How do you train your abs?
Abdominal training is a priority for many people but few know to train for real results. I know many folks training their abs almost everyday: they do hundred and hundred of crunches (or similar exercises) per week. What happens? No results, and after a few weeks or months they quit!
There are two big mistakes when these people work their abs:
- They use the same kind of exercise, they never change: when you start an exercise program and you are out of shape, it?s ok to do sets of crunches or similar exercises. But after a while, this exercise become easy, unless you do more and more reps. Imagine you have to do 5 sets of 100 or 200 reps to feel your abs! Most people don?t have the time and they stay with the basic framework of 20 or 30 reps and a few sets. It?s boring, there is no challenge, they reach a plateau and stay there forever!
- High reps mean low intensity, it means endurance work (at least at the beginning). To get results you need intense workouts; it can be short but intense, there is no compromise, intensity is the key!
My advice: challenge yourself and pick up a few tough abdominal exercises like this one: do hanging leg raises and straighten the legs, it is a basic exercise for a gymnast but it will be challenging for most people. Do low reps in a slow motion and feel your abs: 5 to 8 reps, 3 to 5 sets and you?re done in a few minutes. If this exercise is too difficult, start with this one: do a normal hanging leg raise (legs flexed) then straighten the legs at the horizontal and slowly go down. Don?t drop the legs, stay in control and feel the abs. Challenge yourself!
Dominique Paris is a Strength and Conditioning Coach who provides powerful and functional fitness and exercise tips that keeps you focused on results while having fun. To create the body of your dreams and to finally feel healthy visit http://www.gladiator-fitness.com | |
