Next to the 'bi's' and 'tri's' in the arms, the next region that almost every body in the gym may seemingly be obsessed with may be the core…the abs as they are more commonly addressed.

Well, one can't blame them.

Every guy knows that the cut and sculpted arms and chiseled abdominal muscles are some of the things the ladies are so attracted to and heck, with Janet Jackson or Beyonce showing off their chiseled mid-sections, should it be a surprise that even teenage GIRLS are asking: How can I get my abs 'ripped' like that?!

Well, male or female if this sounds like you, then I offer you the following tips.

According to what I personally use, what most boxers implement and what most trainers recommend for their clients, the following exercises are the top picks for toning the abs:

1. Bicycle maneuver.

To do this exercise, you lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.

2. The Ab-Wheel (My favorite)

-Start with a hand on each grip and kneel down with both knees together on the floor.

-Lock your arms and hold the wheel at your knees on the floor.

-Slowly roll the wheel out and away from your knees and continue going forward until your hands are beyond your head.

-Do not touch the floor; your body should be 3-6 inches above the floor. Return to the starting position by pulling in with your abdominal muscles and arching your back.

-Keep your arms straight and use your core muscles to return to the starting position again. Breathe in at the start and exhale on the way down. 7-10 repetitions equal one set AND one hell of a workout!

3. Crunches:

* Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.

* Hold your hands wherever you feel comfortable (on your chest or beside your head - just be sure you don't pull on your head).

* The typical crunch is taught by instructing you to simply roll your upper torso forward. This is fine to start with.

* To increase the effectiveness of the crunch movement, push your chest and head up towards the ceiling pushing your lower back flat onto the floor.

* Your anatomy will automatically cause you to follow a crunching pattern.

* Trying to crunch up towards the ceiling will increase the tension on the abs.

* Hold at the top of the movement for a second and squeeze hard.

* Do not lift up into a sit-up as this works the hip flexors and can strain your back.

4. Gorilla Chin-Up/Crunch

This compound exercise works the abdominals, as well as the biceps and Lats. Start by hanging from a chinning bar with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and your hands about 12 inches apart. You should use an underhand S grip to hang from the bar.

Pull yourself up with your arms and crunch your knees up at the same time. You should finish the chin and crunch at the same time. When fully contracted, your nose should be at the bar and your knees pulled up to your chest. Slowly reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

If you notice, these exercises above work not just ONE part of the body, but a variety of muscle groups at the same time, thus making them super-productive and less time consuming to get a whole body work out.

Now, other factors that do come to mind for toning the abs include:

* exercising all areas of your abs,

* breathing through the exercise while executing it properly,

* adding aerobics to your workout program,

* and implementing a properly balanced diet program.

So, there you have it folks, the tips to get your own chiseled abs (and might I add, toned arms and strengthened upper body at that…)

Just be careful not to be too much of a show-off come summertime…(Hey, I may be at the beach too and I'm up for the challenge of an 'ab-dance off'!