When most people attempt to perform ab workouts at home, they usually just lie on the floor and engage in a marathon of crunch repetitions. This all too common approach will never lead to a well-balanced set of six pack abs.
First of all, the basic crunch will only provide a marginally positive training effect for beginners. Once you get strong enough to crank out sets of 50-100 or more, the resistance the crunch provides is simply too little to provide a training effect.
Secondly, the crunch only trains the abs in one range of motion: flexion of the trunk. Flexing the trunk is only one of the many ranges of motion that your abdominal muscles are capable of.
Any well designed ab workout will include exercises that target all major ranges of motion. The bottom line is, the crunch alone can never provide a complete ab workout.
What you need to do is perform several different ab exercises, with each on working your abs in a different plane of motion. This is not as confusing as it may sound. With a basic understanding of how your abs work, this concept is quite simple.
Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with a lesson in physiology. Instead, I'm going to lay out a complete, ready to use ab workout for you.
The following workout contains only exercises that require no equipment whatsoever, making them ideal for a home training session. Here it is:
1a) Reverse Crunch On Floor 3x20-25 30 sec rest
1b) Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor 3x12 (5sec hold) 30 sec rest
2a) Plank 3x60 sec 30 sec rest
2b) Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle 3x20-25 30 sec rest
Follow the simple instructions below to ensure yourself that you are performing each exercise properly.
Reverse Crunch On Floor- Lie on your back. Flex both knees and hips to 90 degree angles. Bring knees toward chest by rolling your pelvis back like a wheel. You must maintain a constant knee angle. Return until hips are again extended to a 90 degree angle. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor- Lie on your side on the floor. Keep your hands straight out above your head, in line with your body. Keep legs straight. Lock your hands together. Simultaneously raise your arms and legs up so that neither are in contact with the floor. Hold this position for the prescribed number of seconds.
Plank- Get on the floor in a push up position. Support your body on your forearms and your toes. Be sure to keep the abs tight and hold your body in a straight line. Do not let hips sag or hike them up too high. Hold for the prescribed number of seconds.
Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle- Sit on floor and cross your arms across your chest, grabbing the opposite shoulders. Lean back until your upper body makes a 45 degree angle to the floor. Rotate trunk to the right while simultaneously bringing your right knee towards your chest.
At this point your left elbow will be touching your right knee. In a smooth motion rotate to the left and repeat this on the other side. Continue to alternate until you finish the prescribed number of reps. One full rotation equals one rep.
And there you have it! A simple ab workout you can perform anywhere with no equipment necessary. Do this workout 2-3 times per week for up to a month. After a month, it will be time to progress to a more advanced routine.
A great six pack is only a few weeks away! Start today and sculpt your stomach faster than you thought possible!
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