Belly Fat SecretLose That Belly Fat For Good

Hundreds of exercises can be used to tone the three major muscles of the abdomen. The No. 1 abdominal exercise activates all of these muscles with maximum intensity, when compared against the classic crunch. A 2001 study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise and performed by researchers at San Diego State University rated 13 of the most popular abdominal exercises, which determined that the bicycle maneuver was the most effective abdominal exercise. The IDEA Health and Fitness Association reports that the Pilates version of this exercise, the criss-cross, is more effective than the basic crunch at activating the rectus abdominis, and more effective at targeting the obliques.

Step 1

Lie on your back on an exercise mat. Draw your knees up over your hips and make your shins parallel to floor. Form a 90-degree angle at the hips and the knees.

Step 2

Press your lower back into the ground. Place your hands beside your head. Rest your fingertips at your temples.

Step 3

Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor. Inhale, and as you exhale extend your right leg at a 45-degree angle. Simultaneously, twist your torso to bring your right elbow or shoulder to your left knee.

Step 4

Repeat on the other side, touching your left elbow or shoulder to your right knee. Continue to alternate until you have completed 10 to 15 repetitions. Stick with one set as a beginner. Work your way up to two or three sets as you become stronger. Give yourself a minute or two to rest between each set.

Step 5

Augment your bicycle maneuvers with other abdominal exercises. Try the captain’s chair—a tall piece of equipment that looks like a chair without a seat bottom. You climb into the “chair” to prop yourself up on the armrests with your forearms, press your back into the backrest and raise your knees to your chest. Round out your abdominal workout with the stability ball crunch.

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Crunches are by far one of the most popular core exercises, so it’s no wonder there are so many variations. Certain crunches emphasize the front of the abdomen and some emphasize the obliques on the sides. The abdominal muscles are like any other — they respond differently when exercised differently and build strength in the position you use them in. Crossing the legs adds a new stimuli.

Butterfly Crunches

Butterfly crunches work the rectus abdominis muscle, which is close to the surface of the skin and runs lengthwise down the abdomen. This muscle brings the head and shoulders off the floor during a floor crunch and also works during butterfly crunches. To perform a butterfly crunch, lie on your back with your legs crossed on the floor. Let your hips open toward the floor. Put your hands behind your head and then curl your shoulders off the floor.

Reverse Crunch With Crossed Legs

The reverse crunch has many variations from bent legs to straight, legs crossed and legs together. The legs crossed with bent knees exercise was tested as part of a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise to determine the effectiveness of different ab exercises. The reverse crunch is harder for the abs than a traditional crunch, according to the study. To perform this exercise, lie on your back and bend your knees to right angles, crossing the legs at the ankles. Push your lower back into the floor and roll your hips slightly upward to bring the knees toward your chest.

Oblique Crunches

Oblique crunches target the side oblique muscles by bringing the right elbow to the left knee, and then the left elbow to the right knee. Twisting the torso targets the obliques. To perform this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Cross your right leg onto your left knee. With your hands behind your head, lift your shoulders and twist to the right. Repeat on the other side.

Oblique Crunches With Legs Lifted

The oblique crunches with legs lifted works the obliques but in a different way than the oblique crunches with one foot on the floor. For this variation, lie on your back with your hands behind your head and extend your legs straight to the ceiling. Cross the legs. Alternate as you twist your shoulders from side to side on each crunch.

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When you do ab exercises, your goal is to work your upper and lower rectus abdominis and obliques. The obliques are the muscles on the sides of your ribcage. This can be achieved with the use of your body weight or with a device. A device can be any number of fitness tools that are specially designed for ab training or not.

Stability Ball Sit-ups

A stability ball is an inflated exercise device that can be used multiple ways to work the abs. Sit-ups are basic exercises that target the upper rectus abdominis. To begin this exercise, sit on the ball and walk your feet forward as you roll your back downward. Once your lower back is on top of the ball and your head and shoulders are slightly elevated, place your hands on the sides of your head. Keep your lower body still as you move your torso to an upright position. Hold for a second, slowly lower yourself back down and repeat.

