"Can You Tell Me How to Get Six Pack Abs?"

So this might be the #1 question I read in the comment sections of fitness blogs. It is a great goal, but it is such a broad question that it makes it tough for someone to answer properly. It is about as broad of a question as "How do I get to California?". Off the top of my head I can thing of a dozen or so modes of transportation to get to California as well as a few dozen routes. You might be really close to reaching California…or you could be world away and it could take much longer. Getting six pack abs is a lot like going to California…given enough time doing the right things you will get six pack abs. Just like if you traveled in the right direction to California you will get there eventually.

There is a Time Element to Getting Great Six Pack Abs

If you are eating right, losing body fat, and training properly, you will be able to get sharp six pack abs. The key here is that you have to put in enough time doing the proper exercises. Some people naturally have great six pack abs (they already live in California)…or they get them after 3-4 months of training (they live in Oregon or possibly Nevada). Maybe you live in Bulgaria and your workout partner lives in Montana (figuratively)…with the same workout and diet plan, he will get six pack abs much sooner than you.

Sometimes You Wind Up With Just a Hint of a Six Pack

So lets say you do make it to California (get six pack abs), but they are just barely visible. This is like winding up in Redding, California when you really wanted to go to San Diego. They are both in California, but San Diego is nicer by a mile (in my humble opinion). Anyway, sometimes you have to stay in Redding for a few years, before you work your way to San Diego. Possibly you only hang out in Redding for a while and get to go to San Jose, which is still not as nice as San Diego…but close enough to cool places like San Francisco or Santa Cruz. This post is deteriorating quickly. "The Lawrence Welk Show" – to the rescue!

My Dad Liked This?

[You know...it wasn't like my dad forced us watch "Lawrence Welk", but with just one TV in our home...I was exposed to this on a regular basis. This is borderline abusive! I ad to share my pain and suffering with you guys. Enjoy ]

Some More Thoughts on Six Pack Abs

It is unrealistic and probably unnecessary to be obsessed with having crazy sharp 6 pack abs all of the time. What you see in magazines is largely the effect of losing water and proper lighting. Your abs will look twice as sharp when you are in a dim room with a bright light shining directly above you. The guys shooting photos for the fitness magazines use everything in their favor. I have seen those same people outside of that environment and they have visible definition…but nothing like what the photos display.

Work Your Way Down to Where Fat Isn't Covering Your Abs

Honestly…my advice is to just reduce your body fat without being obsessed. Once you get your body fat low enough you won't have a layer of blubber covering your abs. This is a great starting point. Then simply put time in the gym and your abs will gradually improve. Once you get decent abs, they will much look better on some days than others. If you aren't holding water and the light is beneficial, your abs will look outstanding…on other days you will have just a hint of definition. When you are lean enough, ab sharpness simply comes down to water retention. The best way to minimize this is to increase your intake of water (without overdoing it) and making sure you don't take in too much salt. I talk about a good strategy in insuring staying sharp on page 56 of my free report: Vacation Body Blueprint.

The Famous Pebble Snatching Scene…

[The pebble snatching "attempt" happens at the 46 second mark. He succeeds at around the 2 minute mark, but then has to get branded by lifting up a molten pot with his bare forearms. I think I would have purposely been a little too slow grabbing that pebble, because the next step is a bit extreme...just saying that they need to lighten up a little!]

The #1 Tip for Great Abs?

Answer: Keep doing the right things consistently. It is tough for me to answer when you will reach the level of definition in your abs that you are after. I can tell you what to do, I just can't tell you how long it will take. For some it will happen quickly and other people will take much longer to reach the same level. I simply don't know when you will be able to take the pebble from my hand…grasshopper…that is up to you!

I Wish I Had Those Advertisers on My Side (Not Really)

Advertisers are getting better and better. I was shocked at how many Thighmaster units have been sold worldwide. I have read as many as 10 million have been sold since 1988. I don't want to necessarily slam these companies for trying to make money, but are they really offering good value for the money? It isn't that I'm against expensive pieces of equipment. When I eventually setup a home gym, I will drop a $1,000+ just for an Olympic Bar, adjustable bench, and a power rack…but it will more than payoff over time.

