Work Your Abs
Do you find that even though there are innumerable ab workout programs out there, it becomes nigh on imposssible to choose which one will be the best one to follow when trying to get your abs into a ripped 6 pack. I mean, given all of this info, some of it conflicting with each other leaving you scratching your head with which is the best way to workout abs.
What you need to do when you start working out your core muscles, is bear in mind that the different routines all work whether it be aiming ito do lots of reps or just a few using light or heavy weights, using a machine or a stability ball, the thing is it will work until your body gets used to it, then you need to go at it differently to challenge the body and keep the improvement going.
When working your abs, ideally, you should start off with your own body weight on a stable platform, and look to increase the intensity of it until you are using heavy weights on an unstable platform. If you do this then you will find results improve because when you are on an unstable base, this forces all of your core muscles to work, especially the really deep ones that do not get called in to play much when you are using a stable basewill cause even the deepest of your core muscles, which generally do not get called in to play much, to work.
If you are unclear as to what I mean by doing floor work with a stable base, then this is simply doing your crunches on the floor.
Now to get the ripped six pack look you are going to need to do a weighted movements, after all you can have a flat belly without the abs showing and although you look nice and slim, however, that is not really what we are trying to achieve. That is why we need to add the weight into the mix, as we are going after the ab muscle itself and the only true way to develop this muscle is by using a machine to do weighte crunches, or getting on a ball and doing the crunches holding a weight. Also, when performing the rep, it is important that the exercise involved forces your upper abs to crunch onto your lower abs. This is needed in order to really max the burn and fully develop the core muscle.
You can do workouts for both upper and lower abs, really you should just think about working them both out at the same time whenever you train your abs. The thinking behind this is that you cannot completely seperate upper and lower, so it makes sense to concentrate on them as one. Of course, if you feel that you do want to try and exercise them seperately, then exercises such as leg raises will do the trick. And again with leg raises, just like crunches, you can progress from unweighted and stable to weighted and unstable
One of the key areas in all of your workout plans and not just ab workouts is how often to train them, the main thing is to ensure that you have fully recovered from the last time you trained them. As a rule of thumb train them as often as you can as long as they are recovered.If you are finding you are not making any gains, then you need to start resting more as you may be overtraining.
The final word on this is that although you can do these exercises, abs are often hidden under fat, so to get the best results you need to watch your calorie intake and also ensure you have cardio work in your routine as well to help burn off fat.
Also do not forget to consult with your physician before undertaking any exercise regime