How to Get Six Pack Abs

From Meshplex

The ancient Romans built gymnasiums to train their body and mind, in a bid to achieve perfect body proportions. Since the dawn of human civilization, the quest to achieve a chiseled rock hard six pack has always been equated with almost a spiritual quest of attaining one’s ideals. The ideal of beauty has always drawn people towards devoting their lives to staying in shape and developing impressive abs. The perfection of the physique or the perfection of the soul is a personal spiritual journey, and we can draw parallels between both. Beauty of the human form has inspired innumerous artists since time immemorial, and some of the greatest works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci capture the beauty of the human physique at its best.

Contents 1 Exercise Different Muscle Groups 2 The Rectus Abdominis 3 Strengthening Your Six Pack Abs 4 Exercise 4.1 Tried and Tested Six Pack Exercises 5 Revolutionary Six Pack Training 6 Diet 7 Things to Watch Out for

[edit] Exercise Different Muscle Groups

Perfect abdominal muscles bring symmetry and sculpted definition to the entire human body. The fitness of your body hinges on the strength of your core muscles and the abs (six pack). In order to build a proportionate physique, you need to acquire knowledge about the various muscle groups which comprise our muscular system.

[edit] The Rectus Abdominis

The Rectus Abdominis is the scientific term for what is commonly known as abdominals or abs, and is the muscle responsible for flexing our trunk. This is a long and a flat muscle that extends vertically along the entire length of the abdomen. Although enclosed within a sheath, this muscle in unhindered in its movements by the same. The abdominal muscles are accountable for the various movements of the vertebral column in the lumbar portion, and are capable of compressing the entire abdomen. The various voluntary movements in the lower abdomen are a result of the contractions of the Rectus Abdominis.

[edit] Strengthening Your Six Pack Abs

Building a particular muscle group of the body requires strength-building exercises, coupled with repetition of the required sets of the same. This helps the muscles contract and relax for the most appropriate amounts of time. Overworked muscles produce lactic acid, which results in cramps and inability to contract further. To avoid this, one must allow periods of break between sets of exercises. If you want to build your abdominal muscles, targeted exercise coupled with a low fat diet is recommended. The crunches and isotonic contractions to the abs will do no good if a fat layer builds up over the muscles. The abdominal area of the human body is most prone to storage of excess fat, so it is imperative that the fat is cut out of your diet as much as possible during the intensive training period. Subcutaneous fat in the abdomen region is the most common fat prone area in most individuals, so it is of paramount importance that a sensible diet is included in the workout regime.

Building a particular muscle group of the body requires strength-building exercises, coupled with repetition of the required sets of the same. This helps the muscles contract and relax for the most appropriate amounts of time. Overworked muscles produce lactic acid, which results in cramps and inability to contract further. To avoid this, one must allow periods of break between sets of exercises. If you want to build your abdominal muscles, targeted exercise coupled with a low fat diet is recommended. The crunches and isotonic contractions to the abs will do no good if a fat layer builds up over the muscles. The abdominal area of the human body is most prone to storage of excess fat, so it is imperative that the fat is cut out of your diet as much as possible during the intensive training period. Subcutaneous fat in the abdomen region is the most common fat prone area in most individuals, so it is of paramount importance that a sensible diet is included in the workout regime.

[edit] Exercise

The different types of exercises for muscle groups include isotonic, eccentric, isometric and isokinetic, depending on the muscle movements. The most common kind of physical movements are a result of isotonic contractions, such as lifting objects. During the isotonic contraction, the muscle groups shorten when they contract. The abdominal exercises of sit-ups are facilitated by the isotonic contractions of the rectus abdominis. Isotonic muscle movements are the most beneficial kind of exercises, for the abdominal area. There are many exercise routines designed to build and tone-up the abdominal muscle groups, with various different approaches.

