Sit Ups or Crunches, Which Is More Effective In Producing Great Abs? :

Okay guys and gals - I am not against going to the gym and lifting weights to build muscle and strength.

But with the right diet, you can get stronger, build muscle and get six pack abs to boot by doing body weight exercises within the context of high intensity circuit and interval cardio training.

And this can be done right in your own home or outside. If you cannot afford a gym membership, this is a great way to go. Besides, doing weight training only is the slow way to burn fat.

Having a big bulky, muscular body may look great. Then again, I've read surveys that say that women prefer men with a more streamlined look such as soccer players, boxers etc.

Many of the men and women who have bodybuilder type bodies don't have functional athletic muscles. Yes, they may have strength, but they don't have the endurance and the flexibility.

Their muscles are stiff and in a combat situation or when using their muscles in a more functional way (for example - doing work that requires lifting, hoisting over the head, throwing, etc), they tend to be more injury prone.

This is why I am such a huge fan of using bodyweight exercises. Those workouts offer more functional fitness (strength, endurance and flexibility).

Now, you will not build huge muscle mass nor necessarily get ripped doing them. But you'll get lose fat, get more muscular and improve overall fitness if you do them properly and regularly.

Remember, for great abs, you don't train your abdominals directly. You train your entire body for overall fat loss, so that the muscles that are covered up under flab can show up.

The body weight exercise routine mentioned below are a combo of interval and circuit. You are getting the anaerobic effect from sprinting and also strengthening abs, arms, calves, chest, hip flexors, lower back, shoulders and thighs.

In the end, you have a heart-pumping calorie-burning workout.

Please don't do this workout on a full stomach. If you are hungry, eat a fruit.

The Routine

1. 5 - 10 minutes of warm up by doing a brisk walk and then a light jog.
2. Sprint a 100 meters + 25 squats
3. Sprint 100 meters + 25 squats
4. Sprint 80 meters + 25 leg lifts
5. Sprint 80 meters + 25 leg lifts
6. Sprint 60 meters + 25 pushups
7. Sprint 60 meters + 25 pushups
8. Sprint 40 meters + 25 v-ups
9. Sprint 40 meters + 25 v-ups
10. Sprint 20 meters + 25 push - ups
11. Sprint 20 meters + 25 push - ups

Note: Instead of sprints, you could do running on the spot with intensity and at the same time throw straight punches as if you are fighting an imaginary foe. That will get your heart rate up in a hurry. Or you could do bear crawling instead, until you are out of breath - right in your own home.

OK - all done. By now you should be feeling pretty good about what you've achieved.