If you want well-defined six pack abs there are many exercises out there that claim to give you the results you are after but the truth is that many of the exercises you read about simply do not work at getting that rippled effect.
Some of the very best and most effective six pack exercises you can do are jackknife sit-ups, crunches and an exercise called the bicycle crunch. Jackknife sit-ups are rather grueling and tough but they are easy to learn and will give you great results when you combine them with some of the other top ab exercises we will discuss here.
A jackknife sit-up is done by lying down flat on the floor and raising your knees up to a 75 degree angle. As you do this, raise your torso until your hips and knees are flexed. Go back to the position you started with-where your waist, hips and knees are extended. Be sure to start each cycle with your back on the floor so that your ab muscles work as hard as possible.
The crunch is done by laying flat on the floor. Bend your knees and hips and place your feet flatly on the floor. To execute the crunch, flex your waist so that your upper torso is raised from the floor. Keep your lower back on the floor and raise your torso up as high as you can. Return until the back of your shoulders contacts the floor. Repeat. If you do crunches with your hands placed behind your head then you may need to keep your neck in a neutral position with space between your sternum and your chin.
The bicycle crunch is one of the most popular ab exercises there is and it is actually listed at the top of most studies that have been done regarding the most effective abdominal exercises. It is an exercise that works involves all parts of the abs and you will see improvements rather quickly if you do them correctly and with consistency. You will find that you will only be able to do between 15-25 of these before feeling like your stomach muscles are burning but as you go along you will be able to build up to 100 reps without resting. To do a bicycle crunch, lie on your back with your hips bent at a 90 degree angle-put your hands behind your head. As you curl your body forward, bring your right knee toward your left elbow and stretch your left leg out about 45 degrees. Keep your shoulder up off the floor and continue to alternate from left to right, as you bring your opposite knees and elbows together. Be sure that your shoulders are lifted up and off the floor so that you keep the tension on the abs. This will work the muscles harder. You can vary the tempo and repetition and by slowing the tempo and doing fewer reps you will get firm muscles quickly. A fast tempo and more reps on the other hand will help more with burning unwanted fat.