Your idea of the best ab workout is perhaps that of something intense and tiring.  There is, of course, truth in that description but you also have to consider the fact that it also must be done in a safe manner. This means that you do not have to force yourself into achieving targets that may not be realizable at your present physical condition. This also means that you need to avoid mistakes in a way that you do workout routines.  It is not healthy to achieve lean and flat abs through ways which are potentially harmful.The most basic thing that you have to avoid in doing the best ab workout is injury.  Injury can occur when you haven’t conditioned yourself right before you perform any routines that are required for you to shape up your abdominal muscles. Before hitting the weights or getting down on the floor for sit-ups, or doing bench-presses, it is recommended that you first loosen all your muscles by doing cardio. The cardio routine shouldn’t be too long to tire you out. Just spend enough time for it enough to prepare your entire muscles and blood circulation for the following ab-shaping routines. This is also great help in weight loss, trimming the fat in the abdominal area and letting the muscles develop well as a result.

Crunches have been considered by some people as a necessary component in an ab workout. The fact maybe is that when this is done too often and all too much this may bring about neck pains and injuries. The best ab workout though may not have these as part of the routines involved. Instead of these, you may perform the following: stability ball jackknives, stability ball rollouts and hanging knee raises.  Spinal flexion is a condition that can be very painful and this can happen to if you are not too careful with the manner you perform workouts that focus on the abdominal muscles. Sit-ups may be quite harmless but these in fact can work as culprits of spinal flexion. Therefore, it is best that you do not overdo this exercise.

Back pain is another problem you may encounter when you do an ab workout. You may be able to avoid this certainly if you brace up your abdominal muscles as you do the exercises instead of just focusing the strength completely at the back. Each time you bend, you have to feel the muscles tighten in the ab area instead of the back flexing.