I can't think of anyone that wouldn't want a great six pack of abs. How many of you are doing sit-ups everyday, hitting the gym religiously, and trying to watch what you eat, yet, to no avail, you're still sporting a keg instead of a six pack? The truth about getting a six pack lies more in what you don't know than what you may currently be doing. What would you think if I told you one of the worse exercises you could possibly do to get a six pack of abs was sit-ups?

The truth about getting a six pack lies more in what you don't know than what you may currently be doing. What would you think if I told you one of the worse exercises you could possibly do to get a six pack of abs was sit-ups? I'm not making this up, but if you are trying to get a six pack and spend every morning doing sit ups, you might as well go eat a hamburger, because the last thing you'll ever see is your abs.

Here's another big mistake I see people make. I was in the gym last week and this guy walks up to the dumbbell rack, picks up a 50 pound dumbbell in each hand and starts doing side bends. Without realizing it, he's going to create a wider waist and more than likely need to let his belt out another inch in a few months. Side bends work the oblique muscles that are located on the side of the waist. These muscles seem to respond very quickly to weights which in turn build a wider waist, not a smaller waist. If sit-ups and side bends are the mainstay of your abdominal program then I'm sorry to say my friend, you're doing the two worst ab exercises you can do for your abs. Trust me, this is something I know a lot about. Not only do I have a six pack of abs, I have managed to maintain a 30 inch waist and ab clarity for over 20 years.

So let me share some insights with you on just how to get a six pack or at the very least, a smaller waist line. (For more detail on a smaller waist line be sure to read about abdominal distention). Many of you that listen to my radio show or watch the channel Two news have heard me rant about all the lousy infomercial equipment being sold that tells you that you can have great looking abs with only 5 minutes a day of exercise. In addition they usually have guest and host sporting great abs that insinuates to the viewer that their ab development was a direct result of using the equipment they are peddling. The truth is that no-one and I repeat no-one, developed their abs by solely using the equipment that you see advertised on TV. If you really think that you can get great abs by only exercising them please call me right away because I've got some great ocean front property I'd like to sell you in Colorado. Like Martin Luther King once said, "I have a dream", and my dream is! to hook up both the host that sell the electronic ab stimulator, and the inventor, plug the thing into the wall socket and shove them in the bathtub. The fact about these electronic stimulators is that they are derived from the Tens units that are used on paralyzed patients. It has been found that by applying the Tens unit to unused muscles, the stimulation of electrical current can stop the atrophy of muscle tissue. It's a big stretch to go from stopping muscle atrophy to building muscle. Unfortunately, snake oil salesmen take that premise and in an effort to line their pockets with more money try to persuade you that electrical stimulation will build healthy muscles. It just doesn't work.

First and foremost, the abdominal muscles are a direct result of a low level of body fat. If you don't get that, you'll never get a six pack! This means that you are going to have to tighten up your eating program, combine the right meal frequency with the right amounts and balance of foods. Plus, to facilitate the fat loss you'll have to introduce a catalyst. No I'm not referring to fat burners, I'm talking about cardio. So no discussion about getting abs would be complete without talking about cardio first. And here's another fit-myth, the stationary bike is not the best way to burn body fat because its not weight bearing cardio. Study after study has shown that the stationary bike burns less fat because your bodyweight is situated on the seat. That only leaves your legs peddling. Spin classes are different; because the instructor gets you to alter your pace and get you off the seat. The bike is a good exercise if you are really overweight, under conditioned or suffering from an injury that prevents you from being able to bear weight on your lower body. But for the most part if you really want great results get off the bike and get on the stair stepper. In study after study, the greatest piece of fat burning cardio equipment is the stair stepper, also known as the Gauntlet. It's interesting that these machines are usually not being used while at the same time people are standing in line waiting for a bike to come available. Most people avoid the stair stepper because it's so difficult. Other good forms of weight bearing exercise are running (as long as it's not overdone), the Elliptical machines, treadmill on an incline and cardio pump classes.

Next, consider doing more effective ab exercises rather than ineffective ones. In order for any waist exercise to be effective it has to avoid putting stress on the lower back. That's why sit-ups are one of the worst forms of exercises you can do to develop your abs. The risk of injury to your lower back outweighs the benefits of the exercise. In addition, to build any muscle, and the abs are a muscle, you have to incorporate some resistance. Instead of sit-ups, bent leg crunches are one of the best ways to really stress the abs without stressing the lower back. This exercise is done by propping your legs up on a bench and curling up about three inches from the floor. If a crunch is done correctly, you will feel no stress on the lower back; the abs will feel the resistance and should respond.

Like the stiff legged sit-ups posing problems to the lower back, equipment like the Roman Chair can do the same thing. Think about the stress being placed on the spine as you bend backward. This can really develop disc problems if you hold a weight against your chest at the same time you lean backward. It's sad to say but many ill-informed people have ruined their lower back by performing ab exercises the wrong way.

One final exercise that I see a lot of people doing are the lying leg lift performed at the end of a bench of while lying on the floor with their hands under their waist. After interviewing countless numbers of sports medicine doctors, physical therapists and personal trainers over the years, this is one exercise they all feel you should stay away from. That movement actually doesn't even work the abs, it works the hip flexors. The muscles at the top of the thighs are used to hold and lift the thighs upward, although you may feel it in your lower abs, the real stress will be on the compression of the spine. I highly recommend that you avoid this especially if you have a bad back.

So, just what are some good ab exercises to do and how often should you train them?
1). For starters, your body fat will need to be below 10%. If it's any higher, exercising the abs will strengthen and condition them, but you won't be able to see them under the layer of fat. Also, consider you genetics. Some people can have great looking abs at 10% body fat, while others don't. The reason, everyone's distribution of body fat differs. I could show you three guys, all six feet tall, 200 pounds and 10% body fat. Yet, looking at them standing side by side you may see one that looks fat, one that looks smooth and another that looks really lean. How can three people with all the same measurements look completely different? Well, it boils down to how the 10% fat is distributed over each person's body. Keep in mind that 10% of 200 pounds translates into 20 pounds of total body fat. In the guy that looks fat he tends to have bird thin legs and arms with all his fat centered on his mid-section. The guy that looks smooth carries his fat spread out over his upper body and not on his lower half. While he looks leaner than the first guy, you can't see his abs through the layer of fat. The ripped looking guy distributes his body fat evenly over his whole body. Thus, three guys with the same measurements but with completely different looks.

2). Train your abs 2 or 3 times per week and allow about 15 minutes of total ab workout time to perform a combination of the exercises listed below.

3). The best exercises to focus on are those that don't cause stress to your lower back. Try doing lying crunches with your feet over a bench and only roll up your shoulders so they come off the floor rather than your whole body coming off the floor. Try doing crunches on an exercise ball; these are really good at stressing only the abdominal muscles without involving the back. Do cable side crunches for the intercostals and cable ab pull downs for the upper abs. If you use a hanging roman chair, rather than lifting your legs straight out, bring your knees up to your mid-section. And finally, most gyms today have lying ab crunch machines that support your back and your neck allowing you to roll upward without using the lower back.