To make your abs sculpted, just the right exercises and regular training are not enough. Proper muscle pumping requires an integrated approach. This can be compared to sports nutrition. The sun is out, shirts off, and now it's up to you to decide whether you become the center of attention or some other guy (or girl).
Especially for beginners who are just starting to pump up their abs, we have collected the most important tips. Read carefully, put the tips into practice and you will achieve success!
Everything about ripped abs: everyone should know this!
Features of core muscle training
Each muscle group has its own characteristics. Due attention is paid to the abdominal muscles, because they only need a sculpted look, without gaining muscle mass. Therefore, the usual strength exercises are not only unsuitable, but can also be harmful. Since strength exercises will lead to shortening of the core muscles, which is fraught with pain in the lower back and neck. This is what you should consider when creating your training program.
Sculpted abs workout
Abdominal training is fundamentally no different from training any other muscle in the body, such as the pectoral muscles or biceps . It is also necessary to monitor the correct technique for performing exercises, give adequate rest time between approaches and training days, train regularly to prevent detraining and much more.
Workout for abdominal relief
What you should pay attention to first of all when planning abdominal workouts:
- recovery time (due to the fact that the abdominal press is a relatively small muscle, it recovers quite quickly, so it can be loaded more often than the main muscle groups in the body, but if you feel pain, a burning sensation in the abdominal area, then your abs are already has not fully recovered, give him another 1-2 days of rest)
- progression of the load (if you want to get strong and sculpted abs, then you need to periodically progress, most often this problem is solved, not by the number of repetitions during the approach, but by an internal sensation, while doing abdominal exercises, bring it to a slight burning sensation, this will be quite enough. We can also recommend, for a variety of abdominal training, to perform exercises with additional weights, using a barbell plate or special weights)
- maintaining proper nutrition (as mentioned above, the abdominal muscles will not stand out in the form of sculpted cubes, despite intense training, as long as you have a thick layer of fat on your stomach, so following proper nutrition for weight loss is the key point in this matter. To put it very briefly, give up fast carbohydrates (high GI foods), fatty and unhealthy foods, most often these are foods fried in vegetable oil, stuffed with preservatives, chips, lemonade, fast food, smoked meats, and other foods that are cooked in margarine. , at the same time, increase your intake of quality proteins and unsaturated omega 3 fatty acids)
Proper nutrition for abdominal relief
Do not forget also that the abdominal muscles are significantly involved in the work when performing basic , everyone’s favorite exercises, deadlifts and squats with a barbell, they help stabilize body positions and keep your back in an upright position (so that it hunches).
What affects the definition of the press?
Training alone will not be enough. The relief of a particular muscle group depends, first of all, on the amount of subcutaneous fat. Accordingly, the less it is, the more “cubes” will be visible. From this we can conclude that even with the help of a diet you can achieve relief, but if you limit yourself exclusively to exercise, then you may not see the press.
If you have more than 5 kg of excess weight, then it is recommended not only to perform abdominal exercises, but also to reduce the number of calories consumed per day. You need to eat properly and balanced so that the body has enough of all macroelements and vitamins. This way the goal will be achieved faster. Using our calorie calculator, you can easily calculate the number of calories in a particular product.
How to pump up your abs correctly
1) Pump up your abs at the beginning of your workout
If the abdominal muscles are your lagging and problem area, perform it at the beginning of your workout. Only when you come to the gym you are full of strength and energy and you can easily work out your abs powerfully and effectively, but at the end of the workout you will be very exhausted and will probably give up on it altogether or perform it at half strength.
Also try a new trick, train your abs between training other muscle groups, but not after squats and deadlifts, since here the abs take an active part and can weaken the results of these basic exercises.
For example, do it during a break between approaches, seated dumbbell press, belt rows, barbell curls, and so on, that is, where the abs are involved in the work to a minimum.
2) Do basic exercises
Performing important basic exercises not only helps to increase muscle volume, but also puts a strong load on the abdominal muscles. To create beautiful, powerful abs, you must include the golden three in your program - bench press, squats and deadlifts. But this does not mean that when doing the basics, you do not need to do special abdominal exercises; be sure to do them together.
3) Load your abs to failure
Many, having completed the planned 20 repetitions, are satisfied that they have done everything to build a sculpted press, and this is where the big mistake lies. The abdominal muscles contain many slow muscle fibers, which, in order to be brought out of hibernation and trained well, must be trained to failure, when you cannot continue to do the exercise, in the last repetition, withstand static tension for 15 seconds to consolidate the effect.
4) Create a plan for your abdominal workout
You must have a clear exercise plan to work out all areas of the abdomen - upper-central, lower and side areas. Choose 5-6 favorites for yourself and do them clearly until complete failure; you will find a complete list of exercises here.
5) Feel the difference between the upper and lower sections
To effectively work out the abs, learn to feel the upper abdominal muscles - a great exercise for this is crunches and lower ones, the best exercise in my opinion is hanging leg raises.
