Let's talk about some of the best exercises for abs. We're looking for ones that are more effective.

First a word on fat-burning exercises. If you are doing ab exercises to burn fat, you are probably wasting your time. Regular ab exercises don't burn much fat. Working larger muscle groups like the legs will burn more fat. The more muscles an exercise works, the more fat it will burn. Doing endless crunches won't burn fat, nor will it get you highly developed abs.

So, here's what we're going to do. We're going to concentrate on multi-joint exercises in a high intensity fashion. In other words, not taking too long between sets. Don't worry, I'll show you some actual ab exercises in a minute. For now, let's focus on exercises like deadlift, squat, benchpress, overhead press, rows, lunges, anything that works more than one muscle.

Doing these types of exercises with a moderate amount of weight will be good for fat loss. Also, exercsies like deadlifts also work the abs, so you get that added benefit. Don't rest too long between sets to keep it intense. Maybe rest 30 seconds or so. You can also stack exercises doing a double or triple set going from one exercise to the next with little to no rest. For example, do lunges, followed by overhead presses (dumbbell or barbell) followed by rows, then rest an repeat all 3 again. That's just one example of a triple set. You can play around with it as much as you want.

Now, for specific ab exercises, choose exercises that provide enough resistance. We're not looking to do 100 reps here. Instead, we want to find exercises that we can do for about 6-15 reps.

Exercises that involve curling or raising the pelvis up toward your trunk are some of the best exercises for abs. Leg raises are one example of this. They can be hanging leg raises, or done on the floor. Do the exercise properly so you can only do 6-15 reps at a time. If you can do more than that, either you are really strong, or you are cheating.

Hanging leg raises can be done by either raising your legs or your knees. If you get to the point where you can easily do 15 "proper" reps at a moderate pace and not swinging, then consider getting a device that can allow you to add some weight to your legs. Those little leg/ankle weights that you can wrap around your legs might be useful for adding some resistance.

For more examples of exercises with pictures, take a look at the Truth About Abs Program, or read our review.

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