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Rockie Writes here for you	The abdominals are a favorite area to train for many people may it be a man or a woman, a middle aged person trying to tackle back pains or a bodybuilder longing for that ripped midsection or lastly of course the average Joe showing off his six pack on the beach. These muscles however small they maybe are a must for any guy. So here's presenting a guide to a great six pack (or 8 whatever you want to call it!)
COOL MAN! BUT WHY SHOULD I DEVELOP ABS AND HOW DO I DO IT??
What are the benefits of exercising abs? - Well developed abdominals are not only good to look at - they act as a support system for most exercises as well as give you good posture. For example, when performing heavy shoulder presses, strong abs help protect the back. Remember though that great abs are no substitute for a weight belt during heavy lifts, but they do go a long way in helping prevent injury.
	Remember though the importance of diet - Unless you eat right, you can do hundreds of reps of every ab exercise ever invented without seeing any significant results. Your abs stay hidden! Nine times out of ten, the reason why most people don't have great abs is because of their diet. You must stick to a sensible diet with low fat, moderate carbohydrates and high protein in order to get results.
Cardiovascular exercise - A few lucky people can develop great abs without having to do any cardio, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Cardio plays a big role in helping shedding off the fat covering the abdominals. The abdominal area is the place where the body stores energy reserves as fat. I would advise doing your cardiovascular workout first thing in the morning before any meals, because your body is more apt to burn fat at that time. When you exercise, blood sugar energy is used first, then bodyfat reserves. Clearly before eating you have low blood energy reserves so fat comes into play almost at once. You can do any cardiovascular exercise, although personally, I prefer cycling and swimming. Both are "low impact" so I don't put any undue stress on my joints. A "high-impact" exercise such as running puts quite a bit of stress on the joints. As you get older, your joints will be able to tolerate lesser stress - which makes high-impact exercises less desirable. I also use the stationary bike, especially on days I don't train legs. I find that biking is not as heavy on the legs as the stair climber, so it allows me to fully recover from tough leg training sessions.
Training the Abdominals Themselves
Chest and Abs.	There are many different exercises that target this area, demonstrated by member Simon. A A very important factor to remember is that the abdominal region is composed of the upper and lower abs, as well as the obliques. You should train each of these areas with different exercises. The following are exercises that help to develop and strengthen the parts of the abdominal region. As mentioned before, perform each repetition slowly, speed is not the key. Each rep should take about 2-3 seconds to complete. To start out, complete 2 sets of 15 repetitions. After 2-3 weeks, increase the reps to 20 repetitions.
UPPER ABS
Decline version	I Ab Crunches 1) Lie on the ground with your knees bent at 90 degree level 2) Interlock your fingers behind your head, take deep breath 3) Now slowly curl your torso towards your knees, contracting your abs intensely. Exhale as you do it. 4) Come back to starting position with a smooth motion. Inhale air again. 5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 for 20 repetitions. Do 3 sets. II Refer to the animated graphics for alternate version. Clearly it is MUCH harder! III Situps Of course everyone must know how to do that! Bent legs, held by partner perhaps and do not let the back touch the floor. You can hold a weight plate on your chest to increase resistance.
	LOWER ABS Bent Leg Vertical Pelvic Thrusts 1) Lie flat on the floor and lift your legs and bend your knees so that your upper legs are perpendicular and your lower legs are parallel to the ground. 2) Slowly thrust your pelvis towards the ceiling, lifting your rear and tailbone off the ground about 2-3 inches. Pause at the top position. 3) Slowly lower to starting position and repeat. Roman Chair Sit-up 1) Using a vertical bench, support your arms on the arm pads and back against the back pad. Your legs should now be hanging in the air. 2) Bend your knees and lift as high as possible, almost to your chest. 3) Slowly lower legs to the starting position. Hanging Straight Leg Raise 1) Starting position is hanging from a pull-up bar. 2) Straighten your legs out in front of you as high as possible, keeping the movement slow and steady. Try not to use momentum or sway. 3) Slowly lower back down to starting position.
	OBLIQUES See the pic of Simon, which shows the left side well. Twisted Crunches 1) Lie on the ground with your knees bent at 90 degree level 2) Interlock your fingers behind your head,take deep breath 3) Slowly curl your torso up. Midway twist it towards right, left elbow onto right knee ,back to starting position and then towards left. 4) Repeat step 3 for 22 repetitions. Do 3 sets
Rockie also suggests the following pure bodyweight isometric style exercises, not really heard of but they work wonders. Try to add variety to your ab workout by including the following. For instance if you train your abs 4 days a week, devote at least one day to these exclusively.
Body Tighteners I- Begin by lying on the floor on your back, with your arms above your head and legs straight out. Then pull your arms down by your side and lift your legs an inch or two above the ground. Your back should be the only part of your body touching the floor, and your lower back should be rounded and in contact with the floor. Do not let your lower back arch and come up off the floor; this would place harmful stress on your back. Hold this position for a set amount of time (between 15 and 30 seconds). Rest and repeat for the same number of seconds as before. V-ups II - Begin in a body tightener position, but with your arms above your head. Then using your stomach muscles, bend at the hips and bring your chest and legs up simultaneously into a V-position. Drop your arms in front of you. Then drop back into a body tightener, but do not let your arms or legs touch the ground. Repeat. Tuck-ups III- Begin in a body tightener position with your arms above your head. Use your stomach muscles to lift your chest and pull your knees to your chest simultaneously. Drop back into a body tightener, without touching your arms or legs to the ground. Repeat.
For more articles, see the website in which we will be dealing with the other muscle groups like triceps, back and quadriceps along with nutrition and the importance of cardio. Rockie states:-."Many great workout programs for this level and intermediate level are available on Teenbb.com. A last word. "Don't expect your physique to change overnight. The bodybuilders you see have been probably training for many years. You can't expect to be like them within months so set realistic goals and achieve them rather than setting impossible goals and failing". Good luck, Rockie
	E.mail link see note above.