Get ready to hit the pool or beach by toning your midsection and exercising your abs for a washboard six-pack. The abdominal region, along with other muscle groups such as your biceps and the chest's pectoral muscles, are often viewed as "trophy" muscles -- the muscles that draw attention and show that the owner works out. Specific exercises come recommended for men who want bulging, defined abs.
The Sit-Up
The advanced sit-up is one of the best ways to work out your abs, Nate Green, a personal trainer, tells "Men's Fitness" magazine. To complete a sit-up, lie down with your arms flat at your side. Keep your feet on the floor and bend your knees by approximately 90 degrees. Raise your arms so that they're parallel to your midsection and pointed at your feet. Lift your torso up and toward your knees as far as possible so that you're in a sitting position. Avoid the temptation to move your buttocks or your feet. Lower yourself back down to the ground and repeat, doing three sets of 10 to 15
Hot Potato Russian Twist
Eating potatoes, which are full of carbs, may not be the best thing for those trying to gain rock-hard abs. Hot potato twisting exercises, on the other hand, do the trick, reports "Men's Journal" magazine. To do this exercise, you need a 35-lb. kettlebell. Sit upright on the ground with your legs straight in front of you, lifted approximately six inches off the ground with your ankles pressed together. Hold the kettlebell in one hand with your elbows pressed against your sides. Lean back as far as you can go and hold the position for 20 seconds. During the 20 seconds, pass the weight from one hand to the other.
The Plank
The plank exercise may seem deceptively easy, but certified personal trainer Keith Scott, interviewed by "Men's Fitness" magazine, recommends it for working out your entire core. Get on the ground in a push-up position with your toes holding your legs up and your arms spaced apart by approximately your shoulders' width. Instead of resting on the palms of your hands like you do in a push-up, bend your elbows into a 90-degree position and rest your body on your forearms. Hold yourself in this position for about two minutes.
The Crunch
The crunch may seem common and ordinary, but it remains one of the best exercises for the abs, according to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Lie down with your knees slightly bent and your hands either at your side or crossed on your chest. Lift your chest up and your shoulders off the ground by approximately six inches, then lie back down. Repeat so that you do 10 repetitions and approximately three sets of these repetitions.
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