HARCORE
ABS TRAINING
A great set of abs is a function of two
factors-abdominal muscle and low body-fat. It’s a major factor to have low
body-fat level, usually below 9%,cause the less of it the more visible the abs.
As far as for abs exercises there are dozens of them
but some of them are working the midsection 100%.In fact scientists have an
amazing tool called Electromyografy (EMG) that shows how much muscles work
during specific exercises, Scientists place electrodes over a muscle belly. The
harder the muscle works the more electricity is measured on the EMG. So EMG
studies show that the best ab exercises are the bench crunches, hanging leg
raises, pull-down crunches, swiss ball crunches, vertical crunches (especially
on a swiss ball) and swiss ball side crunches.
So I combined these marvellous exercises and use them
in my training session 2 times a week. Beware that the above routine is for
people who are somehow advanced in the fitness level and have some experience of
doing ab exercises with proper form
So the main training session I do for my abs (and I
must say that it is pretty hardcore) so please don’t do it alone without the
proper guidance from a qualified trainer or training partner, is:
I do 4 giant-sets including all of these exercises I
mentioned above, with 1 min rest between them in order to keep the heart rate
high. A giant-set is a form of a very intensive set that is consisted of various
exercises and do them all without rest between them. Only when you perform this
whole series of exercises you can rest a little according to your fitness level.
So I do:
GIANTSET:
1) Bent crunches X max reps
2) Hanging leg raises X max reps
3) Pull-down/Cable crunches X max reps
4) Swiss ball crunches X max reps
5) Swiss ball vertical crunches X max reps
6) Swiss ball side crunches X reps
As you can see half of my ab’s routine is consisted
of make them on a Swiss ball. With this way you can work through a greater range
of motion, activate more muscle fibers than regular exercises and therefore you
can make very intensive ab workouts when performed properly.
Now lets take a look at each exercise alone.
a )Bent
crunches: Lie flat on the floor with the legs over a bench so that the
thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Cross the arms over the chest. Don’t
place the arms behind the head, as there is a serious possibility to pull the
body forward with the arms, thereby taking the focus off the abs and the chance
of injuring the neck region increases. Once you are in the proper starting
position, simply raises your upper back off the floor very slowly and roll
forward until you reach the end point of the movement.
b) Hanging leg
raises: Take an overhand grip on a pull-up bar with your hands
about shoulder-width apart and allow your body to hang freely. Keeping
your legs straight and toes pointed, exhale and slowly lift your legs upward,
avoiding the use of momentum until your body forms an ‘’L’’ shape in
mid-air. Pause a moment before slowly lowering your legs back to the start.
c) Pull-down/Cable
crunches: Use the rope attachment on the high cable pulley. Kneel facing the
machine and grasp hold of the rope and put your hands against your forehead. You
then begin the exercise by slowly moving your body downwards in an arc, rounding
your back and trying to get your elbows to touch your knees. Contract for 2
seconds hard before retuning to the starting position.
d) Swiss ball
crunches: Balance yourself on an exercise ball with your arms folded across
your chest or behind your head, your focus on the ceiling and your feet flat on
the floor. Your starting position should find your back slightly arched over the
curve of the ball. Exhale and slowly lift your upper body off the ball, keeping
your focus high and your elbows wide. Pause a moment in the topmost position
before inhaling and slowly lowering yourself back to the start.
e) Swiss ball
vertical crunches: Position a bench near the swiss ball so you be able to
grasp it. Lie on the ball with your hands over your head gripping the bench
behind it, your back flat and your knees bent and held above your hips. This is
your starting position. From here, slowly curl your knees up and in toward your
head, lifting first your tailbone, then your hips, off the ball. When your knees
come to eye level, reverse the motion and slowly uncurl. Pass the start position
and extend your legs straight out and away from you, keeping your back stable on
the ball and your shoulders down. Squeeze for a moment and come back to the
start.
f) Swiss ball
side crunches: Lie on a swiss ball, place your feet on the floor, knees bent
and spread your legs so your feet are slightly more than shoulder width apart.
Slowly raise your upper and mid back off the ball and turn to your right so you
are in an oblique curl position. Squeeze for a second and then slowly return to
the starting position.
I must mention again that this abs training routine is
very demanding and you need to have a lot of experience in training methods and
more than one year in fitness section.
So to sum up, the above training I do it usually in the
summer when I want to have those hard-ripped abs but one good training routine
on its own is not good enough to achieve a fantastic midsection. So here are
some tips that I’m sure will help you to get those super abs you’ve always
wanted.
- Diet is the most important factor when you are trying
to get this six-pack look. Try to have a high protein/moderate to low
carbohydrate and fat spread in 5-6 meals throughout the day.
- Begin a training program for each body-part to
develop your overall muscle mass and increase your basal metabolic rate.
- Try not to eat carbohydrates in your last meal of the
day as the are likely to be stored as body-fat. In fact its best not to eat them
after
- Do as much cardio as you can. Try do some form of
cardio at least 6 days a week for 40-45min
- Use a thermogenic product from a reputable company,
as it going to help you burn more calories than usual. I suggest you trying Lean
System 7 from Isatori
- Reduce dairy products as they are going to make you
hold water retention and make you puffy.
I’m sure by doing this abs routine and use all the
above tips you will be on the
right path to get this hard ripped six-pack and make everyone to envy you on the
beach in this summer.
Good luck with this program!