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Guide to 6-Pack Abs
14 Tips for More Effective Training
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Here are 14 tips for effective ab training to help you get 6 pack abs fast...
Spinal Alignment
Although your spine flexes during many ab movements, keep your cervical spine (neck), head and shoulders in alignment while exercising; don't press your chin into your chest. Don't interlock your hands behind your head and pull on it, which can disrupt alignment. Instead, cup your hands behind your ears to gently support your head.
Speed of Movement
Do ab exercises with strict form in a slow, controlled manner to minimize the risk of injury. Smooth movements increase the intensity of contraction and reduce momentum.
Contraction
Focus on feeling the contraction of your abs and really squeeze the muscle. You may find it helpful to place one hand on your mid section. At the top of the range of motion, momentarily hold the contraction by forcefully "crunching" your abs.
Constant Tension
Don't rest between reps. To maintain constant tension on your abs, stop just short of the endpoint during the relaxation phase of the movement. Editor's note: If you have lower back problems, it's recommended that you return to your back and shoulders to the full endpoint to momentarily remove tension on the lower back.
Range of Motion (ROM)
Ab training can effectively be done through a more limited range of motion than most exercises: About 30-45 degrees from horizontal will allow complete contraction while minimizing hip-flexor involvement.
Breathing
When exercising your abs, breathe in through your nose during the relaxation phase and forcefully exhale through your mouth during contraction.
Upper vs. Lower Abs
Though the rectus abdominis is one muscle, yo can work the lower region more strongly by securing your upper body and flexing your hips/pelvis toward your ribcage. Keeping your lower body anchored and curling your upper torso toward your hips works the upper abs more strongly. For all practical purposes, you can totally isolate one region or another, but you can put emphasis on one region or the other.
Obliques
The obliques are called upon for all twisting and rotary movements at the waist. Most upper and lower abdominal exercises can be modified to incorporate the obliques by direction one shoulder toward the opposite knee or by angling a knee toward the opposite shoulder.
Resistance
The weight used in abdominal training typically consists of nothing more than your body weight. If your abs are weak or you're just starting a program, consider easier variations; as you progress, arm and foot positions can be changed to increase the difficulty. You can further increase the difficulty by adding weight or changing the angle of the exercise. Regardless, the appropriate resistance should be used to allow you to complete the desired number of repetitions.
The Rule on Reps
As a general guideline, if you are looking to build thicker, more pronounced abdominals, do sets of 10-15 reps to failure; 15-25 for some size and a degree of muscular endurance; and more than 25 reps if you're after a toned appearance with out much size.
Adding Variety
Once you master the basic ab and oblique exercises, add different movements to help prevent the muscles from becoming accustomed to the same exercises and to allow them to be stressed from different angles, maximizing growth by ensuring greater muscle fiber recruitment.
Frequency of Workouts
Work your abs like any other muscle group, with intense training followed by adequate rest. A period of 48-72 hours is required for complete ab recuperation, but if your muscle are still sore, it's too soon to train them again.
[This is the only fact I would like to add to . . . not many of us train our abs to an "intense" level. If we are training our abs at a moderate level without an "intense" soreness then it is okay to work your abs everyday and maintain it's strength and muscularity.]
Working Your Low back
To support and stabilize your spine, don't forget to train your lower back (erector spinae muscle) as well.
Diet & Cardiovascular Training
A lean midsection is a combination of good nutrition, aerobic conditioning (cardio) and ab training. Spot-reducing by increasing your abdominal work ISN"T the answer - it does almost nothing to eliminate excess bodyfat around your waist. Clean up your diet and incorporate at least three 30-minute cardio sessions [or more!] into your regimen each week.
Abdominal exercises!
Upper Abs Crunches
curl up
thigh-slide crunch
tuck crunch
straight-leg crunch
Lower Abs
reverse crunch
hip thrust
scissor kick
Obligues
oblique crunch
side bend
side jackknife
reverse trunk twist
Combinations:
upper/obliques:
reach & catch upper/lower/obliques:
bicycle
crossover split-leg cruch
cross-body crunch upper/lower abs:
double crunch