6) Use weights with caution
Of course, using a plate, kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell, you can pump up your abdominal muscles much faster, transforming your abdominal muscles and pavement, but your waist can expand and lose its narrowness. Therefore, my advice to girls is to pump up their abs only with their own weight, and for guys to use moderate working weights, as excess weight can negate the solution to the problem of how to get sculpted abs.
7) Strive for progress
Progression of loads is important for muscle growth, everyone knows perfectly well that in order to increase the volume of your arms, you need to constantly increase the weights, the same situation with the abs, try not to limit yourself to 20 or 25 repetitions, each time do them more and more, it will happen every time improve the appearance of your belly.
Give your abs time to rest
With high-quality abdominal work, there is no need to work it every day or several times a day. The abdominal muscles are also susceptible to overtraining, and giving them too much extra stress can delay the recovery period. If you don’t cheat and do each repetition with a feeling of muscle, then the ideal option would be to train your abs every other day.
9) Hold your breath at the end of repetitions
Holding your breath helps concentrate the peak load; at the end of the repetitions, exhale and hold your breath for 1-2 seconds, this will increase the abdominal pressure inside and make it possible to tense the muscles more powerfully.
10) Strive to overcome the burning sensation
At the end of each approach, working to failure, you will feel a burning sensation in your stomach, this means that the muscles have been thoroughly worked out and lactic acid is already blocking your further work. You must step over yourself and do 1-2 more repetitions each time, show willpower and the press will thank you.
11) Use the “Rest-Pause” method
In pursuit of the dream of how to get sculpted abs, try from time to time to train with a given number of repetitions with a pause, for example, after completing 20 repetitions, rest for 20 seconds, completely relaxing the muscles, then again 20 repetitions and again rest for 20 seconds, and so on. This will help to better work the abdominal muscles, achieving maximum muscle failure.
12) Don't make mistakes
By performing the press with strict adherence to technique, you will quickly achieve the desired result:
- Do not pump your abs with jerks, every movement is controlled with the feeling of a trained muscle.
— When twisting, do not pull your head with your hands; your fingers are crossed on your chest or lightly touch your head
— When lifting your legs while hanging or standing, do not try to swing and throw your legs up; lift solely by tensing your abdominal muscles.
- Do not straighten your torso, but rather bend your spine, this way the load is removed from the lower back and almost all of it goes to the stomach.
- Don’t mess around, don’t make the exercise easier in different ways, trying to do the exercise in any way, it’s better to do fewer repetitions, but with high quality
13) Stick to a diet
Even if you work out your abs for days and spend the night in fitness centers, your abs will never shine in all their beauty if you eat everything. To do this, you need to adhere to a high-protein diet, taking slow carbohydrates and reducing fat intake. You can find out an approximate daily diet for abs with a list of products and portion sizes on our website Bomb Body - here.
14) Actively burn calories
Continuing from the previous point, to get rid of excess subcutaneous fat, it is necessary to increase cardio loads, perform high-repetition training and lead an active lifestyle aimed at active calorie consumption. Do all this before the summer period, otherwise in the summer due to the heat it is much harder to burn calories than in the spring-winter period. Actively use running, jumping rope, and do different types of aerobics; without burning calories you will not get rid of excess fat deposits.
Kill the lazy person in yourself, learn to give yourself completely and see how the result will not keep you waiting!
General recommendations:
- Correct your posture . As soon as you notice changes in your posture, sound the alarm immediately. This can affect not only stretched abdominal muscles, but also the condition of the body as a whole.
- Get rid of excess weight. Depending on its quantity, you should start when choosing complex training. If your excess weight is more than 5 kg, then first try fat-burning workouts. And after “dumping the ballast” you can begin to improve the relief.
- Don't forget about the vacuum. This exercise plays a big role in pumping the internal abdominal muscles. The main thing here is technique and breathing.
- Strengthen the muscles of your entire core. Most people often associate the phrase “abdominal muscles” only with the rectus muscle, which is located on the abdomen. But this is not entirely true. This concept includes the abdominal, oblique and transverse muscles, as well as the lumbar muscles. That is why you need to train the entire body, and not selective parts.
Rule 4: noticeable, defined muscles are not always healthy
Abdominal abs do not always mean that a person maintains a healthy weight that is optimal for his body. Especially when you consider how many people today suffer from obesity.
Many athletes with sculpted abs cannot boast of excellent health, since they have incorrectly composed their diet and illiterately selected their training regimen. In order to get sculpted abs and subsequently maintain the muscles in this state, it is important to find a balance, a “golden mean” between their attractive appearance and health.
The structure of the abdominal muscles
Let's remember what the press consists of and what influences its formation. The image shows the core abdominal muscles. These include:
- Rectus muscle - most often it is emphasized when emphasizing aesthetic beauty.
- External oblique muscle - originates from the armpit area and ends in the lower abdomen.
- Internal oblique muscle - located under the external oblique and is virtually invisible.
The main muscles that are involved in the formation of the relief are the rectus abdominis muscle and the external oblique muscle, because they are visually visible and create the image of an aesthetic stone press.
