Everyone wants flat abs but the stomach area can be one of the most challenging areas to tone. The stomach area is one of the first areas that most people begin to accumulate excess fat, and without regular exercise keeping the muscles toned is almost impossible. This does not mean that having rock hard abs is impossible, but it does take some work. Fortunately most people can have the abs of their dreams if they exercise regularly using a few easy ab workouts.
Crunches are usually thought of as good ab exercises, but for the best results you should try some variations on the traditional crunch. One good variation is a crunch with legs raised. Lying on your back with your legs straight up in the air and together, raise your shoulders off the floor in the traditional crunch style. Be careful not to use your arms to lift your head, use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and shoulders. Another variation is doing double crunches. While lying on your back bend your knees at a 90 degree angle towards the floor and bring them towards your chest as you lift your head and shoulders.
Many people focus on their abs only when trying to tone their midsection, but if you want great results you also need to tone your obliques. Your obliques or love handles contribute to a lean looking figure and toning them will help you to develop the midsection of your dreams. Your obliques run from your waist to your hips and are often one of the hardest areas to tone. Crunches can also be effective in toning these muscles with a small variation.
Oblique crunches are similar to regular crunches or sit-ups. You lie on your back but instead of bringing your head and shoulders straight up, you twist your body so that you come up at a diagonal angle. Twisting your body at this angle as you come up uses your obliques as well as your abs and will help you to tone your obliques as well as your abs. For the best affect, you should focus on contracting your obliques as you reach the top of the crunch. You should alternate twisting in different directions and make sure you work both sides evenly.
Crunches and variations of crunches are not the only good ab exercises. Other easy ab exercises are leg raises. While lying on your back with your hands under your butt raise your feet a few inches off the floor. Make sure you keep them straight the entire time. You do not have to raise them very high as holding them low will actually give you a better workout. Hold this position for as long as you can and gradually increase your count. You can also separate your legs while in this position and bring them back together slowly while keeping them straight and keeping your back flat. Legs raises can be challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it they are easy to do and very effective.
