10 Easy Exercises To Get You Fit For Summer

The Exercise: Dividing your abdominals into "lower" and "upper abs" isn't quite right; the two are actually one big sheet of muscle called the Rectus Abdominus. But for the sake of simplicity, these are still terms that we'll use. A key to improving definition is working a muscle group in as many different ways, and in as many different directions, as possible.

As its name suggests, the exercise is just the opposite of what you’ve done in the Abdominal Crunch. Start in the same position, but instead of bringing your upper body towards your knees, focus on pulling your legs in towards your torso. Keeping you head flat on the ground can help with stability, but make sure you’re not shifting your weight too high up; you shouldn’t feel any weight or pressure on your neck.

Make It Harder: If you want to make it harder, try placing an object like a football or medicine ball between your knees. Doing this forces you to slow down, increasing the effort required to keep you stable. The increased weight also shifts your centre of gravity towards your feet, forcing you to engage your lower, rather than upper, abdominals. Finally, the increased weight also puts more strain on the muscles, which is exactly what you want if you want to improve definition in this area.