Almost everyone wants six pack abs now, or his or her abs to be flatter or more toned. While ab exercises will tone and build abdominal muscles, ab exercises will not get rid of abdominal fat. The only way to get rid of fat is cardiovascular exercise.

By combining abs exercise and cardiovascular exercise, you can get rid of fat and tone abdominal muscles. After the fat is melted away, your toned abdominal muscles are visible and create the look of a flat, hard tummy. With some dedication and sweat, you can tone your abs and pave the way to a flat tummy with some abs exercise.

Traditional Crunches

Perhaps the most effective abs exercise is the traditional crunch.

Lay on your back with your knees bent. Place your hand behind your head, and then roll up, feeling your abdominal muscles tighten. Hold the crunch for a second or two, roll back down, and then repeat.

Be careful not to press your hands on the back of your head. This will cause neck strain. Simply let the abs do all the work to lift your upper body.

You should feel like your upper body is being pushed toward the ceiling. To work the side abdominal muscles, twist slightly to the right and left while performing the crunches.

To reduce back strain, you may want to try using a fitness ball. With your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent, lie back with the ball positioned between your lower back and the floor, and then simply perform your crunches.

Hip Extensions

To begin this abs exercise, lie on the floor and put your feet up on a bed, couch, chair, or fitness ball. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your mid-section inline with the rest of your body. Hold this position for a few seconds, relax, and then repeat.

Leg Lifts

Lie flat on the floor to begin this abs exercise. Lift your legs up together until they are perpendicular to the floor, and then slowly release your legs back down to the floor.

You can alternate lifting each leg separately, and then both together if you wish. This is not a good abs exercise for anyone with lower back problems, as it can cause back strain if done improperly.

The goal of the exercise is to use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs, not your back. To reduce strain on your lower back and help you use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs, try placing your hands, a folded towel, or a yoga wedge under your buttocks.

Toe Taps

This simple abs exercise may seem too easy to be true. Begin by sitting in a chair or on a fitness ball. Sit up as straight as possible and put your hands behind your head. Lift your legs with your knees bent so that your feet are about six inches off the floor. Alternating between feet, slowly tap your toes as lightly as possible against the floor, using your abdominal muscles to regulate your leg movement.

Woodchops

This abs exercise can help tone the thighs and arms as well. You may feel it in your whole body and get your heart pumping to burn some calories and fat.

Start in the lunge position with one knee bent before you and the other knee bent almost to the ground. Outstretch your arms with your hand clasped in front of your front shin. Stand, rotate your body, and reach to the facing the opposite direction.

To add resistance to this abs exercise, wrap an exercise band around a pole or something sturdy and hold it in your hands.

Related Article: A Workout For Abs – 3 Stomach Exercises You Can Do Today

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Source by Jack Landry