(Informative) Abdominal Muscle Exercises & Six packs Abs

 

Abdominal Muscle Exercises

As a personal trainer, I get asked this question at least once a day, "Which the best exercises to get firm, flat and toned abdominals?" It's not an easy question to address, since there are hundreds of abdominal exercises.
Let's face it. Our eyes gravitate towards a flat and well toned abdominal region. We all want that elusive flat, firm and enviable look of 'washboard abs'. The muscles of your abdominal region, and indeed the midsection aren't isolated; they weave through your torso like a web of high-tensile steel, and it's critical to train them the right way.
So how do you get results fast? A recent study by the American Council on Exercise has the answer. Let's discover the 3 most effective exercises to get flat abdominals, the correct way to breathe during abdominal exercises and tips and tricks to get results faster. I have integrated these exercises to help thousands of clients get results. You can view my clients in action with exercise videos and download full color abdominal exercise routines, diet plans and ebooks by registering on my websites mentioned at the end of this article.
A California study conducted by the American Council on Exercise has determined that the classic sit-up is not the best answer for stronger, flatter abdominals. The conclusions were intriguing, to say the least. The traditional sit-up was among the least effective abdominal muscle exercises.
Sit-ups (in which you raise your trunk up from the floor with your knees straight or bent) involve the hip muscles disproportionately relative to the abdominals. This means the hip muscles work more and the abdominal muscles work less i.e they are not getting trained in the right manner. In addition, there is an unnecessary (and potentially harmful) strain on the lower back. The sit-up is not only ineffective, but potentially harmful.
There's more, and it's equally surprising. The study indicated that several gadgets for the abdominals were either ineffective or marginally more effective than a regular abdominal crunch, which doesn't cost you anything, other than the time required to learn the right technique.
Now for the big news. The top three abdominal muscle exercises were:
The Bicycle maneuver.The Captains Chair.Crunch on an exercise ball.
For best results.
Start with 2-3 sets of each exercise, 8-10 repetitions. Increase by 8-10 repetitions each week till you work your way up to a set of 40 repetitions in each set. 2 sets of 35-40 repetitions a day for the abdominals is ideal, and you do not need to train more than that.
Breathing during abdominal muscle exercises.
With all abdominal muscle exercises, exhale as you contract / exert / come up / crunch your abdominals; inhale as you relax / lower / return to the starting position.
Points to remember.
1. If you have lower back injuries or pain, consult a doctor before you begin, so you don't hurt yourself. Also see a physician if you are over 35, have been sedentary for a long time, have high blood pressure and/or cholesterol, are a smoker, have chest pains or shortness of breath or have had a joint or muscle injury.

2. It's not the number of repetitions, but the quality and technique that gets results. Overdoing sit-ups can hurt your lower back. Besides, the best way to get those flat lower abdominal muscles is to be patient for 8-10 weeks, eat a healthy diet and do regular aerobic exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cardio For Six Pack Abs

Cardiovascular training or cardio as we know it, is an aerobic solution that allows for more oxygen to be pumped through your body and hence burn more energy, muscle or fat. Latest research suggests that if you want six pack abdominals and a physique like a 100 meter sprinter, then less is actually more. So whats the best cardio for a six pack.

H.I.T.T. - High Intensity Interval Training.

What is it? Well it basically makes you work slightly harder with less time. So forget about the age old notion of spending hours on the treadmill. All you really need is 20 minutes, at a varied pace. Here is why, new research has found that long state steady cardio can actually start burning muscle for energy. Now, muscle is your fat burner, yes, the more lean muscle you have the higher your metabolism. So why would you want to burn your muscles?
On the other hand HITT is anaerobic, like weight training, as the intensity is varied. After a resistance training session your metabolism is continually raised as it tries to repair your body. Enter Interval Training, which is exactly the same. After slow and boring low intensity cardio your metabolism returns to normal, however with HITT your body's' metabolism is raised for up to the next 24 hours, sometimes up to 48 hours! So train with Intensity.
So when it comes to cardio for a six pack, next time your at the gym on your chosen cardio machine or going for a jog...try this.

For the next 20 minutes -

·         Warm up for 4 minutes.

·         Run at 8.0 kmh for 1 minute (your level 6-7)

·         Walk or slow jog at 5-6 kmh for 2 minutes (your level 5)

·         Run at 9.0 kmh for 1 minute (your level 7-8)

·         Walk or slow jog at 5-6 kmh for 2 minutes (your level 5)

·         Run at 10.0 kmh for 1 minute (your level 8-9)

·         Walk or slow jog at 5-6 kmh for 2 minutes (your level 5)

·         Run at 11.0 kmh for 1 minute (your level 9-10)

·         Walk or slow jog at 5-6 kmh for 2 minutes (your level 5)

·         Cool down for 4 minutes.

Above is a hill style of HITT training. There are many more. I will finish asking you a question when it comes to cardio for six pack abs. Would you prefer to look like a marathon sprinter who runs at a constant steady pace for a long period of time or would you like to look like a muscular 100m sprinter?

Start stripping that fat and seeing your abs today!
Roger Ruzzier is a Certified Personal Trainer and Life Coach with expertise in weight loss. Start to strip that fat and build the body of your dreams today