The recipe for six-pack abs is surprisingly simple: do an abs workout, eat a well-balanced diet, and limit the amount of pizza you eat in one sitting. Besides their benefits for boosting confidence, the holy grail of men’s fitness programs has been shown to promote better well-being and mental health. “The best way to avoid injury, whether at the gym, at home, or at work, is to build a strong core, says Edwin Wealth, NASM-CPT and trainer at Equinox. Want to do yoga better? Run faster? Squat heavier? Carry the groceries without wincing? It all begins with your core.
But alas, this process doesn’t happen overnight. And by now, the washboard abs industrial complex has produced such a dizzying volume of exercises, tricks, and gizmos promising to transform your midsection into a Hemsworth brother’s midsection that, even after you settle on a strategy, it’s hard not to wonder whether all that diligence and discipline is really making a difference.
To Buy Best Quality Organic Plant Based Protein Powder
Good news: Thanks to some of the best trainers in the country, we’re going to help you out. Below are their favorite a abs workout, along with a few pro tips to ensure that you’re executing each one perfectly. Incorporate them à la carte into your existing routine—or, if you’re feeling ambitious, turn all six into an abs workout circuit. Try two sets of each movement, resting for 30 seconds between each set.
1. Hardstyle plank
Equipment: None.
Do it: To do a forearm plank, lie face down on the floor. Put your arms underneath you and rest your weight on them so that they’re supported at about 45° angles to the ground. Keep a flat back and tighten everything in your core. Hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds.
Trainer tip: You know planks, right? It’s easy to go through the motions here. Don’t do it. “The key is to squeeze your entire body—quads, glutes, core, back, and fists—as tight as possible while taking diaphoretic breathes throughout the hold,” says Wealth. No matter how many times you’ve done it, this exercise is as difficult as you’re willing to make it.
2. Dead bug
Equipment: None.
Do it: Lay facedown on the floor. Start by bending your knees and bringing them right over your hips. Next, bring your feet up to about a 90-degree angle with your thighs. Bring both arms up so that they are straight above you and keep them there comfortably throughout the exercise. First, extend your arm up and your leg back. When you’re in this position, contract your abs to keep the weight shifted towards your rear heel. Next, lower the opposite arm and straighten that leg as well. Once that’s done, do 14 reps before switching sides again.
To Buy Best Quality Organic Plant Based Protein Powder
Trainer tip: “Make sure your lower back stays in contact with the floor, and try to keep your breathing as regular as possible,” says Denzel Allen, a Strong First trainer in San Francisco. “I like this movement because it helps to train left-right coordination between the upper and lower extremities, which can help improve cognitive function.”
3. Hollow extension-to-cannonball
Equipment: None.
Do it: Get into a cannonball-type shape on your back, hugging your knees into your chest—yes, just like you’re at the pool at summer camp again. To do a full push-up, extend your legs and arms outwards in a “hollow” position. Keep your back against the floor as you hold for 5 seconds. Continue for 5 reps and do one set.
Trainer tip: “Engage as much as possible during the extension phase, and use the cannonball for recovery,” suggests Ashley Wilking, Nike master trainer and a trainer at Rumble Boxing. “Just don’t completely let go. Think of it like you’re holding a crunch!”
Here Is The Click Bank Link
4. Dumbbell side bend
Equipment: Single medium-weight dumbbell.
Do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing inwards towards your torso. Keep your back straight and activate your core, Then bend over as much as possible from your waist, but only bending at the waist. Hold for one second at the bottom of your range of motion, then return to start for one rep. Do 12-20 reps for one set.
5. Barbell back squat
Equipment: Barbell—no weights, though. For now.
Do it: With your feet shoulder-width apart, lift a barbell off the rig, centering it evenly across your shoulders. (This version of the squat targets the core, not the legs, and so you should be using far less weight than you would for a traditional back squat.) Send your glutes back like you’re lowering into a chair, bending at the knees as deeply as possible. Press through your heels to return to the starting position for one rep. Do 12 reps for one set.
Trainer tip: “Think about maintaining tension in your abs throughout the entire movement,” says Wealth. “Once you have the movement mastered, you can add additional weights to the barbell. By going up in small increments, though, you’ll stay injury-free.”
6. Bird dog
Equipment: None.
Do it: Think of this as an upside-down dead bug. Start in a tabletop position, with your shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. While engaging your core, simultaneously lift your right arm and left leg. Your foot should be flexed as you kick back, and your palm should face in towards your body. Pause for one second when your arm and leg are at the same height as your torso, and then bring your elbow and knee to touch underneath the body. Repeat on the other side for one rep, and do five reps for one set.
Trainer tip: “Be careful not to hyperextend your elbows! Maintaining a slight bend fires up those triceps,” says Wilking. “Keep the neck long by looking down and a few inches in front of you, and use the exhale portion of each breath to create tension.”
Read More: The Best Back Exercises: The Only Workout You Need for That Perfect V-Shape Torso
Read More: You Don’t Have to Go to the Gym to Build Muscle
Abs Workout Abs Workout Abs Workout Abs Workout