The Nuts and Bolts of Getting Six Pack Abs (Are You Serious?)

If you are thinking you might like to, you know, a nice body and maybe do a few exercises once or twice a week, for about 3 minutes, DO NOT even bother reading this article. It will destroy any desires, if you had any, to step into the wild, heavyweight world of body building.

What you are about to read will hurt just to learn about it, never mind doing it. It's the price you have to pay to get those six pack abs you've been dreaming about. The first step is to lose that belly fat with the best abs workouts and exercises.

You say you're ready? OK, take a deep breath, and go for it (do you really know what you're getting into)?

Muscles You Never Knew You Had

Transverse Abdominals. These are a group of muscles that often get neglected in stomach exercise routines. They are the core muscles lying just below the rectus abdominus (the what?). Even crunches, the staple of most abdominal workouts, do nothing for the transverse abdominals.(imagine that!)

These muscles are actually the most important ones that should be targeted because they connect to both the lower back muscles and the rectus abdominus, and act as a girdle for the entire abdomen. Any routine aimed at flattening the stomach should include the transverse abdominals. (Wouldn't have it any other way)

Adding the following exercises to your workout, will focus on those transverse abdominals and help you make some real progress to get that flat tummy. Since these exercises are not for sissies, working with a trainer is a darn good idea to avoid getting a hernia!

Pelvic Tilts

To begin, lie on your back on a flat surface (the floor or a bench). Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. (I don't think I like the sound of that). Bend your knees and have your feet flat on the floor. Raise your pelvis (and only your pelvis) off the floor, hold momentarily, and then lower it back down. Repeat 5 to 10 times. (Repeat? More than once?) Maintaining a controlled movement is crucial to this exercise and will allow you to use your abdominal muscles, rather than your body's momentum. Also, be sure to keep your upper body on the floor throughout the entire routine (yeah, uh-huh).

Crunchless Crunch

This exercise is fairly simple but can also be fairly difficult. ( Difficult? I have trouble with easy!) Basically, it involves pulling the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to using. (Nah, I pull my belly button in towards my spine 2 or 3 times a day, you know, when I'm not doing anything else.)

First, lie on your stomach or kneel (your choice). You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise best. Relax your body as much as possible, and try using only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds (10 seconds? Really...?). If holding for ten seconds feels easy, (I doubt that) hold the position longer. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, relax and let the contraction out (absolutely...let it out!).

Scissor Kicks

This stomach exercise is also done while lying on the floor. Put your hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor. Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten inches from the floor, then slowly lower it back to the floor. As your lower one leg, raise the other. Repeat this motion 10 times. (Are we done?) Maintain control throughout the movement and do not let momentum to get the better of you. (Never...never) Your upper body needs to remain on the floor through the entire exercise movement. (uh huh...on the floor...got it)

There are many more exercises targeting the transverse abdominal muscles, but these three should be enough to get you started. (no doubt in my mind) Six pack abs exercises like these are key to any tummy-flattening plan, and they are especially good for pregnant and post-partum women. (I think I'll leave that alone).