Second, those people who tell you that doing 100's of situps is the way to get great abs are normally not all that experienced in what they are doing, good intentioned, just not experienced.

However, it is possible to get those abdominals that you want without spending hours every day doing crunchies or situps.

(Beware The Sit Up Anyways, as it tends to work the hip muscles more than anything else).

Over the series of 4 articles I am going to give you the exercises of an abdominal program which I use. One that you don't even have to go to the gym to do, just get up off that computer chair for 10 or 15 minutes every other day and you will be well on your way to a competition style midriff.

The key is to do the exercises slowly and to really concentrate on using your abdominal muscles. As you begin to master one exercise move on to the next. Eventually you will be able do all these exercises in one killer abdominal session that will leave your abs tight and your body and mind feeling refreshed enough to get back to your computer energy renewed.

Exercise One - parallel hold ----------------------------------- Place an exercise ball or even roll up a small towel and place it under your lower back about knee length from a wall and lie flat on it so that the small of your back rests on the ball or towel, with your feet flat on the floor.

The towel or exercise ball allows your abdominals to extend fully while also forcing you to work your smaller stabilizer muscles in the bodies core area.

Raise your legs parallel to the floor (straight out). Stretch your arms directly out behind your head so that they are in line with your legs. Use your abdominals (abs) to raise your upper body up off of the floor and hold for 20 seconds while concentrating on contracting your abs. Rest for a minute and repeat. Do 3 or 4 times and then more as you get used to the movement.

This exercise works your upper, lower, and stabilizer abdominal muscles.

Exercise Two - mummy crunches ----------------------------------------- Again using an exercise ball or a towel rolled up and placed under your lower back, place your feet on the floor about hip width apart. cross your arms over your chest like a mummy with your fists to either side of your jaw. Keep your neck relaxed and in line with your spine. Using your abs, lift up your spine about 20 degrees and hold yourself there, while concentrating on contracting your abs for a count of 1-2 seconds and then repeat. The first time do 15 crunches, 2x.

You can add extra resistance to this exercise by using a couple of exercise bands attached to the wall or a secure railing of some sort. I don't, I find my body weight is sufficient enough as long as I really concentrate on holding my abdominal contraction on each and every repetition.

Again this exercise works your upper, lower, and stabilizer Abdominal muscles.

Have Fun and expect some more in the future Derek Beech

P.S. Be sure to come back and read the next three articles.

There is a bonus for you at the end of the fourth if you do!!