Abdominal Exercises for Ripped Abs

Target: rectus abdominis and obliques

Abdominals

1. Regular Crunch
2. Arms Overhead Crunch
3. Reverse Crunches
4. Hip Thrusts
5. Hanging Knee Raises
6. Bent Knee Decline Sit-ups
7. Machine Crunches

Core

1. Drawing-In
2. Floor Bridge
3. Iso-Abs
4. Ball Crunches and Reverse Crunch
5. Back Extensions
6. Rotations
   

When I was young we all wanted big arms - bulging biceps. Today, everyone wants abs! How many infomercials have you seen on developing great abs? This is certainly the new fitness craze, however, there is quite a bit of marketing hype obscuring the truth.

• Fact #1 - You can't turn fat into muscle!
• Fact #2 - Abs training doesn't have a direct effect on abdominal fat!
• Fact #3 - Only nutrition and cardio will "banish the belly".

If you do thousands of crunches, and your abs are covered with a layer of fat, you will develop great abdominal muscles that can't be seen. In short, developing abdominal muscles has no direct effect on abdominal fat! It is true, however, that Abs training has a few indirect effects on abdominal fat in that it has a massaging effect, and along with other exercises, helps you burn calories. Aside from these indirect benefits, Abs training will not burn away your abdominal fat. Only good nutrition will "banish the belly".

Regular Crunch

Lie on the floor with a 60-degree bend in your knees or use an exercise ball as illustrated.  Curl your upper body off the floor or ball with your shoulder blades just off the ground or ball.  Feel as if you are pushing your spine into the floor or ball.

Regular Crunch

Arms Overhead Crunch

Use the same mechanics as the regular crunch but add additional resistance by holding your arms back along side of your head with your wrists crossed.

Arms overhead crunch

Reverse Crunches

Lie on the floor and place your hands palms-down at your sides. Keep your knees bent with a 60-degree bend and your feet flat on the floor.  Using your lower abdominals raise your hips and glutes up off the floor keeping your knees bent. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.



Reverse Crunches

Hip Thrusts

Use the same mechanics as the reverse crunch but begin with your legs straight up and using the abdominals raise your hips and glutes up off the floor straight toward the ceiling.  Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.

 
Hip Thrusts

Hanging Knee Raises

Hang from a bar preferably using “Abs Originals” as an option. Using your abs, round your back and pull your knees up. Do not arch your back. You can also keep your legs straight and point your feet towards the ceiling.

 
Hanging Knee Raises

Bent Knee Decline Sit-ups

Lie on a decline bench and keep your knees bent. Do a normal sit-up rising completely to your knees, and lower yourself back down slowly under tension.

Bent-knee Decline Sit-ups

Machine Crunches

Exercise performance will vary somewhat with the maker of the machine; however, with all crunches, attempt to push your spine into the back support and focus on shortening the abs and holding a strong contraction.

Machine Crunches

Core

Most people think that your core refers only to your abs. In actuality, the core refers to the midsection of the body. It includes an area from your hips to your shoulders. More technically, it consists of the lumbar-pelvic-hip complex and the thoracic and cervical spine. The core is where the body’s center of gravity is located.

An efficient core is necessary for maintaining proper muscular balance and is the basis for all movement. The musculature of the core is divided into the stabilization system and the movement system. We will start with stabilization and progress to strengthening as a precursor to movement

STABILIZATION

Drawing In

This is the action of pulling in the region just below the navel toward the spine. You also focus on maintaining the cervical spine in a neutral position. Hold for 5 seconds and do one set of 10.

Floor Bridge

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms to the side with your palms facing down. Lift your pelvis off the floor and keep your knees, hips and shoulders in a straight line. Hold for 5 seconds. Lower your pelvis to the floor and repeat for 2 sets of 10.

Iso-Abs

Lie on the floor face down with your feet together and your forearms on the floor. Lift your body off the floor until your body forms a straight line from head to toe while keeping your forearms resting on the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and lower your body back down on the floor. Repeat this up and down movement for 2 sets of 10.

STRENGTHENING

Core strengthening begins with two of the exercises that we covered under the abdominals section: ball crunches and the reverse crunch. However, these exercises are performed differently and for different purposes.

Ball Crunches and Reverse Crunch

Perform these exercises as illustrated and described under the abdominals section but with a pause in the contracted position. Hold the contracted position for 5 seconds and do only 2 sets of 10.

Back Extensions

Lie on the floor facing down with your legs straight and with your hands behind your ears. Raise your upper body off the floor while keeping your chin tucked and your shoulder blades retracted. Hold the up position for 5 seconds and lower slowly. Repeat for 2 sets of 10.

Rotations

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and with your knees slightly flexed. If possible hold a medicine ball close to your chest. Draw in the navel and flex your gluts. Rotate your body from side to side for 30 seconds. Repeat for one additional set.

Core exercises should be done after your primary workout. If you do them first your body’s stabilization system may be fatigued.

Additionally, don’t confuse your Abs workout with your Core workout. The objective of the abdominal workout is to build up the musculature of your Abs. The objective of the core workout is to stabilize and tone the midsection of your body and thus provide muscular balance as a precursor to movement.