Every person wants to have ripped abs. However, even after six months of training, many are disappointed to notice that the result is still not visible. How to prevent this situation?
Are you working diligently on yourself in the gym to get sculpted abs, but the long-awaited six pack still doesn’t appear? It's time to think about your training, nutrition program and lifestyle. Everything is important here! Let's start with the training itself.
Remember that there is no right or wrong way to train your abdominal muscles, but some methods are more effective. For example, our special workouts for creating amazing ripped abs really work, you can see for yourself and find them at the end of the material.
As for the rest, the main thing is to be able to separate the truth from the myth, then seeing the relief of the press will not be difficult.
Myths about ripped abs
The most important thing before starting work is to decide on the “rules of the game” and start following simple recommendations.
Myth 1. Crunches will help you get a sculpted belly.
A common misconception among most people is that doing 1000 crunches will result in a flat stomach and abs of steel. They work hard to do those 1,000 crunches, only to realize that the abs never came. Remember that in the abdominal area there is a layer of fat on the abdominal muscles.
Look at an example of training from Igor Voitenko on the diversity of the training complex.
If you have a big one, even a steel press will not be noticeable. You need to burn off all the excess fat so that everyone around you will notice your impressive abs.
Myth 2. Diet without exercise will help you get sculpted abs.
Definitely not.
Have you ever wondered why not all thin people have toned abs? A diet for perfect abs helps you achieve a flat stomach, but relief comes only after you include strength training in your program. After all, the abs are also muscles that need training with weights in order to become stronger and more prominent. Therefore, if you do not work on them, they will not grow. It's simple, the right training program and success is guaranteed.
Myth 3. I can eat as much as I want as long as I exercise hard.
Diet and exercise should go hand in hand. You can't choose one without the other. It's a harsh reality, but after a killer, intense hour-long workout, you can't indulge in candy, junk food, or ice cream.
How to do sculpted abs exercises from Katya Usmanova
A flat and toned sexy sculpted tummy is every girl’s dream. Even at home, you can pump up your abdominal muscles and give them the coveted definition. Let's reveal all the secrets and find out how to get ripped abs.
Downloading the press: myths and reality
How to pump up sculpted abs? This question interests many women. A saggy and protruding belly is not attractive to anyone. I want my body to be perfect and my figure to be amazing.
Many girls make many mistakes on their way to perfect abs. The first myth is that the abs consist of individual muscles. The abdominal muscle is one, just for convenience it is conventionally divided into three segments: upper, lower and lateral. When performing exercises, the entire muscle is worked
There are various complexes in which more attention is paid to one or another part of the abdominal muscle
The second myth is that the more often you exercise, the faster your abs will become sculpted. This is the biggest misconception. First, abdominal muscle tissue requires at least 48 hours of rest to recover. Secondly, doing the exercise every day will not speed up the process.
The third myth is that to get sculpted abs, you just need to do physical activity. If you do not adjust your diet, you will get pumped up abs, but the cubes will never appear, since they will be hidden by the thickness of subcutaneous fat. Everyone has a layer of fat, so on the way to ideal abs you need to eat right, enriching your menu with protein foods.
Rules for working on yourself
To pump up sculpted abs at home, remember the following rules:
- Before performing a set of exercises, you need to warm up. Cardio exercise is best.
- Choose a complex in accordance with your level of physical fitness.
- You need to perform the exercises with concentration, until failure and burning in the peritoneum.
- The lower back must be pressed tightly to the floor, the neck should not be pulled, control all exercises, try to feel the abdominal muscle tissue.
- Make sure you perform the exercises correctly. It's better to do 3-5 repetitions correctly than fifty times incorrectly. This way it is impossible to work the muscle and achieve the desired result.
- Be sure to watch your diet. It is best to switch to proper nutrition.
- Rest between workouts is at least 48 hours; determine the number of repetitions and approaches yourself.
- Drinking regime plays an important role. Drink 2-2.5 liters of filtered water without carbon during the day.
We create the relief of your dreams
An amazing girl, an experienced fitness trainer, Ekaterina Usmanova, is happy to share her secrets on how to pump up sculpted abs. The exercises can be done at home. You don't need any sports equipment.