Overhead Lateral Flexion

Overhead lateral flexion targets the obliques and this is performed with a medicine ball. To begin, stand with your feet about hip-width apart and hold the ball straight above your head with both hands. Keeping your lower body still, bend laterally to your right side as far as possible. Rise back up and bend laterally to your left side. Alternate back and forth in a steady motion.

Side Bends with Dumbbells

Dumbbells are free weights that are not specifically designed for ab exercises, but can be used for added resistance. Side bends work the obliques. Start by holding a dumbbell in your right hand and placing your left hand on your hip. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart at this point. Keeping your lower body still, bend laterally to your right and lower the weight down the side of your leg. Steadily rise back up, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides.

Seated Crunch

The seated crunch machine has a weight stack with a pin to adjust your resistance. This device works your lower and upper abs at the same time. To begin, sit on the seat with your back against the backrest and feet hooked under the padded crossbar. Reach up and grab the handles by your ears and look straight ahead. Keeping your shoulders tight to the backrest, bend forward as you raise your legs and move your elbows close to your knees. Hold for a second, slowly reverse the motion and repeat.

Torso Twist

The torso twist machine works the obliques and it is operated from a kneeling position. To perform the exercise, press your chest against the upper padded support and grasp the handles with your hands. Keeping your upper body still, twist your lower body as far to one side as possible then slowly rotate back to the starting position. After completing a set of reps, adjust the kneeling support to work your other side.

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If your abdominal workout is getting stale, grab a buddy to shake up your routine and increase results. Traditional crunches only target one area of the abdominal muscles and can become boring. Working out with a friend can help motivate you to work harder and add more variety to your abdominal exercises. Performing partner ab exercises can make your workouts more enjoyable while targeting every angle of your midsection.

Partner Sit-ups

Partner sit-ups work the abs, external obliques and lower back. Sit on the floor across from your partner with your knees bent and toes touching. Lie on your back and have your partner lie on his back. Reach forward with your arms extended. Mirror each other while squeezing your abs and lifting your upper body off of the ground. When you both reach the top of the movement, give each other a high-five. Return to the starting position. Repeat the movement for four sets of 25 repetitions.

Medicine Ball Sit-ups

Doing medicine ball sit-ups engages all of the muscles in the midsection. Sit on the floor across from your partner with your knees bent and feet touching. Have your partner hold a medicine ball with both hands. Lie on your back and have your partner lie on his back. Mirror each other and sit up simultaneously. Have your partner pass you the medicine ball and release back to the starting position. Repeat the movement and pass the ball back to your partner. Perform four sets of 25 repetitions.

Partner Leg Raises

Partner leg raises stimulate the lower abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your legs raised straight toward the ceiling. Have your partner stand behind you and hold your partners ankles. Have your partner push your legs toward the ground. Squeeze your abs and don’t allow your feet to touch the floor. Lift your legs up to the starting position. Repeat for four sets of 25 repetitions.

Medicine Ball Pass

Medicine ball passes target the external obliques. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Have your partner sit back to back with you in the same position. Hold a medicine ball with both hands. Twist to the right and pass the medicine ball to your partner. Have your partner pass you the ball while you twist to the left. Continue alternating sides for four sets of 25 repetitions.

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The abdominal muscles, also known as your core, keep your back and torso upright as well as help you move; they also help you breathe. According to Len Kravitz, PhD of the University of New Mexico, it is possible to exercise your abs every day because they do not need the recovery time other muscles require. He recommends you engage in abdominal exercises to relieve the tightening of both your hip flexors and lower back muscles.

Crunches

MayoClinic.com recommends abdominal crunches with a fitness ball. This exercise can be done at home or at a gym — all you need is a stability ball and your abs. To perform the exercise, sit on the ball with both feet hip-width apart and on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and tighten your ab muscles. Then ease back until you can feel your ab muscles working. Hold the pose for three long breaths, then move back up to your original position. Repeat the exercise; MayoClinic.com suggests doing between 10 and 15 repetitions of each exercise.

