The Secret to Fab Abs

Come each summer, you may be spending some time at the beach or poolside, wearing an outfit that reveals a bit more than people might see during the winter. If you want to tighten that belly before anyone glimpses it, you should commit to working those abs into shape.

Start with the transverse abdominal muscles. This muscle group ranks as the deepest layer of the core muscle group and it can have a significant effect on the shape of your whole midsection. These muscles act like a girdle: they hold everything in to create a narrower midsection. Here is a 3-step exercise that will work your transverse abdominal muscles.

1. Lay on your stomach with your hands under your head like a pillow. Rest your head to one side and breathe in deeply. As you exhale, draw in your belly as deeply as you can and lift your stomach from the floor. Hold for 2 seconds, but keep breathing, and then release. Repeat this five times with your head facing one direction then turn your head and do five more.

2. Advance this exercise by assuming a low plank position. This looks like a push-up, but you rest on your forearms. Make sure your forearms are under your shoulders and that your toes are curled under. Maintain your body in a straight line and then reconnect to the same lifting, contracting and pulling in that you just rehearsed in the first step. Continue to breathe and hold the position and the sense of pulling in your belly for 30 seconds. Rest. Repeat this 3 times.

3. After a quick break, assume the low plank position and lift (with that picture-perfect form!) right back up into plank. This time try "pulsing" the contraction so that you contract deeply and then relax. Repeat that pulsing 15 times. It should feel as if you're tucking in your belly to button up a pair of snug jeans. Keep breathing throughout. It's tough to keep the breath moving for this series but pay attention to it.

The more you practice this series, the more quickly this muscle group will "turn on"--and you'll love the results.