What It Takes to Get a Great Set of Abs
Having great abs or a six pack has essentially become a trend for many of us. It's almost magical how a seductive tight waist, washboard abs, and those "sex lines" appear to fascinate the human eye. "What body part do you think ladies look at first on a man?" I asked a local survey, and 9/10 of the respondents said "abs" or "stomach."
If women are so obsessed with abs, it's no surprise that so many men will go to extremes to achieve them. Even individuals who do not train regularly strive for a six-pack, but are they doing so correctly? What is the proper procedure?
Will tens of thousands of crunches suffice? What about the products you've seen on television? Will "Have a six pack with six second abs in only three weeks!" or "Wear this belt while watching TV and you'll get abs in no time!" work? Unless you have the DNA of an ape on steroids or are related to Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler, the answer is probably no.
Many people shopping for a six pack appear to be uninformed and, sadly, ignorant, leading to the misconception that getting a six pack is much more difficult than it actually is. In this post, you'll discover the truth about abs and how to achieve a six-pack in less time than you might think.
Let's start by looking at the muscle group that's commonly referred to as the "abs." The internal and external obliques, the transverse abdominis, and the rectus abdominis are the four muscles that make up the abdominal wall. Oh, don't these phrases conjure up images of biology class? It's no surprise that we name our stomach muscles "abs," or "core" muscles, as they're also known.
The “Core” Muscles
Your abs, as well as your lower back, make up these core muscles. The abs help the human body move its torso around. Flexion and rotation are the two primary motions of the abs. We will be able to shape our abs to their fullest extent and in the shortest amount of time if we can comprehend how each section of our abdominal regent operates.
Rectus Abdominus
The rectus abdominis is a muscle that is relatively flat but wide, and it is the muscle that many people refer to as "the six pack." It's between the sternum and the pelvis. Though we refer to it as a "six pack," it is actually simply one muscle. As a result, they tend to contract at the same moment, making it difficult to isolate the upper or lower abs, though it is possible with the right workout.
When we move our torso forward and bring our pelvis higher, the rectus abdominis flexes.
Crunches, sit-ups, pelvic tilts, leg lifts, and cable crunches are all exercises that help develop this area.
The Obliques (Internal and External)
The obliques are a pair of muscles that run along each side of our body, one on each side. The external obliques are the muscles that form the "V" shape, commonly known as "sex lines," that drive women insane. The internal obliques are shaped like an inverted "V" and run in the opposite direction as the external obliques. They are located slightly beneath the external obliques.
The internal and external obliques have the same function and can be worked by rotating and/or bending the body to the side.
Cross-body crunches, decline oblique crunches, dumbbell side bends, leg/knee raises, and plate twists are all good oblique exercises.
Transverse Abdominus
The transverse abdominis is the lowest layer of the abdomen, made up of exceedingly thin fibers.
When abdominal compression occurs, the transverse abdominis is involved. What exactly does this imply? This signifies that this muscle has a limited range of motion and is worthless for exercise.
Nutrition and Abs Development
"Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym," as many experts will tell you. Many misinformed people mistakenly believe that sticking to a good ab program can help them grow a six pack on their own. Your bodyfat percentage has a significant impact on the growth of your abdomen.
It's tough to detect the abdomen because it's made up of so many little muscles unless your body fat is low. Most people start to notice their abs at 12 percent body fat, but every person is different. The development of the abdominal muscles is heavily influenced by genetics.
People frequently have various shaped abs, varied ab healing periods, and many of us keep body fat in different places on our bodies, but we can all have that attractive six pack over time. In general, it takes roughly 30 days to lose 1% body fat in a healthy way, therefore the time it takes to acquire a six pack varies from person to person.
What Is a Good Abs Workout Routine?
Many people are too concerned with building their abs, so they believe that working out every day can speed up the process. This is completely false.
Your abdominal muscles, like any other muscle, should be exercised in the same way: with a lot of strong and direct stimulation and a lot of recovery in between each workout.
The abs, on the other hand, are known to recover more faster than most other muscles in the human body, taking on average 48 hours to rest.
When it comes to your abs, a good rule of thumb is to rest them if they are still hurting. It may sound silly, but sometimes common sense is all you need.
A Good Abs Workout:
I prefer to work on my obliques first, then my lower abs, and then my upper abs.
The Obliques
• Dumbbell Side Bend: 4 sets of 10, with increasing the weight by 5-10lbs each set
• Hanging Oblique Knee Raise: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Feet-elevated Oblique Crunch: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
The Abs
• Ab Crunch Machine: 2 sets of 25 reps with a lighter weight, followed by 2 sets of 10 reps with medium – heavy weight, 1 set with 1 rep of heavy weight
• Decline Crunch: Weighted, with very slow negatives on the final set: 3 sets of 20 reps, followed by 1 set of 15 reps
• Lying Bench Reverse Crunch: 4 sets of 25 reps
What If I Can't Get My Hands on Any Weights?
Access to weights can be problematic for some of us, especially when we are on vacation. But how can we keep our abs in good shape? Many ab workouts, on the other hand, rely solely on your own bodyweight rather than equipment or weights.
Seated leg pull-ins, slow crunches, oblique crunches, leg pull-in crunches, bicycle kicks, leg raises, and Russian twists are some of my personal favorites.
Will Supplements Be Beneficial?
Yes, supplements will assist you in achieving your objective of a lean stomach or six pack, but it doesn't mean you should rely on them to get you there. It's important to remember that achieving a sixpack requires a solid diet, cardio, and the appropriate ab regimen.
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