In order for the abs to be visible, it is necessary to significantly reduce the amount of fat in the body - for this you need to use special diets. The amount of flour, sweets, sugar, animal fat (lard, lard, cream, etc.) is reduced, protein-containing products are introduced into the diet (cod fish, cottage cheese with minimal fat content, lean chicken, etc.).
List of the best abdominal exercises
These exercises can be performed both in the gym and at home. No special equipment is required to perform them. So they can be done by those who are far from the specifics of professional fitness. The best exercises for sculpted abs:
- classic twists;
- bar;
- pulling your knees toward your stomach in plank pose (some trainers call this exercise “grasshopper”);
- connection of the knee and elbow in the supine position, the so-called “bicycle”.
Rule 3: Pumped up abdominal muscles will not be visible under the fat layer
We have already noted that pumped muscles will only increase your volume, as they will be hidden under a layer of fat. In addition, unlike other muscle groups, abs will never be visible under the fat layer.
The fewer calories, the less body fat, don't forget about it! This means you will have to either reduce the number of calories you consume daily or burn them more actively.
Important! The structure and volume of the fat layer depend, among other things, on genetic factors. That is why some people get rid of it much easier than others, and it is inherent in their heredity.
The best exercises for a sculpted belly
It should be noted here that there is no specific magical exercise, nor is it absolutely hopeless. The effectiveness of each exercise is determined by the degree of load you select and the quality of the technique. An important condition when performing any exercise is a burning sensation in the muscles at the end of the approach.
Straight crunches
The easiest and safest option for getting excellent relief. The exercise is great for high repetitions and does not increase the load on the spine. Its advantage is that the rectus abdominis muscle is effectively worked with a small amplitude, since the lower back does not come off the floor when performing straight crunches. For complete safety, avoid sudden falls to the floor.
Reverse crunches
This option is also safe if you follow the technique and effectively works the rectus abdominis muscle. But if in the previous version the upper part of the rectus muscle predominantly works, then in this version the lower part is loaded more. The exercise can be performed either lying on the floor or on an inclined bench, holding onto the bolsters or the back of the bench. When pushing the pelvis up, it is necessary to lift the lower back off the floor, but the shoulder blades should remain on the floor. It is important to lower your pelvis to the floor carefully and slowly.
Read more about reverse crunches →
Incline crunches
This exercise requires higher preparation of the abdominal muscles, as the risk of injury increases. When performing crunches at an angle, the torso should remain rounded, and under no circumstances should you bend backwards. The deflection angle at the bottom point is approximately 45 degrees. If the exercise is easy, you can add weights in the form of small plates, holding them above the chest or behind the back.
Leg raises
A highly effective exercise, the correct technique of which should not be neglected. When placing emphasis on your forearms and back, it is important not to lift your lower back from the machine or bend it. At the top point, the knees should, but not necessarily, remain bent at the knees, and at the bottom point they should not swing, allowing you to keep the abdominal muscles tense.
Read more about standing leg raises →
Oblique crunches
This exercise develops the oblique abdominal muscles in a more isolated manner; in previous exercises they worked indirectly. When turning your torso diagonally, you do not need to lift your lower back off the floor and bring your chin to your collarbones. It is important to reach for the knee not with your head, but with your shoulder, tensing your oblique muscles. Crunches are performed on each side for the same number of repetitions.
Read more about oblique crunches →
These exercises, even two from the complex, will be enough to make your abs sculpted. The main thing is to follow all the recommendations and follow the training rules depending on the goal. Each exercise is effective in its own way, the main thing is to feel its effect and the response of the muscles to the load. But in order to get sculpted abs, you cannot neglect loads on other, larger muscle groups and cardio. The combination of all methods will allow you to quickly obtain the desired result.
And also read: The best abdominal exercises → Full body relief workout → How to pump up your side abs? Girls' abs →
Optimal options for terrain
1. Bicycle. Lying on your back, raise your upper body. Alternately pull your knees towards your head. First the right elbow touches the left knee, then vice versa
2. It is advisable to fix your back on the exercise machine. At the moment of execution, the bent legs rise and fall. You should focus on controlling your movements.
3. Twisting. Weights in the form of dumbbells or barbells are suitable for this exercise. In a kneeling position, the weight of the torso is transferred to the arms. You need to “ride” forward using sports equipment. Then return to the starting position.
4. Hands are positioned along the length of the torso. Bending your knees slightly, raise your legs. Tightening your stomach, slowly lift your buttocks.
5. Plank. For half a minute it is necessary to maintain the position of the body in the elbow position. Do it several times.
6. Similar to standard crunches, but with a small addition. The arms are slightly raised and laid back.
Exercises for pumping up the abs, how to get abs, exercises for sculpted abs
There are no universal techniques. Despite the same structure of muscle groups in men and women, exercises for sculpted abs are different. An important question: home or gym? For home walls you will need self-honesty, fortitude and steely endurance.
Without this, it will be difficult to give your best. There is always the possibility of taking an unplanned break. In the gym, the atmosphere itself and the presence of a trainer stimulates you to achieve the desired result. With the right conditions, dedication and organization, sculpted abs no longer seem like a pipe dream.
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