To get good nice abs, you need to do a different workout. If you do it wrong, instead of getting shredded abs, you'll just get a big belly. One thing that's important to know: to get a prettier biceps, you make it bigger.
For a better chest, - you make it bigger. But for the abs, it won't be. .
. - Aesthetic! That's why the abdominal workout has to be different from the other muscles.
Also, the abdominal muscles are just like any other muscle group. But we want a different effect on this workout. Here are some characteristics: first, it is stuck on top, loose in the middle, and stuck down below.
If this muscle is relaxed, it turns into that belly, so we must think about that. We must tense that muscle up. The first thing we need it to generate tension on it, as if it is stuck up top and down below, the more tense it gets, the more controlled it will be.
For that, we are doing machine ab crunches, or if you don't have that machine, you will do those kneeling ab crunches, in front of the pulley. - Why is it at the beginning? - I dunno.
We can use heavier loads with more control, and I want you to do this exercise with heavy load to generate tension in that muscle, to activate it a lot and make it tense. The more tense, the more controlled, and it also protects your lower back. Considering the rectus abdominalis flexes the spine, that's what I want from you.
You'll force that spinal flexion, closing the abs, and when you reach the final point, you'll let the air out to shorten that muscle even more. We want to keep it tense. Breathe in to a point where you keep that abdominal tension, and then you close it again, squeezing it the most, letting the air out.
I don't want you to make it bigger, but more tense. 3 to 4 sets with a nice load to do 6, 8, 10 reps at most. Do one warm up set, which doesn't count.
This video has been watched by the members which have early access, so be a member to get that early access too. Now, exercise 2 on our list. Science tells us this, that when you do abdominal exercises arching the spine, which is the rectus abdominalis' role, flexing up here on top, or moving the legs, you are flexing it the same.
What does science say? If you it one way or another, it makes no difference, so it's not like doing this or like that will work the muscles on top or down below. Studies say there's nothing like that, but some say it makes sense.
Either way, I included a first exercise to generate tension and load management, and leg raises in suspension. Again, the abs flex your spine, so it's no use hanging on the bar and just moving the legs. I want to flex the spine.
If my hips are in place, I'm not working the abs. I'm working muscles which do the hip flexion, like the rectus femuralis. The abs end up working for the stabilization.
You hang in there, and you need to flex your spine, so the movement is different. The idea is to do leg raises to the point your lumbar flexes, because that's the idea. If you are in front of a mirror, you should be able to see your butt.
If you don't raise your legs enough, you can't see your butt. That's science! Checking your butt on the mirror: science!
You can say that you can't do it, but you can flex your knees, reducing the lever and the load, because you are reducing the torque on the joints. You are making it easier, and you can do 3 to 4 sets, reaching failure with the No Reps methodology, to make your abs stand out. Also: don't swing back and forth.
This is a nice exercise, because it is very unstable. When a muscle is responsible for the stabilization, like our buddy here, if it's unstable, it's working a lot. But that's useless - if you don't stabilize it.
- Dummy. The idea here is through this exercise's stability, generate more muscle work and generate a bigger perception of controlled abs. Do the same breathing technique, as having this breathing technique of letting the air out when you shorten the muscle and breathing in when it's stretched doesn't work with other muscles, but with the abs it makes sense, because when you breathe out, your lungs are empty, and you can squeeze more that muscle and bring it more inside, and by doing so you activate the transverse abdomen, which we'll bring here on the third exercise.
Before revealing the third exercise, look at how we built this workout: first, we included tension, making it harden up and bringing the abdominal inside. On the second exercise, we worked the movement differently, using more the instability, trying to control the abdominal wall. During those two movements, I told you to control your breathing, precisely to work the transverse abdomen, which will also bring the abdominal wall inside.
There's strategy. It's like building a house of cards or a puzzle, and this makes a world of difference in your workout, and I do all this for all workouts in periodized fashion on Muscle 60D. That's why I give you 1 year of results in 2 months.
Click the link below to know the program and the entire platform with over 20 courses. The third exercise is the plank. It is annoying, but a great exercise to get nice and sexy abs.
The plank is an exercise in which you basically you have the tip of your toes and your forearms on the floor, and your abs, the center of your body, are holding the body erect. I mean, maintaining the natural curves of the body, the ones in your spine. Don't go overboard on your lumbar or the kyphosis, which happens when people don't have good control over their spinal erection.
If you are more experienced and can control that erection, the abs will work a lot to keep that posture, specially the transverse abdomen. In this position, belly-down, your organs will weigh you down, and if you have food in your belly, it'll be even more. To prevent your belly from touching the floor, you'll need to pull it up, and the one responsible for that is the transverse abdomen.
The fact you're in this position already works it. But we want more! You'll consciously make the effort to pull that wall in, and if you are more advanced, you can use rapid breathing techniques.
You let the air out, - and then you go like this, it's great! - You'll be like that in the gym? You can do that, no problem.
If they complain, tell 'em to watch this video. It will be a huge work, but you don't need to start like that, do it normally. And then, how many sets?
3 sets until failure. You'll get into the plank position and you stay there. It will burn, it will hurt, and you'll reach a point where you won't take one second more.
And then you stop, and then you start again. Three sets are fine. With that, you'll have more controlled and prettier abs, giving you a nicer look, but you'll need this workout here: the back workout.
When you tension your back, you improve your posture, and this is the perfect combo: controlled abs, posture in place, chest outward, you'll just look great. This workout is necessary right now.
