Everyone knows what a healthy body looks like, namely its athletic form. Strong arms, legs, sculpted back and toned abs. Perhaps these are the main signs of a person leading a healthy lifestyle. And from the entire list described above, I would like to highlight the abs, namely the stomach. Because it is he, in his toned or saggy form, that will show the general condition of the body. It is the stomach that will show us how much proper nutrition we include in our diet and how developed our metabolism is. Which in turn will be a reflection of our approach to ourselves. How we treat our body. That same temple of consciousness and guts.
We begin to feel our abs
As you know, the abdominal muscles and core muscles keep sagging calories. Therefore, thanks to exercises on the abdominal muscles, we will be able to achieve a form where others will see us as a healthy person. The main thing to remember is that ideal abs is not just a dream, but a completely achievable reality. It all depends on perseverance and training, which, in turn, depend on the level of training.
Proper abs are not just about lifting your legs or twisting your torso. After all, the training also includes static loads, such as a plank. At the same time, while performing the exercise you need to feel how your abdominal muscles tense. At each moment you need to feel one or another muscle group. In the first couple of minutes, you can try to turn off all sound stimuli, close your eyes and try to concentrate. The condition of excluding extraneous factors helps to tune in to sensations. Feel your every move.
When you turn off extraneous sounds and close your eyes, you are likely to fall asleep.
Diet
The quality of the food is also important. You need to reduce the amount or completely eliminate from the diet:
- sausages, sausages;
- smoked;
- sweets and flour products;
- crispy and greasy.
In addition, eliminating such foods will not only help you get in good shape, but will also have a beneficial effect on your well-being. At first, of course, it will be difficult without a good crispy piece of meat, for example. But then, when the first changes appear, this will turn out to be a mere trifle.
A good option would be to take specialized sports supplements. They are created for those who want to understand how to pump up their abdominal muscles.
Abs engages all muscles
Performing it over and over again, approach after approach, the methodology of building breathing is extremely important. After all, this is the secret of grouping the abdominal muscles. Some rhythm is required: first exhale while twisting, and then inhale. Since exhaling air, compression and concentration of the abdominal muscles occurs. While inhaling, relaxation occurs. By inhaling deeply, you can increase the amplitude of the exercise.
The goal of pumping up the abs is to make both the rectus abdominis and oblique abdominal muscles work, as well as the lower back muscles. In order to pump up the rectus muscle, it is necessary to perform upper, lower and general flexions. The oblique muscles are tensed during the twisting process in conjunction with the rotation. By working on the lateral press, the lumbar muscles are worked out. Thus, to achieve maximum results, the entire abdominal cavity must be included. By following these rules, training your abdominal muscles will be more effective. With each new approach, awareness and technique will develop. And this will be followed by the desired benefit, which will turn the loose bag of intestines into a steel abs .
What are abdominal muscles
The abdominal muscles or press consists of three groups:
- Upper muscle group;
- Lower muscle group;
- Oblique or lateral muscle group (external and internal).
The rectus muscle has vertically arranged tendons that contribute to the formation of six-pack abdominal muscles. Therefore, there is often a misconception that only the average press needs to be loaded.
It is possible to quickly pump up your abdominal muscles only if you regularly perform the complex, affecting the three main muscle groups.
It is important to warm up and stretch
Each session begins with warming up the muscles and ends with stretching them. Therefore, take care of your health! And be sure to warm up before training, at least for 5 minutes. This will be quite enough to perform any abdominal exercise . Pay special attention to warming up your back muscles. This is especially important if you lack sufficient physical training.
Below are two techniques that work well for stretching:
- The torso is in a horizontal position, face up; it is important to stretch your arms and legs in different directions, while bending your lower back and drawing in your stomach. The muscles should be in a relaxed state.
- The body is in a horizontal position, the face looks down, with emphasis placed on the forearms. Now you need to raise your head up, while stretching your stomach as much as possible and not bending your lower back too much.
Stretching time before abdominal training - 30 minutes!
How to do Tabata
At the end of the first part of the complex, you proceed to a mini-training using the Tabata protocol. It lasts only 4 minutes and is performed at maximum intensity.
The exercises are quite simple, so don’t feel sorry for yourself - stomp as hard as you can.
- Jumping “feet together - legs apart” with a turn to the side.
