The Best Ab Exercises for Skinny People

Ab workouts are tough.  Let's face it.  You don't usually use your stomach to lift things, after all, so proper ab workouts are vital in order to get the six pack you want.  Most people picture hours of situps as the only way to get good abs, but actually that's not the case.  The best type of workouts for your ab muscles are those that reduce your overall stability.

This means working out in a way that you have to work to keep your balance: one leg squats, one arm shoulder presses, using an exercise ball for crunches, for example.  Hanging leg raises while rotating your pelvis (using your lower abs) are great for building a six pack.

The one thing to remember is that even though you're working your abs a lot, you won't necessarily see them.  That's part of getting 'cut' or reducing body fat levels to where you can see your ab muscles.  Fortunately, this is something that will come naturally, the more muscle you build.  Muscle = faster metabolism, which means indirectly, you'll burn away excess fat.

Weighted movements also increase your overall strength, which reduces your risk of injuries from other exercises.  For optimal performance, do your ab exercises separately from your other muscle group training.  Or, if you just want to build strength and aren't concerned with a popping six pack, you can do your ab work at the end of your regular training sessions.