of the crunch.

Lay on your back and have your knees up in the air with your feet in the air as well. From your knees to your feet, they should be parallel to the ground. From this position, try to touch your ankles by reaching toward them with your hands. Flex your abs on every rep. Another variation of this crunch is to twist your waist every rep so you will engage your oblique muscles.

V-Up

This exercise works the lower, middle and upper abs.

Start by laying flat on your back. Do a crunch with your hands behind your head and at the same time do a leg raise. Continue upwards on both your legs and your head until your elbows touch your legs. Then slowly lower your legs and your head back down at the same time. Make sure your keep your legs straight.

V-Up Twist

The upper, middle and lower abs will be worked, plus it works your obliques.

To execute this exercise, perform a regular v-up, but now when you are doing your crunch, touch your right elbow to your left leg and vice versa on the next rep. Continue this alternating twist until you are done with your set.

Leg Raises

Here you will be focusing on the lower part of your abs.

To execute this exercise, lay flat on your back. Keeping your legs straight and together, raise them slowing in the air until they are perpendicular to the ground. Then slower lower them back down to the ground.

Leg Raise Kick Ups

This is a more advance form of the leg raises.

Performed the same as the leg raise, except once your legs are perpendicular to the ground, you now will try to push them straight up in the air. As you push your legs up, try to lift your butt off the ground while keeping most of your upper back remaining on the ground. Then, slowly lower them back to the starting position.

Scissors

This is performed just like a leg raise, except you are only raising one leg at a time.

Sit Up Knee Kick Out

This exercise works the lower, middle and the upper abs.

Start out by laying on your back. Raise both of your knees up to your chest while at the same time doing a sit up. Then, slowly extend your legs straight and lower your head back down. Make sure you do not have your legs touch the ground when you extend them forward, keep them in the air. And, keep your legs close together.

Sit Up Twist Knee Kick Out

Done the same as the sit up knee kick outs except now you will twist your waist. Try to touch your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa when you bring your knees toward your chest. This is a very difficult exercise and it will work your entire core.

Sit Up

Works your upper ab muscles.

With the crunch, you will only go partially up until you feel your ab muscles contract. The sit up requires you to go all the way up until your chest touches your knees.

To perform this exercise, place your feet under something secure and have your knees slightly bent. Place your hands behind your neck, but be sure never to grab your neck when doing a sit up, use your ab muscles to perform this exercise. Have your back on the ground and slowly curl your body up until your chest touches your knees. Then slowly lower them back down to the ground.

Sit Up Twist

This will engage the obliques and the upper ab muscles.

Performed the same as the sit up, except now you are touching your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa.

Knee Ups

This is also called a reverse crunch.

Lay flat on your back and have both your knees come up to your chest. Using your ab muscles, raise your lower back off the ground and then slowly return it to the ground. You will really feel the upper ab muscles being worked in this exercise.

Knee Up Twist

This exercise is performed the same as the knee ups except now you will twist your hips so that the knees are on either the right or the lefts side when you lift them up. This will engage the obliques muscles more.

Both Knee Kick Out

This stress the middle abs.

Lay flat on your back and have both your knees in the air. Starting position should be with your legs straight in the air, but having your knees bent so that from the feet to the knee is parallel to the ground. From this position, extend both legs out until they are straight but still in the air. Then slowly return them to the starting position.

Bicycle Kicks

This will work your middle abs.

The starting position is the same as the both knee kick outs except you are only extending one leg at a time. Keeping one leg in and one leg extended, you will alternate form each leg.

Bicycle Kicks/ Sit Up Twist

Works your obliques, upper abs, middle abs, and your lower abs.

This is combination of two exercises to give you a total core workout. While performing the bicycle kick, you will be doing a sit up twist. When the right knee comes in toward your chest for the bicycle kick, you will at the same time do a sit up twist and touch your left elbow to the right knee, and vice versa when your left knee comes in.

Crossover Sit Up

This works your obliques and your upper abs.

You will start out by laying on your back with one knee slightly bent on the ground and the other leg crossed over it. If you have your left leg crossed over your right, then you will sit up and touch your right elbow to your left knee. And vice versa when your right leg is crossed over your left.

Standing Twist

Works your obliques.

Start out by having some form of straight bar behind your upper back and hold each end with your hands. You can use a barbell or a broom handle. Stand straight up and have your legs slightly bent. From this position, try to twist your waist and have the right end of the bar touch your left foot, and vice versa on the other side.

Hanging Leg Raises

This works out your lower abs.

Hold yourself in the air on a chin up bar. Lift your legs straight up at the waist until they are parallel to the ground. Then slowly lower them back to the starting position.

Hanging Knee Ups

Hold yourself in the air on a chin up bar. Have your legs straight down. From this starting position, raise both knees and try to touch your chest. Then slowly lower them back to the starting position.

Hanging Knee Up Twist

Same starting position as the hanging knee ups except now when you raise your knees, you will raise them to right and the left side of your body, alternating on each rep.

After you have built up your ab muscles through the above ab exercises, you now will want to show them off. The only problem is they may be covered up by a thick layer of fat. If so, you will have to diet and do cardio exercises to lose the fat to see those abs, which we will discuss in Part 2 and Part

Henry Chervenka