Killer Ab Workout!

Whether you're a male or female, a well conditioned midsection is a sign of health, vitality and strength.

The following ten ab exercises, in combination with an ab friendly fat burning diet, will give you a flat, tight, defined set of abdominal muscles, giving your body an overall impression of fitness and muscularity.

For each of the following crunch exercises, the standard position is as follows:

1. Sit cross legged on the ground.
2. Raise your elbows above your head.
3. Grab (or try to grab) the opposite shoulder blades i.e. grab your right shoulder blade with your left hand and vice versa so your arms are crossed.
   
4. Relax your head and neck so they are cradled in your crossed arms.
5. Holding your arms in this position, lower yourself on the ground

Repetitions

Start with about 5 repetitions of each of the exercises, totaling 50 repetitions for the entire routine. As you progress, work your way up until you reach 20 reps of each exercise, totaling 200 reps for the entire routine.

Try not to rest between sets, but if you do, limit it to 10 seconds.

Once you reach 200 reps for the routine, you should have strong and well defined abs. If you cannot see them still, it's most probably due to excess body fat concealing them. Continue with the exercises, but focus more on the diet aspect.

Form

Good form is essential with these exercises. Keep your head and neck relaxed at all times, and keep your arms crossed behind your head. This ensures your abs are doing all the work.

Always raise and lower your torso smoothly, as a jerking motion can cause back injuries.

Now here are the ten exercises.

Exercise 1.

This will work the lower abs and groin.

Starting position: Lie flat on the floor with your arms crossed behind your head as described above. Raise your knees in front of you but keep your feet flat on the floor. Turn your toes in so your feet form a triangle.

Motion: From here you simply raise your torso in a 'crunch' motion, and then lower yourself back down. You should only raise your head about 1 foot off the floor, not all the way up to your knees. You'll know when you've gone high enough, as your abs will have full tensed up, and to move any further you'd need to employ your back or neck to do the work, which you don't want to do.

Note that the motion described will be the same for all the exercises in this routine.

Exercise 2.

This exercise will affect the lower abdomen and oblique muscles.

Starting position: As exercise 1, only instead of having your knees in front of you, drop your knees to the ground (while keeping them bent) and put the soles of your feet together so that your bent legs form a diamond shape.

Motion: As exercise 1.

Exercise 3.

This will work the lower abdominal rows.

Starting position: Raise your knees in front of you like exercise 1, but also raise your feet slightly off the ground so your shins are almost, but not quite, parallel to the ground. Keep your knees touching and the side of your feet touching.

Motion: As exercise 1.

Exercise 4.

This will exercise your obliques and lower abdomen.

Starting position: As exercise 4 i.e. with your knees raised and feet off the ground, but this time push the soles your feet together and keep your knees apart. This will produce a similar diamond shape as in exercise 2.

Motion: As above

Exercise 5.

This exercise works the midsection.

Starting position: Lie flat on the ground with, of course, your arms braced behind your head. Raise your legs off the ground so your feet are facing the ceiling. Do not bend your knees, and make sure they are touching. Your body should be in an 'L' shape.

Motion: As above

Exercise 6.

This will work the upper abdominal row.

Starting position: As exercise 5, only spread your legs as far as you can while still keeping your feet facing the ceiling and your knees locked.

Motion: As above

Exercise 7 and 8.

Starting position: Lie down, bend one knee 90 degrees and raise that leg off the ground, as you would in exercise 3. Keep the other leg perfectly straight, however, and have it raised about an inch off the floor. You should be in a 'cycling' position.

Motion: As above.

Reverse the raised leg and straight leg for exercise 8.

Exercise 9 and 10.

These exercises work the obliques and require a partner.

Starting position: For this one you lie on one side with, of course, your arms braced behind your neck. Bend your knees and raise them towards you, so that you're almost in the fetal position. Now, have a partner hold down your knees and shins.

Motion: Lift your torso upward as described in all the other exercises, only make sure your partner is holding down your knees and shins. You should feel the side of your abs being worked.

Flip over and lie on the other side for exercise 10.