Abs are made with crunches??

NO! I really hope you didn't think that was true. Truth is, EVERYBODY has abs and a "6 pack", the only difference is whether you can see that six pack or not and then how defined they are.
Are you a little "pudgy"? Admit it, a lot of us have at least a little pudge and I'm no exception. But doing thousands of situps is not gonna make those abs magically appear...(i actually don't recommend situps at all, but ill explain that later)
Yes, doing core exercises are gonna tone those abs, but if you still got the "pudge" then you're not really gonna see those puppies. Abs are made by doing cardio(either workouts that incorporate cardio or pure cardio like running/biking) but more importantly by what you put into your mouth. If you're eating donuts everyday for breakfast, chances are, those abs of yours are hidden.
We need to fuel our body with healthy/nutritious foods, not only to trim down that tummy fat and show that 6 pack but also for numerous other health benefits.
Now what about those of you who are chiseled and "ripped" and still eat a whole large pizza to yourself? Now he might hate me for telling you guys this, but that's exactly what Ray used to do. He just has a naturally fast metabolism so he doesn't have to work at making his abs show(he still works on defining them though). But that's where I came along.
Do you have someone in your family that had a heart attack early? Chances are if they are directly related.to you then your chances of having a heart attack are higher and that's when you need to be more conscious of what you eat. Many heart attacks are caused by atherosclerosis(plaque building up in your arteries) when too much plaque builds up or some of it breaks off, this can cause an ischemic event(lack of oxygen to one of thr heart vessels). Well, cholesterol is one of the biggest playmakers of atherosclerosis. And what causes cholesterol? That build greasy large pizza you just ate by yourself. And then you think, but Im only in my 20s, ill be more careful later. But did you think that all that plaque builds up all at once when you're older? It starts forming in your 20s which is why its important at all stages of life to be healthy.
So even though you may have a toned body, or if you Want that toned body, what you eat is important.
Starting a healthy lifestyle now is the key to a happy healthy long life.

Don't get me wrong though because exercise definitely contributes to that toned body you want. And things that not only build muscle(which burns more calories than fat) but also increases your heart rate are best for getting those 6 packs to show. Which is why I love doing high intensity interval workouts, that and they don't take as much time.
As far as exercises go for your midsection, the thing I always tell my clients is that if you can only do one ab exercise for the rest of your life, choose planks. Not only are crunches basically pointless(how often do you walk around bending at your waist repeatedly) but those with low bone mineral density it can actually cause vertebral fractures. Planks work your abdominals in an elongated position which helps with your posture and can help with back pain and a whole slew of other things which is why its my exercise of choice. Start with 15 seconds and work up to holding it as long as you can. A few minutes is ideal.

So remember, exercise AND nutrition is the key to those bikini/boardshort abs. Start slowly and don't try to.make all those lifestyle changes at once, you want them to be habits.

But for now, I must finish studying for my midterm. But hope this was somewhat educational/informing for you guys!