My 3 best No-fail exercies for building ripped abs

One of the questions I hear the most often in my capacity as a trainer and all around fitness expert is how to best work the abdominal muscles (or abs).

I'm going to try in this article to give you a quick rundown on three of my personal favorite simple floor exercises for working out your abs to address a lot of these questions at once and for all.

1) Full Vertical Crunch. This one really gets your abs into the swing of things by using your upper and lower body at the same time.

Get on your back and bring your legs up so they're pointing toward the ceiling. Put your hands behind your head (or just hold your ears) and raise your shoulder blades off the floor - this will contract your abdominals. While you're doing this, stretch your legs upward as if you're trying to get your heels on the ceiling (point with your heels not your toes).

What you are trying to do is make your body into a U shape.

The just lower back into the starting position.

You can go at your own level, but aim for 10-15 reps with this one.

2) Long Arm Crunch. Now we're going to focus on your upper abs with this easy exercise. Lie on your back (on a mat if you have one) and stretch your arms out behind your head.

If your arms are near or touching your ears, you're right on track! Contract your abs to lift your shoulder blades off the floor. 10-15 reps per set.

3) Vertical Leg Crunch, This one is especially good for your obliques. Lie face up on the floor, legs straight up and knees crossed.

Lift your shoulder blades off the floor and contract your abs - in this exercise, imagine that you're trying to touch your chest to your feet.

Lower your body and do this 10 to fifteen times for each set.