Read This Before Buying Any of These Ab Devices

I am guessing that many people will find this post while researching the "Body by Jake Ab Scissor Ultra" or "Ab Circle Pro" in Google. Anyway, most of the reviews you see in Google towards the top of the page are from affiliates promoting this product…making money when you purchase the product. I have nothing against making an honest buck online, but in this case, I wanted to save you some hard-earned money.

[Don't think for a second that these professional fitness models got their defined bodies from these devices. To be honest I think the main spokeswoman's abs are too defined anyway! I realize that she works hard, but I doubt most women want a mid-section like that.]

You Won't Lose Weight Using These Devices

The infomercial you just watched was done by professionals…they know how to push emotional triggers in a way that makes you want to buy regardless of price. The bottom line is that these devices will work your abs a bit, but do very little in the way of helping you lose weight.

Where the "Ab Circle Pro" Results Come From

This disclaimer on the testimonial page says it all…"The complete Ab Circle Pro system includes a reduced calorie diet and regular aerobic exercises…Participants ate a reduced calorie diet and did the Ab Circle Pro workout regularly." So in addition to the ab workout (which was suppose to be cardio at the same time as the ab workout)…the participants did extra cardio. They also reduced their calories. The diet is the real reason behind the fat loss and the cardio helped a bit as well. The Ab Circle Pro played a very marginal role in the results you see on TV as well as the website.

$10 Ab Wheels Will Do A Better Job Tightening the Mid-Section

At almost any sporting good store or places like Sears or Target, you can find Ab Wheels. They range from $8-$100. Don't go for the expensive ones…I have had a cheap little plastic ab wheel for close to 10 years and it has served me well. The key with this simple piece of equipment is that your mid-section is doing all of the work, not the device. It doesn't really need to be more complex than this. No need to spend any more than $10-$15 max.

What About Those Fancy Instructional Videos?

Well, thank goodness for Youtube! You can head over there right now and see several examples of good ab wheel workouts. This gentleman does a good job of explaining form. The main point is to make sure you don't hyper-extend your back. I don't like to crunch my abs hard at the top, but I do insure that my back doesn't arch and that my abs are supporting the resistance, not my spine.

[You will see people doing these from their feet...I feel it is safer and just as effective to stay on your knees. It looks cool to go from your feet, but in my opinion you are asking for a back injury.]

I Use the Ab Roller As A Way of Doing an "Advanced Plank"

In case you don't know what a plank is, here is a post I did explaining planks and an ab workout I have done for quite a few years: 7 Minute Abs? 8 Minute Abs? What About 6 Minute Abs? In fact…If you are a beginner, I would recommend doing this routine for a month before adding in the ab wheel. What I like to do with the ab wheel is roll it forward a foot and hold that position for 30 seconds then another foot or so and hold that position for 30 seconds and just a bit further and hold that position for as long as comfortable. I like to use it for tough static holds to generate serious tension in the abs. I do this maybe 1-2 times per week at home in addition to my plank workout.

No Need to Get Fancy to Lose a Bunch of Body Fat

Honestly…I know that this won't sound as fun as those late night infomercials, but simply eat less. To find out exact eating strategies, you can go to blogs like this one and get a ton of useful info. Find 4-5 good sites and set aside a few hours instead of watching TV and you can learn a ton of strategies that work. Again…if you are dead set on getting the "Ab Circle Pro" or "Body by Jake Ab Scissor Ultra", you will still have to insure your diet is right. If I can't save you from spending $199…at least let me help you with your diet!

[Be careful when dealing with advertising! Here is a video of a fitness model who was a spokesman of Hydroxycut, admitting to using steroids to achieve his look...not Hydroxycut. I think his physique looks way too big and unnatural anyway...but I respect him for telling the truth. He was fired as a spokesperson almost immediately after stating this fact.]

Note: What do you guys think about me calling these companies out? Too critical? I don't like messing with someone's way of generating income, but I also don't like seeing people spend money when there is much cheaper and superior alternatives.

