Get your abs right! Pump your abs efficiently! Get fast results using scientific approach and the best methodology available today.
As Sean Rae once put it, bodybuilding is the great art of illusion. To this day, most bodybuilders take this expression too literally. The main manifestation of this attitude is to work on the muscles that are always in sight. The fashion for open tops has not yet reached men, so the press, hidden under clothing, is the last priority during training.
How wrong are those who believe that the main purpose of the press is aesthetics. In fact, they are of prime importance for the body.
Unfortunately, such an important muscle group as the press, many swing with the help of twists, just for show. Crunches are a really good exercise, however, they are – the main load is directed to the rectus abdominis muscle. This is exactly the muscle that pleases us with beautiful cubes with the right workouts. What a tremendous amazement there is for those who have succeeded in twisting, however, for a long time they have not been able to get the desired reliefs. Why did the exercise have no effect? We will talk about this a little later and in more detail.
In the meantime, we will note that even though cubes do not appear, curls are generally very useful. Almost all strength exercises are performed with the assistance of the abdominal muscles, in this case they perform static work. While the athlete is doing presses or squats, the elastic waist press creates stone support for the body. As a result, if an athlete regularly trains the rectus abdominis muscle, this will in any case have a positive effect on overall performance: with a strong press, he will be able to do more squats, improve results in the bench press, deadlift and many others.
The downside of twisting is monotony and isolation. As mentioned earlier, the main emphasis in twisting goes to the rectus abdominis muscle, the rest of the muscle groups – the oblique external and internal muscles and the transverse muscles, are out of work.
Now we can move on to the question that worries you: why twisting does not give the desired relief. A good analogy is modeling from plasticine: in order to make a ball, you crush the plasticine from different sides, giving it a shape. A similar process occurs during the formation of convex “cubes” of the press. In order for the muscle to acquire volume, it must be influenced from different sides. This can be done using multidirectional loads and a special set of exercises.
Solid press
Ball curls
The principle of training the press is as follows: take one exercise from the series “Flexion”, “Bends”, “Turns”. All three exercises should be performed one after the other without rest breaks. Each movement should be performed in such a way that it ends with an absolute “rejection”. For exercises with weights, there should be 20-25 repetitions per set.
A cycle of three exercises consists of three sets – each exercise has 1 set. At the end of the cycle, rest for up to 30 seconds. The cycle is repeated 3 times.
After practicing 2-3 lessons of this program, replace it with a new one by choosing other exercises. After another 2-3 sessions, change the set of exercises again. Ultimately, you will come to the original workout program. At this point, you should already be doing the same exercises not under your own weight to the point of failure, but with weights. With each workout, increase resistance and decrease the number of repetitions according to the following principle: the first workout – 20-25 times, the second – 12-20 times, the third – 8-10 times. In order to create the desired weight, you can use ankle weights, special balls, barbell pancakes.
Weighted ball crunches
To perform the exercise, lie on the floor with your back, bend your legs at the knees. Stretch the weighted ball in front of you on straight arms. Without lifting the lower back from the floor and without changing the vertical position of the hands with the ball, lift the shoulder girdle. Linger a little at the top of the movement.
Double twist technique
Double crunches without weights and with weights
Take the starting position: back on the floor, knees bent, arms behind your head. Perform a double movement with simultaneous effort: raising the knees to the chest and lifting the shoulder girdle up. At the time of the exercise, strain the rectus abdominis muscle as much as possible. Pause at the end point of the movement.
Double weighted crunches
Lie on your back, bend your knees. Place a weighted ball between your knees and pinch it. Press your arms with additional weights to your chest. At first, the weight of the weights should not be more than 5 kg. With a simultaneous effort, twist the body, pulling the knees to the chest, and the chest, lifting towards the knees.
Swiss ball rolls
Starting position: the shins rest on the Swiss ball, the body is fully straightened, the straight arms rest on the floor, the position is the same as in push-ups. While straining your abs, roll the Swiss ball towards you. After pausing, roll it away from you so that your hands are now resting on the floor at an angle.
Twisting with extended straight arms
Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Stretch your straight arms along your torso and close your palms. Without lifting the lower back and without changing the position of the hands, lift the shoulder girdle up, linger at the top point.
Block Knee Raises
For the exercise, you will need a simulator with a lower block. Attach the leg clamp to the block cable and attach the clamp to the ankle of your right leg. With your right hand, rest on the side, with your left firmly grasp the support. Raise the knee of your right leg as high as possible without changing the straight position of the body, make a static pause at the top point. Change your legs and arms.
Doing crunches on a bench
Sit down on the bench so that the end of the bench is just below your shoulder blades. Press the weight to your chest. Straining the press, lift the shoulder girdle up without lifting the lower back from the bench. At the end point of the movement, pause static.
A set of exercises “Turns”
Exercises that involve moving weights in the hands cause a change in the center of gravity. This is usually not emphasized, however, when performing strength movements, we actually do not just raise and lower the barbell, but direct all our efforts to maintain balance.
