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I was fascinated that each and every cover had at least one story about how to get a flat stomach or sculpt amazing abs.

I'm surprised that people still flock to these articles, hoping that some miracle exercise or food will give them the belly of their dreams. With Americans spending more than $210 million per year on abdominal exercise machines, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, and buying hundreds of thousands of books and videos devoted just to abdominal muscles, you would think that everyone would be walking around with rock hard abs.

This boggles my mind because no matter how many sit-ups or crunches you do, you will not get a flat stomach or "six-pack abs"! You simply cannot "spot train" -- meaning you can't work one spot on your body and have the fat melt away -- no matter how hard you try. Sure, you can "spot tone," or work your stomach until you are blue in the face -- and you might even succeed in building a layer of rock hard abs. But if you haven't lost any weight in the process, your muscular masterpiece will still be obscured by a layer of fat.

"The idea that exercising the stomach muscles will result in an attractive, toned midsection is some sort of urban legend. The only way to lose abdominal fat is to lose weight," says Michele S. Olson, Ph.D., FACSM, a professor at Auburn University Montgomery Human Performance Laboratory.

So why are we so obsessed with our stomachs? Is it biological? "For the most part, our obsession with the midsection is psychosocial -- meaning cultural expectations contribute to body image," says Harrison G. Pope Jr., M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the book "The Adonis Complex." In fact, Dr. Pope illustrates this point by looking at the GI Joe action figure. Over the last 30 years or so, you can see that GI Joe started out being, well, a regular Joe, and now even he has those amazing washboard abs.

Even so, maybe it is biological -- perhaps we're wired to be attracted to those of the opposite sex with great-looking stomachs because they're healthier. Researchers point out that people who carry extra fat in their midsections (abdominal fat) have higher cholesterol levels and lower levels of the protective HDL cholesterol. They're also at greater risk for heart disease and some cancers.

Getting a great-looking stomach might be the least important -- and least practical -- reason for getting those abs into shape. Strong abdominal muscles are important for several reasons, besides vanity. For one thing, having strong abs protects our internal organs, helps our lungs function better (e.g., blowing out your birthday candles), prevents injuries, and helps us maintain good posture, which can reduce lower back pain -- improving overall body performance.

So, how do you get amazing abs? Well to start, you need to know about the four different abdominal muscles:

-Rectus Abdominis. This single muscle, responsible for those great looking abs, appears as a six-pack when you have very little fat in your abdomen. It gives off the "washboard" or "six-pack" appearance because the muscle has bands of connective tissue that run through it; as the muscle gets bigger and the bands don't, the muscle bulges.

-Internal and external obliques. These muscles create the shape of your waist. You really can't miss them because the fat on top of them is often referred to as "love handles." 

-Transverse Abdominis. You use this muscle when you're told to "suck it in." This is the most overlooked of the abdominal muscles, yet it's the best one for flattening your stomach. "It's actually built to act as an internal girdle -- the tighter you compress, the more it acts like a corset around your entire midsection -- bringing it all together," says Dr. Olson. Olson recommends the "Abdominal Vacuum" as a good exercise to get one acquainted with his or her transverse abdominis muscle. You simply suck in your stomach and hold it. (Stand with hands on your hips. Now do a large exhale. Draw in stomach as far as possible. Feel the pressure forcefully in your abdominals. Hold, then release. You can do this while sitting or lying down -- even in your car at a red light). This muscle is also important because it protects your body's organs and supports your lower back.

Experts disagree about the "best way" to work the abdominal muscles -- some say that these muscles are no different from any other skeletal muscles and so theoretically, they should respond to the same stimuli. Thus, working them the same way you would work your biceps, or shoulders, should be effective. "If you really want to have the outward appearance of washboard abs, you need to train the stomach muscles just like you train your biceps -- using strength/resistance training methods (e.g., holding a weight against your chest while doing crunches)," says Dr. Olson.  

Then there are those who believe the primary purpose or best function of your abs are as "anti-gravity" or stabilizer muscles, meaning they support and anchor your body (hold you upright) and are in a low state of activity all the time. Experts believe that, in this case, abs should be treated as an endurance muscle and trained accordingly. "This means doing a variety of exercises, including using core equipment such as an exercise/stability ball, with a high frequency on a daily basis," says Dr. Olson.

These training styles bring on different results. "It's like the difference between sprinters and marathon runners -- sprinters are very muscular and powerful with a sculpted appearance, whereas marathon runners, built for endurance, have a milder, less powerfully built look. It's a trade off," adds Dr. Olson.

Experts may not see eye to eye on the methodology of abdominal training, but they do agree that most of us do our ab exercises improperly. "We tend to overtrain and train inappropriately," says Leigh Crews, a spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine.

"One of the most common mistakes that people make is working the wrong muscles or actually not working any muscles at all. The most important thing to remember is if you don't feel the abdominal exercises in your stomach or it's uncomfortable in an unrelated area of the body -- it's probably NOT working, and there is a good chance you will injure yourself," cautions Crews.

Everyone does abdominal exercises differently, and people need to get out of the mindset that all exercises work for all people. Exercises vary depending on factors such as athleticism, degree of familiarity and adaptation to specific exercises, and past injuries. Keep in mind that there are hundreds of exercises, and you have to find a variety that work for you (working all four of the ab muscles).

A study completed by the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University looked at some of the most common abdominal exercises and found the following three to be the best of the bunch: Bicycle Maneuver, Captain's Chair, and Crunch on Exercise Ball. (Keep in mind that only 13 out of hundreds of abdominal exercises were analyzed.) 

But remember -- even if you manage to sculpt yourself some amazing abs -- UNLESS you lose the weight, the only six-pack you'll be seeing is the one sitting next to the Twinkies inside your fridge.

Bicycle Maneuver: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Touch the sides of your head with your fingertips just behind your ears. Raise your upper body off the floor using your abdominal muscles, not your neck. Bring knees up to about 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. Keep your breathing rate even and relaxed throughout.

Captain's Chair: (Equipment available in most fitness facilities) Stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad. The starting position begins with you holding your body up and leaving your legs dangling below. Now slowly lift your knees in toward your chest. The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring the knees up and return them back to the starting position.

Crunch on Exercise Ball: Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Let the ball roll back slowly. Now lie back on the ball until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. Place hands behind your head (or cross your arms over your chest) and slightly tuck your chin in toward your chest. Contract your abdominals, raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees. For better balance, spread your feet wider apart. To challenge the obliques, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position.

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