Everybody is looking to sculpt a great set of abdominals these days – especially since beach season is upon us. So why do some people have great abs and some people seem to work out their abdominals just about every day with little or no results? Sure genetics and diet play a great deal into this, but if you don’t develop and build your 6 pack workout and oblique’s you won’t have a great six pack regardless of what your body fat is.
Just like developing other muscle groups, the abdominal muscles require changing up your workout routine for effective results. Many people will perform the basic abdominal exercises like stomach crunches or fit ball crunches but this is only developing the rectus abdominus muscle (The middle part of your core) and is not working to develop your upper abdominals, lower abdominals, and oblique’s.
You need to constantly perform the exercises that are stimulating your entire core if you want to sculpt a great six pack. This means putting a strong emphasis on your lower abdominals and upper abdominals.
If you fail to effectively train your lower and upper abs you will never be able to develop an aesthetically pleasing six pack. You also need variety with your routine. You can do stomach crunches every single day but eventually your body will get use to the same demand you are placing on it and you will no longer see results.
If you are not constantly changing the exercises you perform, order in which you perform them, and your rest time between sets you will not see results! This abdominal workout routine is great because it will shock your core muscles and place new demands on it. This workout routine puts a huge emphasis on each section of your core and you will be able to sculpt a great six pack in no time!
Remember to change up the routine every few weeks when your body gets use to this workout by swapping different exercises and switching the order at which you perform them. The Six pack workout routine does not count repetitions but rather “Time under Tension” This is vital because it is the time under tension that will help sculpt your abdominal muscles – not the amount of repetitions you perform. Counting your time under tension will give you a different look and challenge your core more than your normal abdominal workouts.
Ultimate 6 Pack Workout
Exercise One: Frog Crunch
Sets: 3 Rest: 20 Seconds between Sets Time under Tension: 45 Seconds Per Set
How to Do It:
Frog Crunches are excellent at developing your upper abdominals. You will begin the exercise by starting in the standard crunch position. Now bring your heels together and form a V with your legs. Keep your hands behind your head and crunch all the way up to your knees and slowly return to the bottom position.
Exercise Two: Bicycle Crunch
Sets: 3 Rest: 30 Seconds between Sets Time under Tension: 45 Seconds per Set
How to do it:
Bicycle crunches are one of the few exercises that work your entire core and put a special emphasis on your obliques. Lay flat on your back and hold your legs straight off the ground about 6 inches. Now keep your left foot straight and elevated off the ground and bend your right leg with your knee coming towards your head. Place your hands behind your head and crunch in with the opposite arm-leg combination. You will crunch in with your right elbow touching your left knee and return back to the starting position and switch.
Exercise Three: Pillar Holds
Sets: 2 Rest: 30 Seconds between Sets Time under Tension: 60 Seconds Each Side
How to do it:
You will place your elbow and forearm on the ground and hold your body in a straight line off the ground with your tummy tucked in and your legs straight. You will hold this plank position for 60 seconds. For the right and left side planks, you will lean on your side with your forearm bracing your body in a straight line on your side. Repeat on the other side. You will perform 3 planks back to back to back and then rest.
Exercise Four: Abdominal Barbell Roll Out
Sets: 3 Rest: 30 Seconds between Sets Time under Tension: 60 Seconds per Set
How to do it:
Simply roll the bar out as far as you can without allowing your hips to touch the ground, or the arch in your lower back to increase. As you become stronger, you’ll be able to roll the bar out farther. Keep your hands about shoulder-width apart on the bar and your hand placement will be palms out.
Exercise Five: Weighted Russian Twist
Sets: 3 Rest: 30 Seconds between Sets
How to do it:
Sit on the floor, knees bent, and your feet flat. Hold your arms straight out in front of your chest, with your palms facing down. Lean back so that your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Twist to the right as far as you can, pause, then reverse your movement and twist all the way back to the left as far as you can. Now to add weight to the Russian twist movement, just hold a weight plate or medicine ball in front of your body and tap it lightly on the left and right side of your torso on each repetition.