Abdominal Hold

“Fitness” magazine recommends the abdominal hold as one of the most effective ab toners around. You need a steady chair to complete the exercise. Sit on the edge of the chair and put your hands on the edge with your fingers directed toward your knees. Then tighten your ab muscles and raise your toes two to four inches from the floor. Lift your bottom off of the chair and hold the pose for as long as possible. “Fitness” recommends you try for between five and ten seconds. Move back to the original position and repeat the exercise for one full minute.

Ballet Twist

Another “Fitness” magazine abdominal exercise favorite is the ballet twist, which is a sort of half-crunch that has you stretch your side. You’ll need a mat or a towel for the floor. Sit down and put your legs out straight in front of you, pushing them together. Lean backward so you’re at a 45-degree angle from your hips. Tighten your ab muscles and raise both of your arms over your head, as a ballerina would. Then twist your trunk to the right, and put your right arm on the floor. Leave your left arm in the air and count to three. Do the same motion, with your left arm on the floor, as well as your bottom and heels. Make sure you contract your abdominal muscles so your spine is supported while you go back to the middle position, raising both arms above your head. Switch sides and do two sets of six to eight repetitions for each side.

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The Ab Lounge machine, sometimes called an Ab Lounger, is a piece of exercise with one main purpose, to support the head and neck during abdominal jackknife crunches and its variations. Unfortunately, the design of the machine lets you use your arms and hip flexors to do most of the work, except for the torso stretch exercise. For this reason, skip the exercises that let you hold the strap or handles.

Extended Arm Jackknife

The extended arm jackknife targets the rectus abdominus muscle of the abs. Unlike the basic jackknife exercise, it does not require that you hold onto the strap or handlebar so it is much more difficult to cheat the abs out of a workout with this exercise. To begin, lie face up on the machine and extend your arms straight above your head, sliding your hands under the strap or handlebar, depending on your model. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the foot rest. Next, raise your upper body as you would during a crunch. The Ab Lounge backrest supports your head and neck during the exercise.

Lateral Jackknife

The lateral jacknife does allow you to grab the handle or strap with one arm to assist in the exercise, but because your body is sideways, the hip flexors at least cannot take over. This exercise rates as an intermediate/advanced exercise in the Ab Lounge manuals but it is easy to do. Keeping your arm totally relaxed forces your oblique muscles to work to lift your torso, making this a good exercise for the side of the waist. To perform a lateral jackknife for the right oblique, lie on your left side with your head on your left arm and your knees bent, legs stacked. Grasp the strap or bar with your right hand by reaching over your head, and then raise your torso toward the ceiling in a sideways position. Turn over to work the left oblique.

Advanced Jackknife

The advanced jackknife is a more difficult version of the extended arm jackknife. Your legs rest on top of the foot rests with your knees straight instead of bent. To perform this exercise, lie face up on the Ab Lounge with your arms through the strap or under the handlebar. Press back and down slightly with your torso with your legs straight against the leg rest. Then, pike up from your hips so that your upper body and legs make a “V” shape. This works the rectus abdominus muscle.

Torso And Hip Flexor Stretch

The torso and hip flexor stretch targets the abdomen for lengthening instead of straightening. The hip flexors stretch, too. Simply lie on your back and extend your arms straight over your head with your legs straight as if to do the advanced jackknife. Next, push down and slightly arch your back. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds for the stretch to have enough time to affect the muscles for increased flexibility.

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Running requires great physical stamina. Strong abdominal muscles can help your posture, help prevent fatigue and protect your back from injury while running. A 2009 study published in the journal “Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism” led by David Behm compared the number of trunk muscles used during running and calisthenics. He found that highly trained runners showed great abdominal engagement, and concluded that running is an “efficient, multifunctional exercise,” which requires the use of several major muscle groups. As you develop your running skill, training your abdominal muscles will help you improve your performance and endurance.

