Everyone wants six pack abs right? But why do so few people have a nice set of abs? The answer is simple, first off they are too fat for abs to show, and secondly their abs are so weak that they do not stand out. I written endless posts about how to lose fat so if you need to lean out just read my previous posts and workout routines. As for the abs, the reason people's abdominal muscles are weak is because they do not train them properly.
Doing endless crunches and sit-ups will not build nice, strong abs! It will simply make you good at doing endless crunches and sit-ups!
To sculpt nice abs, you need to make them strong through high tension exercises. Any abdominal exercise that you can only do for a few repetitions or hold for a few seconds is a high tension exercise for you and will strengthen your abdominals. Just like any other muscle, tension makes them strong!
What are some good high tension exercises for the abs? I recommend planks, hanging leg lifts, inchworms, and heavy one arm lifts.
Planks: These can be done in a push-up position or on your elbows and forearms. Hold yourself up on your toes and your arms with your body straight and tight for as long as you can. I usually do three sets of 1 minute.
Hanging Leg Lifts: Grab a chin-up bar and hang from it. Then lift your legs with either your knees bent or straight and raise them as high as you can.
Inchworms: See the video below, they are great for the abs!
Heavy One Arm Lifts: Any time you load one side of the body more than the other, your abdominal muscles have to compensate in order to balance the body. They will contract really hard if you lift a heavy weight in one hand and either press it above your head or walk with it. Lifting with a kettlebell is a great way to burn fat while forcing the abs to contract hard again and again. This is why it is so popular kettlebell exercises are so popular with serious trainees.
In summary, if you want six pack abs that is great but you have to earn it by burning off the fat and strengthening up your abdominals. Good luck!
Everyone wants six pack abs right? But why do so few people have a nice set of abs? The answer is simple, first off they are too fat for abs to show, and secondly their abs are so weak that they do not stand out. I written endless posts about how to lose fat so if you need to lean out just read my previous posts and workout routines. As for the abs, the reason people's abdominal muscles are weak is because they do not train them properly.
Doing endless crunches and sit-ups will not build nice, strong abs! It will simply make you good at doing endless crunches and sit-ups!
To sculpt nice abs, you need to make them strong through high tension exercises. Any abdominal exercise that you can only do for a few repetitions or hold for a few seconds is a high tension exercise for you and will strengthen your abdominals. Just like any other muscle, tension makes them strong!
What are some good high tension exercises for the abs? I recommend planks, hanging leg lifts, inchworms, and heavy one arm lifts.
Planks: These can be done in a push-up position or on your elbows and forearms. Hold yourself up on your toes and your arms with your body straight and tight for as long as you can. I usually do three sets of 1 minute.
Hanging Leg Lifts: Grab a chin-up bar and hang from it. Then lift your legs with either your knees bent or straight and raise them as high as you can.
Inchworms: See the video below, they are great for the abs!
Heavy One Arm Lifts: Any time you load one side of the body more than the other, your abdominal muscles have to compensate in order to balance the body. They will contract really hard if you lift a heavy weight in one hand and either press it above your head or walk with it. Lifting with a kettlebell is a great way to burn fat while forcing the abs to contract hard again and again. This is why it is so popular kettlebell exercises are so popular with serious trainees.
In summary, if you want six pack abs that is great but you have to earn it by burning off the fat and strengthening up your abdominals. Good luck!