The idea behind my trunk workout is not to build bigger muscles but instead to strengthen and tone them.  I'm of the mind that abs are to be lean and mean without being big and protruding from the normal curvature of the body.  This is the same idea surrounding workouts involving the erector spinae and deep spinal muscles of the lower back.  You certainly don't want them to be huge as that wouldn't be very attractive and would destroy the look of a well-proportioned body.  I've just always thought that huge abs make people look fat and thus defeats the purpose of staying in shape.

So how am I doing abs now?  My new trunk routine (abs routine doesn't really describe it anymore) involves seven separate exercises performed every time I work on my abs.  I do the abs routine every three days.  Since muscle tissue needs 48-72 hours to recover from previous stress, doing abs every three days is perfect.  It also ensures I'm not overworking them and thereby causing them to grow the same way one would want biceps or pectorals to grow.

The routine involves upper and lower front abdominals (rectus adbominus), intercostals (muscles between the ribs), side abdominals (obliques), the lower back muscles (erector spinae) and deep spinal muscles.  Although the lower back muscles are also worked during the leg workout (squats, dead lift and stiff-leg dead lift all work these), they are only used as stabilizers in these exercises and are not specifically targeted.

As for my trunk routine, here's what it entails.

Every Three (3) Days	Abdominals, Obliques, Lower Back
	Set 1 Reps Set 2 Reps Set 3 Reps Lower Ab Crunch (Hip Raise) x1 x x Leg Raise/Hip Up x x x Oblique Crunch x x x Knee UP x x x Lying Crunch x x x Crunch Twist/Leg Lift x x x Low Back Extensions x x x

Key:
1 – For these exercises, the x in the repetition columns simply indicates that I don't have a limited or target range.  I simply force myself (to failure) by increasing the repetitions each week by at least two.  For instance, if I'm doing three sets of 20 crunches this week, I'll push myself to do at least two sets of 20 and one set of 22 next week.  Since these exercises don't include easily increased weight (only body resistance), it made more sense to remove the reps from the table and use a variable instead.