The trainer pays attention to the diet and quality of exercises. She says many girls make the same mistake: working their obliques.
It's better to avoid this if you want to maintain a wasp waist.
Exercise No. 1
Classic crunches are the basis for working out the abdominal muscles. We perform the exercise using the following algorithm:
- We lie down on a gymnastic mat.
- Bend your legs at the knees, focusing on your heels.
- We press our lower back to the floor without bending, we hold our hands behind our heads.
- As you exhale, raise your body. This needs to be done with the abdominal muscles. We do not pull our neck and arms forward.
- As you inhale, we return to the original position, but only without jerking or sudden fluctuations.
Exercise No. 2
- We take the starting position described above, only keep our legs above the floor, bending them at a right angle.
- As you exhale, lift your body and reach your elbow toward the opposite knee.
- Straighten the second leg.
Exercise #3
- We lie down on the mat, legs straight, hands behind our heads.
- As you exhale, we rise and at the same time pull our knees towards us.
- As you exhale, we lower ourselves and straighten our legs. We don’t put them on the floor, we keep our feet up.
Exercise #4
The following exercise should be performed on an incline bench:
- We fix our legs, while exhaling, raise our body and round our back.
- The amplitude of the twists should be small, the abdominal muscles are in constant tension.
Bodymaster.ru recommends Training Plans:
If you want to get ripped abs, proper nutrition is a must. There are no easy paths to perfection, so buy a chicken breast, vegetables, fruits and go ahead.
Myth 4: Cutting out carbs is a good idea.
No one knows who came up with it, but every experienced bodybuilder will tell you that your diet should include some type of carbohydrates to keep your energy levels up. Try to get your carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains such as rice, pasta and bread.
Myth 5: Low-tempo cardio, such as jogging, burns more fat.
Many people believe in this myth and believe that jogging for an hour a day is the best way to get ripped abs in 3 months.
While such a long run may provide some benefits, short, high-intensity workouts are more effective for contouring than running or walking for an hour or two.
Myth 6: Saunas and steam baths help me sweat, which means I burn fat
Another funny myth; Many older people believe that when a person sweats, he burns fat and loses weight. This is wrong. Sweating is a reaction that occurs when the body becomes more active and the body temperature begins to rise.
You sweat because your body wants to cool itself, not because it wants to lose weight. If it were that easy, we'd all be slim right now.
Myth 7: Diet pills give incredible results
When someone offers you another magic diet pill, use common sense and refuse this useless purchase. If getting ripped abs were that easy, there wouldn't be a need for so many articles on how to get ripped abs.
Bodymaster.ru recommends Fitness Trainers:
Relief can only be achieved through strength training.
Myth 8: I don't want to do weight training because it will make me big.
Weight training plays just as important a role as diet. Your abdominal muscles simply won't grow unless you exercise them. Think about how big your biceps would be if you lifted the same weight thousands of times. Of course not. Add weight to your abdominal workouts and watch your definition appear.
Myth 9. Eating at night will make me fat.
One aspect of eating well for ripped abs is to have several small meals a day, including before bed. Of course, if you eat a whole roasted chicken or roasted pig every night, you will gain weight.
It is important to keep the late dinner light. Every time you eat, your stomach uses calories to digest that food. If you don't eat, it thinks you're in survival mode, so it turns the unused energy into fat.
By snacking on a small amount of fruit or nuts, you prevent this defense mechanism from kicking in the next night and continue to burn calories even while you sleep.
Myth 10. Everyone in my family is obese, so all my life = I will be like that too
This is a good reason not to get that six-pack you've always dreamed of. Getting ripped abs requires a lot of commitment. Eating right and working out in the gym will allow you to achieve 6-pack abs.
This may be difficult for some people (depending on genes and body type), but with analysis, hard work and dedication, you can get the abs of steel you've always dreamed of.
How long does it take to pump up your abs to get six-packs?
The time it takes for abs to appear on the stomach is calculated individually for each person. Everyone has abs, even obese people, but they are visible only when the percentage of fat reserves in the body does not exceed the norm. To get sculpted abs at home, you need to exercise regularly and eat right, reducing carbohydrates in your diet.
