The desire for a well-defined midsection seems to be the goal for most fitness seekers.

Achieving this goal comes through much effort and attention to muscle specific training, intense cardio and diligent dieting. Despite the fact that after hours of crunches, leg lifts and twists, the coveted six pack abs may still not be revealed; there still remain numerous benefits from developing strong abdominal muscles. Well-trained and developed core muscles not only look good, but they also provide support for the entire torso structure.

A strong core will protect the spine and organs from injury during impact to the torso. Developed abdominals also assist in reducing back pain and weakness. Balance and posture are also enhanced by maintaining strong abs.

Training the abdominal muscles should occur at a minimum three times per week and can be safely performed up to five times with varying intensity. If you are a novice exerciser there are three basic exercises that most trainers recommend. These exercises are the bicycle, the crunch and the reverse crunch.

To perform the bicycle exercise lie flat on the floor on your back. Place your hands loosely behind your head by the ears. Keeping your elbows open and your neck relaxed, lift your head and shoulders off the mat while drawing your left knee toward the chest. Once the hip and knee have flexed to 90 degrees, twist the right shoulder to the left knee touching the elbow to the knee and returning the shoulder and leg to inches from touching the mat. Repeat the movement with the right leg and left shoulder. Perform the bicycle for a minimum 10 reps working up to 3 sets of 30 for this movement.

The crunch movement focuses on the long abdominal muscle called the rectus abdominis. Lying on a mat with knees bent or heels resting on a bench, place the hands behind the ears. Take a breath and while exhaling raise your head and shoulders off the mat until you feel your abs tighten. Return your head to the mat and repeat for 10 reps, building up to three sets of 30-50 reps.

Reverse crunches will continue to train the upper abdominal wall while strengthening the lower abs, too. While on your back in the starting position for the crunch tilt the tailbone to the sky and lift your head and shoulders off the mat, simultaneously draw your knees toward your chest. Lower your shoulders and feet back to the mat and repeat the movement again for 10 reps, progressing to three sets of 30.

For those who desire more variety while training the abs, there are many variations of these three movements that can be performed to further enhance the core muscles. The first tool to consider is the stability ball. These large balls can further develop abdominal strength and improve balance. Incorporating a weighted medicine ball into the movements on or off the stability ball will also increase ab strength.

Finally, practicing alternative fitness workouts that stress core engagement can provide a much needed break from the monotony of traditional ab exercises.

Related posts:

1. Strengthen Your Core Muscles
2. What Ab Exercises Should You Do and How Intense Should Your Ab Exercises Be
3. Basic Abdominal Crunch
4. Crossover Crunch – Abdominal Exercise
5. Exercise Ball Crunch For Abs