Abdominal workouts
Abdominal workouts exercise the abs, the six pack muscles around the torso and help create a flat tummy / flat stomach. These muscles and body part are perhaps the most sort after for both men and women.
In order to develop the abdominal muscles and create a six pack appearance and a flat stomach takes a little more than simply exercising the abdominal muscles a few times a week.
Abdominal workouts: The basics
Most gym users have great abs and strong stomach muscles. However, not all gym goers sport a flat tummy or a six pack abs area. Why? Well, to show off a flat stomach and six pack abs take a combination of resistance exercises, aerobic exercise and diet. Especially diet.
Without a combination of all these elements in the right balance an exercisers will never achieve a flat tummy or six pack abs they want.
Abdominal workouts: The exercises
When it comes to abdominal workouts, the key is to perform simple exercises under control. Below is a list of the very best abdominal exercises. To create a abdominal workout simply choose 2 or 3 exercises and perform them together 2 or 3 times a week.
| Exercise |
How to performance
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| Ab crunch |
Lie on your back with your knees bend and you feet together touching your buttocks. Place you hands on your knees or cross your arms against your chest. Focus on lifting your chest from the floor and pausing at the top for 2 seconds before slowly lowering your chest and lying flat on the floor again. Repeat for 10 - 20 reps.
NOTE: Only lift you chest. Your lower back should remain in contact with the floor during this exercise.
|
| Ball crunch |
Sit on a stability ball and walk forward so that your knees are bend, you feet are flat on the floor and your back is resting on the ball.
With your hand behind your head or your arms crossed against you chest crunch up using only your stomach muscles. Pause at the top before slowly returning to the start. Repeat for 8 - 15 reps.
|
| Reverse crunch |
Adopt the same start position as the ab crunch. However, this time place your hands flat on the floor next to your buttocks. Now concentrate on lifting your buttocks and lower back from the floor while keeping your chest in contact with the floor throughout. Slowly lower and repeat for 8 - 15 reps.
|
| Plank |
Adopt a press up position. Hold this position while pulling your tummy towards your spine. Concentrate on breathing normally and holding this position for up to 60 seconds. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
|
| Side bends |
Stand tall with your feet slightly apart. Hold a moderately heavy dumbbell in one hand. Place the free hand on your head. Slowly bend your torso to one side and then using only your oblique stomach muscles (side muscle), pull your torso to the other side by bending. Repeat this movement 10 - 15 times before holding the weight in the opposite hand and repeating.
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NOTE: Aim to perform each exercise slowly and under full control. Also vary the way you perform each by sometimes pausing at the top for a count of 1, 2, 3 or 4 seconds. This will constantly challenge your stomach muscles.
Abdominal workouts: The diet
Only those people with a body fat level of 10 or less will have a visible six pack. In order to achieve this look, gym users need to follow a calorie controlled diet that, if they are overweight, restricts the amount of calories consumed until excess weight has been lost.
For those people looking to simply sport a flat stomach, aim to regulate the amount of calories consumed and follow the exercise guide above. One your diet is being controlled a flat stomach will not be far away.
Abdominal workouts: The impact of aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise won't create a six pack or flat stomach on its own. By combining aerobic exercises with a calorie controlled diet with stomach exercises will allow your body to burn even more excess calories, allowing your six pack or flat stomach to slowly but surely appear.
Learn more about building the perfect six pack and watch abdominal video demos.
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