Abs…to me this is show case of the body. Great Abs makes every other body part look better. Lift you shirt and smile when you have them. The beach is your stage. Tight T and tank tops are a favorite part of your wardrobe. Most would consider the Abs the sexiest set of muscles on the body. Even those who have no interest in bodybuilding would kill for great Abs. Yet as desirable as these muscle are they are so difficult to get.

 

Before I jump right into Ab (Abdominal) training, I want to discuss a couple of fundamentals truths that surround the Abs.

You can't flex fat.

This is probably obvious but for Abs it is doubly apparent. The body tends to deposit fat first in the mid section of body and to a lesser extend on the chest, arms and legs. You can have the best developed Abs on the planet but if you smooth them over with a layer of fat, you got nothing.

As I implied above, great Abs turn heads at the beach. Great Abs can get you into fitness modeling. I have noticed that many fitness models may not be huge arms or legs but stripped down to just the swim suit with rippling Abs they project that bodybuilder look that we all want. Conversely, if you have a massive arms, chest, legs and back but your Abs are glossed over with fat, you will not be able to wow the judges at a competition and beat that smaller guy with Abs.

So before I even talk about training Abs, ultimately keep in mind great Abs are a combination of exercise and low body fat. Body fat is controlled by your diet. I have often said your most important exercise for Abs is the push up…that is the push up from the dinner table.

You can't spot reduce.

I have seen guys do a bazillion sets up thinking they will reduce fat in the mid section. If that were possible, then we would see people with fat bodies but small and ripped Abs. This is not so. Exercise develops muscles. Diet removes fat. Fat deposits are a result of calorie intake exceeding calories burned. If you don't use them, the body will store in form of fat for another day.

Ab Training

Abs is short for rectus abdominus, the muscles below the chest extending below belt line. These are the muscles that give the "6 pack" look. Other surrounding muscles that are often referred to as part of the Abs are the Obliques, Serratus and Intercostal muscles. By the way, genetics is going to determine if you have a 6 pack, an 8 pack or a no pack. Yes, sometimes Abs are one full sheet of muscle with little discernable separation.

Abs are predominantly Fast Twitch muscles meaning they respond best to heavier weight and low reps. This is very different than I originally thought in my early years of training. Therefore, yours exercises should often include extra weight to create additional resistance.

Upper Abs (rectus abdominus)

Exercise the upper Abs with traditional setups. This can be done on an incline bench to create added resistance, lying on the floor as shown, on the Swiss ball or on a Roman Chair.

To really fully stretch the Abs, go a few degrees below parallel. Both the Swiss Ball and Roman Chair allow this but I find the ball difficult to manage with a plate on my chest. My preference is the Roman Chair but my gym does not have, so I use the seated calf machine which work quite nicely.

Sit Up on the Floor

Sit up on the Swiss Ball.

Do a weight that allows you to get 4-6 sets of 8-10 reps

Lower Abs

Train the lower Abs with leg lifts. This can be done on the Leg Lift Stand or lying on bench lifting legs upward. I have pair of straps allows me to hang from the chinning bar. This is my preference but I also do at least one other exercise for lower Abs.

Get these hanging straps here.

Do 4-6 sets of 8-10 reps. Keep you legs straight for more resistance bend for less. Add ankle weight if you need additional weight.

 

Obliques

Overdeveloped obliques will make you waist look thick so the goal is here is to just develop enough to show the muscles diving below the belt line. Train these muscles with a twisting or side rocking action.

Torso Twists

Place a large broom handle behind your head with your hands wrapped from the back side resting on the outer ends. (You'll look like a crucifix). Rotate the upper torso while keeping the hips fixed to stretch and pull the obliques.

Side Rocking (alternate exercise)

Hold a dumbbell in one hand down along the side of the leg. Place your other free hand on the opposite oblique. Rock the torso lowering the dumbbell downward along the leg and stretching the oblique on the other side. As you return the torso to the upright position the oblique is forced to pull the dumbbell back up the leg. Great exercise! You hand placed on the oblique will feel the stretching.

Do 3 sets of either exercise for 20 reps. If you need extra weight use a steel bar in place of the wooden handle.

Serratus and Intercostals

Serratus and Intercostal muscles complete the "Ab" package. While I often work these muscles with my Back, working them into your Ab routine is perfectly normal. To stimulate these muscles, an exercise that resists moving your arm when extended above the shoulder to a position below the shoulder causes these muscles into action.

Here's how you hit ‘em

Go to the cable crossover machine. Take one side of the cable machine with the pulley located in the up position over your head. Put a small straight ~ 18” bar on the clip. Grab the bar on the ends or shoulder width. Step back from the pulley so that the arms are pulled upward. At the waist, angle the torso with the chest toward the ground at about 45 degrees.

So here’s the starting position in summary (see picture below for start position):

• Legs vertical
• Torso 45 degrees toward ground
• Arms straight but above shoulder. Arms are pulled upward toward the top cable machine.

Here's the exercise:

• Keeping your Legs, Torso and Arms fixed, pull the weight down toward the knees. The rotation is at shoulder. The work is provided by the Serratus to get the weight down. Allow the weight to come up fully to stretch the Serratus and fully down to almost touching the Legs. (Wow I hope you understood this. If not write me and maybe I will photo someone doing this one)

Bodybuilder shown above in the start position.

Tricks to doing this exercise right.

• Don’t move the arms or you’ll end up with a Tricep exercise
• Instead of gripping the bar with your hands, try placing the wrist over the bar with you hands wrapped around and under. This will help you avoid Forearm fatique.
• Legs need not be completely stiff but can have a slight break angle at the knee.

Killer Abs are a result of a Killer effort. Kick some Abs, next time in the gym and you may look like this.

Sweat eventually hardens to Muscle".....Scott

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