No abs machine can beat the effects of a bicycle crunch exercise to help tone the stomach region. If you’ve been searching high and low for the perfect equipment to help you get toned abs, be aware that you don’t have to spend a large amount of cash to reach your goals. The traditional bicycle crunch is the best abs workout to define your abs.

Here’s a video demonstration and description of how to do bicycle crunches correctly.

Start by lying on your back with knees bent, hands behind your heads and legs lifted. Lift your shoulder blades and slows twist your right elbow towards your left knee as you extend your right leg. Switch to the other side without lowering your shoulders and repeat up to 15 times per side. Do this several times a week and you’re on the right track of developing your abs.

So you want to tone your stomach with the best exercises? You are in the right place. Besides having this entire site to browse and find all the different stomach exercises and routines, this article will help you find the stomach toning exercises which you can begin integrating today to your stomach exercises workout.

One of the best exercises to help tone the stomach, found by a group of researchers at the University of San Diego, is the Bicycle crunch.

Here’s how to do the Bicycle crunch:

• Lay down on the floor with your hands behind your head, one knee lifted, forming a 90 degree angle with the floor, the other extended.
• Lift your upper body using your abs bringing your right elbow to your left knee.
• Alternate the stomach toning exercise, bringing your left elbow to your right knee making a bicycle motion.
• Repeat 20 times.

Next, perform some Leg lifts:

• Lie with your legs flat on the floor and the hands at the sides.
• Lift your legs focusing on the muscles until they are perpendicular to the floor, toes pointing up to the sky.
• Slowly and with total control, lower your legs until they are a few inches above the floor.
• Repeat 10 times.

Finally, perform the vacuum stomach toning exercises. This is an exercised based in yoga. To do it simply exhale all your air while stuck the stomach in. Picture yourself trying to get your navel as close as possible to the spine. Hold for 20 seconds, breathing in short bursts of air. Repeat three times.

As you see you don’t need fancy stuff to get your stomach toned. Do these exercises everyday and you’ll reap the benefits!

If you’re dreaming about how to have firm abs, there are some things you should know first before you choose any abdominal workout program. These five facts listed below can serve as your guide to getting the picture perfect stomach you’ve always wanted to have:

Don’t rely on genes alone

Some people are born with genetically blessed bodies with lean bellies. However, this shouldn’t discourage you because most people get their desired abs by following a healthy diet and plenty of sweat.

Spot training is a myth

If you have fat on your tummy and you spend hundreds of hours doing crunches to burn fat from this area, you’ll never succeed. Be aware that you can tone a particular area of your body, but you can’t lose fat from just one body part. The secret to burning fat is cardio exercises done several days a week, at least 30 minutes a day.

Never deprive yourself of protein

The best food to eat while following an exercise program is protein because eating more carbohydrates than protein can influence the way your body processes sugar, which can also increase your risk of obesity.

Pilates prep move for your transverses abdominis

The problem with most ab workouts is that they don’t target the tansversus abdominis. If you don’t touch this area, you cannot flatten your abs completely. To do the pilates prep move, you should stand and place one hand below the bellybutton and the other behind the lower back. Contract the stomach as tight as possible and pull the bellybutton towards the spine, moving the hand inward. Hold the position for at least five counts and relax. Do this about five times a day and you can ensure all parts of your abs are included in your program.

Always remember these facts about getting firm abs and you’ll be a healthy fellow in no time.