Isometrics Exercise = Strength and Density Without Size

I advise most people to avoid crunches, various ab machines, and any type of traditional "ab exercise" to get great abs. I have two reasons for this. Reason #1…many of these exercise will toast your spine and kill your posture. Reason #2…doing eccentric and concentric contractions can lead to muscle growth (you want to increase the density of ab muscles not size). Although this muscle growth can be limited by low reps with heavier weights…that is a recipe for a spinal injury when it comes to ab crunching movements. A better way is to tense your abs and obliques against resistance without moving your body (isometric resistance). Building great abs through isometrics is also a way to protect against injury.

The Reason I've Recommended Planks Over the Years

For a full explanation of why I do planks and further reason to avoid crunches, read this post I wrote while back: Six Pack Abs – Without Turning Into a Hunchback <---I have links on this post to a post with my 6 minute ab routine as well as an exercise I like to call "Breath of Dragon". You guys will enjoy these if you haven't read them yet. To me the best reason to do planks is that it works your entire mid-section, plus you are contracting your abs when your spine is straight (like when you are standing on the beach). Most other ab exercises contract the abs when the spine is curled forward. So planks reinforce good posture while improving the looks of your abs in your spine's natural state.

Obliques Also Help Twist the Spine – An Isometric For That?

The one missing ingredient in my isometric ab routine was an isometric movement that addressed the twisting function of the obliques. Adding side planks to my ab routine 2-3 years ago was a HUGE step in building better obliques, but I still felt something was missing. I needed an isometric that challenged the oblique's twisting function. Luckily I found what I was looking for on one of favorite sites… Relative Strength Advantage <---My only complaint is that he needs to post more...common Yavor!

Renegade Rows – The Missing Link

Below this is a video of my buddy Yavor doing "Renegade Rows". He makes this look really easy and is using incredible form. His video is the best I've seen and I'm not just saying that because he is a friend. His form is impeccable. He also did such a good job at explaining proper form and technique, that I will just point you to that post: Renegade Rows – How to Get Ridiculously Hard Abs, Part I. Brilliant post and great explanation!

[Yavor...I love the black and white checkerboard floor! It reminds me of an 80's hair salon. Cue the music..."Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand...Just like that river twisting through a dustly land". Just messing with ya...it looks much nicer than most places I've had a membership to...and if this is your home gym, I'm insanely jealous!]

My First Experience With Renegade Rows

My biggest mistake when starting out was keeping my feet too close together. You will need to spread out your legs to where your feet are at least shoulder width apart. Also, on my very first row one of my legs wanted to come off the ground. I think I pulled to quickly and didn't brace my body hard enough. I did 5 sets of 5 reps (per side) and was toast by the last set. I only used 30 pounds, but it was plenty for my first time out.

What I've Noticed After Just 3 Weeks of Renegade Rows

My obliques are quickly improving, which was expected…but some great side benefits as well. I have noticed that it is easier to do overhead lifts like military press. Also, most weights now feel lighter in my hands and things like bench press and curls seem a bit easier. Your hands will quickly toughen up a bit, because you wind up supporting a lot of weight. My lower abs are getting quite a bit firmer as well. My spine feels better than ever…it feels like this exercise is further protecting my spine. Planks go a long way in spinal injury prevention, but this takes it to the next level.

Ways to Implement Renegade Rows Into Your Routine

I'm doing these 2-3 days per week right after lifting, then I do my 6 minute plank routine followed by HIIT. This exercise warms up the body well for sprinting. It really seems to warm up the hip flexors, quads, etc. You could do them at any point in your routine and twice a week is plenty (I'm experimenting with 3 just to master the lift). I'm guessing that you may be one of the only people in your gym doing these.

Note: This is one of those exercises that doesn't look like it is doing much, but it requires serious isometric ab contractions when done properly. Over time these hard contractions are going to create serious definition all over your mid-section…including the often neglected obliques.

[Here is an example of a woman with nice flat abs. I don't think women should aim for a ripped six pack...sleek abs with slight definition is the way to go!]

