Turn Those Flabs in to Abs. How to REALLY Work your Abs

Abdominal workouts can be made quick and effective by following these three guidelines:

1. Keep your Abs Tight Throughout the Repetitions.

A common mistake is not flexing your abs while preforming crunches. This is called "activating" the muscle group you are working with, and should be applied to any weight workout. By flexing your abs, you are using them to move your body, instead of overcompensating with the upper body, or hips. If you can do more than 20 crunches, you are not properly activating your abs, or the exercise is too easy.

2. Work your Abs Every Other Day or LESS

Think of the abs as you would any other muscle group. Just because the abdominals are smaller, doesn't mean they don't need adequate time to recover. Muscle strengthening involves a process of breaking down muscle fibers, and having them rebuild stronger and bigger. Without 48 hours rest, the muscle is being overworked and the routines become counterproductive. A five minute abdominal routine, every other day, is more than sufficient for a six pack program.

3. Use Stability Balls and Weights.

Going back to treating your abs like any other muscle group, when training you probably use body weight in combination with resistance. Do the same thing for your abs. Some routines should incorporate weights. A good example of this, is holding a 5-10lb weight on your chest.

Stability ball crunches are shown to be 20% more effective, if used properly. To perform a perfect stability ball crunch, position your body on the ball so the top of your head is pointed toward the floor. This means, the base of your low back is supported securely on ball, and your shoulders, and head are off the other side. You will notice, the crunch will not allow a great range of motion. This is because your upper body is acting as resistance. This crunch is extremely challenging, will work the entire midsection, and have you feeling the routine the next day.

Also remember to cut back on high carb meals, saturated fats and drink plenty of water for a flat stomach and a defined six pack.

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner