Most everyone in the world would like to have six pack abs or a flat stomach (depending on gender). It is possible for everyone to achieve, but you have to know the real ways to get results. You'll also need to know what activities will actually move you forward, instead of making you feel like you're treading water and getting nowhere.

This article will explain how to get a complete ab workout, that will effectively strain all the muscles in your abdomen (making them grow!)

First, you need to know what muscles you are trying to work. There are 5 different muscles that comprise your abdominals, but you only really have to know about 2 of them. The two muscle groups that you need to focus on working are your rectus abdominis and your obliques. There are actually two different muscles that make up your obliques, but the right movements will work both.

To get a great, overall ab workout you will want to include three different movements in your ab workouts. The details are real important of how much of each you should do, but as long as you include all three, you're sure to get a great abdominal workout.

Pick a variety of exercises that force you to move your body in these three ways:

1. Crunching your upper body to your legs - The most basic form of this movement are crunches. Normal floor crunches are the most simple exercise to do, but there are many others that you can start doing to change it up and keep your workouts fun. Try some other moves like weighted cable rope crunches, medicine ball crunches, and bench crunches to give your workouts some variety.

These exercises will put the most strain on the upper part of your rectus abdominis, which is the front of your abs.

2. Lifting your legs to your upper body - Doing exercises that require you to lift your legs toward your body, or focus mostly on leg movements will work the lower part of your rectus abdominis. It's important to do both of these movements to work the full range of your abdominals. Try some exercises like hanging leg raises, reverse crunches, or leg thrusts.

3. Ab exercises that require you to twist your body - Doing these movements will really focus on your obliques. These exercises are very important to build a strong core since your obliques help to stabilize your abdomen. Some exercises that will really work your obliques are alternating ab bicycles (touch your elbows to opposite knee), alternating ab crunches, or mason twists (one of my favorites).

Any exercise that requires you to really twist your upper body will work your obliques well.

As long as you incorporate all three of these movements into every ab workout, you'll build a strong core that has no weaknesses. If you neglect doing one of these movements, you'll notice that one area of your abdominals will become weaker and lag behind the others.