Firm Abs

Everyone is in a hurry, to reach work or school, get the chores taken care of, and fitting in gym in that little time frame. But the fact is, you can't just finish working out just because you think it's good for you. It has to be a beneficial routine where you, not necessarily spend an hour on the exercise equipment, but, can work the maximum number of muscle groups in less amount of time. So, how does one achieve that? Simple, you need to work on a plan, perhaps with your doctor and/or trainer at your gym. This advice will provide you specific details and information about what exactly you need to exercise on. Let's say your goals are to shed some pounds or perhaps get strong abs. A weekly exercise routine and calorie intake chart will help you determine what sort of journey lies ahead. And if you wish to attain firm abs, there are safe exercises you can do at home, without using huge machines or fancy ab belts.

Exercises to Strengthen Abs

If you are slim, the purpose of obtaining strong abs is to give you a sexy waistline. When the abs don't have a layer of fat on it, strong abdominal muscles are pretty easy to achieve. However, if there is a bit of fat, then it isn't unachievable, just the abdominal exercises become bit more tough. Which means, you have a lot of work cut out for you. So, let's not waste more time and see how to get rock hard abs fast.

Abs Exercise #1: Torso

• Place an exercise mat on the floor, lie on your back, hands behind your head, elbows open (almost touching the floor), keep your knees bent, and place them hip-width apart.
• Inhale, while breathing out, lift your torso from the floor and look up towards the ceiling.
• Your elbows should be open at all times. Come halfway up and all the way up (the same level as your knees). Do 5 sets of 5 each.
• This exercise is performed from your stomach and not your hands. So, don't push your head up because you might just strain your neck in the process.

Abs Exercise #2: Obliques

• Place an exercise mat on the floor, lie on your back, hands behind your head, elbows open (almost touching the floor), keep you knees bent, and place them hip-width apart.
• Inhale, bend your legs up, parallel to the floor and bring your left hand out to place it flat on the floor (on your side).
• As you breathe out, bring your shoulder blades off the floor, raise yourself up, and twist to your left.
• Inhale again and bring yourself back to starting position. Perform the same movement on your right side. Do 2 sets of 5 on each side.
• This exercise is performed from your stomach and not your hands. Keep your spine as straight as possible while doing this exercise.

Abs Exercise #3: Obliques

• Place an exercise mat on the floor, lie on your back, hands behind your head, elbows open (almost touching the floor), keep you knees bent, and place them hip-width apart.
• Inhale and bring your shoulder blades off the floor. At the same time, elevate your legs off the floor, keep right leg straight, and bring your left leg toward the chest.
• As you come up, twist your torso to the right side, hold to a second, and then come back down to the floor.
• Inhale and come back to starting position. Perform the same movement on your left side. Do 2 sets of 5 each on both sides.

Abs Exercise #4: Waist

• Place an exercise mat on the floor, lie on your back, arms stretched behind you, keep your knees bent, and place them hip-width apart.
• Inhale and bring your arms in front, diagonally raised toward the ceiling. As you breathe out, raise your shoulder blades off the floor and lower your arms, keeping them parallel to the floor.
• Contract your abs, push your lower back in the floor, and hold for couple of seconds. Inhale and bring yourself back to starting position.
• Do 10 sets of 5 each. If this exercise is a bit difficult for you, to assure that you're doing it properly, place a thick book between your knees for support.

Abs Exercise #5: Waist

• Place an exercise mat on the floor, lie on your back, arms stretched behind you, keep you knees bent (closer to the chest), and keep them hip-width apart.
• Inhale, straighten your legs up toward the ceiling and hold them there. Also, bring your arms up and keep them parallel to the legs.
• Bend your knees just a bit toward the chest as the arms come up. Breathe out and bring yourself back to starting position. Do 10 sets of 5 each.

These ab exercises will only benefit you if combined with some cardiovascular exercises. It helps you get rid of extra belly fat and achieve a tough workout for your abs. Keep a journal with you to keep track of which firm ab exercises you performed and how many reps were finished.