- Plank with your thigh touching the floor.
- "Skater".
- Forward push-ups.
You can set a timer or follow the video with me.
Write in the comments how you like the workout. Which muscles are loaded the most? And be sure to try other interval and circuit training from the “5 Circles of Hell” series.
Technique for performing abdominal exercises
After the stretching is completed and the muscles are toned. Our whole body is warmed up to begin the main type of exercise. When pumping up your abs at home , you can include a variety of ways to perform exercises. The entire training program is limited only by your imagination and level of training. But at the start, it is wiser to do something simple - bending the torso.
To perform a classic abdominal exercise you need:
- Take a horizontal position. A hard surface such as a bench or floor is best for this.
- Place your hands behind your head, clasping your hands at the back of your head. Remember, if the level of training is not high enough, your arms can be extended along the body or placed on your stomach.
- Bend your legs at the knees. In this case, your feet should rest on the floor. This will give additional stability.
- Slowly raise the body. At the same time, we exhale air so that the abdominal muscles can sufficiently group in the peak load zone.
- We lower the body at the same pace as the rise. At this stage, we take a breath, with which we relax and restrainedly stretch the abdominal cavity.
- Let’s celebrate the cherished “time” for ourselves and repeat the exercise!
It is obvious that even in the method of performing a basic exercise, variations of execution are allowed. Which will help you choose the right style that matches your level of preparation. The main points when performing the main exercise are breathing and your own sensations. The first and subsequent exercises must be performed 2–4 approaches per individual muscle. The number of repetitions depends on the level of training, but not less than 10 times.
Home workout program for men
If you regularly train in the gym and perform basic exercises such as deadlifts, squats, bench presses and bent-over rows, then there is no point in working your abs too hard. In these exercises he does about 20% of the work. However, if you want to make it stronger and more defined, the special abdominal training program for men given below will help you.
The exercises described here are quite varied and interesting, do not take much time and give the MAXIMUM possible result in a short time.
Press for beginners
For those who have just started exercising, it is necessary to feel how tense the muscles are. Therefore, it is recommended to do the entire workout very slowly, this will shape the future appearance of steel cubes . It is better to pump up the abs at this stage without weights and dumbbells; it is enough to use your body weight. Over time, beauty will require sacrifice and you can include weight-bearing exercises in your workouts.
In all exercises there is a problem associated with fixing the head in the desired position. A towel rolled into a roll will help alleviate this difficulty. At the same time, it should be held between the chin and chest. At the same time, your hands should be on the back of your head and your elbows should look up.
If you start working on your abs, you also need to check your diet and immediately remove foods that are harmful to the body from it. Truly impressive results will only be achieved with a minimum level of subcutaneous fat. Therefore, it is recommended to work on the definition of your abs during the process of losing weight. Only in combination with a healthy diet and sleep schedule is the expected relief guaranteed.
Ideal abs are available to everyone, regardless of bone width!
Iron abs in 3 weeks!
Using this program, pump up your entire abs.
The abs need to be pumped 5 times a week since the abs are the fastest muscle to recover. At the same time, do not forget about the diet, and the result will not take long to arrive.
Between each approach, take a break of no more than 3 - 5 minutes, preferably less. If it’s too difficult, take a longer break, or better yet, divide the program into 2 parts. For example, 5 approaches in the morning, 5 in the evening.
✔1 week (200 times a day) – 10 approaches
1 day – 10, 20, 25, 10, 25, 20, 20, 25; 10, 10 times; Day 2 – 10, 30, 25, 30, 15, 25, 20, 20, 15, 10 times; Day 3 – 15, 25, 35, 30, 10, 20, 15, 20, 10, 20 times; Day 4 – rest. Day 5 – 20, 10, 30, 25, 20, 10, 30, 30, 15, 10 times; Day 6 - 30, 25, 10, 20, 15, 35, 20, 25, 10, 10 times; Day 7 – rest.
✔week 2 (350 times a day) – 12 approaches
1 day – 20, 30, 25, 35, 25, 40, 30, 35, 30, 30, 25, 25 times; Day 2 – 25, 40, 30, 35, 20, 30, 35, 15, 30, 40, 20, 30 times; Day 3 – rest. Day 4 – 30, 25, 40, 35, 15, 35, 25, 40, 25, 35, 15, 30 times; Day 5 – 25, 40, 30, 35, 20, 45, 15, 35, 20, 15, 40, 30 times; Day 6 – 35, 20, 25, 40, 30, 25, 30, 45, 20, 35, 20, 25 times; Day 7 – rest.
