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By Simon Gould

The abdominals look great when you see them on a toned and strong man. They have that six pack look that gives a bumpy stomach and is a look that's admired everywhere. It's also a look that takes a lot of work. Treadmills help but how do you get that look that people want? Whether you want a six pack or just a more pleasing shape, this article will show you the way.

Treadmills do work the core

Running on a treadmill helps work the core in so far as you need good abdominals to stabilize you. It will greatly contribute to the six pack you may be looking for. Another benefit of the treadmill is it will help you lose the belly fat around the abdominals. This is a vital step to revealing those good abs and getting a washboard stomach.

You could have the strongest abs ever, you could have a set of fantastic six packs abs. But if you are overweight or fat then no one is going to see them and this is where the treadmill comes in. A treadmill will help you reduce your BMI and help reveal those great abs you have. So what you need from a treadmill is weight loss as well.

3 Treadmill workouts that will reveal those abs

The following workouts are 30 minutes each. They specifically have an abdominal aspect to them. We're going to target all parts of the core. The first two are walking and third running and may take a while to build up to. They're a bit different from just getting on a treadmill and walking or running as you'll see. But it's the differences which are designed to get you better results.

1. Incline ab workout

This one is great for beginners. Ensure your hear rate is high for the calorie burn and force those abs to tense up for the best results. Do it for 20 minutes or more and you'll soon start to feel it.

Warm up - Walk briskly for 5 minutes with no incline.

Main workout

• Speed - 3 to 4 mph
• Incline - 6%
• Duration - 20+ minutes
• Abs - Squeeze/tense your abs every 30 seconds

Cool down - Walk briskly for 5 minutes with no incline.

2. Side step ab workout

This will exercise your obliques. These are the muscles next to the abdominals at the side. When these show, they look great next to your abs. Grip onto the handrail for extra support and safety. This may tyke some practice at first but you'll get used to it.

Warm up - Walk briskly for 5 minutes with no incline.

Main workout

• Speed - 3 mph (or whatever is comfortable for you)
• Incline - 5%
• Routine - Walk sideways leading with the right foot for 1 minute and then 1 minute with the left foot. Do this 10 times
• Total - 20 minutes
• Abs - Do a side crunch every 30 seconds

Cool down - Walk briskly for 5 minutes with no incline.

3. Running and knee raises ab workout

Knee raises exercises the lower abs in particular. You'll be supporting your weight on the treadmill handrails, so you might need some arm strength. Before attempting the whole routine, try a few knee raises to get used to it. This is a hard but effective workout.

Warm up - Light jogging for 5 minutes with no incline.

Main workout

• Speed - 6 mph (or whatever running fast is for you)
• Incline - Zero
• Routine - Run fast for 1 minute. Then grab onto each handrail. Making sure your weight is supported, lift the knees up to the chest 5 times. Repeat all this 10 times.

Cool down - Light jogging for 5 minutes with no incline.

Six pack abdominal workouts

Do these very other day.

Abdominal crunch - Lay on the floor with your knees bent. Keep your hands at the side of your head with your elbows pointing forward. Lift your back off the floor. Do this 20 times. Make sure you're using your abs to lift up and not your arms. Try to keep your back straight and don't grab the back of your head or you could damage your neck and spine. Your form is important for this one.

Side abdominal crunch - As with the abdominal crunch above except this one will be a twisting motion. When you lift your back turn the elbow toward the opposite knee. So the left elbow to the right knee. Do this with each side 10 times making 20 overall crunches. These target the obliques as well.

Planks - This one is great for the whole body but particularly the core. Lay on the floor and put your elbows under you with you arms forward and hands flat. Then lift your legs up with your toes touching the floor. This is like a press up position but with your elbows on the floor. Maintain this posture for 30 seconds.

If you're able to do the treadmill workouts and the exercise above regularly. You'll have abs that will be the envy of everyone. If you want to look your best for an occasion or vacation, start doing these workouts a month or two in advance. For weight management the World Health Organization recommend adults do 75 to 150 minutes of exercise per week.

Final thoughts

If you've seen marathon runners they always seem to have good abs. Now we're not saying you should run a marathon but the principle is there. If you lose enough weight whether that's by exercising, your diet or a combination of them both, your abs will start to show more and more. Soon you'll start to be the envy of the beach.

These exercises and routines will work for men and women. Apart from muscle growing bigger on men we're pretty much all the same. As we've said it will take a lot of work but the work should become increasingly more enjoyable that's because it's exercise. You'll enjoy getting there as much as the final result. The result being abs to die for.

Thinking of buying a treadmill? Here's my favorite, I always recommend it when asked*