When people put together a workout, they usually focus on the major muscles of their upper and lower body. But, a workout is not complete without a core training component. The ab muscles need their own exercises if you want to be as strong as possible. A strong core lets you lift more weight with your limbs.
Muscular Endurance Workout
Muscular endurance is the ability to contract your muscles many times in a row before getting tired. A workout for this goal combines high repetitions and many contractions with low weights. You cannot use heavy weights because then you won't be able to contract your muscles a lot. For a complete workout for your abs and body, start with 20 crunches and bridges. Then, do 15 to 20 pushups to work your chest, triceps and shoulders. Do them on your knees if you cannot do 15 on your toes. Proceed to dumbbell rows for your back and biceps, lateral raises for your shoulders and squats to calf raises for your upper and lower legs. Work up to two sets of 20 reps.
Hypertrophy Workout
Hypertrophy is increasing muscle tissue size. For this goal, you must use moderate weights to create micro tears in your muscles that your body fixes during recovery time. You should allow at least one day between workouts for this to happen, or your muscles will not get bigger. For an endurance workout, you do not need separate exercises for your arms because they do a lot of work assisting other exercises, but for hypertrophy workouts, you need to isolate them for best results. Begin a hypertrophy workout with 10 oblique crunches and back extensions. Then, do dumbbell chest flyes, machine lat pulldowns, machine shoulder presses, machine leg presses, barbell bicep curls and machine tricep extensions. Perform three sets of eight to 10 reps.
Maximal Strength Workout
Maximal strength is the ability to produce a lot of force one time. Training for this goal means to increase your one repetition max, or 1RM. Workouts use heavy or very heavy weights and do reps of only two to four per exercise. To do a maximal strength workout, begin with four dumbbell situps and medicine ball straight leg raises for the upper and lower abs. Then, do barbell bench presses, machine rows, barbell military presses, machine leg extensions, machine leg curls, preacher curls and barbell tricep extensions. Work up to four to five sets.
Circuit Training Workout
If you really want a challenging ab workout that also uses other muscles in your body, try a core-focused circuit training workout. Perform 30 to 60 seconds of the following exercises and rest at the end of the circuit. Do situps with a twist for your abs and obliques, supermans for your back, shoulders and glutes, double crunches, oblique crunch, V-Ups for your abs and hip flexors, hip thrusts for your abs, glutes, and thighs, pushup superman with alternating arms for your abs, chest, and shoulders and bicycle kicks.
This workout also helps you lose weight because the quick tempo and little time for rest increases your heart rate. Circuit training in general is for people looking to combine strength training and cardio.
References
- Sports Training Advisor: Circuit Training Exercises
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual"; Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn; 2008
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