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Midsection.
Everyone
loves a good one. Midsection consists of three
components abdominals (abs), obliques (located outside
of abs, on the ribs), and Serratus (it's a small muscle located
between chest and obliques). I used to posses an excellent stomach back
in my wrestling days. A way to a great stomach is pretty simple a lot
of stomach work and very little rest (about 20 sec. between sets). You
can work your stomach every day and it will only get better. If you
really over train it, then you should take a day or two off just to let
it heal up. Picture you will see here are all from past month (excuse
my physique), I haven't worked out in five months. To get a really
incredible stomach you got to keep you sets high (about 10-15 sets) of
as many reps as you can do. Go until you have to stop, take a short
breather, just enough to regain consciousness, and proceed with the next
set. Intensity is the main key in working out you midsection. And for
all you fat bastards, if you don't want to do the work you will not see
any results.
* A lot of
people ask me why they don't see any results even though they work their
abs like maniacs and the abs feel steel hard. This can easily be
attributed to the fact that even a slight layer of fat will hide your
abs. It could literally take days to gain or lose that amount of fat. |
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Of the many exercises out there, here are
the ones I use:
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Sit Ups |
Crunches |
Leg Raises |
Side Crunches |
Pull Over |
Incline/Decline Sit Ups |
Abdominal Wheel |
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Sit Ups
are the best exercise for upper and middle abdominals (top
6 out of 8 cubes). You can hook your feet under something if you want,
or you can have someone hold you feet for you. From having your back
flat on the floor mat, quickly raise your body all the way up until your
chest hits your knees. You can also do this for half reps very
effectively. Don't try to lift yourself up with momentum or inertia of
your body, let the muscles do the work. Hand position is very important
in this exercise, you should keep your hands on your ears, not pressing
against them, but just holding your hands there. You can accomplish
this by pointing your elbows outwardly. Do not grab the back of your
head, that puts too much strain on your neck and could cause injury.
[TOP]
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Crunches
are halfway sit ups that work your upper and middle abs. You
should do these with your legs in the air (or have your feet flat on the
floor), bent at the knees, don't cross them if you can. That will get
your abs to grow unevenly like most bodybuilders. Hand position is the
same as for sit ups. Once again, try to reach your knees, but you
probably won't be able to do that.
[TOP]
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Leg Raises
can be done hanging from a bar or on that special leg-raise stand. This
exercise works the bottom of your abs (the bottom 4 cubes). If your abs
are weak, to these with your legs bent at the knees. If your abs are
pretty strong, do them with straight legs. And don't just stop at a
right angle, go as high as you can. Try not to rock back and forth.
Also, you can do this flat on the floor. Place your hands under your
buttocks for some support and leverage. Then lift your legs almost up
to a right angle, then bring them down.
[TOP]
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Side Crunches
work
the obliques.
Your back should still be on the floor, but now your legs should be
lying on one side of your body, bent at the knees. After doing this
exercise the same way as described in sit ups, flip your legs to the
other side and do the same number of reps.
[TOP]
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Pull Over
You can do this exercise either the way it is done for chest
or lats, it doesn't matter. Either way serratus
will get a work out. Pull over also strengthens your abs and obliques.
Don't do pull over for stomach, just know that when you do it for your
chest or lats, your midsection is working too.
[TOP]
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Incline/Decline Sit Ups
Get on the bench and do sit ups or leg raises depending on which way
your head is facing. That's it. Works abdominals.
[TOP]
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Abdominal Wheel
First want to grab a pillow to put under your knees. If you don't have one,
the skin will wear right off your knees, see, the exercise is performed with
your knees on the ground. One hand on each side of the ab-wheel, keeping
your arms locked straight out, eyes looking at the wheel, push the wheel out
from you, keeping your lower back from sagging towards the floor. Just when
your abs are about to graze the floor, simply pull yourself back
upright using your abs (you have no choice but to use your abs to do it).
Someone just beginning to train their abs won't be able to go clear down
like that-they should go as far as they can and still be able to come back
up. For advanced folks, try doing some from your toes instead of knees. (
thanks to Nathan ) [TOP] |
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