The Core

What is the most widely recognized muscle besides the biceps? The six pac abs. Or the eight pac for the really ambitious and genetically fortunate. This is the most widely trained muscle, especially by women, but there are also really few people with great abs. Why? Because conventional ab work does not work. Here are some ways to train your abdominal muscles and actually make a difference.

Start with a warm up.

Next pick three or four ab exercises that you are feeling for that day.

Start by performing a set amount of reps (around 10-15) with each exercise with no rest in between exercises, but don't rush either. Walk from one to the next and you should be taking the right amount of time for your abs to recover.

Do two to three rotations of 10-15 reps and then finish off with a rotation where you max out each exercise.

Stretch it out and get ready to have some sore abs tomorrow.

Its important that you struggle to finish the 10-15 reps each set, if you don't then you need to pick a harder exercise.

Good ab exercises to choose from:

1. Hanging leg raise.

Start in a pull up position but instead of pulling your body up just raise your strait legs to connect your knees to your hands.

2. Not-hanging leg raise.

Same as above but use one of those fancy machines that support you by your elbows instead of hanging.

3. Weighted decline sit up.

Seems obvious.

4.  Weighted decline oblique twist.

Hold the weight at your chest and keep your body parallel to the ground as you twist the weight from side to side slowly and painfully.  (good pain)

5. Ab roll-out.

Sit on your knees and grab a roller. Keep your back flat, only bend at the waist and shoulders as you roll out till your face is almost on the ground. Roll back up.

6. Plank shoulder touch.

Start in plank position and slowly raise your hand to the opposite shoulder while keeping your body steady.