4 Steps To Ripped Abs

You’ll find that my approach to ab workouts are bit different. I don’t generally subscribe to the marathon sessions of crunches and sit-ups that you find in a lot of magazines or have been doing for years.



Nor do I believe that ab workouts alone will get you a chiseled core of legends. There’s more to it than that, but it’s not very complicated.



In this article, you’ll find my unique way of working the ab muscles that really bring out abs that pop. I’m about to show you all my best stuff for blasting the abs and really getting them to develop.



Ok, the first thing you need to understand is the function of the abdominal muscles. Their main purpose are for trunk stability. You literally use them in just about every move you make in your body. They are the foundation upon which everything else is built from.



Your Rectus Abdominis (see pic below) or your “front abs” as I like to call them, are responsible for pulling your hips up or pulling your chest down to your lap. Your obliques twist your torso and bend it. Finally, your transverse abdominis acts as a lap band and holds your organs in place. This is the muscle that flexes when you laugh.



There are a few key components you need to focus on when training your abs.



1. Focus on exercises that allow you to flex your trunk

2. Focus on exercises that allow enough resistance

3. Short rest periods

4. Train through a full range of motion



I also like to train my abs in a specific order which I’ll tell you about in just a sec.



If you’re doing 50 crunches in a row, it’s time to move on to something harder. That exercise isn’t doing much for you anymore. It’s a great beginner exercise, but it won’t get you great abs.



Here are three ab workouts you can do to get you started. Perform each exercise for 12-15 reps, wait 15 seconds, then do the next exercise. Perform the circuit twice.



Beginner



1. Decline bench hip raise

2. Weighted side bends

3. V Ups

4. Medicine ball twists

Intermediate

1. Seated knee raise

2. Incline side bends (no weight)

3. Cable crunch

4. Medicine ball twists

Advanced

1. Hanging knee raise

2. Incline side bends (with weight)

3. Decline crunch or myotactic crunch

4. Oblique twists on a pulley tower

5. Pike roll out



So, you should have all the ab workouts you need to keep you busy for a while. Once you’re able to perform each of those exercises 15 full reps, move on to the next level up. By the time you reach the advanced section, you should have a very chiseled core (if your body fat is low enough).

This site has videos of the best ab workouts.

Until next time,

Stay Ripped

Mitch