Build Better Abs

Don't work your abdominal muscles every day.

"Physiologically, your abs are like any other muscle in your body," says David Pearson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an exercise scientist at Ball State University. Train them only 2 or 3 days a week.

Planks, crunches, and sit-ups aren’t the only core exercises to work your abs and strengthen the core.

There are more, even the better ones.

While many ab exercises target the ab muscles, over a few dozens of them go beyond the abs and strengthen your core too.

Those provide more bang for your buck, so to speak.

Here is why.

While your "abs" is solely made up of a group of muscles in the stomach area: rectus abdominis, obliques, and transversus abdominis, your core includes more.

Your core muscles include all of your abdominal muscles and your lower back, hips, glutes. Basically, every muscle in your trunk that support your movements is included in the core.

Together, your core protects your internal organs, aids movement, and lends better balance and stability to the whole body.