Why You Still Have a Gut After 1 Million Sit-ups
This article was originally posted on FitnessGeared.com, one of the leading fitness and bodybuilding forums on the web.
Everyone wants a great looking set of abs.
It’s not a big surprise there. And, you are probably reading this because you want some insight on how to actually get those bad boys showing. Well you are absolutely in luck.
Your limbs are connected to your core. Thus having a strong core is a fundamental part of having a strong body in general. Overall a strong core will improve many aspects of your weight training regimen. Pay attention to your body when you do your lifts. Pay attention to how often you need to keep a strong core when performing some very important exercises. Keep your core tight in order to perform spot-on pull-ups without swinging. Keep your core tight to isolate your lats and other back muscles when performing rows. See how important a strong core is?
That being said, what is the answer of getting a strong core? Most of us in the fitness world desire that chiseled core. That awesome look does not have to be limited to teenagers before their metabolism catches up with them. A strong and chiseled core is very obtainable, but the right steps need to be taken to make it happen. The answer may not be as dreadful as you think.
Don’t Make These Ab Building Mistakes
Here is a bit of relief; it does not mean you have to do 500 sit ups a day! Do you do 500 curls a day for your biceps?
One thing that is key for getting a chiseled core is to vary up the kinds of workouts you do to them. In doing so, you will wake up certain muscles that might not get used as often. Remember the first week you ever started to lift hardcore? The soreness in those muscles is basically growth. When it comes to training the core, you want to remember to hit all aspects of it. Keep in mind, the back is part of the core as well. But we are talking about the front part here. Those washboard abs.
To keep it simple, you can break it down into a few different portions. Lower abs / upper abs / oblique’s (side abs) / internal abs.
One of the most important aspects of many lower ab exercises is to get curvature in the spine when performing. Ever try hanging knee tucks? Try this next time if you haven’t mastered it already: get that lower back to curl up a little bit during each rep. The burn that you will feel will be very noticeable very quickly.
For upper abs, this is where the bulk of your sit-ups and crunches come from. Note though what was said before. Do not do 500 sit-ups a day. What you should do is vary up the kind of upper ab exercises you perform. Do sit ups on a medicine ball, and a bosu ball, and a decline bench, and on a mat, and at an upside down hang.
Get the picture?
Basically challenge your muscles in different ways. If you are experienced in your fitness life, you will know the advice on always keep your muscles guessing. Well guess what, abs are muscles as well.
Oblique’s usually do not get as much attention as they deserve. Be nice to them and work on those bad boys as well. Oblique’s are the muscles that twist your body in the transverse plane, as well as move your core in the coronal plane. With oblique’s you want to make sure you incorporate movements that they are used for. Do some Russian twists to hit that aspect of the transverse plane. Do some side extensions to hit the muscles that move your body in the coronal plane.
Your Diet = Your Abs
Have you heard the saying that abs are made in the kitchen? This is part of the answer as well.
Want to see your abs that you have been working on? Lose some body fat percentage, and then the abs will show. Do a little bit of cardio to get those abs to appear even more. Eat right to accommodate for your body. Try to stay away from the foods you know are bad. Pack on those protein calories to get your muscles to grow and show.
A word of advice when it comes to cardio is this- if you want to get your abs to show, the cardio work you should do should focus on the core. Try doing a few different jump rope routines. Try doing interval sprinting. Try doing some martial arts. Those are a few different forms of cardio that use a whole lot of core as well. They work in different plains of motion, not just one. It’s all a great way to get those few extra percentages of fat to go, and make those abs really stand out.
One hour per day each day of the week is NOT going to do anything to get the core of your dreams.
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Originally Posted by Bigelle510
