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Question from Peter (USA)

Q.What are your favorite ab exercises and which ab exercises do you recommend also how much cardio he should I do to keep chisled and defined?

Peter,

I have a couple of favorites when it comes to ab training, crunches and hanging leg raises. The crunches are for my upper abs, and the leg raises are for my lower abs. I usually do 4 sets of each and 20-25 reps on each set. I train my abs once a week during the off season (bulking up phase) and 2-3 times a week pre-contest (cutting up phase). I also think that these two exercises are the best ones for your abs because they work the all the abdominal muscles, top to bottom. I also like to throw in a slight twisting movement of my legs on the hanging leg raises to hit my seratus and obliques a little to.

As far as the cardio work goes, I would definitely try to do 4-5 sessions for 30-40 min. a week. If you are already pretty lean (8-9% body fat), then you should be able to get away with only 4 sessions of cardio a week for 30-40 min. You can take your choice of either stairmaster, stationary bike, or my personal favorite, walking on the treadmill. I have a treadmill at my house and it sits right smack in front of my TV. I just walk on that thing with my remote control in hand, usually flipping between WWF and the Cartoon Network. I love my treadmill!

Ok, just a side note, remember to also eat a clean diet that is high in protein, low in fat, and moderate in carbohydrates. Eating clean will also help you to stay lean.

Thank you Peter, and I'm glad you like my column. I owe it to Matt for giving me this opportunity. Thanks Matt.

Train hard,
Ricky Gonzalez