EXERCISES FOR ABS - EXHAUSTION

Ready to really sculpt your abs? Skip the crunches and challenge your core.

Basic Anatomy and Muscular Function

The abdominal muscles can be divided into two groups: the upper and the lower. The upper abdominal wall consists of four pairs of thin muscles arranged in layers connecting the rib cage with the pelvic girdle.

The muscle fibers run in three different directions: diagonally, vertically and horizontally. This mycological arrangement helps to strengthen the abdominal wall and to stabilize the trunk.

The external obliques are the outermost covering of the three layers on both sides of the abdomen. The fibers of this broad muscle form a "\/" across the front of the abdominal area, extending diagonally downward from the lower ribs to the pubic bone. The internal obliques lie immediately under the external obliques on both sides of the abdomen.

These fibers form a "/\" (an inverted "\/") along the front of the abdominal wall, extending diagonally upward from the pubic bone to the ribs. The rectus abdominis lies on the same layer as the internal oblique. It is a long, narrow muscle that runs vertically across the front of the abdomen from the rib cage to the pubic bone. The transverse abdominis is the innermost layer of the abdominal wall. It is the thinnest of all abdominal muscles and its fibers run horizontally across the abdomen.

Your core muscles help strengthen and stabilize your spine and pelvis, which is why developing a powerful core is the first step to making your whole body stronger. Start firming up your core with these gentle Pilates-based exercises, which will give you a solid foundation for all other movements. Perform 15 repetitions of each exercise, most days of the week.

It's time to push your abs to exhaustion—and fight the flab—with new ab exercises that are anything but routine. And it's not just a six-pack you'll get: Maintain strong abs, and you’ll help prevent back pain, boost your agility, and increase your flexibility.

But no matter how tough these exercises get, always remember the golden rule of ab workouts: quality over quantity. If you're still cranking out 2,000 fast-paced crunches a day, you're wasting your time (and maybe even hurting your back). Instead of ripping through the motions, slow down and focus on getting the most out of each rep. With slow, concentrated effort, you'll be building up to 30-second sets of quality moves—and admiring those washboard abs you've always wanted—in no time.