For an overweight person, the process will be long - you need to lose weight so that the cubes become noticeable. For those whose weight is within normal limits, the speed at which results appear will depend on the intensity and systematicity of training. You won’t notice any noticeable changes in a week, but if you work out every day with full dedication, in a few months you’ll be able to boast of pumped-up abs.
Pump up your abs at home - beginners
Body lifts using the Janda method
- 3-4 sets until failure, repetition
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Oblique (lateral) crunches on the floor
- 3-4 sets until failure, repetition
- Body Part: Press Equipment: No
Raising legs to arms from a lying position
- 3-4 sets until failure, repetition
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Reverse crunches lying on the floor
- 3-4 sets until failure, repetition
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
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Bring each approach to muscle failure, the pause between approaches is 45-60 seconds.
Alternatively, you can do a more intense routine that focuses on the obliques and core stabilizers.
Classic crunches lying on the floor
This exercise actively works the muscles of the upper abs.
Execution technique
- Take a horizontal position on the floor with your knees bent , hands behind your head, feet pressed to the floor.
- As you exhale tighten your abs, lifting your shoulder blades off the floor.
- Take a deep breath and return to the starting position .
For variety, you can use additional weights by placing a weight plate from the barbell on your chest or behind your head.
Perform 2-3 sets, 50-60 repetitions.
Exercise - classic crunches lying on the floor
Raising with straight or bent knees
This exercise pumps up the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles. It can be performed either on the crossbar, hanging freely by your hands, or in a special exercise machine, fixing your back and arms, thereby eliminating the force of inertia when performing the exercise, which makes the work easier by removing the positive load from the press.
Below we will analyze the diagram of the classic exercise for the press, while lifting the legs bent at the knees, while hanging on the crossbar.
Execution technique
- Hang on the bar , grasping it with an overhand grip.
- Begin to pull your knees as close to your chest as possible, while making sure you are breathing , the effort occurs as you exhale (raising your knees), while inhaling relaxation (lowering).
- Return your knees to their original position, straightening them.
Adviсe
- Do not sway , keep your body strictly vertical, controlling your movements.
- To ensure that your abdominal muscles are always tense, do not lower your hips completely (do not bring them to a 90-degree angle between them and the floor).
- If you experience pain in the lumbar region while hanging, cross your legs; this simple method can help you perform this exercise more comfortably.
- Don't hunch over, keep your chest up.
Exercise - raising bent legs at the knees to the press in support.
You can read more about the technique of this exercise here.
The technique and fundamental approach when performing straight leg while hanging on a bar are no different from those described above, the only thing I would like to draw attention to is that this is a much harder exercise that works the abdominal muscles effectively
Bike exercise lying on your back
The exercise primarily strengthens the rectus, oblique and transverse abdominal muscles, and secondly the buttocks and thighs.
Execution technique
- Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body, straighten your legs
- Place your hands behind your head, raising your shoulders slightly. The pelvis and lumbar region are pressed tightly to the floor. Raising your legs, bend them slightly at the knees, while the angle between the thigh and the floor should be approximately 45 degrees .
- Begin to perform active movements, reminiscent of riding a bicycle , while you should try to touch your left knee to your right elbow, and your right knee to your left elbow. As you inhale, change legs.
The movements are clear and uniform, without jerking or unnecessary twitching. Breathing is measured.
There is an easier version of this bicycle: when we do not raise our legs, but rotate the “pedals” of an imaginary bicycle without stopping. Choose the option that is closer to your level of physical fitness .
In order for the abs to get significantly tired, you need to pedal for quite a long time, so we recommend it as a “rest” between series, for example, in your circuit training .
Bike exercise lying on your back
Incline crunches
The main load in this exercise is received by the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.
Execution technique
- Set the bench at the angle you want using a special clamp , usually 20-30 degrees, depending on your level of physical fitness.
- Sit on the bench, fixing the lower part of your legs (ankles) under a special cushion.
- Move your arms back so that they clasp the back of your head (for a lighter version, cross them in front of you).
- As you inhale, begin to move down to approximately a 90-degree angle (between the hips and torso), as soon as you reach this point (half the amplitude of the full movement), hold for 1-2 seconds, and then begin to move upward as you exhale.
