Abdominal Training

The abdominal training programs and exercises within this section will help you build a powerful, well-defined midsetion.
For Sport:
The type of abdominal exercises you choose and the way you set your training program up will differ depending on your primary goal.
If you want to improve your performance in a sport then you'd choose exercises that allow you perform athletic movements rapidly or with great control (and you'd focus on other core muscles additional to your abs).
One of the most important criteria for an athlete is that the exercises they select mimic the movements of their sport. A golfer, for example, would benefit much more from rotational-type core exercises than crunches.
For Aesthetics (i.e. A Six Pack)
If, on the other hand, you're after that classic 6-pack look, function becomes less important than form. You'd choose exercises and a type of training set up that will best define your rectus abdominus muscle.
There are two common misconceptions when it comes to getting washboard abs...
Firstly, lots of sit ups or crunches alone WON'T tone a flabby belly - or at least not effectively. If you have too much body fat that hides your already-existing abdominal muscles (and everyone, regardless of weight has them), you need to reduce that with an effective fat loss program.
The second misconception is that all you need to do for a 6-pack is reduce your body fat stores. In other words, the above idea that sit ups or crunches alone are ineffective is taken too far by many people - and they don't do any form of abdominal training.
To get that head-turning, Men's Health cover model look you need to do both: reduce your body fat stores AND build up your abdominal muscles.