Crunches Are Like Tequila Shots!

Both crunches and Tequila get the job done, until you have a few bad experiences. Seriously…crunches will give you decent looking abs, but there is a safer and superior approach to getting toned abs. If you must do crunches, then limit it to maybe your first 3-6 months of training and then eliminate them from your workout (I'll explain). If you must do Tequila shots…then go to Cancun, Ibiza, Vegas, Bondi Beach, Leicester Square or wherever the party spot is in your country and get it out of your system as well…then switch over to beer and wine like a sensible adult.

Ab Isolation Movements Have A Short Life Span

According to Olympic Strength and Conditioning Coach, Charles Poliquin…if an athlete isolates their abs with crunches they will not see any improvements in their ab strength after 6-8 weeks…"Some of these guys can claim all these poundages used in ab training, but it's actually the psoas doing the work. If you truly isolate the abs, after six to eight weeks an athlete will plateau the rest of his life." So Ab Isolation movements aren't where it is at!

The Two Main Functions of the Abdominal Muscles

I'll keep this simple…

•  Rectus Abdominus – flexes the spinal column forward 30 degrees. Any additional movement beyond 30 degrees is caused by the muscles that flex your hips
• Transversus Abdominus stabilize the upper body and helps keep your posture

Almost Everything You Do Works the Stabilizing Muscles

When you run these muscles engage to keep your shoulders above your hips. Without these muscles your upper body would tip over at some point. Same with doing an exercise like a standing shoulder press, which is a good indirect ab movement. Your abs have to work hard to insure that your body doesn't fall forward or backward when you are raising and lowering the weight.

Do Crunches for a Short Period of Time Then Maintain…

It won't take long to reach the maximum benefit from crunches. I would say six months tops. The great thing is once you build your ab density and mind-to-muscle link with crunches, it takes very little to maintain dense abs. I haven't done a crunch or any other "spine flexation" movement of any type for over 10 years and my abs look better than ever.

How Do You Maintain Six Pack Abs Without Crunches?

It is simple to maintain muscle density in any muscle by performing isometrics. This is basically flexing the muscle without any movement involved. The nice thing about isometrics is that you will build muscle density without increasing the size of the muscle…this is exactly what you are aiming for if you want amazing looking abs. Have you ever seen a person with ripped six pack abs, but their mid-section sticks out past their chest…this is what you want to avoid. Here are my two favorite Isometric Ab exercises.

• Planks (click for my 10 minute routine)
• Breath of Dragon (totally made up this name for Bruce Lee exercise)

There Are Other Ab Exercises That Use the Same Principles

There are many exercises that force the body to contract the abs hard without flexing the spine forward. Here is a creative one!

[This looks like an amazing ab exercise, but the video makes me laugh. It has some seriously jacked up disco music playing in the background (would be good in a house club, but kind of inappropriate in a gym setting). I admit it...the whole thing has an odd vibe and you can't look cool doing this, but it would work the abs well.]

[This would completely obliterate my back, but would be a great exercise for the younger guys and girls looking to tighten up their mid-section. I apologize for the Death Metal playing in the background..."The 80's called and wants their music back!"...lol! Okay...so a few of you guys commented that this is Metallica - Master of Puppets..."the 80's called and STILL wants their music back"! Just kidding...it's cool, we all have different tastes.]

One Final Reminder About Ab Definition

You won't see your abs if your body fat is too high. Do what it takes to lower your body fat if you want a nice defined mid-section. Your diet needs to be on point and your workouts should include a either HIIT or circuits of some sort after your brief resistance training workouts.

The Day I Decided to Drop Crunches For Good

I don't talk about this much on this site, but I experienced a really bad back injury about 18 years ago. I did a 3 part post that goes into great detail why I believe crunches will weaken your back over time. I also discussed the strategy that has helped me remain pain-free for the past 4 years. I posted this a long time ago, so I thought I would link to it in this post.

Conquering Low Back Pain While Getting Fit…Part I

Why I'm Going on a "Core Exercise" Rant!

