The Superman Exercise!

Good strong abdominal muscles are achieved through a variety of exercises. Engaging your abdominals is just part of the work; it is also important to make sure that you work out the opposite muscle group- the lower back. Today's workout includes an exercise to strengthen the lower back in the shape of Superman exercise. Don't giggle, it really works.

Begin by lying on the floor on your front with your arms outstretched in front of you. Do this with your nose pointing to the ground.

Lift your right arm and left leg simultaneously off the floor. Resist the urge to throw them up; this isn't a bid move so try to keep it slow and controlled at all times. Return them to the ground and immediately repeat using the left arm and right leg.

You should start with 10 repetitions and slowly progress to 20 repetitions.

The superman exercise only trains your lower back. To train your side abdominals effectively, you need to perform the Side Curls.

Start by lying on the floor flat on your back and bend your knees. Place your feet relatively close to your bottom so that you are resting firmly on your tailbone in a neutral spine position.

Curl up slowly, holding your stomach in and twisting your torso to reach your right arms across the body, towards your left knee. Breathe out as you come up and hold your stomach in. Lower your body under control and repeat immediately. Work one side at a time, moving the same hand towards the opposite knee. Remember to keep your chin off your chest at all times.

You should try performing 10 repetitions then slowly progress to 20 repetitions.

Lastly, to make the ab workouts more effective, you might want to visualize exactly what muscle you are working on during your exercises. For example, when you are doing Superman, think about pulling your lower back muscles tight and toned as well as how great they are going to look. The thought isn't everything but it helps.