[edit] Tried and Tested Six Pack Exercises

There are old school workouts for the abs, which require only the minimum equipment for their execution. The basic exercises for building a strong abdominal area are:

• Crunches
• Cable crunches
• Knee-ups
• Knee-raises

Various crunches focus on the different areas of the abdomen, whether it is the upper abdomen, lower abs, or the obliques. Depending on the levels of the workout, you can achieve anything from mild warm-ups to intensive body sculpting exercises.

The crunches are probably the most commonly practiced abdominal exercises, which are done without the use of any equipment. The simple crunch is done by lying on a mat, with feet flat on the floor, and curling your hands behind your head. You should lift your shoulders off the mat slowly, squeezing the abs with each raising movement. Do not strain your neck, while you are executing this movement. Ideally one should look at three sets of 20-30 repetitions of such crunches.

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  Crunch
  You can twist to an angle, and repeat the above movements, which will give you a obliques workout. Once you master the basic crunch, and the basic obliques crunches, you can move on to the harder levels of declined crunches, or bench crunches

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  Declined crunches
  The declined crunches are done on an inclined plane, where you repeat the entire movement of the basic crunch while lying on an incline bench. The angle provides an intensive workout for your abs, as they are forced to work against gravity.

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  Bench crunch
  The bench crunches are executed on an elevated plane, by putting your feet up on a bench, chair etc. Again the principle is the same, your ab muscles are working harder against gravity, each time you contract. The movement remains the same; raising your torso towards your feet and bringing your torso back on the ground.

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  Reverse crunch
  The reverse crunches work well for the lower abs. The movement comprises of bringing your knees closer to your chest and lifting your buttocks off the ground. Squeeze the lower abs and focus on the curling movement, and complete the exercise by lowering your lower body to the original position. This is just the reverse of the simple crunch, where you lift your torso to meet the knees.

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  Reverse Decline Crunch
  The reverse decline crunch is the harder version of the simple reverse crunch, and is an intensive lower ab workout. You should lie on your back on an inclined bench, and keep your hands firmly gripped on the top of the bench. Slowly raise your legs up, so that they are at about a 90 degree angle to the bench, keeping your knees locked together. Bring your hips together towards your head raising them several inches above the bench, curling your body as high as you can. After holding this position for a while, return to the starting position. Your spine should be kept in firm contact with the bench throughout the movement.

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  Cable crunch
  The cable crunches are done with the knees planted on the floor and utilizing the double rope at the cable machine. Once you grab the ropes with both hands and bring them to the sides of your head, bring your elbows down to your knees. After this you should rise up to a position where your torso is parallel to the floor, this way the resistance is working your abdominal area. These should be repeated at least 25-30 times.

These exercises can be targeted towards the oblique abdomen muscles, simply by twisting your torso at an angle during the execution of the same. Apart from such exercises there are also the V-ups, Static holds, Jackknife sit ups etc.

Physical trainers often ask individuals to change the ab exercise routine and incorporate exercise variety; this is because practicing the same abdominal exercises result in muscle adaptation and injury due to muscle imbalance. Fitness expert David Grisaffi is a proponent of the multi-dimensional abdominal training, which seeks to counter the deficiencies of ordinary ab exercises. He considers normal sit ups, crunches, ab machines, etc, to provide only a single dimensional training to the core muscles, which result in overall weaker muscle structure. Abdominal and core muscles have numerous and complex movements so the ranges of exercises designed to tone them often fall short of attaining perfect symmetry and proportion of the abs. Core training combined with target exercises are at the heart of building a six pack, because doing only the specific exercises like the sit ups, crunches, etc, have only limited muscle structuring applications.

[edit] Revolutionary Six Pack Training

One of the primary features of the multi-dimensional training program for the abdomen is that it includes a variety of exercises for the complete set of ab muscles. These exercises incorporate various muscle movements of flexion, extension, rotation, stabilization, and side flexion. There are various positions involved in this, some of these include supine, seated, standing, quadruped, stable and unstable. The various stances and postures incorporated in these exercises are the best exercises for overall and specific ab muscle building. The key element in such a multi dimensional ab workout is the Swiss ball, which facilitates the maximum range of core muscle movements. The exercises using a Swiss ball include utilizing harmonic natural movements of the body, which arise due to the instability provided by the ball. The ball is an unstable platform, so you automatically have to adjust your entire body just to be in a stable position. This is extra work makes all the difference, and because of this very fact, crunches performed on the Swiss ball are much more effective.

The most commonly referred to exercises by trainers on the Swiss ball include

• Crunches
• Upper Body Twists
• Plank
• Bridge
• Leg Raises
• Oblique Crunches
• Leg Lifts

The Swiss Ball workouts facilitate the strongest core muscle movements, and build strength and flexibility. The exercise is done in natural positions, which allows the back to be fully stretched as opposed to lying on the floor, which allows you to exploit a greater range of motion. Most physical instructors and personal trainers incorporate the Swiss ball routine into ab training workouts, because of its effectiveness in building strong abs, and increasing overall body balance. The advanced exercises done on the Swiss ball are highly demanding workouts, and should be done under professional supervision. For beginners, there are a range of easy and low intensity Swiss ball workouts, which you should start off with, before you can proceed to the advanced levels. These exercises familiarize the body with the Swiss ball, and allow your muscles to co-ordinate the various movements by adjusting to the unstable surface of the ball.

Let us examine the basic Swiss ball workouts for abs can be categorized into three specific target areas:

• Upper Ab Exercises- Swiss ball crunch
• Lower Ab Exercises- Swiss ball leg lift
• Oblique Muscle Exercises- Swiss ball side crunch
• The Swiss ball crunch has three basic positions.

• Sit on the ball as you would sit on a chair, and slowly lean back keeping your feet forward, so that you are comfortably reclined on the ball with feet apart with a shoulder’s width, and place your hands at the sides of your head.
• Curl your chest towards the sternum, and then towards the abdomen region. Focus on the contraction of your upper abs.
• Lower your torso, rounding your back and bringing your shoulder blades back to the Swiss ball, touching them slightly.

This entire movement should be repeated.

There are other advanced crunches that can be done on the Swiss ball, and you can carry weight above your head while you are lying on the Swiss ball, to add more strength into your routine. You should do this by carrying a medicine ball, and extending your hands as far behind your head as you can, and complete the crunches routine.

The Swiss Ball leg lift comprises of:

• Position the Swiss Ball in front of a firm object like a bench, or a power rack, in order to grip the same during the exercise. Sit on the Swiss Ball and take a step forward with both your feet, and lie back. Extend your arms behind your head and get a firm grip on the firm bench or whatever you have positioned to keep a steady balance.
• Breathe deeply and contract your lower abs, lifting your legs and curling your hips towards your shoulders. Keep your vision upwards, and relax your neck. Raise your legs to a 90 degree angle.
• Very slowly, lower your legs back on the ground to the original position. Make sure you do this step slowly, because the slower you bring your legs down, the better for your ab muscles.

The basic oblique Swiss Ball muscle exercises consist of these steps :

• Sit on the Swiss Ball, take a few steps forward, and slowly lean back. Keep your feet shoulder width apart, and put your right hand at the right side of the head and place your left hand on your right oblique muscles.
• Bring your chest towards the hip that is facing up. Crunch your upper torso straight up, even though your hips are inclined more at one side.
• Return back to the original position and repeat the movement.

Repeat the same steps for the different side, which is with the right hand on the left obliques. There should repetitions with each side, and after the completion of one set on one side, the other side should be initiated.

For intermediate levels of oblique workout, you can try the side oblique crunch. Sit on the ball, put your feet slightly forward, then rotate your hips to the right such that your feet face in that direction, but your torso remains twisted and shoulders face upward. Contract your muscles on your left side, while breathing out and moving your left elbow upward and forward, while curling your upper body to the left.

