Whether you are getting ready for a vacation at the shore, or you're determined to actually work on developing that dream six-pack to impress a special someone, there are a number of basics to getting great abs that can help you on your way.
Know the Basics
Your main abdominal muscles are the upper and lower rectus abdominis,
external obliques and internal obliques. No single exercise has been found that trains all ab muscles while incurring a minimal load on the lumbar area of your back. All this means is that to work all the muscles, you'll need to do a number of
different exercises, and you'll need to stay aware of balancing out ab workouts with exercises that keep your back muscles strong, too.
Choose Smart Exercises
A 2001 study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research measured relative electromyographic activity in muscles to assess how deeply they were activated with different exercises. The study determined that, out of several common ab activities, the reverse curl is the best at activating your lower rectus abdominus; v-sits and reverse curls are best for your external obliques; and trunk curls, reverse curls, trunk curls with a twist and v-sits all had a similarly noteworthy amount of upper abdominal activity. Carry out three sets of 10 to 15 reps of each exercise for starters, working your way up to up to five sets. Between sets, do a
30-second "hold" parallel to the ground while balancing on your toes and your forearms, while tensing your torso to stay rigid. Work your way up to one-minute holds or 20 push-ups between sets.
Challenge Yourself
Start with 10 minutes of abs a day, and work your way up to 15- or even 20-minute
standard sessions. According to the U.S. Presidential Council on Fitness, by applying the fitness principle of progression -- increase intensity, frequency and duration of exercises as you go along -- you´ll be able to see better results than you would if you did the same exercises each day with no changes.
Mindset
To persevere with any workout regimen, you need to first be convinced of the benefits of fitness. So think about exactly why you want to have great abs, and keep those ideas in mind when you're going to do your workout. It will give you a sense of purpose and keep you pushing through the workout during the second half when giving up might sound tempting. Another mental key to keep in mind to help you persevere when your muscles are on fire: the principle of overload requires that your workouts are vigorous and long enough to help you improve.
Lifestyle
In addition to doing exercises specific to the area you want to target -- following the principle of specificity -- to be fit and to allow your stunning six-pack to be visible, you may need to lose that spare tire that's now hiding whatever muscle tone you have. To lose weight, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains; these will fill
you up and make you feel great. Also drink lots of water -- research published in the 2008 Obesity journal found that increases in drinking water have been associated with significant losses of body weight and fat over time. And finally, try to carry out cardiovascular exercise like running or swimming at least three times a week, which in combination with your daily ab sessions will help you tone your tummy as well as help you ensure it's visible to the world.
References
- "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"; Low Back Loads Over a Variety of Abdominal Exercises: Searching for the Safest Abdominal Challenge; CT Axler and SM McGill; June 1997
- "Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research"; Relative Activity of Abdominal Muscles During Commonly Prescribed Strengthening Exercises; GM Willett et al; November 2001
- The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Fitness Fundamentals: Guidelines for Personal Exercise Programs--Making A Commitmen
- "Obesity"; Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity; Jodi D. Stookey et al; September 2008
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