While the midsection is crucial to whether you’re perceived as being either ‘fit’ or ‘fat’, all the ab training known to man will not prevail without the adjoining dedication to both strict dieting and considerable amounts of cardiovascular activity. In the meantime, here are a few exercises to take the haste out of your waist:

CRUNCHES: Lay down on a mat on the floor, bending your knees slightly so your feet are flat on the floor. Curling your hands behind your head, slowly lift your shoulders off the mat, squeezing your abdominal muscles with each raise. Be sure not pull your neck upwards; rather make it a natural, smooth-flowing motion. Lift only your shoulder blades off the mat and hold that position for a span of two seconds before slowly releasing the shoulders back to the mat. Be sure not to let your shoulders completely rest on the mat before beginning your next repetition. Do three sets of 30 reps, taking only a few seconds of rest between sets.

CABLE CRUNCHES: Set up a double-rope at the cable machine. With your knees planted on the floor, grab the ropes with both hands, locking them into the sides of your head. Slowly bring your elbows – and the resistance - down to your knees, holding the contraction for a two-count. Slowly rise up to a position where your torso is parallel to the floor and repeat the motion. Try three sets of 25-30 reps at a moderate weight.

KNEE UPS: Sit on the edge of a bench, grasping on the sides of the bench with your hands to maintain steady balance. With your legs extended outward, slowly pull your knees into your chest, squeezing the abdominal muscles during the contraction. Hold this position for two seconds and then slowly extend your legs before repeating the motion. Try to keep the rocking and bouncing at a minimum. Do three sets of 25 reps for this exercise.

KNEE RAISES: Find a firm grasp on an overhead chin-up bar with your arms spread slightly wider than your shoulders. Make sure that your feet are not touching the floor. Trying not to swing or rock, slowly bring your knees toward your abdomen so that your knees are locked at a 90 degree angle. Squeeze your abs and hold for a moment before slowly releasing your legs back to a straight position. Wrist straps are often used to assure a firm grip on the bar. Attempt three sets of 10-15 reps per set.

Any of these exercises can be done with your torso twisted at an angle in order to hit those stingy, hard-to-develop obliques. Also, abdominal muscles should be trained as frequently (no more, no less) as any other muscle group, which is on the average of one or two times a week.

More burning Ab tips...

Unlike other muscle groups, ab workouts usually consist of a long, continual sets with no rest periods, maintaining constant strain and tear on your six-pack.

Hopefully, your abs will be so blazing hot from this workout that you could fry eggs on your tummy.

DECLINE SITUPS: Lock yourself into the decline bench. With your ankles lodged underneath the pads, slowly lift your upper torso off the bench. Make sure that your upper torso – everything above the waist – is perfectly straight. Lift only a few inches off the bench, or so that your torso forms a 45 degree angle with the floor. Make sure you are concentrating on the abdomen, squeezing the ab muscles at the contraction. Slowly lower your torso to the bench, trying to merely touch the bench with your back, not resting any of your body weight on it. Try doing 3 sets of 40-50 reps.

ROPE CRUNCHES: Connect the rope attachment to the upper hookup of the cable machine. Grab one side of the rope in each hand and turn away from the weight as you drop to your knees. Make sure that the weight is not set too high and that you are grabbing the rope on its ends. Hold the rope to the sides of your head and slowly lower your torso toward the floor. You should squeeze your abs during the exercise, stopping your elbows about six feet from the floor. Slowly bring your head back up to the starting position and repeat the motion. Try doing 3 sets of 30-40.

PIKES: Lie flat on your back on either a mat or the floor. Have your arms outstretched with your fingertips pointing to the ceiling. Bend your knees slightly. Slowly raise your shoulders and your legs off the floor simultaneously. Try to touch your toes with your hands while you squeeze your abdomen. Slowly bring your shoulders back to the mat and your feet back to the floor. Repeat the movement for 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

Of course, variations to these exercises will work different parts of your midsection. To fry those obliques, try twisting your shoulders into the movements. For instance, with decline sit ups, bend your torso to one side during the exercise and on the next rep, try hitting the other side. This twisting motion will brush through your abdomen like a raging forest fire.