Muscle Up – Abdominals (Abs)

There are only three major abdominal muscles, but this group of muscles is one of the most vital in your body.  Those abs, which include the Rectus Abdominus (the six-pack), External Obliques and Transverse Abdominals, support the rest of your torso and lower back.

Abdominal muscles also help us move our legs and shift our hips.  When you execute a block, throw a punch, kick an opponent or shift your weight for more power, you abdominals are doing some of the work.  The weaker your core is, the more likely you are to injure another part of the body.

Basically, you have two obstacles to looking good around the middle, belly fat and flabby abs.  Do not confuse the two.  You may have very little fat around the middle but that does not mean you have good abs.  Those muscles could be quite weak.  Conversely, some fat guys might have developed very strong abs because of the work they do or games they play but they still wonder why they still have a flabby mid-section.

The most likely reason these guys are confused is because they have bought into the nonsensical theory that you can ‘spot reduce’.  It would be handy if spot reduction actually worked, but it doesn’t.  To lose fat around your middle, you have to lose fat everywhere.  Doing thousands of abdominal exercises will not burn the excess fat; it will improve your abdominal strength but, without a proper nutrition plan and a complete exercise plan, you will still be fat.

That does not mean you should ditch the abs exercises in favour of everything else.  You still need strong abs and following are some of the best abs exercises you will ever do.  Unlike most resistance training exercises, you should work the abs to total exhaustion, i.e. keep doing the exercise until you simply cannot do any more.  Focus on good technique and do the exercises slowly and with control.

Crunches

Crunches are one of the best abs exercises and much more effective than the sit-ups you may remember from your high school days.

Start by lying on your back with your fingertips resting lightly against your temples or, with your hands crossed over your chest.  The objective is to not put pressure on your neck during the exercise. Keep your thighs perpendicular to the ground and your lower legs parallel to the ground, with your legs crossed at the ankles.

Lifting both your shoulders and hips, curl your upper body and knees toward each other as far as you can.  Hold the curl for a second and lower slowly to the starting position and repeat until you physically cannot do any more.

Hanging Knee Raise

The starting position is hanging at full extension from a chin up bar, with your hands facing out and slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Keeping your legs together, slowly raise the knees to chest height, pause then lower to the starting position.  Repeat until you reach genuine fatigue.  For a tougher workout, try raising your legs without bending the knees.

Hanging Knee Raise Crossovers

The starting position is hanging at full extension from a chin up bar, with your hands facing out and slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Keeping your legs together, slowly raise the knees up toward the left shoulder, do not sway or rock to gain momentum.  Lower the legs slowly to the starting position and repeat, this time raising the knees toward the right shoulder.  Repeat, alternating sides, until you reach genuine fatigue.

Raised Leg Knee Lifts

Lie on your back with your arms close to your sides and the hands, palm down, just under your backside.  This hand position will tilt the pelvis slightly and ensure your lower back remains straight and in contact with the floor.

Keeping your back flat, raise both legs about 10 cms off the floor and hold them there.  Slowly lift the left knee, keeping the right knee stationary, until your left foot is as close to your buttocks as possible.  Slowly lower the left knee to the starting position and repeat with the right leg. 

Dumbbell Side Bends

To give your obliques a blast, stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand.  Your feet should be shoulder width apart, arms resting by your sides and palms facing inward.  Bend slowly to one side, allowing the dumbbell to drop as low as you can go without turning your torso toward the bend.  It is important to keep your torso facing straight ahead and shoulders square, so that you activate the obliques.

When you have gone as low as you can go, slowly raise to the starting position and repeat on the other side.  Continue without rest until you cannot do any more.

Oblique Crunches

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your fingertips resting lightly against your temples, exactly as you were set up for the standard crunches.  Allow both knees to fall to the left side as far as they will go, without forcing them. Keep your shoulders square with both shoulder blades pressed into the floor. Keeping your shoulders as square as possible, lift your upper body until your shoulder blades clear the floor, pause and lower.  Continue, without resting between reps, until you have completed one set then roll your knees to the right and repeat for the same number of reps.

Tomorrow’s instalment is HUGE!  Get ready for a big Back day folks.