The secret to six-pack abs isn’t hard to figure out: Make an abs workout a goal, eat a nutritional diet, and eat fewer late-night pizzas in one sitting.
It’s no secret that many gym-goers strive for a noticeable six-pack. For better or worse, a shredded set of abdominal muscles is frequently portrayed as the pinnacle of fitness in popular culture.
In this vein, one-line pitches promoting the next workout or diet fad sometimes include terms like “toning up” or “torching belly fat.”
While there’s nothing wrong with having fitness objectives based on appearances, exercising for a strong core and developed six-pack goes beyond that. Eating a healthy, whole-food diet has the same effect.
1. Hardstyle plank
Prop yourself up into a forearm plank position while lying face down on the ground. Ensure that your elbows are aligned beneath your shoulders and that your hands are fists. You want your forearms to be parallel to each other. Per set, hold for 10 to 20 seconds.
Trainer tip: Do you know how to do planks? It’s simple to go through the motions in this situation. It’s not a good idea. “The objective is to squeeze your entire body as tight as possible—quads, glutes, core, back, and fists—while taking diaphoretic breaths during the hold,” Wealth explains. This workout is as difficult as you choose to make it, no matter how many times you’ve done it.
2.Hand slide crunch
Lie down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. As you sit up, place your hands on your thighs and slowly glide them up towards your knees.
“It doesn’t have to be a big movement,” Chamberlain argues. “Aim to close the gap between your ribs and hips by elevating your shoulders off the floor while keeping your lower back in contact with the ground.
“Moving the top half up emphasises your upper abs more. Start with five sets and work your way up to 15.”
3.Mountain climber
Prop yourself up into a forearm plank position while lying face down on the ground. Ensure that your elbows are aligned beneath your shoulders and that your hands are fists. You want your forearms to be parallel to each other. Per set, hold for 10 to 20 seconds.
Trainer tip: Do you know how to do planks? It’s simple to go through the motions in this situation. It’s not a good idea. “The objective is to squeeze your entire body as tight as possible—quads, glutes, core, back, and fists—while taking diaphoretic breaths during the hold,” Wealth explains. This workout is as difficult as you choose to make it, no matter how many times you’ve done it.
4. Reverse crunch
The reverse crunch is much more effective in strengthening your abs than the conventional crunch. The motion keeps your muscles under tension for a longer amount of time and is incredibly useful at targeting the tricky lower stomach.
Lie down and raise your legs to the point where your thighs are parallel to the ground and your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Contract your abs to lift your hips off the floor and bring your knees to your chest, then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
5. Hollow extension-to-cannonball
Carry it out: Make a cannonball form on your back, hugging your knees into your chest—it’ll feel like you’re back at summer camp at the pool. Extend your legs and arms outwards in a “hollow” position while keeping your lower back pressed to the floor. Hold for five seconds before curling up again, then repeat for one set of five reps.
“Involve as much as possible during the extension period, and use the cannonball for recovery,” advises Ashley Wilking, a Nike master trainer and Rumble Boxing trainer. “Just don’t let go fully.” Consider it like though you’re holding a crunch!”
6. Grounded Russian twist
The basic version of this exercise is worth mastering because it targets the often-overlooked obliques, and many fitness courses push individuals into the deep end with more challenging varieties. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your heels on the floor. Lean back until your torso is at a 45-degree angle. To avoid hunching your back, keep your chest up. Your fingers should be interlocked and your arms should be extended in front of you. Turn your torso to the left or right and touch the ground on that side with your hands. Return to the centre and then move on to the opposite side. Raise your heels off the floor and/or hold a weight to make the exercise more challenging once you’ve mastered it.
7.Dead bug
Carry it out: With your arms straight above your shoulders, lie face up on the floor. To begin, place your knees directly over your hips and bend your knees to produce a 90-degree angle between your calf and your thigh. Next, lower your left arm above your head while straightening and lowering your right leg towards the floor. Repeat on the opposing side after pausing and returning to the beginning position. One set consists of 14 alternate repetitions.
Denzel Allen, a StrongFirst trainer in San Francisco, advises, “Make sure your lower back maintains in contact with the floor, and try to keep your breathing as regular as possible.” “I like this action because it helps to develop left-right coordination between the upper and lower extremities, which can also aid with cognitive performance.”
8.Bird dog
Carry it out: Consider it an upside-down dead bug. Start with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees in a tabletop position. Lift your right arm and left leg at the same time while engaging your core. As you kick back, your foot should be flexed and your palm should face inwards. When your arm and leg are at the same height as your torso, pause for a second before bringing your elbow and knee to contact underneath the body. Rep on the other side for one rep, then complete one set of five reps.
“Be careful not to hyperextend your elbows!” says the trainer. “Keeping a small bend burns up those triceps,” Wilking explains. “Keep your neck long by staring down and a few inches in front of you, and produce tension with the exhale portion of each breath.”
9. Abs roll-out
Kneel on a soft surface and grip an abdominal roller or a barbell with weight plates with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, adds Chamberlain.
“Begin with moving the barbell or roller away from your knees slowly. Your hips must be forward in order for your knees, hips, and shoulders to all be aligned. Once you’ve mastered rolling away, keep your hips and spine in a neutral position as you roll the weights back in. On the way back, try to avoid pushing your hips in the air, as this negates the aim of the exercise (though it’s fine to do at first). This is an excellent way to immediately improve core strength. Begin with five reps and work your way up to 15.”
10. low style plank
Prop yourself up into a forearm plank position while lying face down on the ground. Ensure that your elbows are aligned beneath your shoulders and that your hands are fists. You want your forearms to be parallel to each other. Per set, hold for 10 to 20 seconds.
Trainer tip: Do you know how to do planks? It’s simple to go through the motions in this situation. It’s not a good idea. “The objective is to squeeze your entire body as tight as possible—quads, glutes, core, back, and fists—while taking diaphoretic breaths during the hold,” Wealth explains. This workout is as difficult as you choose to make it, no matter how many times you’ve done it.