One thing that a lot of us have heard is that abs are built in the kitchen, meaning your diet will determine whether your abs are visible or not. Yes, that is true, you have to be lean (8-12% BF for men, 14-18%BF for women) in order to see your abs but if they’re not developed then they simply will not pop as we all desire. Therefore, I think rather then saying abs are built in the kitchen we should say abs are built in the gym and revealed through diet.
One of my friends asked me how to lose belly fat and I told him to quit the alcohol and start doing cardio. Now I’m assuming he wanted to lose belly fat and reveal his abs but one thing to note is that it is impossible to lose fat in one specific area of your body so training abs 7 times a week will not necessarily result in your abs popping out. But that does not mean you should not train them, that just simply means you have to have a balance between your ab training, cardio and diet. So, which exercises are best for achieving this?
#1 Crunches
Let’s start off with a basic movement. Crunches are very good at activating the abs and this makes sense because the main purpose of the rectus abdominis is to flex the spine. But a lot of people complain of lower back pain when doing many reps of the crunch so it may not be the best option for everyone.
#2 Hanging leg raise
The best exercise (imo) to target the lower abs is the hanging leg raise. This movement brings the pelvis towards the chest targeting the lower region of the abdominals better.
#3 Weighted crunch
This is a variation of the normal crunch where you use a machine or by using a rope on a cable machine. The benefit of using weights for your abs is that it will enable you to have a denser look to your abs, making them pop out even more then they would if you only did bodyweight exercises.
Do not mistake core strength for ab workout
Movements such as the plank and ab wheel are great at strengthening the core and lower back but they are not the best exercises for building great abs. This is because these exercises target your entire core (rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis) rather then your ‘6 pack.’ This is not to say that you should not do them, in fact I recommend them as they will help improve your squats and deadlifts, but do not think that they will get your abs look sharp.
Ab Workout
OK, now that I’ve listed my top exercises for abs let me give you guys a workout that you can follow. You’ll be surprised to know that none of the exercises I’m going to list below include the ones I have mentioned above. That’s not to say that I or you shouldn’t do them but it more to do with my high intensity routine. Doing HIIT is a more effective and efficient way to work your abs, not only will this workout target your abs but it will also improve your cardio, meaning you’ll build your abs and burn fat at the same time, sweet deal right! Ok enough talking, let’s get in to it.
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