abdominal muscles

If you are looking for an effective exercise to make your shoulders look toned and awesome in that strapless dress that you want to wear, then try adding lateral raises to your exercise routine. A lateral raise is a strength-training exercise that concentrates on the shoulder muscles. It works not only the front and back of the shoulder, but the sides as well.

Here is how you do a basic lateral raise:

You may have learned the bicycle crunch when you were in elementary school as a fun way to exercise, but what you may have not known back then is that it is truly an awesome way to target your abdominal muscles.

The great thing about this exercise is that it targets not only the middle of your abs (think six pack abs) but also your obliques (think love handles).

Although you can't spot train and get rid of belly fat with abdominal exercises, they can make your abs stronger, so when used in conjunction with cardiovascular exercise, you can achieve flat abs.

Kickboxing and boxing are wonderful aerobic exercises, but what many people don't realize is that the punching exercises involved are also a great way to tone your upper body as well as your core muscles.

Punching exercises are not just for boxers or fighters looking to get into shape and learn techniques.

The plank may sound like something really scary and for some it may be a scary exercise, but the plank is one of the best exercises that you can do to strengthen the core muscles of your stomach and back.

The plank is a great exercise to incorporate into your workout routine because, not only will it work out your abdominal muscles, but it will strengthen your entire core (back, hips) which is so important for daily activities that you don't even think about.

Crunches are one of the most popular exercises to tighten and tone abdominal muscles. It is sometimes also referred to as a curl-up.

Many people prefer to do crunches over actual sit ups since crunches put less of a strain on your back and are considered safer.

Here is how you can do a basic crunch:

1.

Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. If you are not on a carpeted surface, you may want to use an exercise mat.

2.

Fold your arms behind your head and place them on your neck for support.

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