The American Council on Exercise conducted a study that determined that the classic sit-up is not effective if you want to achieve strong, defined abs. This conclusion was intriguing, to say the least. In fact, out of all ab exercises, the traditional sit-up was among the least effective abdominal muscle exercises. That is right; least effective. Alright, so the sit-up is not only ineffective, but it has the potential to be harmful. So if this is one of the worst abdominal exercises, then what is better and safer?

First, there is the traditional crunch. To do a crunch, you will need to lie on the floor with your knees slightly bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abs by drawing your bellybutton back towards your spine and cross your arms over your chest. Next, raise your shoulders off the floor while keeping your back straight. Don’t forget to breathe and remember to exhale through your mouth while performing crunches. With your shoulders raised, pause for a moment and exhale. Now slowly lower your shoulders back to the floor without allowing your head to touch the floor.

No great abdominal workout would be complete without leg lifts. To do a leg lift, lie on the floor with hands at your sides and your legs flat. Lift your legs straight up so that they are pointing at the ceiling; then lower them down again without letting them touch the ground. Continue lifting and lowering your legs for as long as you are comfortable. As an alternative to this exercise, you can also hold yourself up on a bar and do leg lifts by raising your knees to your chest.

You perform a v-up when you lie flat on a mat with your hands extended back over your head, touching the floor. Now raise your torso and legs simultaneously, while keeping your legs straight. Extend your hands towards your feet and if possible, touch them. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the flat position.

So there you have it; some good and effective ab exercises that are invaluable when working to tone your core. Give each of them a try so you can get an idea of which ones you enjoy the most. Your abdominal muscle group will respond with just a few simple lifestyle changes, such as diet and a combination of abdominal cardio exercises. Remember that the most effective workout is the one that challenges you the most.

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Let’s talk about your diet. If you are just beginning your quest for six pack abdominals, then you probably need to lose weight first. Losing that layer of abdominal fat that is hiding your abs is your first step. A healthy and nutritious diet that results in reasonable weight loss is one of the four primary components of your plan.

Beginning an exercise program is not the time to be afraid of eating fats. What you do need to do is limit your fat intake to the good fats, which are mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats. Your choices should include olive oil, nuts, avocados and natural peanut butter. Achieving ripped abdominal muscles requires a healthy diet as well as good abdominal exercises.

Next, let’s discuss exercise. It is widely agreed upon that the most important exercise in your quest for flat abs is stretching. That is correct, as stretching is an integral part of exercising your abdominals because your body needs to remain limber and flexible in order to glean the most benefit from the other three components of your plan.

No fitness regimen is complete without some good old traditional walking. If you want defined abs, then you need to understand that walking can play a critical role in your regimen. Walking provides great stimulation for the abdominals and helps keep your core tight. Try to walk around three miles at least every other day. Even if you have been fairly sedentary, you should be able to complete this distance in less than an hour.

Workouts that use weights are extremely important to attaining toned abdominals when beginners start exercising. Basic instructions on weightlifting can be found by doing a simple search on the Internet. With minimal effort, you should be able to find step-by-step instructions for using weights to develop six pack abdominals.

While you may envision hours of sweaty exertion when dreaming of achieving sculpted abs, the truth is that your initial focus should be on your diet. The saying that flat abs are made in the kitchen is probably the most accurate way of putting it. So what should you be doing to get ripped abdominal muscles? Simple. Watch your diet, exercise, walk and do weight training.

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