Bicycle Manuever

Step 1

Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent. Place the palms of your hands on either side of your head with your elbows pointing out. Squeeze your abdominal muscles while lifting your feet off the floor.

Step 2

Lift your shoulders off the ground by squeezing your abdominal muscles. Twist your trunk to the left, pointing your right elbow directly toward your left knee, while simultaneously extending your right leg straight out as if pushing down a bicycle pedal.

Step 3

Bring your upper body back briefly back to center. Repeat the twisting motion to the right side, touching your right knee and extending your left leg. Continue cycling your legs and twisting your upper body for 15 to 20 repetitions.

Exercise Ball Crunch

Step 1

Sit with your buttocks centered on a large exercise ball. Keep your upper body straight as you walk your feet four or five steps away from the ball. Allow the ball to roll under your lower back. Stop when the ball supports your lower back.

Step 2

Lace your fingers gently behind your head. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift and curl your shoulders and upper back toward your lower body. Squeeze your abdominal muscles as hard as possible at the top position.

Step 3

Relax your abdominal muscles slightly and slowly return to your starting position. Repeat the abdominal curl 12 to 15 times. Do not hold your breath through the repetitions, but exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower.

Simple Pelvic Tilt

Step 1

Lie on your back to perform the simple pelvic tilt. Place your arms by your sides with your palms resting on the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor about 2 feet from your buttocks.

Step 2

Keep your head, shoulders, upper and lower back in complete contact with the floor. Press the small of your back into the floor.

Step 3

Tighten your abdominal muscles. You will feel your lower back push farther toward the floor and your pelvis lift imperceptibly toward the ceiling. Relax your lower back and repeat the exercise 20 to 30 times.

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No-crunch abdominal exercises do not involve flexing your spine and shortening your abdominal muscles. Since your abs’ primary function is to stabilize your spine and to produce and reduce force when your move, train them to keep your body in alignment while your limbs move in different directions. This method improves both your stability and strength without having to do any crunches.

Abdominal Function

Your abdominal muscles consisted of an outer unit and an inner unit that work together and with other muscles to function during exercise and daily activities. The inner unit is the closest to your joints and keeps your body in alignment and in balance when you move or in a static position, such as sitting or standing, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The outer unit moves and produces force in various direction. Traditional abdominal exercises, such as situps and crunches, train your abs in one direction repetitively while you are on your back.

Medicine Ball Lift

The lift is a movement of your limbs from a low position to a high position without moving your body that strengthens your abs. Stand with your left foot in front of you, and keep both feet pointing forward. Hold a medicine ball with both hands by your right hip. Swing the ball up and across your body toward your left shoulder without moving your spine and lower body. Move the ball back down to your right hip. Switch leg positions and do the swing from lower left to upper right. Perform two sets of eight to 10 reps on each side of your body.

Kettlebell Swings

The kettlebell swing relies on your legs and hips to generate force to produce the power and momentum of the swing. Your abdominals are strengthened as they stabilize your spine during the exercise.

Stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and place a kettlebell on the floor in front of you. Bend your legs slightly and your torso forward at your waist. Hold the kettlebell’s handle with both hands. Swing the kettlebell between your legs to initiate the force, and push your legs against the floor to bring your torso up. Swing the weight up at the same time until your arms are parallel to the ground. Swing the kettlebell down between your legs, and repeat the pattern as fast as you safely can for three sets of 20 swings.

Vertical Jump

Your abdominal muscles also function as shock absorbers to protect your spine from injury. You can feel them work when you land on the floor on your feet after you jump. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Swing your arms back, and bend your legs. Do not round your spine. Jump up as high as you can, and swing your arms up over your head at the same time. Land lightly on the balls of your feet with your feet shoulder-width apart. Perform three sets of eight to 10 jumps.

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I must be very honest up front and it is easier to obtain 6 pack abs when you’re a teenager or in your twenties. For a variety of reasons it is harder for an older person to obtain 6 pack abs, but definitely not impossible. A well planned diet and exercise program but help turn back the clock.

