Abdominal Exercises

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Basic Information About Abs

Note that I will continue to update the list of abs exercises I have noted on this page. You will notice that there are hundreds of abs exercises out there. Don’t freak out! I am not going to recommend that you do all of them. The idea is to have a program that you can follow that uses some of the exercises and once you complete that program you adopt another that has a combination of different ab exercises. The abs programs are really what got me excited to start this website. I am going to develop a series of six week programs that you can follow along at your own time from your home and together we will work towards our individual abdominal goals. I love the internet!!! This is a Group workout in the Information Era; at least you won’t have to smell Paul’s dirty gym clothes that he has not washed for the past few sessions!!!

Do you know the difference between a Sit-Up and a crunch? I won’t even share with you some of the answers I have heard out there!!! It’s no surprise to me that some people have been working on their abs for months and even years yet still see no results and that most people give up after about a month of trying.

It’s crucial that you understand the difference before you even begin the abs routine because if you don’t then how could you know that you are targeting the right muscle or doing the right exercise for the goals you have set for yourself???

Basically, a Sit Up targets your hip flexor muscles and NOT your abs!!! A proper sit-up is simply achieved by raising your upper body including your lower back from the floor towards your knees or the ceiling.

A Crunch on the other hand is the exercise that my programs will focus on because this is what works on your abs! A proper abs crunch is achieved when you move your chest closer to your pelvis. Note that your lower back does not leave the ground during a crunch.

Include cardio vascular exercises with your abdominal routines! You will notice that all my programs will have an element of aerobics at some point. Why include aerobics or a cardio vascular routine? Your abs are a combination of muscles and above that muscle lies the fat that everyone is trying to get rid of so that the abdominal muscles can appear exaggerated – six pac! So understand that the crunches will burn some fat and definitely build your abdominal muscles but the cardio will burn the majority of the fat that hides your six pac. The combination of crunches and cardio is a winning formula for a flatter tummy or that six pac that up to now you have only dreamt of;)

Understanding Abdominal Muscles

Rectus Abdominus:	The rectus abdominus is the ab muscles responsible for the six pac look that we all aspire to have. This muscle is responsible for posture but not as much as internal obliques and transversus.
External Obliques:	External obliques are a pair of ab muscles located on either side of the torso and are the largest and strongest abdominal muscles. They are on the surface and begin at ribs 5 to 12 and connect to the linea semilunaris. Just as the rectus abdominus, external obliques are responsible for body posture but not as much as internal obliques and transversus. External obliques also play a role in rotation and lateral flexion of the spine.
Transversus Abdominis:	The transversus abdominus muscle is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and they go horizontally from front to back. It plays a major role in body posture. You cannot touch this muscles as with external obliques.
Internal Obliques:	Internal obliques are another pair of ab muscles located on either side of the torso. Sandwiched in the middle between external obliques and transversus abdominis, internal obliques begin from the side of the hip crest and the inguinal ligament, and connect with the lenea semilunaris. These are the second deepest ab muscles, after the transversus and also play a major role in body posture. Like external obliques, internal obliques are involved in rotation and lateral flexion of the spine.

Below is a list of some abdominal exercises that you may already be familiar with:

Ab Crunches	Oblique Crunches
Reverse Crunches	Bicycle Crunches
Sleeping Crunch	Cable Crunches
Swiss Ball Crunches	Decline Reverse Crunches
Ball Push-up Ab Crunches	Zambezi Killer Crunch
Medicine Ball Crunches	Crocodile Chase Crunches
Medicine Ball Throws	Dumbbell Side Bands
Full Sit-Ups	45 Degree Sit-Ups
Oblique Set-Ups	Sleeping Leg Raises
Decline Leg Raises	Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging Knee Raises	Exercise Ball Roll-Ins
Russian Twist	Front Plank
One Leg Front Plank	Side Plank

I will not bore you by explaining all the above different abs exercises that I have noted because I will explain them in the individual programs as we go along. This is a perfect website because you can join my programs at any point and if you follow the program you will see results and maintain your results going forward. So my goal is to help you achieve the flat tummy and/or six pac and keep it that way for life!!! Sounds impossible? It is not! You will be surprised what my programs and the power of consistency can do for you!

Along the way I will provide you with tips and tricks including cheats to get you results faster! Yes I said cheats! Sometimes it is ok when it comes to your body to cheat a little in helping your body achieve the next goal. But keep in mind that by cheating I don’t mean go and take illegal substances. I am merely referring to legal supplements that are available on the market that can help you to lose weight a little faster but remember that they will not work and keep the weight off without a solid workout program that they are supplementing. Remember the products such as diet pills you may decide to buy supplement your workout and never the other way around!

Welcome to my Six Week Program. Click HERE To View The Current Program.

Don't forget to check back to this website frequently for my daily exercise tips and updates.