I workout in a gym and see the weirdest stuff! About 4 times a week I jump on a treadmill that overlooks the entire gym. Almost every day, I see 2-3 of the trainers have clients stand on a balancing board and throw exercise balls at them. The client catches the ball and throws it back to the trainer. The trainer then throws the ball back to the client at different spots. The idea is that the "core muscles" get stronger because they have to balance the body!

Another Strange Core Exercise Phenomenon

The exercise listed above is a waste of time for the most part, but at least it is directly targeting the core. Even worse is when trainers have people do lifts targeting a different muscle group, while working the core simultaneously. Seriously…doing shoulder presses with dumbbells on a Swiss Ball to work the core? Call me crazy, but I thought shoulder presses were suppose to work the shoulders! The big problem here is that you have to use much less weight and probably won't approach the resistance necessary to get a good shoulder workout.

Your Core Muscles Naturally Get a Good Workout Anyway

If you do a workout that involves free weights, you do body weight exercises, and you do cardio…you are hitting your core muscles. Your core muscles stabilize your body and keep it stiff like a board while doing push ups. When doing standing barbell curls or standing military presses, your core gets worked. When running on a treadmill your core transfers the force from the legs to the upper body.

The Only Direct Core Exercise I Recommend Are "Planks"

Like I mentioned before, your core gets a solid workout naturally so you don't need to obsess over working it. I do planks as my main ab exercise and this works the core hard. Really…it is a great exercise to get an amazing six pack and works the core at the same time. Try doing a set or two for two minutes and you will know just how time efficient this exercise is.

Here are Two Posts I wrote about Planks:

Great Six Pack Ab Video Shows How Get Extremely Toned Abs
7 Minute Abs? 8 Minute Abs? What About 6 Minute Abs?

Note: I'm not slamming the use of balancing boards, bosu trainers, swiss balls, etc…I just think that it is important to get the "basics" down first. There are certainly advanced uses for these exercises in regards to athletic performance and balance. If you are limited on time and want to lose body fat as quickly as possible, I would recommend avoiding this type of stuff for a while. Your time would be better spent on cardio and strength training.

Planks…A Simple, Yet Effective Ab Exercise

Anyone who has been reading the posts on this site for a while knows I'm a HUGE fan of the plank exercise. I really enjoy doing the plank exercise, because it is the perfect ab exercise in my opinion. It has been proven to promote good posture and is a good exercise to do to protect against back injuries. Planks also promote even ab development. What I mean by that, is that this exercise seems to work the upper lower and mid part of the abdominal wall evenly. Planks also works all the "detail" muscles well that surround the abs…the obliques, intercostals, etc.

*Here's a site that has a diagram of both the side plank and regular plank: http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/plank.html

Why I Prefer Planks Over Other Ab Exercises

Other ab exercises generate contractions by shortening and curling your spine to a certain extent. Over time I believe this shortens the hip flexors and can create bad posture along with back problems for a lot of people. Planks, on the other had, generate strong contractions in a neutral position. Think about this…don't you want to display defined six pack abs when you are standing or just lying in the sun? Well…planks are teaching your abs to contract hard in this same neutral position. You are basically training your abs to look sharp when your spine is in a natural position (which is most of the time).

Isometric Exercises Are Perfect For the Abs

The last thing you want to do when working your abs is to get puffy and bulky muscle surrounding your mid section. The abs are like any other muscle, they will increase in size if worked in a typical bodybuilding manner. You could do the 3-5 reps that I normally suggest to increase muscle density, I just don't think it is practical or safe for your spine. Isometric exercises like the planks accomplish the same effect as low rep training…hard contractions without the breaking down of muscle. You will increase muscle density without an increase in muscle size. This is the secret to getting amazing looking abs.

Planks Are an Extremely Time Efficient Way to Work Abs

When you do a 2 minute plank, your muscles are contracting hard the entire 2 minutes. If you did a crunching movement for 2 minutes straight, your abs are only contracted for a portion of that time. I would bet that your abs are in a contracted state for less than 1/3 of the time when doing typical ab exercises. If you look at it this way, planks are about 3 times more efficient. You could do in 10 minutes what it would take you 30 minutes to do in a typical ab workout. Yes…I know this is WAY over simplifying the way exercising affects the body, but you get the point.

