How to get eight pack abs.

It takes dedication, time and patience to get a six pack. You need to do two things: lose fatand build muscle. You will get this by dieting and exercising consistently. You can have the most toned and muscular abs, but it will not show if there is a layer of fat over them. This article will discuss ways in which you can achieve both of these goals.

Part One of Two:
Building Ab Muscles

1

Do sit ups. Lie on the floor, feet on the floor, knees up and hands crossed on your chest. Have somebody hold your feet down, or wedge them underneath something heavy. Sit all the way up, lifting your lower back off the floor along with your shoulder blades. Keep your back straight (no hunching). Lower yourself down. Repeat.Once this becomes relatively easy for you (i.e. you can do a quite a bit with ease) start adding more challenges. Find an incline bench. Do weighted sit ups. Hold a weight on your chest while you do these. As these become easier, hold heavier and heavier weights.

2

Do crunches. Lie on the floor (with or without a mat) with your arms in front of your chest or with your hands lightly touching your temples (never behind your head). Bend your knees. Raise your shoulders (upper torso) towards your knees, using strictly your abdominal muscles.It is very important to not lift your entire back off the floor, as this can cause back strain. Additionally, the extended movement does not help you develop six pack abs any faster.The most important part of the crunch is the initial flexing of your abs as you lift your shoulders off the floor. Concentrate on lifting up more than curling forward. As soon as you begin lifting off the floor, exhale through your mouth and end with your shoulders are off the floor.Pause for a second once you are at the top of the crunch and exhale the last bit of air from your diaphragm while flexing your abs. Lower back down slowly and controlled while inhaling through your nose, just until your shoulder blades touch the ground. Do not let your head touch the ground.

3

Do leg lifts. Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands at your sides. Lift your legs straight up (not bending your knees at all) until they're at a 90 degree angle (or close). Lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor.For more of a challenge, use a parallel bar at a gym to raise yourself up using your arms as support and dangle your legs.Easy: Just raise your knees to your chest.Medium: Raise your legs to a horizontal position with your legs straight and outstretched. This helps firm up the lower abdomen.Hard: If you're truly a monster, try doing leg lifts with a medicine ball hanging from your feet. Or, hang from a pull up bar and raise your legs in front of you all the way up to the bar, keeping your legs straight.

4

Do jackknife sit ups. Lie down flat with your back on the floor. Place your hands on the ground to your sides for balance; you can pick them up as you get used to the movement. Simultaneously raise your knees and torso so that your knees and face meet on an imaginary line extending from your pelvis to the ceiling. You should be able to kiss your knees at the top of the motion. Your legs will naturally fold, bringing your feet towards your hips, much like a jackknife. Lie back down (i.e. "spread out") and repeat.Don't let momentum bring you down. Slowly put your hands and feet back on the ground. Place a weight between your feet when you think you can handle it.

5

Try butt-ups. Start in the push-up position, except with your elbows and forearms on the floor. With your elbows and forearms resting on the ground, slowly lift your rear as high up into the air as possible. Your body will look like a mountain, with your glutes being the peak. Slowly lower the glutes back down into the starting position, being careful not to sag the back below the hips.

6

Do static holds (planks). Put your body into the push-up position but with your elbows on the floor, and your whole body flat. This position is also known as the plank, and it trains your core (including your abs) to hold the body in place. Hold this position for as long as possible.Beginners should be aiming to start off with at least 45 seconds, while seasoned ab workers are known to achieve over 5 minute static holds.To perform the side static hold, roll onto one side of your body and lift into the same position as before. This time, only one arm should be on the ground, with the other arm pointed straight up the air and your non weight-bearing leg resting on your bottom leg. Once again, hold this for as long as possible.