Nothing says fit like a washboard stomach. But scoring high-definition abs isn't as easy as cranking out crunch after crunch. To sculpt a stronger, more chiseled core, you need the best abs workout to work the two dozen muscles between your hips and your shoulders in the many ways they function. After all, your core does more than flex on a daily basis—it stabilizes and rotates, too.
Refresh your abs workout with these moves. They'll challenge your core from all angles, making you stronger in everything you do and giving you a body you'll be proud to show off shirtless.
And to make sure there's no unwanted flab covering your abs, try The Anarchy Workout. This all-new fitness DVD from Men's Health has 8 gut-busting workouts that blend calisthenics, weight training, and cutting-edge cardio techniques into a fat-torching, muscle-sculpting, sweat-drenching total-body transformation. All to help you get in the best shape of your life—fast!
Bicycle Crunches Abs
Probably the king of Abs workouts and one of the most effective abs exercises! If there was any one abs workout routine that’s perfectly designed to work your abdominal muscle groups, it would be the bicycle crunch.
Lie on your back flat with your shoulders against the ground and your feet flat on the ground with knees folded.
Clasp both hands behind your head, both elbows pointing forward towards your feet, and raise your right elbow to touch your left knee, your right leg should be fully extended and above the ground.
Repeat the same procedure on the alternate side to complete one rep of the exercise routine.
To make this abs exercise effective, hold your pose for at least two seconds at the point where each elbow meets the alternate knee for a more intense abdominal burn.
Rocky Abs
What's the fastest way to sculpt a rock-solid core like Rocky Balboa's? Slow it down. "Your muscles can handle more weight on the eccentric, or lowering, phase of a lift," says Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, California. So decreasing the pace of that phase—like you do with this slo-mo move from Rocky IV—forces your muscles to work harder, accelerating your gains.
The Long Arm Crunch
The long arm crunch is another variation of the regular crunch and targets the upper part of the abdomen. Equipment needed is an exercise mat. Starting position is to lie facing upwards on the mat with arms straightened behind the head with the hands clasped. Arms are kept near the ears. Lift shoulder blades off the floor, contracting the abs while doing so. Keep arms straight but avoid straining the neck. Then lower back down to the starting position. Repeat the exercise for 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 16 repetitions. This exercise adds a longer level to the regular crunch, adding difficulty and challenge.
Completing the above 5 odybuilder workoubts for your abs will help create define abdominal muscles. However to achieve the desired result it is important to make sure that you strip the fat from this area. Implementing cardio based exercises will help strip this fat and provide you with the washboard abs that you have worked so hard to achieve.
The Vertical Leg Crunch
Similar to crunches, this exercise targets the rectus abdominis and obliques. It is different from the regular crunches because the legs are involved. Equipment needed is an exercise mat. Starting position is to lie with back on the mat, extending legs straight upwards with knees crossed. Place hands underneath the head for support. Contract the abs lift the shoulder blades off the mat. Keep legs in the fixed starting position and lower back down. This adds intensity to the exercise, working the muscles more. This can be done in 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 16 repetit.
Hip Up
Your core muscles allow you to stabilize your spine when you do pushups, shovel snow, walk up stairs, pick up your kids from the floor, and otherwise go about the motions of everyday life. "That's why the best ab exercises don't flex your spine, they keep your spine straight," says Durkin. The hip-up does exactly that while also sculpting your obliques and increasing your rotational control and stability.
Spiderman Planks Abs
Another workout that targets and benefits all the major abdominal muscle areas. The perfect pose for this great abs workout starts in a traditional plank position that involves having your forearms flat on the ground, your body held up away from the ground, and your feet held together with your toes supporting your upper body.
- Slowly bring your left knee forward to touch your left elbow, drop it back to its starting position and repeat the same procedure for your right knee.
- Both series of action complete one rep.
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