Do theses Top 14 Exercises To Get Six Pack Abs!

Getting a shredded mid section can be quite challenging.  Although Six Pack Abs are attractive they are very hard to get.  Not only does it take a lot of work it also takes a strict diet.  Without the right exercises and the right diet your dream of having Six Pack Abs will not come true.

 

There are a lot of people who will tell you to do hundreds of sets of ab crunches and you too will have a Six Pack you can be proud of.  Unfortunately this is not completely accurate.  It takes a lot of work!  Not only does your training have to be focus and intense, you also have to maintain a strict diet making sure that at the end of the day you are in a calorie deficit.  This is what separates  those who have show ready Six Pack Abs from those who don’t

 

We first need to visit the anatomy of the mid-section in order to understand the function of the abdominal muscles.  There are 4 different muscles that make up your abdominal’s.  There are the Rectus Abdominis, the Transverse Abdominis, the Internal Obliques, and the External Obliques.  The rectus abdominis muscle performs the important task of flexing the torso and spine in the abdominal region.  The Transverse Abdominals muscles function is to stabilize the low back and pelvis BEFORE movement of the arms and/or legs occurs. The Internal Obliques supports the abdominal wall, assists in forced respiration, aids in raising pressure in the abdominal area, and rotates and turns the trunk with help from other muscles.  The External Obliques functions to pull the chest downwards and compress the abdominal cavity, which increases the intra-abdominal pressure as in a valsalva maneuver. It also has limited actions in both flexion and rotation of the vertebral column.

 

Now that you have an understanding what the functions of each Abdominal Muscle is we’ll move on to the ‘Top 14 Exercises To Get Six Pack Abs.’  Please keep in mind that you cannot out work a bad diet.  Just because you are doing set after set of the following exercises does not mean you will get show ready Six Pack Abs.  You will definitely get a stronger mid-section but it will be covered by a layer of fat and will not be visible until you lose it!

 

Here are some of the Best Exercises to get Six Pack Abs:

1.Vertical Leg Crunch
This is a variation on the traditional crunch that focuses more
specifically on reducing stomach fat. To begin this stomach exercise,
first lie on your back on a flat surface, such as the floor. Use a mat or
towel to cushion your spine. Put your hands behind your head, with
elbows out far enough that they are out of sight. Now lift your legs
straight up into the air, crossing your ankles and bending your knees
slightly. Contract your abdominals and lift your shoulders, head and
upper back up to about a thirty degree angle. Be aware of not lifting
with your hands or leading with your head.

 

2.Hip Lift
You will need to stay on your back for this stomach exercise. Use a
mat or towel to cushion your spine. Put your arms at your sides with
palms facing up to the ceiling. Put your legs straight up in the air so
that the soles of your feet are facing the ceiling and your legs make
about a ninety degree angle with your torso. Keep your knees unbent
and as straight as possible. Now, contract your ab muscles so that it
feels like your belly button is being pulled toward your spine, while at
the same time gently lifting your hips off the floor. Raise your hips to
height of a few inches, keeping your legs extended straight upward.
Hold this position, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Repeat for an entire set.

 

3. Long Arm Crunch
For this stomach exercise, remain on the floor with your knees bent
and feet flat. Lie back and extend your arms straight back on the floor
as though you are reaching above your head. Contract your abs and
slowly lift your arms, head and shoulders off the floor to about a thirty
degree angle. Hold it, then slowly lower your shoulders back to the
floor. Repeat for an entire set. Be careful not to lead with your arms,
keeping them straight and alongside your head.

 

4. Plank
For this stomach exercise, you will need to lie on a flat surface, such
as the floor. You will be lying in your stomach, so you may want to use
a mat or towel to cushion your knees. Prop your upper body up on
your forearms so that your elbows make a ninety degree angle and
are positioned directly below your shoulders. Now lift your body up off
the floor so that your lower body is supported by your toes, while your
upper body remains supported by your elbows. Your body should
basically be a straight line, with no arch or drooping through your back.
Hold this position for twenty seconds, then lower your body back to the
floor. One repetition is sufficient.

 

5. Side Plank
This stomach exercise is a variation on the previous one, and begins
in the same starting position. Once you are positioned properly, roll to
your right side, keeping your torso supported with your right forearm.
You will have to raise your hips and roll your feet so that your left foot
is on top of your right. As in the plank, your body will be a straight line,
but this time you will be on one side. Place your left hand on your hip
and hold the plank position for five seconds. Return to start and repeat
on the left side.

