Teen Workout Routines, Fitness Plans & Advice

You don’t need lots of expensive equipment to develop and strengthen your abs. You don't even need to visit a gym every week to develop your very own "six-pack." Your own body weight and resistance, along with knowledge about correct form, is all you need to carve abs of steel. Get ready to crunch and bend with four simple exercises that target your abdominal muscles, which are otherwise known as your rectus abdominis.

Introducing the Sit-up/Crunch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your heels should be 12 to 18 inches away from your butt. Place your hands behind your head, bring your shoulder blades together and your elbows back. Don’t arch your back or stick your ribs out, and make sure your head and spine are aligned. Hold in your stomach, breathe out and curl your head and shoulders up from the floor. Keep your neck relaxed and chin up. Hold this position for two seconds, making sure that your lower back stays in contact with the floor. While breathing in gently, slowly lower your head and shoulders back to the floor. Maintain controlled movements at all times and don’t move too fast.

Lie on the floor with your hands at your sides. While breathing out, hold in your abs and bend your knees into your chest as you bend at the waist to raise your torso. Keep your hands at your sides with your arms straight. Keep your head and spine aligned, chin up. Keep the movement slow and controlled, rising for a count of two seconds and then lowering for another count of two seconds while you gently breathe in.