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In conjunction with a good cardiovascular program, an ab workout can help sculpt and tone your stomach. This is often the goal of many fitness enthusiasts and it easy to include in your program.
An ab workout can be done anywhere at anytime with little or no equipment.
Before beginning an ab workout, you need to know the muscles involved in the exercise. These muscles are made up of four parts and are responsible for bending and twisting the body at the waist and the side.
The muscles used in an ab workout are: the rectus, the transverse, internal and external oblique. You will need to do several exercises in order to target all of these areas effectively.
There are an endless number of exercises that are used to training this area. You probably have many that you use on a regular basis. Here are a few that will target all areas: ball crunches (rectus), the plank (transverse), and the bicycles (the obliques).
When performing these exercises you want to remember to have proper form (don't pull on your neck), challenge yourself (add resistance and chose a variety of exercises) and do them slowly. Pilates and yoga are also wonderful for helping to develop strength in this area as they work.
Remember that crunches alone will not reduce and shape the core area. You need to include cardio such as running or skipping to lose overall body fat. Whenever your work on you core, it is very important to include exercises for your back to improve stability and posture.
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