Getting a perfect set of washboard abs is a dream for many people, but achieving it is not a simple task by any means. The perfect six pack abs are obtained by rigorous training and regular exercising, coupled with complete knowledge about your body and consuming a healthy and balanced diet. Many people often opt to use weights when performing these exercises in order to strengthen their lower abs. This, along with the upper abs combine together to give you that six pack, and you need to perform different kinds of lower ab exercises with weights in order to develop both sets of muscle groups. Since time immemorial, people choose to perform hundreds of crunches each day, in order to build their abs, using only their body as resistance. This is a healthy and recommended way to strengthen your abdominal muscles, but doing it using weights is a trend that is witnessing a surge in popularity nowadays. It goes without saying that the effect this has on the development of the abdominal muscles is much more visible and certainly more long-lasting than performing your crunches the regular way. When you are performing these exercises, the level of resistance that your body has to come up against is greater. So, let us first understand the relevance and the significance of increasing this resistance against the body. Just like any other muscle group of your body, your abs will also get strengthened further by adding a greater amount of resistance. Progressive overload of the amount of weight lifted adds to the development of the muscles, and the abs are also susceptible to this particular condition. By performing these movements, you are speeding up the strengthening and development process of your abdominal muscles. The most popular ones that you can use are ankle weights. These are strapped to your ankle, and increase the amount of force you need to exert while performing your stomach crunches. This will add resistance to your lower body and enhance the effect. If you are looking to add resistance to your upper body, then you can also use dumbbells. Bicycle Crunches You need to lie flat on your back with your hands behind your head. Now, lift your head off the ground, and, at the same time, lift your legs off the ground, using your hips and your butt as a pivot. Now, you must swing your upper torso from left to right, while simultaneously bringing your right knee towards your chin so that your left elbow and your right knee are touching each other. All this while, your left leg must be 45 degrees in the air, and stretched out absolutely straight. Now, repeat this motion so that your right elbow and your left knee touch each other. The number of repetitions you do, the amount of weight you attach to your ankle, and the speed at which you rotate your body, will all depend on your personal preferences and stamina. Keep your shoulders off the ground at all times. Leg Raises This is possibly the simplest one that you can perform. All you need to do is attach the weights to your ankle, lie flat on your back with your arms and hands on your sides, and keeping your knees bent at a slight ankle, lift both your legs in the air together till they are absolutely vertical. Hold your legs there for a few seconds, and then gently lower them back on to the ground. Remember to keep your back completely straight though, as failure to do so could result in a severe pain in the back. Reverse Crunches This is perhaps the most common of them all. Once you have fastened the weights around your ankle, lie straight on the ground with your hands by your sides. Now, lift your knees up and hug them against your chest, as far back as you can. Now, slightly lift your tail bone, or your butt off the ground and hold this position for 2-3 seconds, before you revert to your original position. The key is lifting your tail bone off the ground in the proper manner. You can also use your hands for support. As you can see, all these will be beneficial for you. The heavier the weights, the greater the resistance. And the greater the resistance, the stronger your lower ab muscles will become. Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.