The High Intensity Approach To Getting Ripped Abs
by Russ Howe
If you spend hours scouring the web for tips on how to get abs or how to lose weight, today you are going to learn the simple strategies which most individuals in gyms around the world are totally overlooking.
Before you can accomplish that rock hard midsection, you need to establish some basic ground rules:
1. Hit all the muscles in your midsection properly.
2. Don't overtrain your midsection.
3. Contract the muscle in the same way you would squeeze your biceps at the top of a curl. Feel it.
If you can accomplish those three things then you are probably already satisfied with your results. However, most people fall at one of those hurdles. The first one in particular is a common sticking ground for many people. They subject themselves to tons of sit-ups, but very little else...
Crunches won't hit your lower abs or your obliques. This is why even those in decent shape often only have the top two muscles clearly visible on their stomach.
Try hitting every single muscle in quick succession, such as the workout example below:
1. Crunches x 20
2. Leg raise x 20
3. Ankle-touches x 20
You will increase the burn significantly by doing this as a circuit instead of straight working sets. So move from one exercise to the next without pausing. You can stop for 2 minutes' rest when the round is over, i.e. when you have pushed out 60 reps.
This will allow you to individually focus on the three key areas to a stronger abdominal region, but you can significantly increase fat loss by keeping the intensity level set at a high pace.
It is very easy to get caught up in bland, boring workouts for muscles which do not provide the same ego-boosting stimulus as biceps, chest and shoulders. This is why many men neglect training their legs and do very dull midsection workouts, but the fact is any muscle needs a reason to develop. If you keep hitting it with a boring, easy workout then it won't force itself to change.
While today's workout is most certainly a tough one, it does return results. If you are trying to learn how to get abs the number one rule is to adapt your program to ensure you are hitting every single muscle in the target area, rather than just doing the basic, most popular exercise. Should you train abs with weight? This is not really necessary if you are hitting the area effectively already. If you can do that, then you will see positive results in any muscle group.
Before you can accomplish that rock hard midsection, you need to establish some basic ground rules:
1. Hit all the muscles in your midsection properly.
2. Don't overtrain your midsection.
3. Contract the muscle in the same way you would squeeze your biceps at the top of a curl. Feel it.
If you can accomplish those three things then you are probably already satisfied with your results. However, most people fall at one of those hurdles. The first one in particular is a common sticking ground for many people. They subject themselves to tons of sit-ups, but very little else...
Crunches won't hit your lower abs or your obliques. This is why even those in decent shape often only have the top two muscles clearly visible on their stomach.
Try hitting every single muscle in quick succession, such as the workout example below:
1. Crunches x 20
2. Leg raise x 20
3. Ankle-touches x 20
You will increase the burn significantly by doing this as a circuit instead of straight working sets. So move from one exercise to the next without pausing. You can stop for 2 minutes' rest when the round is over, i.e. when you have pushed out 60 reps.
This will allow you to individually focus on the three key areas to a stronger abdominal region, but you can significantly increase fat loss by keeping the intensity level set at a high pace.
It is very easy to get caught up in bland, boring workouts for muscles which do not provide the same ego-boosting stimulus as biceps, chest and shoulders. This is why many men neglect training their legs and do very dull midsection workouts, but the fact is any muscle needs a reason to develop. If you keep hitting it with a boring, easy workout then it won't force itself to change.
While today's workout is most certainly a tough one, it does return results. If you are trying to learn how to get abs the number one rule is to adapt your program to ensure you are hitting every single muscle in the target area, rather than just doing the basic, most popular exercise. Should you train abs with weight? This is not really necessary if you are hitting the area effectively already. If you can do that, then you will see positive results in any muscle group.
About the Author:
About the author: You can learn how to get abs with the complete workout clip from Russ Howe PTI. Russ is a successful trainer who answers popular gym myths such as should you train abs with weight and more on his fitness and nutrition blog each week.
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