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With all the videos and supplements today, it’s a wonder why everyone isn’t completely shredded to the core. Maybe it has to do with the way they train in the gym? Good possibility of it.
It’s a fact that “abs are made in the kitchen,” which means dieting to lose body fat is by far the most effective away to achieving your beach body. But what most people don’t realize is that even if they get their body fat down, their abs won’t have that “pop” effect to their unless you train and build them up like any other muscle in the human body. Who want’s to be a skinny person with flat abs and hardly any definition? Not impressive!
This ab workout is designed to give you that thickness in your abs that will give them more second looks, and it isn’t even as hard as you would think.
Look a little bit like the picture on the left? Want something more like the picture on the right? Then here is a ab workout that is sure to promise results. This is me, roughly 8 weeks apart using the best ab workout designed to lean you out like you’ve never been.
Best Ab Workout For Men
The abdominal muscle is the same as any other muscle, you have to work it with a program or routine that is going to add mass to them. Pair this with lowering your body fat, and you have a shredded core that is going to impress everyone around you.
Like other muscle groups, you abs should only be worked 1-2 times a week. Muscle gains are made during the recovery process (sleep), not in the gym. If you don’t take the time off from working them, they will never grow. I used to be the person that went into the gym and worked abs 5 times a week. Huge mistake as you can see from the picture on the left above. I started hitting them hard once or twice a week, and haven’t changed a thing since then after seeing the results on the right.
This ab workout is designed to be thrown in once or twice a week with whatever program you are currently doing, just throw it in on the end (recommended to do at the end of your workout instead of beginning, but can be done at the beginning if need be). Keeping 2 days of rest in between each ab workout is a must! (Example: First one done on Monday, second done on Thursday. Or Tuesday and Friday, etc etc. Which ever works best for you.)
Best Ab Exercises For Men
First Day:
Weighted decline sit-ups – 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
- This is to be done on a decline bench, usually done on the bench made for barbell bench pressing, but some gyms have just the bench itself without the bar or rack. Either will do. Weights can be actual plates or dumbells held behind your head, not in front of your chest or with your arms extended, but held directly behind your head. This will be incredibly hard at first, recommended to get a 2 1/2 or 5 pound plate to start, or even nothing at all for those that struggle with their core muscles. Performed just like a regular sit-up, except hands are forced behind your head to hold weight. Come up to almost touching you knees, but it isn’t required. No more than 8 reps on each set of this exercise.
Weighted straight leg raises – 3 sets of 8 reps.
- This is to be done on a machine specifically made for this exercise, or one similar such as dips. Anything that is padded and can rest your arms on while doing it. A dumbbell should be held between your feet, legs should be ‘almost’ locked but not quite, and legs should come up in a swooping motion to the point where they are slightly passed parallel with the ground, then return straight back down for a complete rep. Start out with the lightest dumbbell, this will be harder than the first exercise, may also feel it in your quads during your later sets.
Planks – 3 sets of 30-45 seconds.
- May have to search Google for this one, as it is difficult to explain. Done without weight first couple weeks, then once you can do 45 seconds on all 3 sets, start ramping up the weight and place it on your lower back for the full 30-45 seconds.
Second Day:
Recommended to do exact exercises as first day, but remember to keep the actual days 2-3 days apart. After 3 or 4 weeks of doing this, switch your second day to these reps:
Weighted decline sit-ups – 4 sets of 12-15 reps.
Weighted straight leg raises – 4 sets of 10 reps, possibly no weight used if too hard.
Planks – 3 sets of 60-90 seconds, no weight.
- Basically, once you get some strength in your abs from doing the lower reps and higher weight, you change your 2nd ab into a hypertrophy workout. Weight should be dropped low enough to allow you to get a full set of 10-15 reps on each exercise.
Heavy/power ab on the first day, mass building ab day on the 2nd.
Do this ab workout for 8-12 weeks and it will be almost impossible to not see an improvement in your abs. Tweet or Like this post below if you found it useful!