With good health becoming a priority, more and more individuals today, are opting for the easiest options available in the market, with the influence of the media, to get into shape. Be it models or superstars, everyone wants a well toned body to survive the competition in their fields. A layman today also believes in minimal fitness to lead a healthy lifestyle. While most forms of exercises and sports help you keep fit, the muscular toning of your body requires special weight training. In case you are in the process of getting your abdominals toned, shaping and building those great abs is the most difficult and time-consuming activity compared to any other body part. But with proper dedication, willpower, patience, proper diet or nutrition and well defined pattern of exercising, one can reach this goal – build awesome abdominals and the effort is worth it!

Abdominals, is a ‘rectus abdominis’ muscle group running vertically on each side of the anterior wall of the human abdomen. Separated by a midline band of connective tissue popularly known as ‘linea alba’ or the white line, these are two parallel muscles. This is usually crossed by three fibrous stripes referred to as the ‘tendinous inscriptions’. Popular and ‘clichéd’ phrases for well defined ‘rectus abdominis’ include “washboard abs”, “a six pack”, etc.

Function: Also known as the key postural muscle, the ‘rectus abdominis’ muscle is responsible for flexing the lumbar spine, while doing a crunch. This assists with breathing and plays an important role in respiration in case a person is short of breath. It also assists in keeping your internal organs, situated in the abdominal area, in place and helps in creating the right abdominal pressure when you lift weights or exercise.

Right diet and exercise routine: The right diet and nutrition helps your body with proper growth, maintenance and repair, the type and amount of food you eat will directly affect your health and fitness. Lean meats, vegetables or fruits with a proper combination of protein and fiber will help achieve your goals. Turkey, fish, and chicken are highly recommended lean meats, these are high in protein and amino acids, help build muscle. Amino acids help break down the protein to heal the muscles after muscle training. Hence the faster you heal your muscles the faster you can gain muscle mass. The best way to work the abdominals is to work them obliquely rather than directly; the muscles of the stomach help as a balancing tool of the body. If you’ve noticed, every time you try to recover when out of balance, our abdomen contracts, straining our muscles in the process. This, in fact, can be more effective than doing targeted abs exercises like crunches. So the key to working abs is to do it in an unstable environment. Excellent exercises that provide this effect are one leg lunges, one arm shoulder lifts and the one hand back row from a push-up starting position. This is also why exercises using a stability ball are more effective on your abdominals. The ball forces you to stabilize yourself with your abs and this creates a much greater strain on resulting in well defined abs!

And finally it is recommended that you consult a doctor before your start any rigorous change of lifestyle, be it your diet or increase your physical activity. This will help you understand the status of your health and thus the level at which you could begin.