This is just 1 of probably close to 1000 different ab routines I’m going to share with you.  It’s overwhelming to think about how much information I have to share, but it brings me joy to know that I have the ability to share what I’ve learned through trial and error, allowing people to get by without doing all the hard work.  Working your abs is something you can do daily, unlike other muscles.  Regardless of what your fitness goals are, everyone’s muscles operate the same way; They grow while you sleep….. they do not grow while you are in the gym workin’ em out.  That’s why it’s important to take breaks, and have your rest/recovery days.  With your abs however, you can work those bastards EVERY SINGLE DAY!  how cool is that   well, might not seem so cool now, but let me tell you, I GUARANTEE that if you just do 5 mins a day, they will get easier, and easier, and easier.

Your abs are broken down into 3 main areas; your obliques (the muscle wall on the sides of your body), your rectus abdominus (the muscle wall that is in the front.  you know, the 6-pack part), and your transverese abdominus (this is the part down below that sits towards the back, is triangular in shape, and is called transverse because the muscle fibers run horizontally.  this is also the hardest region to work, yet the best thing to make child birthing a smoother process.  for the ladies, to get that sexy “rope” V-shaped going on at the bottom of our hips, IS DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE FOR US IN COMPARISON for the mens … that’s why it’s very rare you see a lady with that part of her abs showing)

Now, keep in mind, your over-all “core” strength is very important for several reasons.  your core is basically your ‘mid-section’.  or, as some like to call it, your ‘trunk’.  think about it; all your important internal organs sit in your trunk.  it’s like a trunk full of treasures!  every movement you make, starts from within your trunk.  if you can get your trunk solid, the rest will follow.  that is why everything is attached to your trunk; your arms, legs, neck, head……  so WORK ON IT!  the trunk, or ‘core’, isn’t just made up of your “abs”…. there are several other supporting muscles, tissues, and fibers in there that need focusing on as well.  that is why doing movements such as “the plank”, and using a swiss ball (you know the big ‘yoga’ balls, or giant adult kid-like inflatable balls that come in 55″ and 65″ sizes?) can really help working that stuff out.  that of course, will be another video update I’ll be posting soon.  that’s why you gots to keep coming back… I have video KOntent coming out of my ears!

We all need to start from somewhere.  I, started doing ab exercises from the young age of 7.  yes, 7.  True story.  If you’re from the U.S., or maybe even Canada, you may remember an 80′s fitness icon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanie_Greggains  (Joanie Greggains).  My parents had one of her VHS tapes (I still have it to this day!) growing up.  I’m very much a creature of habit, in a major way.  Once I got my little hands on that tape, it was game over.  I used that 8 minute tape religiously.  Ever since I can remember, I would close my eyes, and imagine myself as a buff women with a 6-pack and big ripped muscles.  Certainly not every little girls fantasy.  I did however, have the normal fantasy of one day getting married. A big giant white ballroom gown, and swan-shaped ice sculptures of course were in my wedding reception day dream.  Once I learned I couldn’t drink like a normal person while in college, my idea of having a reception, let alone bother getting married, went out the window.  I couldn’t imagine having a ‘party’ without  being able to toast a glass of champagne!  So it was then, while in college,  I went back to day dreaming of my muscle sculpting fascination.  I went ahead full-stop, and ditched the ballroom gown for a pair of gym shorts and sports bra.  Unfortunately, I didn’t ditch the cheap bottles of Takka and Schmnirnoff until another 7 years down the road.  But hey, can’t regret the past.  After all, it’s all apart of my jaw-dropping, fascinating, too fast, too furious auto-biography.

I bring this up, because you can’t expect to have an 8-pack(sometimes 10) like myself, over night.  I’ve been at it a long time.  I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t work, and how to do if effectively.  I have also learned that drinking alcohol, and eating an unbalanced diet, no mater HOW MANY AB EXERCISES YOU DO, will prevent you from seeing results.  DIET/NUTRITION, accounts for about 80% OF YOUR RESULTS…. yeah.  Again, when I was in college, I tried every diet under the sun; the Atkins diet, the non-fat diet (canned vegis, baked potato with bbq sauce, white rice with rice vinegar….. it’s all fat free!)…. HELLO!?!?!?  Why isn’t nutrition taught in school when I was growing up?  Why did I have to learn a foreign language before learning how to fuel my own body?  why did I have to learn calculus before learning WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN GOOD FATS AND BAD FATS?! No one ever taught me that you have to actually eat good fats, in order for your body to feel comfortable letting go of the stored fat, LOL!  I love that show, “are you smarter than a fifth grader”…. proves my point spot on!

Long story short, building up your core strength and abdominal work, will benefit you in multiple ways.  Not only does it keep your posture upright, so when you start hitting your 70′s, you can tell gravity to kiss your rock-solid @$$, and that you refuse to start hunching over, but it will also protect your internal vital organs, strengthen and protect your oh-so-important spine, as well as allow you to walk with KOnfidence!!!!  So sit back, relax…. no wait….. sit back, take a deep breath, close your eyes, imagine how awesome you are going to feel, and that this is going to become as mindless and automatic as breathing is for you, and let the fun begin.  Being able to take a punch in the gut by anyone, is such a rare and prideful experience.  Stick with me, and I’ll show you how easy it can be achieved…. not that anyone wants to be punched in the gut, but hey… it’s very helpful having that KOnfidence