Abdominal (Ab) Exercises

Strengthening the abdominals is important for basic health to keep you injury free. Strong abs help stabilize the spine and keep you from injuring your back. Strong abs are important in virtually every sport, from golfing to running. Just ask anyone in martial arts how important the core (abs) is in generating a powerful punch! OK, not only are strong abs important in sports and for basic health but lets face it - 6-pack abs look fantastic!
Abs/weight loss products are a billion dollar industry in the USA.  All these products promise to be "the secret", easy way to washboard abs.  If getting abs were as easy as buying some flimsy contraption or pill, wouldn't everybody have washboard abs?  The secret to washboard abs is to eat a healthy diet, do 30 min of cardiovascular exercise a day, and do abdominal exercises.
Getting washboard abs is a two step process.  The first step is to lose weight and drop your bodyfat to about 6% by eating right and doing 30-60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a day.  You must complete this first step and get ripped!  You will not see any visible results from you ab exercises unless you drop your bodyfat to these shredded, low levels. I repeat again, you will not see any visible results from ab exercises unless you drop your bodyfat to around 6%.   Many people will find that when they drop their bodyfat to these levels that they already have great washboard abs! 

Ab Workout Videos
Big Abs, Flat Abs - Explains how to decide which of the below ab workouts you should do.
3 Minute Ab Workout - A quick ab workout for core strength and getting a flat, tight waist with abs like a marathon runner.	[This video is being re-edited and will be re-uploaded next week]
Killer Ab Workout - A hardcore ab workout to get big powerful abs like a bodybuilder

Ab Exercises

Crunches
The Crunch is the most important exercise for abs and its very important that you perform it properly. The following three videos show you how to perform this vital exercise properly.
How to Perform Crunches This video shows how to do crunches properly, both for the beginner and the advanced bodybuilder. It helps to stare at a spot on the ceiling and try and make your head move directly to that spot.  No bending the neck, no flapping the arms - the upper body is slowly levitated toward the ceiling. Only the shoulders lift off the ground, the lower half of your back stays firmly on the ground. This is NOT a sit up.
Hand placement during Ab Exercises Here is a video explaining what to do with the hands while performing ab exercises to avoid neck strain and neck injury. (full screen version)
Four most common ab mistakes, Learn what NOT to do when working toward ripped, washboard 6-pack abs. Avoid head nodding, arm flapping, full ROM. Worst of all, don't make the mistake of thinking ab exercises will get you washboard abs!

Below are four basic ab exercises.  Again, the crunch is king, if you can only do one exercise, do crunches.  Don't worry about how many reps you do but focus on using perfect form - do two sets of each exercise and take a minute or so between sets.  The first two exercises are the most important, if you are tight on time skip the hanging ab exercises.  How often to do ab exercises depends on your goal.  If you goal is to just strengthen your core so for back stabilization and basic health, then I would do them 3-5X/week with low weight and high reps.  If your goal is to grow big abs with deep valleys, then treat them like any other body part and work them out with heavy weights once a week.

Floor Crunches
	crunch starting position.  Inhale, try and get your belly button as close to the floor as you can.  (click on image for larger view)
	crunch ending position.  It helps to stare at a spot on the ceiling and try and make your head move directly to that spot.  No bending the neck, no flapping the arms - the upper body is slowly levitated toward the ceiling.  (click on image for larger view)
	Video showing how to do crunches. Key points on form. You are lifting your shoulders up toward the ceiling, it helps to look at a spot on the ceiling and try and make your shoulders go there. No motion at all with the head, the head-nods that many people mistakenly do wont help your abs. Keep the feet flat on the ground and the knees bent.
Bicycles
Bicycles are a great ab exercise because they combine a straight crunch (shown above) with a side crunch (shown below). If you are in a hurry and only want to do one exercise, this is the one to do. As with all crunches, the important thing is that you remember that the motion is to lift the shoulder up toward the ceiling. This is not a neck or head exercise! When you perform this exercise, you lift one shoulder up toward the ceiling and bring the opposing knee up to meet it then you switch to the other shoulder and knee in a slow, fluid motion.
	starting position. Left shoulder up toward ceiling, right knee brought to left elbow.
	ending position. Right shoulder up toward ceiling, left knee brought to right elbow.
Bicycles work out both the abs and the obliques at the same time, a great combination exercise. Here is a video showing how to perform them.
Floor Side Crunch
	side crunch starting position.  You body is twisted, knees bent at 90 degrees, hand lightly behind the neck. Inhale.  (click on image for larger view)
	side crunch ending position.  While looking at the ceiling, raise your left shoulder in a straight line toward the ceiling - again think about your shoulder moving in a straight line up to the ceiling.  Your neck, head, arms and legs do not move. Exhale on the way up.  (click on image for larger view)
Here is a side crunch video showing showing how to perform this awkward exercise. Don't feel bad if you have trouble with this one at first, its pretty difficult at first. Its easier if you start with the cable crunch (see below) to get the feel for which muscles you are using.
Cable Crunches Cable crunches are the easiest way to learn how to exercise obliques. You can make your own cable apparatus fairly simply at home.  If you don't have cables, you can also use simple resistance bands tied to something high. Its really tough for beginners to get the feel of how to do obliques but cables are the best. Form is very important in crunches, many people do them incorrectly and end up working out their neck or hips more than their abs. Use slow movements and only use the abs. Start out with light weight and concentrate on keeping your hips completely immobile. If you are pivoting around your hip-joint then you are NOT doing this correctly.
	Straight Crunch.  Same form as the Floor Crunch listed above.  The hip does not pivot at all, the only motion is the shoulders moving down toward your belly button.
	Side Crunch.  Again, the hip does not move, the only motion is your elbow going down toward the floor.
	Watch this cable crunch video to see how to perform this exercise properly. Form is very important in crunches, many people do them incorrectly and end up working out their neck or hips more than their abs. Use slow movements and only use the abs. Start out with light weight and concentrate on keeping your hips completely immobile. If you are pivoting around your hip-joint then you are NOT doing this correctly.
Hanging Leg Raises
	hanging leg raise starting position.  No jerky motions allowed on this exercise or you will pull a muscle in your lower back!  Raise your legs slowly on a count of two, this takes very strong abs!  If you don't have the ab straps pictured here you can also do these just hanging from the pull-up bar.  (click on image for larger view)
	hanging leg raise ending position.  Now slowly lower the legs on a count of two.  If you find yourself having to swing or use jerky motions then don't do this, do the below exercise instead.  (click on image for larger view)
	hanging leg raise starting position (easier version).  Same as above but with knees bent, rather than straight.  No jerky motions allowed on this exercise or you will pull a muscle in your lower back!  Raise your legs slowly on a count of two, this takes very strong abs!  If you don't have the ab straps pictured here you can also do these just hanging from the pull-up bar.  (click on image for larger view)
	hanging leg raise ending position (easier version).  Now slowly lower the legs on a count of two.  (click on image for larger view)