Hopefully, I've stressed the need for really focusing on your eating for getting your abs or any body part to shine. With that here is my ab routine:

I rotate between two ab programs. I stick with workout one for three weeks then move to workout two. My body adapts to workouts fairly quickly so even with an increase in weight and reps I need to periodically change things up.

Workout One

Hanging leg raises-(keep upper body from swinging at all times. 3 sets to failure with 20 second rest between sets. While in a decline bench, I have a partner throw a 10kg medicine ball at my face, during the negative portion of a sit up. As I come back up I throw the ball back. 3 sets to failure

Standing Oblique crunches using cables- get a nice stretch at the top and squeeze down. When fully contracted hold for 5 sec squeezing as hard as you can. 3 sets to failure.

Workout Two

Roman Chair- at the top of the movement I have my workout partner push my legs back down. This makes the negative portion of the movement extremely difficult so not a lot of reps should me expected. 3 sets to failure, superset with stability Ball Crunches.

Stability Ball crunches- directly after completing a set on the Roman Chair, I hit the Stability Ball to failure.

Oblique crunches on decline bench- 3 sets to failure. When my reps get to be to high, to easy I add weight using a medicine ball held above my head.

If you do this routine and give it everything you've got, once a week should do the trick. If you need to hit your abs more, you probably didn't work hard enough on these exercises the first time around. I find this to be one of the most common problems in my clients workouts, abs or otherwise. You won't get results for long with any body part if you don't give it every thing you've got. Have a mind set to get a job done and do it! If you go to the gym with any other mind set, you're not going to be able to put 100% into your physique and your just wasting time. I realize you can't always give it your all. Sometimes we have other things going on in our lives that keep us from giving it our all, that's normal. When your norm is not being able to lift with 100% intensity, then your just wasting your time and your partner's time as well.

I hope this will help you along to developing the abs you've always wanted. Stick with it. If you know what you want and your meticulous in your efforts to achieve your goals, they will happen.

Here's also a look at my weight training routine:

Matthew Lowden

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