Simple Workouts to Target AbsIf yoga or pilates are too much for you, there are plenty of other ways to target abs. Strengthening your abdominal muscles will not only make you look good, but will make you stronger, attain better balance and so much more. So it is important to get in some kind of ab workout, even if you just do three sets of thirty crunches three times a week.
In addition, to regular crunches or whatever variation you enjoy, it is also good to workout the sides as well. That's what gives you the full abdominal workout and that sexy six-pack look. My favorite are to go back in forth with my legs like I am riding a bicycle, while going doing a crunch up and to the side, then up and to the other side.
An easy ways to remember how to do this is you are pointing your head towards your left knee then your right knee. So when your left knee is up and your right leg is straight out, your head is facing towards your left side. You can either go back and forth between your left and right side or you can do 10, 20, 30, whatever you can handle on your left side, and then the same amount on your right side. Then repeat.Your arms hands should be behind your head so you're not using your arms to help yourself up. It is all coming from your abdominal (stomach) muscles. I've learned that if my neck is bothering me, I can do this on a chair instead of on the floor, and I still get a good workout in.
Start with one abdominal workout a week and then work your way up to three per week. You should not workout the same muscle every day though and you don't want to target abs two days in a row. When it comes to any kind of workout with weights, strength training, or repeats like abdominals or push ups, it's good to do it no more than every two or three days, because you're actually building your strength and muscle up during the recovery process. If you just keep working out the same muscle every day, you will actually sabotage your efforts because you will keep tearing your muscle down and it never gets a chance to rebuild. Your muscle rebuilds itself during recovery. Return from Target Abs to Total Fitness
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A good ab workout is to do two sets of say, thirty crunches each. Then for the third set, don't even count. Just go until you can't go anymore, for a full burn out. When you are convinced you can't do one more, do three more. And then do one more. 
Another way to get in a good abdominal workout is to use an exercise ball. You can do the simple crunches or more advanced crunches, but they will be more effective with less pressure on the back and neck if you do it on an exercise ball as shown in this picture.
