According to a university study the top three ab exercises based on muscle stimulation were the following:

1) Bicycle Crunch

This isn’t the good ol’ crunch that most fitness gurus would warn you about. This is the gut wrenching crunch that targets all your different core muscles. Lets get started

* You start by lying flat on the ground and your lower back should be pressed to the floor.

* Place your hands behind next to your ears with a motion similar to the old ineffective crunch. The difference here would be that you will not be lifting your head using your hands at all.

Fun fact: A common popular ab workout machine is the ab swing machine.

* Bring your knees to a 45-degree angle. Now mimic the circular bicycle motion using just your legs.

* Now bring your left elbow to the right knee. Then alternate.

* Breathe evenly throughout this exercise.

2) Crunch on the Swiss Ball

Here we have another variation of the crunch. After doing this exercise or swiss ball variation of the crunch you will realize the value of a strong core. Here’s how to do this exercise:

* First, sit on the swiss ball while keeping your feet flat on the ground.

* Let the ball roll slowly backwards while lying back till your thighs are parallel to the floor.

* Then contract your abs while lifting your torso to not more than 45 degrees

* To work the obliques and improve core strength move your feet closer together.

3) Captain’s Chair

For this exercise you need access to a Captains Chair machine. This is available in most gyms so that shouldn’t be a problem. Wondering how to do the exercise correctly?

* First, bend your elbows and place your forearms on the padded area of the captains chair. Its time to bend your knees with your shins parallel to the floor.

* Now bring your knees towards your chest and then back to the starting position

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* This motion should be a slow controlled motion. If this exercise gets too easy for you, try a new variation. Bring your knees up towards your right shoulder, lower them back to the beginning position and then alternate with your other shoulder. Once you are hitting your peak, straighten out your legs and raise them towards your chest. Once you are able to do 10 repetitions of this, you are building a rock-solid core.

In these hanging leg lifts, sometimes people wonder why this builds a strong core when your glutes are the ones doing the work. While using these muscles is key to doing the exercise correctly, the abdominals are used extensively in this workout.

Fun fact: Read what users are saying about the ab king pro.

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Many individuals are interested in burning abdominal fat and getting 6 pack abs, except they don’t know how. The stomach and abdomen is the area where many people want to lose fat and tone up. Besides looking good, losing fat around the waist is very important for you to stay healthy and has been linked directly to reducing the risk of heart disease.

While having too much fat is considered unhealthy, your fat distribution will also contribute to this issue. Those individuals that carry more fat around their abdomen are at a greater risk of developing heart disease and diabetes as they age. In order to lose stomach fat you will need to be vigilant and persistent in your desire and goals.

There are two different types of fat around the abdomen. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that is stored right under the skin and this is the fat that jiggles when you move. There is also visceral fat that is stored in the deep tissue of your body. When individuals want to lose abdominal fat it is the subcutaneous fat that they want to get rid of.

There is no special diet or miracle pill that will get rid of abdominal fat. You will need to follow a proper routine of six pack abs exercises and also eat healthy. Most people have no problems with the exercise but it has been found that people greatly underestimate the number of calories they eat. You need to be vigilant with recording what you eat as you may find that you are eating more calories than you think. It is important to pay attention to the correct portion size.

It is recommended that you exercise five to six times a week for at least 30 minutes. Just doing aerobic exercise will not provide you with any results as you need to use full body cardiovascular exercise and resistance training. Many people think that all you need to do is sit ups or crunches but this does not make you lose fat. Sit ups will tone your stomach muscles but not help you lose fat.

Weight training is important because the more muscle you have then the more abdominal fat you can burn. The food you eat is also important. The body will first burn carbohydrates for energy and then it will burn fat. So in order to burn more fat you want to limit your carbohydrate intake so your body will switch to burning fat faster. It is also important that you accurately monitor your calorie intake.

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How to get a six pack and what are the best exercises to get good abs, are very common questions. It is hard to tell which is the best ab exercise given the variety of the workout suggestions, not to mention that efficiency results from complex circumstances. Other than the individual factors influence efficiency, there are also many false myths, mistakes in performance and incorrect training that are responsible for the failure of an ab exercise. Abdominal workouts do not burn belly fat; strong abs merely support the spine and improve health.

The bicycle is considered a good ab exercise to get muscular abs as it stimulates the obliques as well as the rest of the upper and lower muscles into action. The exercise is performed lying on the back, with the hands behind the head and the knees lifted towards the chest. The shoulder blades should be off the ground while you move the legs as you would on a bicycle. Carry on with the pedaling motion for 12 or 16 reps.

The main issue with ab exercise routines is that they are strenuous, not to mention that the muscular toning takes time to achieve while weight loss remains minimum. It is a good idea to do other full-body exercises meant to reduce weight, such as cardio or aerobics, and use any type of ab exercise as a way to complete the training and define the muscles. One thing is for sure, ab workout requires technique, good shape and great routines. Muscles grow best when exercises are performed the right way.

To be more clear, you could impair the health condition with an incorrect exercise performance. Back and shoulder injuries as well as neck strains may appear when you crunch or sit up the wrong way. If you feel discomfort in the neck while training or at the end of the session, then, you are making a mistake that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. Talk to a personal trainer and ask him/her to show you how to work correctly for developing great abs.

The same suggestion is valid for any other ab exercise, besides the classical sit ups or crunches. After all, that’s the truth about six pack abs and the whole purpose of coaching: to help people get in great shape with no risks and lots of benefits. The coaching part should actually precede and accompany the training, so that the safety level is at the highest. Fitness and health therefore go hand in hand!

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