Get killer abs now!!

Want to know the most effective ab exercises? The American Council on Exercise found out just which exercises target the abs in the most effective way in an ACE-commissioned study.
It's important to remember that, while ab exercises won't get rid of fat from the belly, a strong core is important for keeping your body healthy and protecting your spine.
The most effective ab exercises start with the bicycle, which is the best move for targeting the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to the study.

Most Effective Ab Exercise: Bicycle

1. Lie face up on your mat and place your hands behind your head, lightly supporting it with your fingers.
2. Bring the knees in to the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
3. Rotate to the left, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee as you straighten the other leg.
4. Switch sides, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominis and the obliques. It's similar to a regular crunch, but your legs are straight up, forcing you to use your abs to do all the work and adding intensity to the exercise.
How to:

1. Lie on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
2. Place your hands behind the head for support, but avoid pulling on the neck.
3. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
4. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
5. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

The long arm crunch is ranked the 6th most effective ab exercise, changing the traditional floor crunch by straightening the arms behind you. This adds a longer lever to the move, adding a bit more challenge and difficulty. This move also emphasizes the upper part of the abs, although it's important to remember that your rectus abdominis is actually one long muscle that travels from your lower chest to your pelvis. While you can emphasize one part, any exercise you do will work the entire muscle. How to:

1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
4. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
5. You can add intensity by holding a light dumbbell if you need more of a challenge.

The reverse crunch comes in 7th place for effective ab exercises, with a focus on the rectus abdominis. With this move, you're curling the hips off the floor, so you'll feel this in the lower part of the abs. The key to this move is to avoid swinging the legs to raise the hips. This is a small, subtle move, so you only need to lift your hips a few inches off the floor.
How to:

1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they're bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed.
3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling.
4. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
5. It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum. 

The crunch with a heel push looks like a traditional crunch, but in this version you push your heels into the floor, which engages the rectus abdominis muscles more than regular crunches.
How to:

1. Lie on your back with the knees bent and the hands gently cradling the head.
2. Flex your feet and keep them flexed as your contract the abs, lifting the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. Try not to pull on the neck with your hands, but lightly support your head.
4. At the top of the crunch, press your heels into the floor while pressing your back against the mat and slightly raising the glutes off the floor.
5. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.  

 
 

The plank exercise ranked number 10 in the ACE study and is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as the stabilizer muscles. This move is also great for building strength for pushups, an exercise that requires quite a bit of core strength.
How to:

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

 Now, you already know the ways to get killer abs... so get up and make some workouts!!

Source:http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm