There are many different exercises you can perform to strengthen your core and define your abdominal muscles. One of the important points to remember about working out your abs is that you will not be able to lose very much body fat just by doing this one exercise.

People get tricked by infomercials selling the latest gadgets thinking that a few minutes on their magical machine daily will give them a models appearance with a wonderful 6-pack. To lose body fat you will need to consider a whole body workout because if you want a 6-pack, you will need to get rid of some of the fat that’s covering them as well as strengthening the muscles themselves.

Now I’m going to cover the most popular two ways that you can exercise those ab muscles and how to perform them properly without needing any type of special gadget, machine or gym equipment.

Method #1 – The Famous Crunch

Just about everyone knows about this simple exercise and has tried it at some time, however, not many know how to do them properly and minimizing the risk of injury.

1. Begin by lying on your back on a flat surface. You can use a mat or towel to soften the surface if you need. While bending your knees, also keep your feet kept flat on the floor.

2. Place your arms across your body so that your left hand rests just under your right shoulder and your right hand rests just below your left shoulder forming a “X”.

3. Tense your abdominal muscles while lifting your upper body off the ground about 6 inches and keeping your feet flat on the floor. Remember to keep your head and neck straight and in line with the rest of your body. You do not need to raise your body completely.

4. After holding the previous position for several seconds, slowly lower your body back down. The slower you go, the more work your abdominal muscles need to do therefore making them stronger quicker.

5. Repeat until tired but not strained.

Method #2 – Leg Raises

This exercise specifically targets the muscles of the lower abs. You can learn to do leg raises properly by following the 4 easy steps below:

1. Begin by lying with your back against the floor. Again, you can use a towel or rug to make it more comfortable. Place your arms by your sides and have your legs stretched out.

2. Next, lift up your legs until the soles of your feet are facing the ceiling. Then slowly lower your legs to the starting position, however, instead of going back to the floor stop a few inches from the ground and hold for a second or two and raise them once more.

3. Repeat until tired but do not strain. Tip: if you find this exercise difficult at the beginning try raising your legs only slightly off the ground or to whatever height you find comfortable.

Do not underestimate the two exercises listed above. They are very effective and can give you tremendous results if practiced regularly, preferably every second day. Being one of the fastest muscles to recover, you can perform ab workouts more regularly than most other body parts.

Author Bio: Click on the link below to watch a FREE video presentation that will reveal weird workouts that burn abdominal fat faster than typical “cardio” and discover the “Shocking” foods that burn belly fat FAST: Truth about Six Pack Abs

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: ab,muscle,abs,workout,exercise,stomach,muscles,workouts,exercises,crunch,abdominal