Training your abs and core takes a lot of dedication and a little planning. When it comes to any muscle group, you need the right training program to keep you on track and reaching your goals!
A good training program is one that works with your schedule but also gives you real results. And to do that, it has to continuously challenge you. As soon as your muscles get bored, your body hits a plateau and you stop seeing results. So it’s important to include the right changes and progressions in your routine to avoid these discouraging phases!
This is especially true when it comes to your abs. Although your abdominal muscles cover a large area of your torso, they’re relatively small muscles in terms of density and size. They won’t get huge and bulging like your pecs or biceps, so you really have to push them hard and challenge them in the right way to see results.
Remember, more than 70% of the results you see in your abdominal muscle definition is as a result from a very healthy nutrition plan, but on top of that you need to always add variety to your exercise routine.
So here’s a cool abs training program that will give you the results you’re looking for…
Abs Training Program
I’ve designed a 6 week abs training program that will not only set you off on the right foot, but keep you seeing results weeks in.
I’ve broken down the program into 2-week periods. As you progress, you’re going to keep adding on the exercises and getting
out more sets, in order to keep challenging your abdominal muscles. That’s why this training program is great for beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts alike – it gives your body time to adapt!
For this training program, you’re going to do 2 abdominal workouts each week. Each workout should last between 20 and 30 minutes.
Here’s the program…
6 Week Abs Training Program
Weeks 1 and 2
For the first 2 weeks, you’re going to focus on jumpstarting your abs and ensuring that you have the right form and posture down.
For all abdominal exercises, you want to make sure that you move through them with control and with your abs engaged. There should never be any strain on your back, shoulders, or neck. In the first 2 weeks, you should be getting out at least 15 reps per set. If you can do more, then do it! Generally speaking, I train my clients to do maximum reps for abs, or until they reach muscle exhaustion.
Perform the following workout twice a week:
- 2 sets Ab Crunch (view exercise)
- 2 sets Lower Ab Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)
- 2 sets Oblique Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 2 sets Ab Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 2 sets Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)
Weeks 3 and 4
The 2nd period of this abs training program is meant to get you out of the beginner phase and working up a major sweat.
Perform the following workout twice a week:
- 3 sets Ab Crunch (view exercise)
- 3 sets Lower Ab Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)
- 3 sets Oblique Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 3 sets Ab Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 3 sets Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)
- 3 sets Hanging Knee Tuck (view exercise)
- 1 set Hanging Leg Raise (view exercise)
- 1 set One-Legged Ab Crunch on Bosu Ball (view exercise)
Weeks 5 and 6
The last period of my abs training program is geared towards intensity. I’ve gotten rid of some of the simpler exercises from the previous periods and turn it up a notch.
Perform the following workout twice a week:
- 3 sets Lower Ab Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)
- 3 sets Oblique Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 3 sets Ab Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 3 sets Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)
- 3 sets Hanging Knee Tuck (view exercise)
- 3 sets Hanging Leg Raise (view exercise)
- 3 sets One-Legged Ab Crunch on Bosu Ball (view exercise)
- 2 sets Upper Cross-Body Ab Twist with Pulley (view exercise)
- 2 sets Lower Cross-Body Ab Twist with Pulley (view exercise)
- 3 sets Russian Twist (view exercise)
- 2 sets Back Extension with Twist (view exercise)
When you finish the 6 week program, you can keep challenging yourself by changing the order of exercises and also by increasing the number of exercises per workout to 12.
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