Such exercises for the abs target the individual areas of the upper abs, lower abs, and the side oblique muscles, for an overall strong ab workout regime. Physical trainers often prescribe such exercises to complement the other Swiss ball exercises, or other general ab exercises, for the maximum range of abdomen muscle workout. It is best to begin with the easier exercises and then move on to the advanced Swiss Ball exercises such as the Scissor Leg reverse curl, for the lower abs or the reverse twists, for the obliques. Swiss Ball workouts ensure the maximum range of ab exercises, and you can easily incorporate these within your existing routine.

Apart from the various abdominal exercises, you should focus on changing your dietary habits for the better. Six pack abs do not come only with exercise, but need an active diet plan. Fat deposition in the abdominal area should not mar your intensive training. To understand how our body reacts to the foods we eat, we have to look at calorie burning from the scientific viewpoint. Excess calories consumed causes you to gain weight; if you eat proportionately, your body will utilise it. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) of a person is the rate of metabolism of food during the dormant or inactive conditions. If you are unfit, your BMR will be low, because your system is sluggish, and your muscles do not require lots of energy, as a result most of the excess amounts of calories are turned and stored as fat in your body. When you train intensively, your body’s basal metabolic rate is increased, which means that your muscles demand more energy during normal conditions as well, facilitating the greater utilization of consumed calories.

[edit] Diet

To achieve six pack abs, you need to group out your daily dietary intake into small nutritious meals, that keeps your metabolism up and running, and ensure that you get in the right amount of calories throughout the day. International fitness expert Tom Venuto recommends whole grains, lean meats, fresh vegetables, and lots of fluids. Instead of having three or four large meals a day, split your meals into:

• Breakfast: should be heavy and fiber rich; should comprise of whole grains, fruits, fruit juices, and lean protein. Oatmeal is an excellent breakfast dish, along with multi grain hot cereal. Lean proteins come in the form of egg whites, chicken or turkey breast, whey or Casein protein powders.
• Mid morning meal: should comprise of a healthy and nutritious snack. This can be fruits, a small lean protein sandwich and fruit juices.
• Lunch: should include fresh vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, green salads, and lean meat. Salmon, trout, flank steak, are good options when it comes to lean protein.
• Evening snack: fruits and fruit juices, a variety of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts (avoid high calorie peanuts and cashews) and small sandwiches.
• Dinner: lean proteins, vegetables, and minimum carbohydrates. The dinner should not be too heavy, and should comprise of lean meats cooked lightly. Salmon, turkey or chicken breast, along with broccoli, asparagus, and spinach are good options.

The key is to regulate your diet so that it includes plenty fiber, water, and lean protein. Protein supplements are not required in the beginning, as the focus on the first few stages of your training should be to define the muscle tone and structure, not an increase in muscle mass. Only when you have comfortably moved from the beginning levels to the intermediate and advanced levels of exercise, should you opt for protein supplements, if necessary at all.

[edit] Things to Watch Out for

• Drink plenty of water, during the workouts as well throughout the day; do not dehydrate yourself
• Avoid junk food; foods with high fat and low nutritional value; you do not want all that effort to go to a complete waste if you add on fat
• Do not overstrain yourself with the exercises; give your muscles rest between exercises. To build a six pack your muscles need adequate rest
• Do high intensity cardio exercises on days you do not focus on ab muscles
• Do not start taking protein or other supplements unnecessarily: aim for natural muscle development as far as possible
• Maintain regularity of your workout schedule; this will help you track the progress through the weeks

The road to perfect six pack abs is not an impossibly difficult journey, albeit it is tough at first. There should be a harmonious progression in the practice of the various levels of the ab exercises, so as to avoid possible strain and injury. The advanced levels of exercises requiring specialized equipment should be done under a trainer’s supervision. Regularity is the key to attaining the six packs, and you should incorporate the ab strengthening routines into your daily regime, or practice them at least 4 times a week. With dedication and sincerity, you are sure to attain picture perfect six pack abs, and gain immense confidence in life.