Everyone wants that body that they can flaunt on the beach – toned back, sculpted arms, and of course, the elusive six-pack. Now, everyone has of course heard that abs are made in the kitchen, and they’re not wrong! A good diet will help reduce body fat so that the abs can show, but a good ab exercise program will help to build those ab muscles so they pop out, giving that great toned tummy look.

When doing an ab program, it is best to work all parts of your torso, not just the rectus abdominus (the actual six-pack). There are a lot of other muscles in your core that can be strengthened to add to that overall strong core look. The internal and external obliques are beside the rectus abdominus and help pull the sides in and keep your body tight, and your transversus abdominus is below the obliques, which gives that “V” shape to your lower torso. When doing an ab circuit, it is best to incorporate exercises for all the muscles of the core, but to also switch up which muscles are being worked as you go so each muscle gets some minor recovery time between exercises. Go through a cycle of exercises that focuses on the rectus abdominus, obliques, and transversus, then repeat that cycle with more exercises.

The best part about ab exercises is that there are a lot of ways to manipulate the body, and you can do a bunch of exercises using just your body. This means you can do a good ab workout virtually anywhere, giving you the convenience to do it wherever you are (and means there’s no excuses not to!). There are tons of exercises that can be done, which gives you the opportunity to easily interchange exercises that still focus on the same muscles, giving your ab program new life and keeping you interested in it. It also doesn’t have to take long; a good ab circuit can deliver a serious burn in mere minutes, leading to great results.

If you need a good ab program to get that beach-ready core, then check out my free downloadable 10 Minute Program for Six Pack Abs!  It is designed for any ability, and has different levels of intensity so you can work up to the advanced level.

If you would like more info on ab exercises or different ab programs, feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at sksugden@suggyfitness.com.