My Simple Yet Effective Ab Workout

1) Two minutes doing a right side plank
2) Two minutes doing a left side plank
3) Rest 30 seconds
4) Two minutes doing a regular plank
5) Rest 30-60 seconds
6) Two minutes doing an exercise ball plank

Note: You won't be able to do this your first time out. You may have to cut it down to a minute for each set if you are a beginner. Once you get more advanced see if you can hold the exercise ball plank for over 2 minutes. Once you get really advanced, see if you can string all of this together without rest. If you don't have an exercise ball, just do a regular plank on the floor again for 2 minutes. One last thing…2 minutes is going to feel like a lifetime on that last exercise!

[Antonio "Flashes Some Skin" Whenever He Hitchhikes]

I'm Talking About The Lower Abdominal and Hip Region

Women love the area of a man's body where the lower abs meet the hip flexors. This forms those "V" shaped lines when a man is at a low body fat level and has good ab definition. I think women love this, because it shows that a man is in great shape. You can't just lift weight and gain a bunch muscle to get a good "V"…you have to get to a low body fat level as well.

Crunches Aren't Enough to Develop This Area

You probably can get a decent 6 pack from crunches, but crunches don't do enough for the entire torso in my opinion. I prefer "planks" over any other type of ab exercise, because they involved stabilizing the entire abdominal region. Planks really help develop this area, because you have to tighten both the hip flexors and lower abs to stabilize yourself in plank position.

Here is a Good Plank Video

This guy demonstrates doing planks on an exercise ball. You can do these with your elbows on the ball or just with both elbows on the ground. Try to time yourself to work up to 2 minutes. Two minutes doesn't seem like a lot, but believe me…it is a LOOONG two minutes.

Work Your Obliques To Create a Better "V"

Most people work their obliques by doing "side bends" with a dumbbell in one hand. Please…do Not do this exercise! When you perform a resistance exercise that involves a positive and negative movement, you have the strong possibility of increasing the size of that muscle. You don't want to increase the size of the obliques at all! Isometric contractions are better for toning a muscle when you don't want an increase in size (I'll do a full post on this in the future). The best isometric exercise for the obliques is the "side plank".

[Here is a picture of Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training, doing side planks.]

Note: All you are basically doing is holding that position for as long as possible and then switching sides.

Running Seems to Define This Area Very Well

There is a bunch of different types of cardio that burns body fat, but running seems to have the greatest impact on the muscles of your torso. You see, when you run all those small muscles have to contract to stabilize the pelvis. When you are on an exercise bike, the seat stabilizes your pelvic area…there isn't any need for those muscles to engage because everything is stable already. Running stairs or sprint intervals, seem to really tighten up the ab region very well.

Obviously You Need To Be at A Low Body Fat Level

You need to follow a proper diet and hit cardio hard to burn off that stubborn body fat. I recommend a combination of interval training and steady state cardio to burn off all of that excess fat. Here is a post I did on this subject: Balancing Steady State Aerobics With Interval Training

One Final Tip…Quit Hiking Up Your Pants So High!

I am not someone who recommend sagging your pants, but wear your jeans on your hips…not at the level of your belly button! If it is summer time and you are at the beach, same deal…wear your shorts at a little lower than hip level. Tying the string super-tight and cranking the shorts up high is a bad deal…I'm just trying to help you out!

(Jennifer Garner understands the "secret" to great muscle tone)

So What is This "Secret Tip" for Great Muscle Tone?

The way to get really toned to a level you have never reached is to "hold your weight" at a low body fat percentage for a long period of time. This is really what separates people with good muscle tone from people with great muscle tone. Not doing this…is most likely why your abs look good, but not great when you are in peak condition.

So Why Stay at a Low Body Fat Level for A Long Period of Time?

When you lose body fat, the size of your body becomes smaller overall. The problem is that your skin takes a while to adapt to this. Your muscles are toned, but your skin doesn't cooperate right away…It is still a bit loose and needs some time before it will "shrink-wrap" your muscles.

