building muscle mass

4 Great Exercises for Building Washboard Abs

by Travis Hunt on February 9, 2012


Building washboard abs seems like a very difficult task, but, really, it’s not. It only seems that way because you’ve made up your mind without even trying first.

I remember when I got started with this whole six pack abs thing; I didn’t really get it right away. After much reading, however, I realized ANYONE who had determination and dedication can get totally ripped abs.

Doing targeted abs exercises can certainly get you the abs of your dreams. Combined with a well-balanced diet and frequent fat-burning workouts, targeted abs exercises will get rid of that unwanted flab and sculpt your ab muscles.

As you load up on a good eating strategy and do exercises like running and swimming, remember to do targeted abs exercises 3 to 4 times a week. Building washboard abs can be easy if you follow these simple exercises:

4 Great Exercises for Building Washboard Abs

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Weighted Sit Ups

You won’t need much for this exercise except for small weights:

  1. Lie down on your exercise mat, bend your knees slightly, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Put the weights on your chest and keep them in place with both hands.
  3. Lift your upper body slowly while keeping your lower half still.
  4. Go up to a 45-degree angle and hold that position for as long as you can.
  5. Slowly lower yourself back down and start all over.

Full Body Crunches

Building washboard abs with full body crunches can get to your goal faster because it works the entire midsection.

  1. Lie back down on the floor and begin doing regular crunches.
  2. As your upper body comes up for the crunch, keep your ab muscles tight, and lift your legs off the ground.
  3. Gradually lower both your torso and legs back to the floor.

double-crunches-abs-anatomy-man

Ball Crunches

For this one, you won’t need anything except for an exercise ball.

  1. Sit on the ball and plant your feet firmly on the ground.
  2. Without moving your feet, slowly roll back on the ball until your upper body and thighs are parallel to the floor.
  3. Go up for a crunch while balancing your body with your feet and abdominal muscles.
  4. Remember to keep those muscles taut.
  5. Go back down to your original position and repeat the exercise.
woman-doing-abs-cruches-on-exercise-ball-starting-position woman-doing-abs-cruches-on-exercise-ball-end-position

Bicycle

  1. Again, lie flat on the floor.
  2. Place your hands behind each ear and bring your legs halfway up.
  3. Begin a cycling motion with your legs, alternately bringing in each leg closer to your pelvis.
  4. As your right knee comes up, twist your torso so your left elbow touches it. Then, do the same with the other side.
  • Once you’ve completed 10 to 15 reps, perform the same exercise while “pedaling” backwards.
woman-doing-bicycle-abs-crunches-1 woman-doing-bicycle-abs-crunches-2

20 to 25 reps of each exercise will give both your upper and lower abdominals a great workout. Remember to keep your abdominal muscles tight and drink plenty of water. You’ll soon realize that building washboard abs with these 4 great exercises will become a great habit!

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Build Lower Abs Fast – 3 Steps to a Full-proof Exercise Plan

by Travis Hunt on December 24, 2011


People come up to me all the time and tell me how hard it is for them to build lower abs. As I probed into their fitness regimen, I learned they all had one common mistake – they’ve got the abdominal exercises down, but they either leave out the cardio or neglect to eat the right kinds of food.

Any successful fitness plan would involve working the whole body and not just your abs. Also, exercising your butt off is never enough; eating healthy plays a big part as well.

You can have all the workout equipment on the planet, hire the best trainers, join all the prestigious gyms, and still not build lower abs if you don’t include ALL 3 steps in your exercise plan:

  1. Follow a low fat diet;
  2. Perform regular cardiovascular exercise; and
  3. Execute targeted lower abs exercises.

Doing one without the other two will do you some good. But that wouldn’t be enough, would it. Imagine what you can achieve when you do all three.

Cutting down on your fat intake will allow your body to burn stored body fat. Before your muscles appear to be cut and well-defined, you need to get rid of the layers of fat that are covering them.

To build lower abs effectively, include a lot of whole grains, lean meats, and a few good fats in your meals. Here are some food items that you can stock up on the next time you go to the supermarket:

  • Leafy greens
  • Colorful veggies (e.g. carrots, peas, cauliflower, bell peppers, asparagus)
  • Brown rice
  • Tofu
  • Fresh fruits (e.g. berries, apples, bananas, oranges)
  • Beans
  • Nuts

Stay away from fatty, processed, and starchy foods; they can only set you back from your goal. Here are some things you must avoid in your diet:

  • Junk food
  • Deep-fried foods
  • Soda
  • Candy
  • Beer

To reinforce your diet, you must stick to a good cardiovascular routine. Doing cardio 2 to 3 times a week will definitely help you build lower abs fast. These holistic exercises help build muscle mass and increase metabolism.

Full cardio workouts include running, walking, swimming, and yoga. If you feel like doing something new, try out a workout video. There are so many to choose from.

The last and final step to build lower abs is directly targeting the muscle group itself.

Standard crunches and full body crunches are two of the easiest, most effective core-specific exercises you can do. Performing these exercises 3 to 5 times a week at 20 to 25 reps per exercise will definitely speed things up.

If you’re really serious about your exercise plan, you can successfully build lower abs by including all three steps. Besides, it only takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete your cardio and abs exercises, and even less to think about what to eat everyday. Stick to your program and you’ll get ripped abs sooner than you think.




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