Throughout my fitness career I have trained both men and women of all shapes and sizes. I have learned that most men dream of having a ripped six- pack & women desire a well defined, flat tummy. The reality is that we can all achieve what we want if we get focused, apply a little bit of good ole’ discipline & train effectively & safely! Here are some tips for you to follow on your journey to achieving that well defined mid-section:
1) Train the abs just like any other muscle within your body – The biggest mistake people make with the abs is that they forget it’s just like any other muscle and they overtrain them which in the long run can lead to a hernia (ouch!). Yes, the abs can be overtrained! To build your abs & define that tummy, do ten to 15 reps and increase the intensity by adding more sets. Leave one day in between abs sessions to allow the muscles to recover.
2) Perform static holds for core stability – Your muscles have slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers but when you hold a weight in a static position you use both sets of fibers. This means you can improve the overall strength of all the muscles used to stabilize the lower back and hips in one exercise, such as the plank, as long as you remember to hold the position for at least five seconds.
3) Add resistance to crunches to build muscle – Remember to always use a resistance you can safely handle, so start with a light dumbbell or medicine ball across your chest and keep the weight close to your body. As you progress, you can extend your arms or raise them above your head to create a longer lever and make the exercise harder. If your just getting started concentrate on getting the form perfect prior to adding any resistance.
4) Do more than crunches – For example: when putting together a core training program start with a flexion exercise such as a crunch, then do something with extension like a superman ‘or’ prone ‘t’. Follow that with a lateral flexion exercise like a side bend and finish it all off with a static hold like a plank or a bridge. Don’t forget to add in rotational exercises as well for an overall balance within your routine.
5) Use a Swiss ball – Swiss/Stability Balls provide an unstable environment which forces your entire core to engage. This is a great tool and a must in any well-balanced ab routine.
6) Target your lower abs – The lower section of the abs is the one that’s most difficult to hit and you will need some specific exercises. I have found that most people can reveal a four-pack at the top but it’s getting the six-pack that’s hard. My favorite for this region of the abs is the reverse crunch with your legs up on a Swiss ball or just straight up into the air.
7) Perform core stretches – Flexibility training is important to recovery because if you stretch the muscle you lengthen its range of motion and open it up so that your blood can re- supply it fully. Cobra Stretch – Lie face down on the floor with your elbows ‘or’ hands just underneath your shoulders, then push up with your arms to bring your chest off the floor and push your hips into the floor. For your obliques, perform the Side Bend – stand upright with feet apart, knees slightly bent and go over to one side being sure to support your bodyweight on the side that is not being stretched. For your back, lay on your back, bring your knees into your chest and give them a big hug. Slowly lower them to each side being sure to keep both shoulders on the ground. When performing these stretches during the cool down – hold each stretch for a good 30 seconds to improve flexibility. REMEMBER TO BREATHE!
8) Nutrition is the key – The bottom line is that if your not eating super clean and healthy no matter who much core training you perform those abs will not show. Clean eating, 5-6 small meals per day & lots of H2O will help you on your journey to creating a well defined mid-section. Be sure to stay away from processed foods, refined sugars & excess carbs. If your completely lost when it comes to nutrition and eating properly seek out the help of a certified nutritionist to help guide you.
9) Slow down your reps & create that mind – muscle link – Muscle will grow only if it spends time under tension. If someone does 30 reps in 30 seconds he/she is actually putting the muscles under tension for only 30 seconds. If you get someone else to do three sets of ten reps but each rep lasts ten seconds, they triple the time under tension and get the better strength gains. Try counting to three on the way up, hold for a count of two to four, then count to three again on the way down next time you perform a set of crunches and ‘feel’ the difference!
10) Train standing up – If you do all your core training on an exercise mat, you are switching one side of your body off while you work the other. If you then try to use your core as a single unit during sport or hard cardio effort, it will not have been trained to do this and you risk injuring yourself. So perform standing core exercises that involve rotation using a medicine ball or cable machine, such as the woodchop in your core routines.
11) Perform short cardio intervals – Steady-state training will burn fat but only very slowly over a mammoth session. If you want to create a fit body by losing fat and keeping lean muscle mass then perform interval training. By performing ten minute-long runs @ a higher intensity level than normal with one minute’s rest in between, you work for less time at a higher intensity to burn more calories. You also boost your metabolic rate so that you’ll still be burning calories four hours later when you’re sitting watching TV & sleeping.
Remember that wherever your at right now – it took that many years as you are old to get there! We can all develop a great looking defined mid-section! It doesn’t happen over night and it will take hard work (which can be very fun!) & consistency with your training & nutrition program!
It’s all about the journey and having fun along the way! NEVER QUIT!
