The Best Ways To Get Six Pack Abs

Achieving six-pack abs isn't easy, which is why so few people have them. The six-pack is a sign of fitness and athleticism. For a six-pack to show, you must have low body fat and a well-developed rectus abdominis. You must be lean, but muscular enough that your stomach muscles bulge against the tendinous inscriptions which cross them. This requires dedication and a multi-faceted approach.

Aerobic Exercise

One of the best ways to reduce body fat is through aerobic exercise, but aerobic exercise can also help move you towards your goal of six-pack abs in another way. Many aerobic exercises build core strength and tighten the stomach muscles while burning calories and improving your cardiovascular health. Boxing utilizes the entire core while burning as many calories as running. Swimming is another aerobic exercise that's effective at building core strength. Running activates trunk muscles more efficiently than some trunk-specific exercises, according to a study published in the December 2009 issue of "Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism."

Heavy Weight Training

When you think of ab exercises, you probably think of sit-ups and crunches. But you should also think of squats and deadlifts. A study found in the January 2008 issue of "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" that these two heavy exercises activated as much abdominal muscle as fitness ball exercises.
"Strength Training Anatomy" explains that this effect is due to abdominal blocking. During heavy exercises, all the core muscles fully engage to protect the spine. This level of core activation will stress the body into building the rectus abdominis muscle. Heavy, compound exercises in which the body is unsupported are the best for activating the core. This includes squats, deadlifts, standing shoulder press, barbell rows and Olympic lifts such as the snatch and clean and jerk.

Abdominal Muscle Exercises

Still, ab-specific exercises are the best way to directly target your rectus abdominis. The core is used to support the torso, allowing you to maintain an upright position. The function specific to the rectus abdominis--which provides the six-pack--is to tilt the ribcage and pelvis towards each other. Abdominal exercises focusing on this instead of stability or twisting will most quickly build the rectus abdominis.
In fact, eight-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger explains in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" that the old-fashioned crunch is the purest, and maybe the best, rectus abdominis exercise. The problem is that most people crank them out quickly and carelessly.
To perform a crunch that will give you a six-pack, lie on your back and elevate your feet. Place your fingertips behind your ears. Crunch your stomach, lifting your shoulder blades off the ground. Hold this for a moment or two, contracting your abs as hard as you can. Slowly release back. You should never be able to do more than 20 reps, because as you get stronger, you can simply contract harder.