A toned six pack is a statement. Let's be truthful, a lean six pack is on top of the 'most wanted' list. It's not only attractive, but it also tells the world that you look after your body.
Unlike any other body part, a six pack speaks volumes about your lifestyle. It says that you care about what you look like, you watch what you eat, and you work out hard. When your abs are in great shape, you look taller, smarter and more confident.
Your posture improves as strong abs ensure your shoulders, hips and back are in proper alignment, and you look more relaxed. There's no bulge to disguise under a long sweater. There's no discomfort when you do up your belt. When your abs are well-toned you can wear pretty much what you like - with no fear of popping a button.
Strong abs are also important for the prevention of lower back problems. These muscles stabilise your pelvis and torso, which, in turn, support your back. So, how do you get great abs? Unlike building up the chest or arms - essentially the product of lifting heavy weights - the lean midsection is the result of super-smart training and intelligent eating.
Diet: Ab training will tone and shape your muscles, and regular cardio exercise will increase your body's daily calorie burn. If you're serious about getting into shape, you need a smart eating plan too. A carefully planned healthy diet will ensure you get enough nutrients without eating more calories than you need. Diet plays a big part when it comes to shedding those surplus pounds, don't become obsessed with dieting or embark on weight-loss fads, just eat healthy.
Good posture: To find your neutral posture, where your joints are aligned correctly to each other, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees relaxed. Let your shoulders drop down and away from your ears. Lengthen your spine and neck - imagine a string attached to the top of your head, pulling you up to the ceiling. Contract your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel in towards your spine. Adjust the tilt of your pelvis so that it is in a neutral position. You should be able to draw a line vertically from your shoulders to your hips and feet.
S-shaped: Maintain a neutral alignment of the spine at all times by keeping the natural 'S' contour. Although your spine flexes during many of the exercises, keep your neck, head and shoulders in alignment. Don't press your chin into your chest -imagine you are holding an apple under your chin. This neutral position distributes the load more evenly and minimises stress to the vertebrae and discs of the spine.
Go slow: Do each movement in a slow and controlled manner. This increases the intensity of the contraction and minimises injury risk. One of the most common errors is performing the movements too quickly in the belief it will melt fat away. This is not true - fast movements generate excess momentum and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
Ribs and hips: The function of the abs is to draw the hips and ribcage together in a crunching movement. So, for every exercise, picture your ribcage and pelvis pulling together. Don't worry about how far you are moving - it's the direction of movement that is most important.
All the way: Aim to perform each exercise with a full range of movement, really squeezing the muscles.
Breathe right: Breathe in during the relaxation (easier) part of the movement and exhale during the contraction (harder) part of the movement.
Work your abs every other day: Training your abs every other day is sufficient. Working them more frequently won't necessarily produce better results, and risks overtraining and injury. If your abs are still sore, it's too soon to train them again.
Reps:The biggest mistake most people make when it comes to training the abs is that they forget its just like any other muscle. Theyll go and do hundreds of reps of an abs exercise every day and then wonder why they get an injury. To build your abs, do 10 to 15 reps and increase the intensity by adding more sets. Leave one day in between abs sessions to allow the muscles to recover. The number of repetitions you can manage depends on how hard you squeeze your abs at the top of each movement. It's better to perform slower, intense movements with good control, holding each contraction for a count of two, than rushing to perform more reps. When it starts to burn (not to be confused with actual pain), move on to the next exercise.
Variety: You should always include a variety of abdominal exercises in your routine to target each area and to prevent your muscles from becoming too used to the same exercises. Do some crunch-type movements for the upper region, reverse crunch-type movements for the lower region, and movements with a slight twisting motion for the obliques.
Six Pack Workout tips:
Workouts should be completed three times a week.
You can do your abs workouts either at the end of your regular workout (say, at the gym or after playing sport) or at any other time of day that fits into your schedule. The important thing is to do it three times a week.
Rest for at least one day between workouts.
Aim to complete the suggested repetitions (reps) - if you can not do 10 - 15 then 5 is a good starting point.
If you experience discomfort, rest, then continue the workout.
Each workout should take about 10 15 minutes to complete.
If you complete a workout in less than 10 minutes, try slowing down your movements next time, concentrating on squeezing your muscles and holding each contraction a little longer.
If you find any exercises too difficult, adapt the movement so that it feels easier or substitute a similar exercise that you are more familiar with until you develop enough strength.
Focus on each movement - don't rush any exercise.
Visualise your performance and your desired result - cut out a photo and stick it on your wall or fridge to keep you motivated.
Where to start: Start with an exercise such as a crunch, then do something with an extension like a ball crunch. After that introduce a lateral side bend, then a rotational exercise, finally you should do a static hold like a plank or a bridge.
The following guidelines are for information only. I recommend that you seek professional medical advice before beginning any form of exercise.
Crunches: Lie on your back with your hands crossed across your chest or with your fingers on the sides of your head. Place your feet on the floor with legs bent. To begin the exercise, lift your torso, lifting shoulder blades off the floor and crunching your rib cage towards your lower belly. Hold for two counts, then lower slowly to the starting position.
Reverse Crunches: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet a few inches off the floor. Slowly contract the abdominals, focusing on rotating the pelvis up and bringing your knees towards your rib cage. Concentrate on letting your abs do the work. Hold at the top then slowly lower your knees to the starting position.
Oblique Crossover Crunches: Lie on your back with knees bent, hands behind your head. Keeping lower back pressed into the floor, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and then curl your upper body diagonally across your body towards your right knee. Contract your abs and obliques at the top of the movement. Plank
Plank: Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
Bicycle: Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck. Straighten left leg out to about a 45-degree angle while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
Ball Crunches: Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back. Place hands behind your head. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn't roll).
Medicine Ball Crunches: Lie on your back with knees bent, medicine ball right below the knees. Squeeze inner thighs to hold ball in place. Put hands behind head (cradle your head gently) and without straining the neck, lift shoulders and hips off the ground in a crunch, flattening the belly at the top of the movement. Lower back down without completely relaxing and repeat.
All Around Crunches: Lie face up on ball and hold medicine ball in both hands. Begin with body draped over the ball, arms extended behind you. Contract the abs to lift upper back off the ball and bring the medicine ball towards your right thigh as you twist to the right, contracting the right side of waist. Repeat for all reps and then switch sides.
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