Ab Training 101

You can tell summer is just around the corner by the amount of gym goers blasting out 45 minute monster ab sessions in the gym! The BIG question is….Are these marathon sessions really needed to get yourself an impressive six pack, or are they a complete waste of time? Let’s take a closer look and provide some clarity on this “ab-scure” topic!

The BIG question is….Are these marathon sessions really needed to get yourself an impressive six pack, or are they a complete waste of time? Let’s take a closer look and provide some clarity on this “ab-scure” topic!

It goes without saying, everyone would love a toned mid section….or as its known in the industry a “six-pack” or “eight pack” for the genetically gifted.

In my 30 years in the industry and after preparing myself and countless others for many bodybuilding and fitness competitions I can confidently say a BIG “NO” to the crazy ab routines. Gym time is a valuable commodity, in fact far too valuable to waste time doing up to an hours work (kind of) on abs! In fact, its just plain crazy if you ask me.

So what’s the secret to getting a rippling chiseled six pack?

First of all…. You do NOT need to spend anymore than 5-10 minutes workout your abs. And you don’t have to do them everyday either. Your abs get a fair amount of work while performing compound movements as your core is continually being activated to support your entire torso, otherwise you would bend in half like a giant pretzel.

The next piece of advice. Don’t waste time  on crazy exercises that do not work, or the ones that actually thicken your waste (Weighted side bends with dumbbells). Latest research suggests that the best two exercises that activate the abdominal muscles to the maximum potential are hanging leg raise and believe it or not the “Ab roller”. Yes, it looks like a dumbbell rod with with a wheel in the middle.

Abs are made in the kitchen (Or lost there!). I am sure you have heard it before, 80% of getting into great shape is nutrition. No amount of ab exercises will reveal your abs from under a 2 inch layer of fat. In reality you can actually have an amazing set of abs and never perform an ab exercise “IF” your diet is in good order. In fact I never really work abs until 3-4 weeks before a competition, I would sooner spend that extra 10 minutes working on a weak body part that really needs attention. In my mind you never really want to “Build” abs, especially your obliques. The thicker your waist gets the narrower your shoulders will look! Remember the its all about the “V shape” creating that impressive difference between your waist and your shoulders.

So in a nutshell, don’t stress about getting abs by doing countless crazy movements. Focus on cleaning up your diet, keeping your workouts short and intense. Implement super sets to keep the intensity up.
At the end of the day a clean diet will get you the six pack you have dreamed of…. without busting your chops with time wasting marathon ab sessions.

Check out our FREE nutrition and training programs if you need help in this area.

– Steve