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What is the first thing that people notice when your shirt
is off? What does it take to get a great set of abs? What
are the most effective ab training exercises? How long does
it take to see results? What are the best bodyweight ab exercises?
For so many of us, having washboard abs has almost become
a craze. Will thousands of crunches get the job done? What
about those products seen on TV?
Distinct abdominal muscles improve fitness, decrease back-pain
and are a magnet for the opposite sex. Here’s the perfect
workout for washboard abs:
| Workout |
No. of Sets |
No. of Reps |
Rest |
|
| Isometric Seated Leg Raises |
2 |
20 |
30s |
10s contraction |
| Oblique Crunches |
2 |
20 |
30s |
|
| Cable Crunches |
2 |
20 |
30s |
Come up to 45°. Drive elbows to knees. |
| Incline Leg Raises |
2 |
15 |
30s |
Legs from horizontal to vertical. |
| Side Bends |
2 |
20 |
30s |
Stand up and tilt. |
| Crunches, Knees Up |
2 |
20 |
30s |
Add 10s isometric hold after last rep of each set. |
| Include Reverse Crunches |
2 |
15 |
30s |
Start in knees up position. |
| Incline Side Leg Raises |
2 |
15 |
30s |
Just raise single leg as high as it goes without moving
hip. |
| Crunches: Legs Straight Out |
2 |
20 |
30s |
Don’t lock knees. |
Heredity plays a big part in shaping our physical makeup
and our muscular potential. There are three fundamental body
types or builds, called somatotypes.
Ectomorphic: people with an ectomorphic build are born with
a smaller quantity of muscle cells and have a linear look.
Endomorphic: those with an endomorphic body type have inherited
a large number of fat cells and are inclined have a rounder
appearance.
Mesomorphic: the third somatype is mesomorphic and people
with this physique have inherited a comparatively larger number
of muscle cells.
The Troika
Troika refers to 3 or trio in both Polish and Russian. You
need to know three features that make your abs noticeable:
1. Fat loss – expose your abs.
2. Develop your ab muscles – like biceps you create
peaks to your six-pack.
3. Ab muscle tone – the amount of involuntary flex of
your abs when at rest.
What you need is a straightforward and easy to apply plan
that will not only help you lose the fat that is presently
covering your abs, but show you how to do it in less time.
There is no easy way; you are going to have to work for your
results. A lot of people will fault their heredity for the
additional fat they are hauling when the truth is that it
is not their genes, but their need for self-discipline.
The Right Approach To Washboard Abs
You’ve seen the infomercials, the advertisements and
the magazine commentaries churning out their rubbish, and
you’ve made up your mind that you want abs. First you
must appreciate that getting into shape has no down time.
You must make a decision if this is something you really want
and whether or not you are ready to make a solid commitment
to yourself.
If you are not a habitual exerciser you must make a conscious
resolution to start a workout program – this choice
is often easy to make, but to put it into action is quite
another thing. To stick with your new commitment to yourself,
you need to:
1. Set practical goals. This can be done
by not centering on the end result (i.e. I’m going to
lose 100 lbs) but rather on the day’s goal (today I’m
going to walk on the treadmill for five minutes).
2. Plan your workouts. If you make a schedule
of three to four days a week and set up an appointment with
an instructor you tend to turn up because someone is counting
on you.
3. Workout with a friend. If you make it
a social activity with your best friend or spouse, it will
give you something to look forward to either in the beginning,
end or even middle of the day on your lunch break.
4. Select an activity that you take pleasure in.
Go for a challenging hike, snowboard or mountain bike with
your friends.
5. Rejoice in your accomplishments.
Training The Obliques
The obliques are muscles that run diagonally across the abdominal
wall and are attached to bone at your sides. Increasing the
size of your obliques can increase the width of your waist,
but not necessarily the circumference. These are “muscular
love handles.” Some people avoid training obliques for
this reason. Because obliques cross over the abdominal wall,
having strong obliques means that your abdominal wall will
be pulled flat. Therefore, while training obliques may increase
the width of your waist, it can also serve to pull your stomach
flatter.
Fat And Abs
You shouldn’t even think of seeing your abs until you
are down to about 8-10% body fat. Great abs start and end
with your diet. Eat and supplement the same on a non-training
day as you would a training day. The flab around the stomach
can only be removed with proper diet and cardio. You need
to eat 5-6 meals a day to keep the body burning food –
food that is thermogenic and requires calories to burn.
It took you months, perhaps years to achieve the layer of
fat covering your abs, so it’s not going to magically
melt away over the weekend, no matter how many crunches you
do. Surprisingly enough, the chief aim is not to burn fat
but to preserve your muscle. In order to maintain muscle while
burning fat, a mixture of cardiovascular training, such as
treadmill, running, biking, etc. and conventional heavy weight
training works best.
Related Articles
Abdominal Crunch
Abs: The Truth
Abs and Obliques
In One Workout
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