Whenever You Lose Weight, There is a Delayed Response from Your Skin

It doesn't matter how much weight or how little weight you lose, your skin is always significantly behind in maximizing the look of your improved appearance. If you want to really look great for an event or upcoming vacation, hit your target weight 2-3 months out and stay at that weight.

The "Old School" Approach Only Works Well for Steroid Users

The traditional bodybuilding approach to gaining muscle tone is to "bulk up" in the winter and burn fat in the spring…so that you look good during the summer. This is a TERRIBLE approach to getting a nice looking body. First of all, you only look good for part of the year…plus you never give your skin a chance to catch up. If you don't mind the perverted lifestyle of bodybuilding…like needles, tanning cream, and dehydration…then the "bulk up" approach could work well for you. Good luck with that!

All the People I Know With Exceptional Muscle Tone are Lean Year-Round

Take the Hollywood Actors and Actresses with the best muscle tone…Brad Pitt, Jessica Biel, Willem Dafoe, Angelina Jolie, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Alba, Will Smith, Jennifer Garner, etc…They never get bulky and always stay around the same weight. The guys and girls in my gym with the best muscle tone and six pack abs are the ones that follow this principle as well.

Bruce Lee Had Phenomenal Abs!

He was one of the first movie stars of his day to truly have amazing abs. Even by today's standard his abs are very defined. I really enjoyed watching his movies. If you are young and haven't seen any of his stuff, you can go over to Youtube.com and watch many of his best clips.

So What is his Secret Ab Exercise? Here You Go "Daniel-San"!

So I'm going to call this exercise "Breath of Dragon", because it sounds really cool. I could picture a wise Kung Fu instructor telling his young student (with a newly shaved head) about the "Breath of Dragon" in a remote temple up in the mountains…LOL! It is a breathing and ab flexing exercise that builds tone in your abs by increasing the mind-to-muscle link.

The "Breath of Dragon" Explained

First you want to breath in. Then you want to simultaneously flex your abs hard while breathing out. Here is the trick…you want to purse your lips and make it a bit hard to force the air out. It should take you about 5-10 seconds to force all of the air out. As you let the air out of your lungs your abs should have the ability to flex harder and harder.

What the Heck Does This Do?

This exercise "sharpens" up your abs quit a bit. You will want to practice this in front of a mirror (at home please). Once you have expelled all of the air, you abs should look defined (provided your body fat is low enough). What happens is that over time, your abs will look this way even when you aren't flexing them!

The "Breath of Dragon" Increases the Mind-to-Muscle Link in Your Abs

Have you ever thought about what is involved in flexing a muscle? Your brain sends nerve impulses to your muscle to command that muscle to flex. Do you have a certain muscle that is easy for you to flex? That muscle has a strong mind-to-muscle link. What is the most toned muscle on your body? Most likely it is the muscle that you can flex the easiest (the one with the strongest mind-to-muscle link). How do you increase the mind-to-muscle link in a muscle that you want to tone? Practice flexing that muscle! ***Please Read The Above Paragraph Twice…Nobody ever talks about this concept!***

Tips on Improving the Results You Get With "Breath of Dragon"

You can practice this exercise daily, since there isn't any muscle breakdown like you get in resistance exercise. I like to do it in front of the mirror after I take a shower in the morning. You only need to do it once or twice…just try and see if you get better at flexing your abs over time. You will get a much harder contraction if you make a super tight fist while you do this as well.

But…Bruce Lee Did a Bunch of Other Ab Exercises as Well

I really don't recommend most of the other exercises that Bruce Lee did to get six pack abs. He did a bunch of exercises that will put your spine in jeopardy over time. I used to do just one exercise for my abs, which gave me a great six pack… "Plank" Article With Video. I added the Breath of Dragon to my routine about 3 weeks ago and I see a noticeable difference already!

Note: Don't confuse this exercise with "Dragon Breath"! To Learn Dragon Breath, don't brush your teeth for a few days and breath out near the opposite sex. Dragon Breath is a really poor exercise, so I'm not going to recommend it!

