Most trainees who are attempting to train their abs either at home or with little or no equipment, usually engage in a floor session of endless crunches. Regardless of how many sets and reps you perform, this approach will never lead to well-balanced six pack ab development.
First of all, the basic crunch will only provide a marginally positive training effect for beginners. Once you get strong enough to crank out sets of 50-100 or more, the resistance the crunch provides is simply too little to provide a training effect.
And secondly, the crunch only works the abs in one movement pattern: trunk flexion. Trunk flexion is just one of the many different abdominal functions that must be developed in a good ab routine. Therefore, you can't achieve a complete ab workout by using a single exercise, like the crunch, in isolation.
Instead, you need to perform several different ab exercises, each targeting a different abdominal function and/or region. This may sound confusing, but once you understand the anatomy and function of your abdominals, designing an effective ab workout is quite simple.
Don't worry, I promise I'm not to give you a boring anatomy lesson. Instead, I'm going to take all of the guesswork out and provide you with a ready to use workout. Additionally, this workout will require no equipment at all, making it "just what the doctor ordered" for those of you who train at home.
1a) Reverse Crunch On Floor 3x20-25 30 sec rest 1b) Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor 3x12 (5sec hold) 30 sec rest 2a) Plank 3x60 sec 30 sec rest 2b) Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle 3x20-25 30 sec rest
Now I will give you a detailed description on how to properly execute each exercise:
Reverse Crunch On Floor- Lie on your back. Flex both knees and hips to 90 degree angles. Bring knees toward chest by rolling your pelvis back like a wheel. You must maintain a constant knee angle. Return until hips are again extended to a 90 degree angle. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor- Lie on your side on the floor. Keep your arms straight out above your head. Be sure to keep your legs straight. Lock your fingers together. Now raise both your arms and legs up so that neither are in contact with the floor. Hold this contraction for the prescribed number of seconds.
Plank- Get on the floor in a push up position. Support your body on your forearms and your toes. Be sure to keep the abs tight and hold your body in a straight line. Do not let hips sag or hike them up too high. Hold for the prescribed number of seconds.
Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle- Sit on floor and cross your arms across your chest, grabbing the opposite shoulders. Lean back until your upper torso makes a 45 degree angle to the floor. Rotate trunk to the right while simultaneously bringing your right knee towards your chest. At this point your left elbow will be touching your right knee. In a fsmooth motion rotate to the left and repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate until you finish the prescribed number of reps. One full rotation equals one rep.
And there you have it! A simple ab workout you can perform anywhere with no equipment necessary. Do this workout 2-3 times per week for up to a month. After a month, it will be time to progress to a more advanced routine.
A nice set of abs is in YOUR future! Begin this routine and start getting results today! - 16752
First of all, the basic crunch will only provide a marginally positive training effect for beginners. Once you get strong enough to crank out sets of 50-100 or more, the resistance the crunch provides is simply too little to provide a training effect.
And secondly, the crunch only works the abs in one movement pattern: trunk flexion. Trunk flexion is just one of the many different abdominal functions that must be developed in a good ab routine. Therefore, you can't achieve a complete ab workout by using a single exercise, like the crunch, in isolation.
Instead, you need to perform several different ab exercises, each targeting a different abdominal function and/or region. This may sound confusing, but once you understand the anatomy and function of your abdominals, designing an effective ab workout is quite simple.
Don't worry, I promise I'm not to give you a boring anatomy lesson. Instead, I'm going to take all of the guesswork out and provide you with a ready to use workout. Additionally, this workout will require no equipment at all, making it "just what the doctor ordered" for those of you who train at home.
1a) Reverse Crunch On Floor 3x20-25 30 sec rest 1b) Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor 3x12 (5sec hold) 30 sec rest 2a) Plank 3x60 sec 30 sec rest 2b) Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle 3x20-25 30 sec rest
Now I will give you a detailed description on how to properly execute each exercise:
Reverse Crunch On Floor- Lie on your back. Flex both knees and hips to 90 degree angles. Bring knees toward chest by rolling your pelvis back like a wheel. You must maintain a constant knee angle. Return until hips are again extended to a 90 degree angle. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor- Lie on your side on the floor. Keep your arms straight out above your head. Be sure to keep your legs straight. Lock your fingers together. Now raise both your arms and legs up so that neither are in contact with the floor. Hold this contraction for the prescribed number of seconds.
Plank- Get on the floor in a push up position. Support your body on your forearms and your toes. Be sure to keep the abs tight and hold your body in a straight line. Do not let hips sag or hike them up too high. Hold for the prescribed number of seconds.
Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle- Sit on floor and cross your arms across your chest, grabbing the opposite shoulders. Lean back until your upper torso makes a 45 degree angle to the floor. Rotate trunk to the right while simultaneously bringing your right knee towards your chest. At this point your left elbow will be touching your right knee. In a fsmooth motion rotate to the left and repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate until you finish the prescribed number of reps. One full rotation equals one rep.
And there you have it! A simple ab workout you can perform anywhere with no equipment necessary. Do this workout 2-3 times per week for up to a month. After a month, it will be time to progress to a more advanced routine.
A nice set of abs is in YOUR future! Begin this routine and start getting results today! - 16752
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