What you need to know about abdominal fitness!

Abdominal fitness is greatly misunderstood due to the glut of information available on the subject. In order to create success with ab workouts, we need to get back to the basics and determine how you can accomplish your goals. Are you looking for a slimmer, stronger look? Or are you trying to create a six pack?

The first step to accomplish your goal is to reduce body fat around your abdominal region. Since it is impossible to spot reduce fat, meaning you can’t pick a part of your body, workout that area, and lose fat. You will need to get on a diet and a comprehensive exercise program to reduce your body fat percentage.

Recommended body fat percentages are 14-17% for males and 23-25% for females. If you want that six pack, your body fat may need to be even lower. If you are within these ranges continue to do what you’re doing to stay in this range and begin training your abdominals as we will explain.

In order to increase the effectiveness of your abs workout and to prevent injury you will need to do core stabilization exercises. Core stabilization exercises involve the muscles of the back, obliques or love handles, and abdominals. Strengthening all these muscles using core stabilization exercises allows you to maintain the correct position of your spine and can prevent you from getting back injuries.

Core stabilization is accomplished by learning to activate the small muscles in your abdomen and lower back through exercises like planks and lateral planks. Each of these exercises forces the muscles around your spine to flex to maintain your posture. Planks and lateral planks force you to maintain a static position for fifteen seconds to a one minute. Doing these exercises will strengthen the abdominals and prepare you for more functional or difficult movements.

After two weeks of performing the stabilization exercises and forming a good abdominal base, there are two different ways to work out your abs depending on your specific goal. Generally, there are two goals people have when working out their abs: the first is slimmer, stronger abs, the second is developing a killer six pack.

To obtain the slimmer look, you will need to begin doing more sets and more reps. Traditional exercises like crunches and sit ups are great options to begin strengthening. Quadraped exercises like bird dogs or stability planks on a fitball will help lengthen the abdominals.

For the six pack look, you will want to do less reps with more resistance. Straight leg sit ups and reverse crunches without weight is a good place to start. Each week add more and more weight to the exercises.

General Abdominal Exercises

Planks	Lateral Plank