Consider from this point of view the well-known barbell lifts for biceps while standing. Only people ignorant of bodybuilding can believe that the weight of a load depends entirely on how developed the muscles of the arms are. But, as it turns out, the weight of your weights depends on the training of the press, because it is he who maintains the balance of the body during the exercise. Improve the strength of your abs, and you can lift the bar 10% harder than before. And this is true in relation to other muscle groups: with a powerful press, the workloads of the rest of the muscles, in general, increase by 5-10%.
Do not forget that the abdominal muscles do the work in three dimensions:
- sagittal movements – direct reduction and extension of the body with the legs;
- frontal – side slopes of the body;
- rotation by the body.
From the first workouts, train your core muscles to work harmoniously, as a team. This will allow you to achieve better results in training other muscle groups. To properly develop your abdominal muscles, you will need a workout program that consists of three types of movements. Even better, three-sets, performed without rest, are suitable for this.
Once you have good abs, you will feel How long easier it has become to do other exercises. Comparing the difference before and after training the abdominal muscles, you will understand How long you were mistaken in the past, when you thought that abs are needed only for aesthetics.
Hanging pelvic turns
To perform the exercise, you need to hang on the bar, bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees. Slowly tilting your knees to the side, lift your feet as high as possible. In the upper phase of the exercise, a static pause is made. The next exercise is for the opposite side.
Performing a “lumberjack” on the upper block
To take the starting position, stand sideways to the upper block, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Balance the stance by slightly bending your knees.
Holding the handle of the block with both hands, align the case in a strictly vertical position. The movement should be performed along an arc trajectory: with straight arms, lower the handle down, imitating a chopping motion. At this moment, the body must rotate around the axis. Return to the starting position smoothly, without jerking. It is very important that the range of motion is maximized during this exercise.
V-shaped bends
This exercise is performed on the floor. You need to lie face up and straighten your legs. While lifting straight legs and body up, extend your arms towards your feet. Hold this position and unfold the body as much as possible to one side. Hands without changing position should follow the body. Make a similar movement in the opposite direction.
Byke
Starting position: lying on the floor, clasp your hands behind your head and slightly raise your legs extended in length. Twist and pull the knee toward your chest at the same time. While twisting, try to reach the knee raised to the chest with the opposite elbow. Return to the starting position, and then repeat the same movement, but for the other knee and elbow.
Roll-ups with a turn
Rolls on a Swiss ball with a turn are performed as normal rolls, except that when rolling the ball, you must turn your knees to the side. The range of motion of the knees should be maximized. Turns should be done alternately for each side.
Turns of the legs from a prone position
The exercise is performed on the floor, lying on your back. For convenience, stretch your arms along your body and rest your palms on the floor. Raise your straight legs perpendicular to the floor, and then slowly lower them to the side, performing a static pause at the end. Return to starting position and do the same for the other side.
Twisting with body turns
Take the starting position: lie on the floor face up, bend your knees, stretch the weight on straight arms in front of your chest. Straining your abdominal muscles, lift your shoulder girdle up. During the exercise, the lower back should not lose contact with the floor. When lifting the body, first turn to one side, while not bending your arms.
The slopes of Samson
This exercise bears the name of its author – the strong man Samson. To perform, you need to become straight, holding dumbbells over your head on straight arms. The soles of your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Make a lateral tilt of the body as low as possible, keeping one line of arms and body. Returning to the starting position, repeat the exercise with an incline in the opposite direction.
Dumbbell side bends
To perform the exercise, you need to stand straight, feet shoulder width apart. The dumbbell is in a straight arm at the thigh. The second arm is extended along the body. Bends are done slowly towards the dumbbell, bend as low as possible. Return to the starting position just as slowly. After completing a series of repetitions, shift the dumbbell to the other hand and begin bending to the other side.
Exercise “board”
In order to take the starting position, you need to lie on your side, leaning on your bent arm. The second hand rests on the side. Legs are straightened, one lies on the other.
Slowly lift the pelvis up, straightening the body in one line. You need to hold this position for as long as possible. Repeat the exercise, changing sides.
Stretch Leg Raise
To perform the exercise, you need to lie on your side. The head rests on a bent arm, the other hand rests in front of it on the floor to stabilize the body. Legs should be straight.
Raise your upper leg as high as possible, keep your leg straight in the same plane with your body. In the upper phase of the ascent, a static pause is made. After completing the required number of repetitions with one leg, change the position of the body and change the leg.
Block slopes
To perform the exercise, stand sideways to the lower block. Grasp the handle closest to the unit. Straighten your back, and then tilt to the opposite side. At the maximum tilt point, there is a static pause. Straighten up slowly. After making the required number of bends to one side, change position and start bends to the other side.
Side crunches
To take the starting position, you need to lie on the floor, turning on your side. One hand rests on the floor with a bent elbow, the other goes behind the head. To stabilize the position, put your legs together and bend them at the knees, slightly moving forward.
Raise the shoulder girdle as high as possible in longitudinal projection. After completing the necessary twists on one side, do the same on the other.
Side leg raises
Take the starting position: to do this, you need to lie on your side, put one hand behind your head, and with your elbow the other place an emphasis on the floor.
Raise your straightened legs as high as possible, the movement is carried out in the longitudinal plane of the body. At the top of the movement, fix the position, and then gently lower your legs down. After completing the required number of lifts, change legs.