6. Ball Roll
If you just quickly glanced at the title, you may have gone to find a ball
before reading on. If you did, you can go put it away, because in this
stomach exercise, you are the ball! First, sit on the floor and hug your
knees to your chest. Roll back slightly so you are balancing on your
tail bone and your feet are off the floor, toes pointing downward. Pull
your abdominals inward while rolling onto your lower back and the
upper part of your butt. Contract your abdominals and pull yourself back
to the starting position. Loosening your arms up may help if you find
this exercise too difficult at first.

 

7.Standing Crossover
As the name implies, you will need to stand up for this stomach
exercise. Position your feet a few inches apart. Put your arms out to
the sides and bend your elbows at a ninety degree angle so your
fingertips are pointing to the ceiling and your palm are facing forward.
Contract your abdominals and lift your right knee toward your left
elbow, while at the same time bringing your left elbow down toward
your right knee. Touch the two joints together, pause, then return to
start. Switch sides and repeat for an entire set.

 

8.Progressive Crunchless Crunch
This stomach exercise works your abdominals as well as a crunch
does, but without the strain to your neck and back. Begin by sitting
in a chair, placing one hand above and below your belly button in
order to feel the contraction of your abdominals. Take one big deep
breath, so your midsection expands completely. Then let the breath
out as you pull your belly in, imagining your belly button being pulled
inward toward your spine. Finally, briefly contract your abs five times.
Do a full set of repetitions of all three parts. You can also try this
exercise lying on your back. Try both to see which one helps you feel
the contractions of your abdominal muscles better.

 

9.Contractions
This exercise starts off very much the same way as the last one, but
involves quicker steps and more repetitions. Begin by sitting in the
same position as in the progressive crunchless crunch, and taking
the same deep breath. This time, instead of bringing your belly all the
way back, exhale and bring it just about halfway. Then pull your belly
button back toward your spine. Contract and hold for a count of one.
Repeat from the half-exhalation point. Do the whole thing one
hundred times.

 

10.Tone Your Torso
Begin this stomach exercise on all fours, knees and hands on the floor.
Keep your stomach pulled in and extend your left arm out in front of you
(football fans, imagine a referee signaling first down). Keep this arm
outstretched as you extend your right leg out behind you. Switch arms
and legs, and repeat for an entire set. Take particular care not to let
your pelvis sway out of position.

 

11. Butt Burner
You will need to lie on your back for this exercise. Use a mat or towel
to cushion your spine. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor,
and position your arms at your sides. Squeeze your buttocks as you lift
your pelvis off the floor. Keep the rest of your body in line. Raise your
pelvis to about forty-five degrees, so your upper body from your head to
your knees makes a straight, flat ramp. Hold this for three to five seconds
before slowly lowering your pelvis back to the floor. Repeat for an
entire set.

 

12. Crunchless Crunch
This stomach exercise is fairly simple in theory but can be fairly
difficult to perform. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button
in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles
which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your
stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps
you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible,
then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button
toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If this feels easy, hold for a
longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either
cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the
transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.

 

13. Scissor Kicks
This stomach exercise also requires lying on the floor. Position your
hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor.
Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten inches, then slowly lower
it back to the floor. As your lower one leg, raise the other. Repeat this
motion for an entire set. Maintaining control throughout is important,
not allowing momentum to get the better of you. Your upper body
should remain on the floor through the entire move.

 

 

14. Seated Torso Twist
Stay on the floor for this stomach exercise, getting into a seated position.
Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Position your feet
about hip width apart. Extend your arms straight out in front of you,
interlocking your fingers. Contract your abdominals and lean back about
forty-five degrees. Holding the contraction, rotate your torso as far to one
side as you are comfortably able. Use your abdominals to control this
motion so that your upper body moves at once, do not lead with your arms.
Remember to keep your arms in from of you with fingers locked. Pretend
you are aiming an imaginary gun. Once you have rotated as far as you feel
comfortable, rotate back to center, then to the other side. Repeat these
steps for an entire set. Take care to go slow and keep a controlled
movement. Do not allow your momentum to twist you.

 

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