We have eight muscle groups in our body: chest, biceps, triceps, back, shoulders, legs, hips and abdominal muscles. You can build up all the other muscle groups, but without a set of sexy, washboard 'abs', that perfect body is just incomplete. Ask any bodybuilder and they'll tell you that getting perfect abdominal muscles isn't child's play. But with proper training and nutrition, you can have those awsome 'abs'.



Let's take a closer look at the anatomy of abdominal muscles. Your 'abs' are composed of four separate muscle groups: 'Recus Abdominis', 'Transversis Abdominis', 'Internal Obligues' and 'External Obliques'. By following a well designed workout regime and nutrition program, these four muscle groups can be made more prominent and well defined. It's sad to say that most people have no idea how to develop well defined 'abs'.

Unfortunately, abdominal workouts alone won't give you well-sculpted 'abs', no matter how regularly or intensively you do them. Crunches and other exercises designed to target the abdominal muscles simply don't allow to you obtain the body fat percentage which is necessary for washboard 'abs'. The decrease in body fat can only be achieved through hard work and proper diet.

If you want to get razor sharp 'abs', you need to train them daily without any excuses. You must also drink plenty of water if you want your 'abs' to be in good shape. Losing belly fat is perhaps the first and the foremost step towards developing washboard 'abs'. How can you lose belly fat? Cardio-exercises win hands down when it comes to losing excess fat. Cardio-exercises like jogging, running, rope-skipping, cycling and swimming have excellent results.

The best and most efficient abdominal workouts are the ones that exercise all four parts of the abs. These workouts should be performed daily to maximize results. Exercises that isolate the abdominal muscles are more effective than compound exercises.

Some popular 'stomach abs workouts' include crunches, leg pull-ins, barbell rollouts, barbell side bends, bent-knee hip raises, oblique crunches, cable crunches and abdominal sit-ups. Leg raises and oblique decline crunches are also some of the most effective 'stomach abs workouts'. If you want to develop 'six pack abs', prepare yourself for some hard core training.