Washboard abs are high on every man's list of must-have muscles, yet the abs muscles often cause confusion when it comes to training.

The first mistake a lot of men make is thinking that more is always better. They crank out hundreds of crunches a day and wonder why those squares of muscle aren't developing properly. The reason is that, like any other muscle, the way to build your abdominals is to keep the reps per set fairly low - in the region of 10-12 - and increase the resistance when you find it too easy, not the number of reps. That means adding weight when doing crunches or using a cable machine.

The other mistake that men often make when hunting for abs is to forget about the layer of fat that covers them. Men tend store fat around the gut, so you really need to work hard at lowering your overall body fat percentage if you want to see your abs. This means watching your diet and doing plenty of big muscle moves, such as squats and deadlifts, that torch calories.

Your six-pack is actually one sheet of muscle, called the rectus abdominis, which extends from your ribcage to your pubic bone. Because it is one muscle, any abs-specific exercise will work the entire area, but it is possible to target the upper or lower portions of the rectus abdominis with different exercises, which is why we have indicated whether each move focuses on the upper or lower abs.

Your rectus abdominis is supported on either side by your external obliques, internal obliques and transverse abdominis. Together they support and manipulate your spine, and combine with your lower-back muscles to form your 'core' - the muscular region that connects your upper and lower body. A strong core is vital for performing any dynamic movements in sport and for preventing back pain. So abs training is not just for show: it will make you stand taller and perform better in all areas of life.

What follows is the best selection of exercises for building a rock-hard six-pack, plus variations so that you (and your muscles) don't get bored.

Crunch
Reverse crunch
Oblique crunch
Crossover crunch
Knee raise
Plank
Side plank
Bench leg raise
Jacknife
Seated Russian twist
Barbell rollout

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