Three-day Abdominal Workout To Get A Six Pack

Despite what you might have read or heard, an abdominal workout doesn't have to include a large variety of the latest exotic exercises to get you a six pack. Yes it's true that some are more effective than others, but just sticking to a few pretty common exercises got me the six-pack I have today, so in this article I'm going to give you a 3-day abdominal workout that I have used many times and which includes most of the exercises that I still do today.

All abdominal exercises have a few things in common, the most important of which is to engage your core before you start and keep it engaged throughout the whole set. The easiest way to describe what this means is to tense your abs as if you could be hit in the stomach at any moment. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't breathe though. As you do the first half of an exercise breathe out and empty your lungs as much as you can, then while still engaging your core, breathe in during the second half of the exercise. Finally, don't relax at any time so you can control the entire movement.

The abdominal workout will train the upper and lower areas of your six-pack on each day, as well as your obliques. It should be done on alternate days, for example, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and if you're really serious about making a six-pack your priority then do it before any other body part.

Day 1 - Cable Crunch, Leg Raise

Day 2 - Oblique Crunch, Upper Crunch, Side V Crunch

Day 3 - Plank, Side Plank, V Crunch

For each exercise do 4 sets of 10 reps, with a 2-minute rest in between each, which will concentrate on building the size of your six-pack. Do this for 6 weeks and you'll notice a difference, after which the workout can be adapted. There are several ways to do this. To instead concentrate on definition do 15 - 20 reps per set and change the rest time to a maximum of 1 minute. The Plank and Side Plank exercises should be held for as long as possible up to 2 minutes, but if you can do longer with the correct technique it needs to be made more difficult. The rest periods are the same as the other exercises.

Once you've finished your abdominal workout, like any other muscle your six-pack needs stretching. The best way to do this is to lay on your back over a Swiss ball with your feet flat on the ground and your arms above your head as if you're trying to touch the floor. Let your body relax and you will feel the stretch on your abdominals, your hip flexors, or both, depending on how flexible you are. Hold this for 30 seconds. To increase the stretch take a deep breath and hold it. To stretch your obliques, put your left arm by your side and your right hand behind your head, lean down to the left but only from the waist upwards. Keep your hips horizontal and your back straight and hold for 30 seconds to stretch the right side. Do the opposite to stretch your left side.

Posted in: Fitness, Workout