Abs Workout – Truths and Myths of abs training

There’s already a ton of worthless ab machine advertisements and wimpy six-pack articles cluttering the bodybuilding industry. So why is EliteFitness.com bringing up abs training now? Because we actually know what we’re talking about and our 5 abs training myths and 5 ways to build them right will have you wanting to walk around with your shirt off all summer.

Let’s talk about abs for a moment. Now I know what you’re thinking - that I, George Spellwin, have whored myself out to the commercial side of bodybuilding and went the way of Men’s Health in presenting played-out fitness advice. Next I’ll be watching “The Hills” while using my Ad Dolly, right?

But seriously, I really would like to talk about abs because, as we all know, they might be the most important set of muscles when it comes to attracting the babes. After all, you can have giant biceps, huge traps, and a perfectly sculpted chest but with a big belly on top of that, you’re just another fat guy.

With this in mind, I’d like to give out my top 5 ways to get washboard abs and the top 5 myths that will keep you with a gut and no chance of ever getting a ripped stomach. Some of these you may already know but there other points in this list that you might never even heard of.

Top 5 Ways to get Washboard Abs

1. Diet, diet, diet!

Here is a very easy to find fact that many people wishing to get a six-pack overlook: You can’t have great abs with a layer of fat draped around your middle. And no matter how many places this information is, there are always going to be countless people who fail to look for it and continue on with their sit-ups and usage of garbage ab machines. The fact is though, if you’re not going to diet then you might as well forget about an excellent stomach. You must make a constant effort to cut calories and avoid eating fattening foods as well in order to get the look you want.

2. Focus on quality rather than frequency.

I don’t know about you but I personally can’t stand it when I hear someone telling me about how they do 1000 sit-ups once a day, every day. First off, do these people have a life? Secondly, results can be achieved with less time and a lot more intensity. Two ab workouts a week always does the trick for me and they feel sore nearly every time. Try different things such as 1 set of 20 hanging leg raises (performed slowly). Anything that will make your abdominals feel as if they’ve actually been worked.

3. Grab some weight while doing abs.

People aren’t afraid to throw more weight on the bar when they’re benching or squatting. They want to see progress in their strength and muscle gains and lifting the bar 60 times every workout isn’t going to accomplish that. So why do these same people keep the monotonous ab routines that never increase in weight. I always recommend grabbing a weight plate when working your stomach without weights is no longer making the abs sore. A few sets of 20 decline sit-ups while holding a 25 pound plate should work nicely for starters. Then try moving up.

4. Make sure that your abdominals are doing the work.

Many of the ab exercises that we’ve come to know throughout the years seem as if they’re from the stone age. Exercises like flat sit-ups and flat crunches are not only ancient but they also use too much of the other muscles to perform the lift. Varying the way you do your sit-ups or crunches can help greatly and better isolate your abs. Try doing decline sit-ups when possible so that your stomach muscles are getting worked rather than your lower back or hip flexors.

5. Perform this exercise for excellent results.

One of the best ab exercises that I’ve ever seen has come from my friend Nelson Montana. He is the author of The Bodybuilding Truth and BottomLine Bodybuilding and is a consultant for Elite Fitness (found here). To start this ab workout, begin in a seated position and bring your feet in towards your body (12 inches away). Then tuck your chin into your chest and put your hands on the outer parts of your knees. Still holding your knees, lean back till your arms are extended. Now let go of your knees and extend your arms forward while maintaining the position and try to avoid falling backwards. Then raise your arms overhead and keep them there for 10 seconds (if this is too hard then move your feet out farther). After doing this, bring your arms down slow and come to the beginning position. Rest for 10 seconds and repeat. Try to work your way to ten reps and beyond with this killer exercise.

Top 5 Myths Keeping You from Washboard Abs

1. Abs can be worked everyday.

I have a good question: Which muscles in the body get bigger when they aren’t allowed to rest after being used. The answer: There is no such muscle. Unfortunately, there is a group of misguided souls out there who think that if they work their abs everyday then they will look better. The abs are just like any other muscle in the body in that they need rest to grow and constantly working them doesn’t allow for this. If they’ve been properly trained, they will be sore enough where you won’t want to work them again day after day.

2. Countless Sit-ups will payoff eventually.

There’s been quite a few times when I’ve been flipping through the TV and come upon some professional athlete talking about what they do to look so good. An ungodly amount of crunches is often one of the things they mention. And I cringe when I hear this as pro athletes do many activities that give them the look they have and I guarantee that the 500 or 600 daily crunches session isn’t one of the things that actually works. More results can be accomplished with fewer reps and by varying routines or using weight on the abs.

3. Abs should be done at the beginning of a workout since they’re the “showpiece” of the body.

While having great looking abs are very important to any bodybuilder, compromising the rest of your workout for them is ridiculous. People need their abdominals in order to do a lot of the exercises they will perform during a lifting session. These muscles work to stabilize one’s body while doing other lifting actions such as the bench press or squat. Tiring out the abs early on in a workout can raise the potential for injury so it is best to wait to work them towards the end or at least when the bigger, compound exercises are out of the way.

4. Upper and Lower abs are worked separately.

Many personal trainers and so-called fitness gurus would have you believe that abdominals must be worked in separate sections. Upper and lower to be exact. But have you ever really seen anyone with 5% body fat and a huge four-pack? I haven’t either and the fact remains that when you work one section of the abdominals, you’re pretty much working them all since the whole set contracts during an exercise. Instead of thinking upper and lower, think full range of motion and adjusting the angles you do exercises at so you are constantly shocking the muscles.

5. Ab machines are a good way to get great abs.

Buying an ab machine from a store or off an infomercial is usually a desperate attempt to get washboard abs by someone who doesn’t want to invest any real time into the matter. These types of people usually tryout these pieces of crap until they realize the machine isn’t magic and then proceed to throw it out in the garage where it remains until a garage sale. It is true that some ab machines can provide results but only for so long and then the abdominals adapt to whatever gimmick the machine utilizes. It’s best just to stick with weights and a variety of exercises for any sort of real progress.

Author: George Spellwin