Over the past 3 months, I have been doing nothing but the standard plank exercise for 2 minutes and my abs look better than ever. Craig Ballantyne, author of the cutting edge book Turbulence Training, has a free ab video that does a great job explaining how to get six pack abs. <—Click here to see the video.

When you watch the video you will see that Craig shows you many variations of the plank exercise. I just focus on the first one where he shows you to hold it for 2 minutes. It works really well!

Quick story about what happened in my gym today.

After killing myself with high intensity interval training on the treadmill, I went upstairs to out "ab area"…Where there are a bunch of mats and exercise balls, incline ab boards, ab rollers, etc.

Anyway…I see people doing endless sets of ab exercises. A personal trainer is telling a guy that he has to do at least 10-15 sets of 15 reps for his abs to see any definition (I have to hold back the laughter sometimes).

So I go into the middle of the room, go into plank position for two minutes, and then stand up and get ready to leave. The personal trainer near me was talking about street fighting with the other personal trainer during these two minutes…total meat heads! Both of these guys are pudgy and they brag about how much they can squat and how they want to put on 30 more pounds of muscle, etc…Totally clueless!

So as I get ready to leave the room I see one of the personal trainers whisper something to his buddy and kind of smirks at me. All of the personal trainers at this gym hate me because I'm in much better condition than them…plus their clients ask me for advice, which I know drives them nuts!

I'm sure both of these chumps have no idea how to get six pack abs. If they did, you sure wouldn't know by looking at them! Give this 2 minute workout a shot…hopefully you will be well on your way to getting toned abs.

In this video Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training, demonstrates exercises known as "planks". He explains why doing crunches is a waste of time. I completely agree with Craig…I have done nothing but planks for over 5 years for my abs and they have never looked better!

Note: Craig's Video is no longer available on YouTube, so I found this video which shows you the exercise I am referring to.

My ab workout mainly consists of doing planks for 5 minutes after my cardio workout. I'll do 2 minutes of the normal plank…and then 1-2 minutes of the plank on my right side and 1-2 minutes on the left.

The reason this ab workout is so effective is that it is an isometric contraction…you are basically teaching your abs to flex hard when your torso isn't bent forward. What happens is that you train your abs to remain "partially flexed" without having to crunch forward or bend….this will help your abs "sharpen up" in your normal state of standing or sitting.

Craig Ballantyne has a cutting edge e-book on getting ripped, called Turbulence Training <===Click this link if you want to see what his site is all about. His main focus is losing body fat without cardio. I don't agree 100% with all of his theories, but his book has enough cutting edge info, that it is easily worth the price.

Getting back to the video…give these exercises a try. Set a timer for 2 minutes and see if you can do that first plank for 2 minutes…it is tougher than you think! Do the recommended exercises 3-4 times a week and as long as you have low body fat, you will have extremely toned six pack abs in no time!

There isn't an abdominal exercise that can be considered the best!

Having a ripped midsection is much more a result of having a low body fat level…not about working your abs with a particular lift. What kills me is that I see personal trainers taking their clients through all sorts of crunching exercises to "really hit their midsection".

Let's take a look at a diagram…

The main part of the ab muscle is the rectus abdominis. It is actually one big muscle that is segmented by tendons. The definition you see in someone with six pack abs, is a result of the tendons crossing over the main ab muscle. All of us have these tendons that crisscross the ab muscle. If you were to get below 10% body fat, you will see the effect of these tendons…which creates that washboard look. You would be able to see this, even if you didn't do a single ab exercise!

I would say that 90% of having six pack abs is being at a low enough body fat percentage. Maybe 10% is by working the ab muscle directly with various types of crunches and leg lifts. My advice is to hit cardio hard and watch your diet if you want great abs.

I will reveal my detailed ab workout in another post…I just wanted to make sure everyone understood the big picture of what it takes to get nice six pack abs. If I HAD to give an answer to the question of…the best abdominal exercise, I would have to say all the various cardio machines in the gym.