A great
set of abs is a function of two factors - abdominal muscles and low body fat. A
major factor is to have a low body fat level, usually below 9%, because the
less fat on top of them, the more visible the abs. Now you find out how to get the best abs.
As far
as for which abs exercises to do there are dozens of them but some of them work
the midsection 100%. The best abs exercises are 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 combine these marvelous
exercises and use them in my training session two times a week. Beware that the
above routine is for people who are somewhat advanced in their fitness level
and have some experience doing abs exercises with proper form.
The main
training session I do for my abs is pretty hardcore so please don't do it alone
or without the proper guidance from a qualified trainer. I do 4 giant sets,
including all of these exercises I wrote before, with one minute rest between
them in order to keep my heart rate high. A giant set is a form of a very
intense set that consists of various exercises and you do them all without rest
between them. After you are finished performing the whole series of exercises,
you can rest a little, with the amount of rest depending on your fitness level.
My
Sample Giant Set:
-Bent
crunches X max reps
-Hanging
leg raises X max reps
-Pull-down
crunches X max reps
-Swiss
ball crunches X max reps
-Swiss
ball vertical crunches X max reps
-Swiss
ball side crunches X reps
As you
can see, half of my abs routine consists of exercises on a swiss ball. With swiss
balls, you can work through a greater range of motion, activate more muscle
fibers than regular exercises, and therefore you can have very intense abs workouts when performed properly.
Now
let's take a look of each exercise alone.
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 raise your
upper back off the floor very slowly and roll forward until you reach the end
point of the movement.
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.
Pull-down
Crunches:
Use the
rope attachment on the high cable pulley. Kneel facing the machine and grab
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. Hold on for 2 seconds hard and
return to the starting position.
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 you’re 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.
Swiss
Ball Vertical Crunches:
Position
a bench near the Swiss ball so you are able to grab 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.
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 abdominal training routine is very demanding and you
need to have a lot of experience in training methods and more than one year of
fitness training.
I
usually do the above training program in the summer when I want to have that hard-ripped
abs, but one good training routine on its own is not good enough to achieve a
fantastic midsection. Here are some tips that I'm sure are help you to get
those super ripped abs:
-Diet is
the most important factor when you are trying to get the six pack look. Try to
have a diet that is high protein with moderate to low carbohydrate and fat
intake, spread over 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. In fact, it's best not to
eat them after 6 pm.
-Do as
much cardio as you can. Try to do some form of cardio at least six days a week
for 40-45 minutes.
-Cut
dairy products as they are make you keep water and make you puffy.
I'm sure
by doing this abs routine and using all of the above tips you will be on the
right path to get a hard ripped six-pack and make everyone envy you on the
beach this summer. Good luck with this abs workout for Men!