Getting great abs requires three things: a low-fat diet, regular cardio to reduce overall body fat and consistent ab work to define and sculpt muscles. Remember that there are three major muscle groups that form the abs: rectus abdominis, a long...
Your abdominal muscles are a masterful design of web-like layers that provide balance, stability, flexibility and a fit appearance. With age, childbirth, gravity and lifestyle, however, muscles often become weak, fat accumulates and the stomach...
If you are committed to getting sculpted six-pack abs, you must eat a low-fat diet, get daily cardio exercise of at least 30 minutes and do a serious abs workout daily. Rectus abdominis are the sheath of muscles that run from the top of the...
When referring your lower abs, you are talking about the lower rectus abdominis. This is the long sheath of muscle that starts by the chest and ends by your pelvis. Even though any ab exercise will recruit the entire rectus abdominis, you can do...
The Red Exerciser is an in-home abdominal advice that resembles a barstool with handles on the side. Sit on the padded seat and twist side-to-side to target your abdominal muscles. The Red Exerciser may target your obliques, or side abs, and it...
The lower abs are part of the rectus abdominis. This is the main abdominal muscle. It's what you see when someone sports six-pack abs. The rectus abdominis is responsible for flexion of the spine, pulling your rib cage toward your pelvic bone, as...
You may think of your stomach as one solid body part, but there are actually many muscles involved in keeping your stomach tight. Knowing what muscles contribute to the way your stomach looks and how to target them with exercise can help you...
The upper and lower abdomen contain one long sheath of muscle known anatomically as the rectus abdominus. Strengthening this area of your stomach can help improve your posture and reduce your risk for lower back pain. If you are trying to lose the...
Pilates exercises focus on the muscles of the core and simultaneously help develop pelvic stability, joint flexibility and coordination reports the American Council on Exercise. Much of Pilates work directly and indirectly emphasizes the internal...
Total body strength emanates from your core. Mark Anders, a fitness specialist with the American Council on Exercise, notes that strong abs enhance posture, stave off lower back pain and contribute to long-term health and well-being. Crunches can...
A strong set of abs not only looks good in a bathing suit, they help you stand taller and improve every day function. An ab exercise routine may be performed anywhere, without any special equipment. It only takes a few minutes every other day to...
Many people mistakenly think their rectus abdominis is divided into two parts, upper and lower. In actuality, your rectus abdominis is one sheath of muscle that runs across the front of your torso from your ribs to your pelvis. While it is...
Chasing trendy abdominal exercise crazes and gimmicky equipment can make you miss out on some of the most effective ways to tone your midsection. In an effort to appear new and exciting, some trainers and fitness magazines ignore basic abdominal...
The best exercises to tone the stomach address all of the muscles of the abdomen. The rectus abdominis forms the front sheath of the abs and is often referred to as the "six pack." The internal and external obliques help you rotate and make up the...
The Ab Lounge is an abdominal fitness device, made by Fitness Quest, that resembles a lounge chair with a hinged joint in the middle. Do your entire ab routine, targeting your main and side abs, without ever getting down on the floor. Although you...
Abdominal strength exercises improve the appearance and function of the entire body. Strong abdominals also help decrease instances of back pain and injury. Hundreds of abdominal exercises exist; most are variations of basic exercises. Perform...
Throwing a baseball, whether you're playing outfield, second base or pitching, involves more muscle involvement that than found in the arm. Throwing a baseball encourages movement, contraction and power as well as coordination of movement from...
You do not need a lot of equipment or a membership to a fitness facility to effectively train your abdominals. Train all the muscles of the abdomen---the internal and external obliques that run along the sides of the body, the transverse abdominus...
To reveal a six pack, women need to reduce their body-fat percentage to a maximum of 14 percent. Achieving this level of body fat requires dedication to a gym routine and a strict diet plan. Attempts to spot reduce to reveal your six pack will be...
Yoga is an ancient exercise practice that helps you achieve a greater connection between your mind and your body. While yoga emphasizes the development of a balanced muscular system, classes often focus on a particular body part in order to...
Chiseled abs result from a combination of diet, cardiovascular exercise and ab-specific strength training. Amazing abdominal workouts can be achieved with or without equipment, using multiple exercise disciplines. Your abdominals are like any...
Alycea Ungaro, author of "The Pilates Promise," tells "Fitness" magazine that all ab exercises work the upper and lower abs -- that's because the waist area consists of just one sheath of muscle called the rectus abdominus. "If you feel the upper...
Abdominal exercises will not melt fat from your midsection without a proper diet and cardio exercise, but they will strengthen your abdominal muscles. The main ab muscle, the rectus abdominis, is one long muscle sheath. You cannot completely work...
A reverse crunch involves pulling your legs up toward your torso, leaving your upper body flat on the floor. This exercise targets your rectus abdominis, the main ab muscle. If you want to emphasize the obliques, or side abs, you can add a twist...
Pilates is a mind-body exercise system focused on strengthening and toning the muscles of the core. Pilates incorporates a range of exercises, some performed without equipment on a mat and others done with specific contraptions like the "reformer"...
Your stomach contains a long sheath of muscle known anatomically as the rectus abdominis. On the sides of your stomach, you have muscles known as the obliques. When it comes to tightening and flattening your stomach, perform exercises that focus...
Pilates is a low-impact method of exercise that focuses on the muscles of the abdomen, back and hips. Pilates can incorporate many pieces of equipment or they can be performed with only your body and a mat. Many pilates exercises tone and...
Performing hundreds of sit ups a day will not tone your stomach. You need to focus on a range of exercises that challenge the entire abdomen to form a balanced and strong core. Treat your stomach muscles like any other muscle group and be sure to...
The bent-knee curlup is a type of crunch that is a strength exercise for abdominal muscles. This is a basic crunch for beginner and intermediate exercisers, although you can add weight to increase the difficulty of the exercise. It targets your...
