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Community Corner

Six Best Ab Moves for the Six-Pack You've Always Wanted

Read this only if you want awesome abs. Oh, and learn my three rules to live by for the ultimate flat stomach.

The first time I remember seeing a set of washboard abs, I was 12 years old and it was Billy from Melrose Place. Remember him? The guy who was chewed up and spit out by every She Devil in that hellish complex. Pathetic face, bleeding heart, you know who I’m talking about.

So there Billy is, doing something too inappropriate for the average 12-year-old to be watching. She Devil of the month takes her claws, rips off his shirt and: Boom!  Chisel! Bam! Abs exposed, mouth drops open and the preteen life of Jaime Jereb is never the same. Seriously, who’d a thought cute little nerdy Billy had a six-pack? I’d expect this from the renegade Jake or even the sexy old guy Jack, but Billy? Way to go, son!

So you can imagine the impact a sexy midsection has on a person. After all, it’s how most of us define being in good shape and ultimately what we all want. Call it what you want, but there isn’t a single person out there who isn’t trying to get that flat stomach, that six-pack, that washboard like our boy up there. 

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So today, I’m giving you the recipe for the ultimate set of abs. Plus, at the bottom of the page, I’ll give you three bonus ingredients.  

1. Long Lever Reach: Lay flat on your back with arms raised above your head. Lift your arms and straight legs simultaneously while reaching to touch the toes. Slowly come back down hovering above the ground 6 inches. 

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2. Slow Bicycle Twists: Start flat on ground, hands behind head. Bring your left elbow to your right knee, then back to the start. Alternate, right knee and left arm.  Continue twisting, pulling those abs the whole time. I’m sure you've done these at some point in your life, but have you ever attempted them at a ridiculously slower pace? Try it.

3. Weighted Long Arm Crunch: Lay with your back on top of either a stability ball or Bosu Ball. Do a normal crunch, only this time you will have some sort of weight in your hands while your arms are fully extended behind you. Keep them that way, with the weight and crunch up. Slowly (with arms still straight) return to start.  This really targets the upper abdominals.

4. Belly Blasters: Get into plank position on your forearms. You’re now going to pop your hips up high to the sky, rocking forward on the toes, then quickly falling down into a perfect plank again without letting your hips sink below the body line. The faster you go, the more work is required from the abs. You should be feeling this one across your belly button area.

5. Side Plank w/ Knee In: Side planks are already tough, but there’s always room to make it more difficult, right? With side planks, squeeze your obliques by kneeing in your top leg as far into your chest as you can. Do about 10 on one side and then switch. 

6. Suspended Leg or Knee Raise: Hang from any bar. Pretty simple, but really difficult. Without using momentum, bring your knees to your chest, making the abs do the work. Slowly bring them down to the start. If you’re feeling like a superhero, straighten your legs and lift all the way up, and touch your toes on the bar. Yikes!

There you have it. My six favorite ab moves, guaranteed to get those tummy muscles burning.

As for my three bonus ingredients:

  1. Stop eating crap.
  2. Stop overeating.
  3. Stop the pansy workouts.

You could do my routine eight days a week. If you don't follow the three rules above, those tough-as-nails abs will be buried by a pile of flab for-ev-er!

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