Your metabolism will increase
Planking is a great way to challenge your entire body. Daily exercise burns more calories than traditional crunches and squats, for example. The plank is guaranteed to burn a lot of energy, even if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. This is especially important if you spend almost your entire day in front of a computer. Additionally, doing this exercise every day for a few minutes at home before or after work not only provides an increased metabolic rate, but also keeps your metabolic rate high throughout the day (even while you sleep).
About nutrition
If the goal is not to get rid of a large amount of excess weight, then adjusting your diet will be very simple. Most often, to reduce the volume of body fat, it is enough to exclude several items from the diet:
- flour, primarily white bread and pastries;
- all confectionery sweets;
- excessively fatty foods.
The basis of the diet should be protein foods; this is useful for both fat burning and muscle growth. In addition to lean meat and fish, your diet should include whole grains and fresh vegetables. A combination of a healthy protein-filled diet, regular exercise and rest is the answer to the question of how to pump up abs of steel.
Plank Jacks
A crouching position, a lying position, a push-up, a crouching position again and a jump forward from a sitting position. The technique is simple and accessible to people with different levels of training. It would seem, what does the abdominal muscles have to do with it? It turns out that the stomach and back actively work during the impulse transition from a squat to a lying position. Let's also not forget that when doing push-ups, a significant load also falls on the core muscles. Jim Barcena recommends jumping not higher, but further. And be sure to finish your jump with extra emphasis on your hands to avoid falling.
In the allotted forty-five seconds you will feel like a special forces soldier during morning exercises. Do not forget that the main thing in this exercise, as in the others, is not speed, but the quality of execution of each movement.
Here you will find even more effective exercises from one of the world's best fitness trainers - Jim Barcena.
Common Mistakes
- Performing sit-ups instead of crunches: If you're doing crunches, your lower back should remain pressed to the floor throughout the entire set, only your shoulders and upper back lifting. In this case, the body seems to break in half. It is this technique that allows you to give stress to your abdominal muscles.
- Breathing: in order to work your abs well, you need to take a deep breath while lowering your body or legs and exhale powerfully when lifting. Breathe loudly - this will help give your muscles a good workout. Weak, shallow breathing is a common mistake that prevents you from getting impressive results from your workouts.
- Range of movement: at the lowest point of lowering the body or legs, do not straighten the body completely, in this case the abs will be under load throughout the entire approach. In the positive phase of the movement, when lifting the body or legs, on the contrary, try to twist as much as possible, maximizing the amplitude.
- Lack of concentration: while working out the abs, you need to concentrate on their work, feeling how they tense up. You should try to relax all other muscles - avoid unnecessary stress on the muscles of the legs, back and neck.
Paloff press
- Stand with your left side facing the cable machine and grasp the D-handle with both hands, placing it at chest level. Adjust the weight so that it is 4.5 kg. You can change the weight depending on your strength levels.
- Take 2-3 steps to tighten the cable. If you feel pulled to the left, reduce the weight.
- As you exhale, extend your arms forward from your body. Make sure that your body does not turn towards the machine.
- Hold for 2 seconds and return to the starting position.
see also
12 Best Exercises to Develop Your Core Muscles
Hyper Extension
Make yourself comfortable on an exercise mat with your stomach facing down. At a slow pace, lift your right arm and left leg at the same time, then your left arm and right leg, respectively. Head raised, look ahead. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows, the legs are slightly bent at the knees.
The simplicity of performing the exercise is deceptive: forty-five seconds is enough to feel that you have back muscles and they are actively working. The purpose of the exercise is to strengthen the core and oblique muscles. Additionally, the buttocks, neck work and, oddly enough, our favorite “cubes” are activated in the upper position of the legs. Somewhat reminiscent of the “pull-up” principle that is used in swimming. Purely male advice: choose a thicker rug.
On this topic:
- How to get perfect abs
- Jim Barcena's Express Workout for Men
- How to achieve an ideal waist at any age
