Hi welcome to my site on ab workouts (plus some stuff on health and fitness in general -- they all go hand in hand).
The pursuit of rock hard six pack abs can be confusing as there is so much (mis)information out there on ab workouts.
In order to help you out I will cover some ideas on what the best plan is to take in order to achieve great results... and in the least amount of time possible.
An ab workout routine should consist of a few main points:
- Diet – A huge part of getting definition on abs is a flat stomach and this must be partly achieved through diet.
- Cardio – Another way to get your stomach flat to show off the abs underneath is enough cardio to help remove any fat in this area through caloric deficit.
- Weight Training – Continuing on the subject of getting rid of fat, building muscle will enhance your metabolism which in turn burns off more fat.
- Ab Exercises – And of course we’ll need to actually exerise our abs to build the muscle there.
- Supplements - Although not always necessary they can provide a quicker way to get results.
If you’re one of those people who is performing ab exercises to get a flat tummy then you’re in good company. Ab workouts are some of the most popular types of exercises around, and for good reason.
Six pack abs are the ultimate way to show off a firm, lean muscular body.
It’s one thing to have strong arms or a big chest, but getting that sleek sculpted set of abs is a tough challenge, which is what makes it so valuable in many people’s eyes.
Now let’s look at these points one by one.
First up and almost more importantly is your diet.
Nutrition is going to play a vital part here as you’ll need to lose any excess pounds over your stomach so that all your hard work can show through.
If your abs are covered in belly fat then no matter how much exercising you do they won’t be visible!
Don’t get me wrong, exercising your core abs is still a worthy endeavor. But in order to get sculpted abs you’re going to need to burn off the fat that covers them by finding the best ab workouts that give you results.
'Dieting' Is It Necessary?
Diet needs will vary depending on the current state of your body’s physique and your goals that you wish to achieve. A good rule of thumb is to add or subtract 500 calories a day depending on whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat. This ensures a slow natural progress that will be more healthy to your body and produce better results.
Add In Some Exercise...
Cardio can be performed a few times a week, 4 at most otherwise you can over work your body and this can cause negative side effects. If you are focusing on gaining muscle as well as abs then you can lay off the cardio a littlebit and replace it with more muscle training. Spend about 45 minutes each session when doing your cardio.
Again check out my review of the P90X which is specifically designed for this.
How Lifting Can Help Your Abs
Weight training is a great way to slim down the amount of fat on your body as it increases your metabolism due to the extra overhead that is required to maintain the extra muscle you have put on.
This creates the fat burning furnace effect where you can even eat more yet still not gain unwanted fat.
Shoot for about 3 days a week and train different parts of your body on each day. Again look to spend about 45-60 minutes a session on this.
Cut back on cardio to about 3 days at most if you are training 3 days as well. Your body needs rest to repair and build muscle, this is very important for your ab workout to actually come to fruition.
If you need even more results then consider doing a more intense program like the P90x2.
This will really get that fat burning and give you the best chance for showing off your abs.
On To The Ab Exercises
And finally the ab exercises themselves. A good ab workout routine can include abdominal exercises like crunches, ball exercises, and good old sit ups to help get rid of belly fat.
Make sure to work all parts of your abs from the lower to upper and sides as well. I personally really like using an exercise ball to accomplish this and it seems to give the most support.
There are many ways you can target your abs, from the classic sit-up to newer forms of exercise like medicine or stability balls. Other stomach exercises include crunches and various devices sold on late night television commercials. I know I’ve bought one of them myself…
Hope these tips on the best abs workout start to give you an idea on how you can achieve your goals of a flat stomach and the 6 pack abs everyone dreams of.
Ab Workouts And Physical Appearance
Most fitness advocates would agree that the quality of your abdominal muscles greatly contribute to your overall look and physique.
It’s one of the most revered forms of body building and is the subject of topic and desire for quite a lot of the general population.
Just think of what it’s like to have a ripped chest, toned and sculpted legs and chiseled arms.
Compare this to the other end of the six pack but the keg belly that so many people actually walk around with due to all the rubbish food that’s cheaply available today.
Then there is a situation that’s somewhere in between, an overall muscular physique but with the unfortunate appearance of the round soft stomach which can ruin the whole effect that one is after.
Now don’t think that mid section training on it’s own will solve the problem of a pudgy tummy, it’s going to take a strict diet to keep the pounds off.
Ab exercises don’t make you lose fat around the stomach area but with the correct diet one can lose those midsection pounds to show off the work that’s been done with ab workouts.
Great Ab Exercise Guidelines
A good guide for a great ab workout is to focus on the three main areas of your abs, the lower ab workouts, the obliques, and finally the upper part of the rectus abdominus for your upper ab exercise.
When you lift your upper torso to make an ab crunch you should try to keep your chin upwards and pointing in the direction of the ceiling above you instead of looking at your knees.
This creates the correct angle and posture and is the best way to approach your ab exercises.
Make sure you support your neck and head using your hands but be careful not to pull on your neck while doing so.
If you happen to feel pressure in the area of your neck then it’s probably a good idea to take a break and let the muscles relax in both your shoulder and neck. What’s happening is you are straining your upper body instead of hitting your abs. Don’t skip these breaks, they are important.
Don’t try to get your back flat against the floor, instead focus on getting your belly button as tight as you can.
How high you lift isn’t what’s important here, more so is how deeply you are able to contract your ab muscles. These are some tips on figuring out the best ab exercises for you to work on, now you just need to put it in practice.
More Reading
Check here if you need specific information on lower ab workouts, for both men and women.
