Your Guide to Blasting Your Lower Abs
Getting that rocking six pack you see in fitness magazines takes time and focus.
It takes is a bit of motivation, determination and of course, patience, but the outcome is well worth it.
Four Tips for Six-Pack Abs
- Complete at least 20 minutes of high intensity cardio prior to any core training program. This will ignite your body’s fat-burning abilities and prime your abdominal muscles for crunch time.
- Complete all lower abdominal exercises before performing any upper abdominal exercises. Research shows that you will be able to complete more reps on your lower abdominals if you perform these exercises at the beginning of your abdominal program.
- Work towards high reps before adding any weight. The high-rep range will aid in burning excess abdominal fat, making it easier to see those budding beauties.
- Your abdominals, like any other muscle group, will react and adapt very quickly to a movement pattern. Varying the load or volume of work will only lead to program adaptation. Ensure that you are on the right track to success by selecting a progressive movement program for your mid-section. This goes hand-in-hand with understanding that your core is made up of two parts, an inner and outer unit, which must be trained separately and progressively.
The Three Phases of Core Development
Build Your Foundation, Strengthen your Stabilizers
Core development can be done in three phases.The first part of a progressive core program should begin with developing the stabilizing inner unit muscles of your core. Stabilization exercises such as the plank and roll-outs engage deeper abdominal muscles that will better support your spine.
Activate Your Mobilizers
The second phase should begin to incorporate the mobilizing muscles of your midsection through light twisting in the V-Sit or decline twist. Add weight slowly to these exercises.
Work Your Angles
In the third phase begin to target different regions of your abdominals, specifically your lower section, through hanging leg raises and bicycle crunches.
Feed Your Abdominal Muscles
There is, however, more to lower abdominal training then putting together a couple of lower targeting exercises. It is also important to keep in mind a couple key factors in core training.
Limit Starchy Carbs
Firstly, you can train your abs in as many different ways as you want, as often as you want, but if you are just coming home to stuff yourself full of starchy carbohydrates, you may as well just stay home. Try replacing your starchy carbohydrates with good fats, such as the ones found in oils, nuts and fish. Adding healthy fats to your diet will aid increasing your fat metabolism.
Eat Good Fats
ALLMAX Nutrition has made it easy to lean out by developing CLA80 FEMME and CLA95, both designed to improve overall body composition. As a MUFA, CLA or conjugated linoleic acid can aid in appetite suppression and targets stored abdominal fat. CLA is also an effective anti-inflammatory.
Increase Your Thermogenic Foods
When consumed, thermogenic foods turn up the thermostat on your calorie burn, so it makes sense to include as many of them in your diet as possible. Foods like ginger, cinnamon and chili pepper will create a thermic effect.
If you find yourself following a strict diet, as well as a progressive program, but still aren’t happy with your results, it may be time to add a fat burner to your diet like RAPIDCUTS FEMME or RAPIDCUTS SHREDDED. In conjunction with aiding in fat loss through igniting and releasing stubborn fat cells in your body, RAPIDCUTS works to significantly reduce your body’s cortisol levels as well, allowing you to control stress and consequent water retention around your mid-section.
HINT: Stack CLA with RAPIDCUTS for optimal fat-burning results and check out our other supplement stacks.
12 Weeks of Core Training
Weeks 1 to 4 – Stabilizers (Inner Unit)
Train Core 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days
- Stability Ball Roll-In/Roll-Out (3 sets, 12-15 Reps)
- Decline Weighted Twist (3 Sets, 20 Reps)
- Plank (2 sets to failure)
Weeks 3 and 4
Try these exercises as a tri-set to increase the intensity and concentrate on multi-joint exercises like squats and, lunges as well as bosu, and stability ball work which also cause you to activate your core muscles.
- Stability Ball Roll-In/Roll-Out (3 sets, 12-15 Reps)
- Decline Weighted Twist (3 Sets, 20 Reps)
- Plank
Weeks 5 to 8 – Mobilizers Rectus Abdominals and Obliques (Outer Unit)
Train your Core 3 Times a week on non-consecutive days
- Hanging Leg Raises (use wings if available – they allow you to do more reps – 3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- V-Sit Superset with Hip Thrust (3 sets, 15 Reps)
- Bicycle Crunches (3 sets)
Weeks 9 to 12 – Adding weights for Strength and Tone (Inner and Outer Units)
Train your Core 3 Days a week on non-consecutive days
- Decline Reverse Crunches (with Medicine Ball – 3 sets, 15 Reps)
- Cable Crunches (3 sets, 15 Reps)
- Roman Chair with Russian Twist (using a medicine ball – 3 sets, 15 twists each direction)
