Neophytes in the realm of ab exercises have lots of questions about frequency and intensity, as well as about the different types of workouts. This is when a little research will come in handy. The abdominal group of muscles should be approached like any other muscle group.

They should be worked about two or three times per week. As with other groups, they should also rest at least a day or so in between workouts to allow the muscles to rest, rebuild and add to the current muscle mass.

Unfortunately, high-volume training isn’t going to yield any improvement in results. Instead, you would be better off to select exercises that are so challenging that you’re only able to do about fifteen or twenty repetitions in any given workout.

The most popular ab exercises are usually planks, crunches and bicycles. There are a lot of additional exercises you can add to the usual routine, too. As a general guideline, beginners should pick one or two exercises for the abdominal group.

Do one or two sets of about a dozen or so repetitions per set and you’ll be on track. Work these exercises into your routine and pay attention to what your body is telling you. A personal trainer would be a valuable investment at the beginning of your quest for great muscle tone and optimal health.

Whether your goal is strength and health or to look fabulous in your clothes (or out of them), plan out a safe, reasonable workout that won’t stress your body too much in its early stages. Choose a single fitness goal and begin working toward it.

One of the biggest misconceptions about belly fat is that there is something special about it due to its location. It’s still just body fat. However, it’s also true that fat does tend to accumulate in certain areas on various body types (apple, pear, hourglass, etc.) and can have some serious health consequences. 

In post-menopausal women (and men with that rotund shape), the problem is an accumulation of fat around the organs. This is dangerous for a whole host of physiological reasons, but the worst is that it tends to show up significantly in cardiac arrest cases. 

The way to get at it is to cut down on your overall body fat – not attempt to spot train.  You know how to lose belly fat – eat less and exercise more. What it takes is cutting back enough on fats and carbohydrates and other high calorie foods while monitoring the amount and duration of your exercising. 

If you bump up your level of physical activity even one notch, it can make a significant difference in the amount and speed of your weight loss. Simply going for a 20 minute walk a mere 3 days a week can account for the loss of 10 to15 pounds over the course of a year. 

Look for places where you could add a little exercise to your daily activities and get ready to feel better and look better.  The only way to get at dangerous belly fat is to amp up your cardio routines and burn more calories than you consume. Get your hands on a Body Mass Index (BMI) chart and plot your fat level. It should be in the mid to low twenties if you want to experience optimum health.

One of the biggest misconceptions about belly fat is that there is something special about it due to its location. It’s still just body fat. However, it’s also true that fat does tend to accumulate in certain areas on various body types (apple, pear, hourglass, etc.) and can have some serious health consequences.

In post-menopausal women (and men with that rotund shape), the problem is an accumulation of fat around the organs. This is dangerous for a whole host of physiological reasons, but the worst is that it tends to show up significantly in cardiac arrest cases.

The way to get at it is to cut down on your overall body fat – not attempt to spot train. You know how to lose belly fat – eat less and exercise more. What it takes is cutting back enough on fats and carbohydrates and other high calorie foods while monitoring the amount and duration of your exercising.

If you bump up your level of physical activity even one notch, it can make a significant difference in the amount and speed of your weight loss. Simply going for a 20 minute walk a mere 3 days a week can account for the loss of 10 to15 pounds over the course of a year. 

Look for places where you could add a little exercise to your daily activities and get ready to feel better and look better. The only way to get at dangerous belly fat is to amp up your cardio routines and burn more calories than you consume. Get your hands on a Body Mass Index (BMI) chart and plot your fat level. It should be in the mid to low twenties if you want to experience optimum health.

There are literally hundreds of exercises that claim to work your abs.  With all of these options, it can be hard to know which exercises will give you a washboard stomach and which ones are a complete waste of time.  To give you a little help, here are the top 4 ab exercises you can do for a washboard stomach. 

1. Vacuum Pose- This is one of the simplest and most effective exercises to work your abs and shrink your waist.  You can either do this exercise standing up or on the ground on your hands and knees.  All you have to do is suck in your lower stomach as far as you can.  You might want to imagine that you’re trying to get your belly button to touch your spine.  You should hold this pose for as long as you can.  You might start out holding the pose for 20 seconds.  Then take a short rest and repeat for about 5 minutes.  You can work up to doing more when your strength improve.




2. Bicycle Crunch- This exercise is great to target upper and lower abs, as well as your obliques.  You’ll need to perform this exercise on the floor.  Lay on your back with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and your hands behind your head as you would with a regular crunch.  To start the exercise, you’ll crunch upwards and twist trying to bring your left elbow to meet your right knee.  Then you’ll switch sides.  You can perform a certain number of reps then rest and repeat the set.  The number of reps and sets you perform will depend on your fitness level.




3. The Plank- This is an effective isometric exercise that can strengthen your core and define your abs.  To do this exercise, you’ll need to be in a variation of the pushup position.  Instead of pushing up on your hands, you’ll want your arms to be in an L position with your forearms stabilizing your body.  You should pull in your stomach and tighten your abs to hold yourself up.  Your body should form a straight line.  Keep this position for as long as you can, around 30 seconds.  Then you can rest and repeat for several minutes.  There are several variations of this exercise you can try when you’re more advanced.




4. Seated Jackknife Crunch- With this exercise, you’ll need a workout bench.  Sit on the bench and lean back at a 45 degree angle with your legs stretched out in front of you.  To perform the crunch, raise your legs and use your abs to pull them toward your stomach.  Then extend them back to the starting position.  Perform as many reps and sets as you want.  If you’re just starting out with this exercise, you may want to start out with fewer reps until you can perform them correctly.   

While these are 4 of the top exercises you can do to work your abs, there are many others that are effective as well.  If you want to build an effective routine, you should pick exercises that target different areas of your abs that way all of the muscles get a good workout.  You can find descriptions of several exercises online if you search for effective ab exercises.