The key to six pack abs lies in the following three pronged program: 1) An eating plan of 5 mini-meals per day. 2) An aerobic plan. 3) Strength training.

It is a proven fact that even older people can help turn back father time, but100 following those three prongs. Is it easy?

No it’s not. Is it worth it? It will be when you are the envy of teenagers half your age. When you are suddenly considered sexy and hot by everyone. People will even start to treat you differently.

The diet plan is a simple one. Eat 5 mini meals a day and include one protein with one carbohydrate at every meal. It is also very important to drink cold water throughout the day. A gallon or more per day is recommended. Also simply avoid the foods you know are loaded with calories.

The 100 Cardio plan is also quite easy. Simply do this cardio exercise 3 days a week. On a glider spend the first five minutes in walk mode, then 1 minute of all out gliding, followed by 1 minute of walking. Continue that until you to the 20 minute mark, at that point spend the last 5 minute in a cool down walk mode. This works wonders.

The strength program is also very easy. Simply do one strength exercise for each of the 8 major body parts: abs, chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders, quadriceps, hamstring and back. Do one only set of each100 and work until exhaustion. Once you can lift 10 repetitions or more in the strength training increase the weights the next time you work out. do the strength program every other day, on the opposite days of the cardio training.

In conclusion, getting 6 pack abs are hard to get, but they are obtainable if you make it priority. Simply follow the simple plans I outlined in the article for eating, cardio and strength training. You will struggle with it at first, but as you continue on the program it gets much easier. Plus when you get your compliment from someone telling you you look fantastic, you will sure feel proud. You’ll feel even prouder when you wear your bathing suit for the first time.

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Everybody wants tight, toned abs, and exercise is the only way to get them. Of course, nobody will be able to see the results of your hard work if your abs are covered with a layer of fat, so be sure to watch your diet and burn fat with cardio workouts. The other half of the equation is to simply work your abs.

Your Abs

The “six pack” muscle is called the rectus abdominis, and it runs from your diaphragm to your pelvis. Contrary to popular belief, there is no “upper” and “lower” ab muscle, although there are exercises that target the rectus abdominis from different angles. Beneath that lies the transverse abdominis, also called the “deep abdominals,” which requires a completely different sort of exercise. On either side, the obliques run from back to front and support you when you twist. Toned obliques require yet another type of exercise, but working them will nip in your waist from the sides.

Lying Leg Raise

The lying leg raise, also known as the reverse crunch, is done by lying on your back with your legs in the air and pulsing your legs toward the ceiling. Done this way, the move targets your rectus abdominis from the bottom end, but adding a crunch with your upper body works the whole muscle. If you begin with your legs about 6 inches from the floor and your arms overhead, then contract your abs to raise your legs and your upper body at the same time, you target your deep abdominal muscles, or the transverse abdominis. A similar move can be done while lying on your side to target the obliques, but don’t attempt it unless your core is already strong. Otherwise, it can strain your lower back muscles.

Alternatives

If you find the lying leg raise too difficult, there are plenty of exercises you can do to work up to it while providing a good workout for your abs. You can try doing lying leg raises with your knees bent, for example, which condenses the weight of your legs closer to your body, making them easier to pull up. You could also hang from a pull-up bar and lift your legs out in front of you, or even just tuck your knees to your chest. All of these moves target the rectus abdominis in the same way, without being quite so difficult and placing such a strain on the back.

Don’t Forget Your Obliques

Of course, no ab workout is complete unless you work your obliques. Unfortunately, the lying leg raise simply does not target those muscles because the movement is done square in front of you and there is no twisting or rotation involved. You can alter the lying leg raise to incorporate the obliques, though, with the use of a medicine ball. Keep one next to you, and do the version of the lying leg raise where you raise your upper body as well. At the peak of the move, when everything is up, twist from the waist to pick up the medicine ball with both hands, touch it to the floor on the other side of you, and return it to its original position before you lie back down. It adds a whole new element to the exercise and makes it much more difficult, but the results will be worth it.

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