- Do not try to blades ; this is unnecessary and can lead to lower back injuries. The back should be rounded throughout the entire trajectory of movement.
In order to make it easier or, on the contrary, to load the abdominal muscles more, change the angle of a barbell plate as a weight , fixing it with your hands on your chest.
Exercise - Incline Crunches
The technique of this exercise is discussed in more detail in this article.
Perform 4 series of 50 repetitions , resting 3-4 minutes .
Crunches in the simulator
The rectus receives the main load in this exercise the iliopsoas muscle receives additional .
The working movement is performed by twisting the body down, counteracting the counterweight that you install yourself on the simulator.
Select such a weight that you can do 10-15 repetitions .
Execution technique
- Sit in the exercise machine so that you are comfortable , secure the lower part of your legs under the bolster.
- Depending on the design of the simulator, hold your hands either by the handles on top at head level, or by the soft roller, placing them on the outside. In the latter option, the roller should be located approximately at the height of the pectoral muscles.
- As you exhale , begin a twisting movement with your body as steeply as possible; at the lowest point, pause for a moment, feeling the abdominal muscles contract. While inhaling , return the body to its original position (almost straightening it completely), while making sure that the abs are tense throughout the entire exercise.
All working movements should be performed smoothly, without twitching or jerking, using only the strength of the abdominal muscles, so control the trajectory throughout the entire working movement.
Exercise - crunches in the simulator
Thus, the first four exercises can be performed almost all without special devices , so we recommend them, if it is impossible to go to the gym, to do them at home, to work out the abs.
Circuit training for abs at home - basic
Circular - 2-4 circles
Reverse crunches (reverse crunches)
- 1 set of 10-15 reps
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Leg Raises from Classic Forearm Plank
- maximum number of repetitions with each leg
- Body Part: Press Equipment: No
Exercise "Bicycle"
- 0.5 - 1 minute 1 approach
- Body Part: Press Equipment: No
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After finishing your exercises, take time to stretch for better muscle recovery and stretch your abs.
Home workout for those who are prepared
In this training, perform exercises in a circular format without pauses, sequentially. And without long rest, perform 3-4 such circles.
What abdominal exercises are most effective?
So, you started following a special diet, your schedule includes aerobic exercise three times a week. Now let's move directly to the abdominal muscles and exercises to strengthen them. Let's look at the most effective of them.
- "Bike". A simple and beloved exercise, the technique of which is probably known to everyone. Lie on your back, clasp your hands behind your head. Your knees should be bent and your shoulder blades slightly off the floor. Begin to perform the appropriate movements with your feet, and when your left leg is straightened, you should touch the elbow of your left hand with the knee of your right leg. The “Bicycle” exercise is essentially synchronized diagonal crunches.
- "Twisting." To perform a classic crunch, you need to lie on your back, bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees, and rest your feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your head, but do not close your fingers at the back of your head - this will interfere with you. The lower back should be pressed to the floor - it is this movement that isolates the abdominal muscles. Exhale and begin twisting. Press your lower back into the floor as much as you can. At the end of the movement, you should tense your abdominal muscles and pause, holding in this position. Then inhale and slowly return to the starting position. There are several different variations of crunches: they can be performed on an incline bench, on a fitball, with free weights, with weights.
- "Reverse crunches." This exercise is aimed at strengthening the lower abdominals. It is one of the main exercises for this muscle group. It is best to perform it in the first half of your workout, 10-20 repetitions in 3-4 sets. To perform the exercise correctly, lie on your back with your legs bent at right angles. Tighten your abdominal muscles as you inhale. Raise your pelvis and bring your knees towards your chest, but do not straighten your legs. Exhalation should be done at the very end of the exercise. Your task is to raise your pelvis above the floor as much as possible. The feet should not be placed on the floor until the end of the set.
- "Oblique twists." This is the main exercise for training the oblique abdominal muscles. It is best to perform it at the very end of the training program and repeat it from 10 to 30 times in 3-4 approaches. To begin, lie on your side and bend your knees. The bottom knee should touch the floor and the shoulders should be slightly turned out. As you inhale, twist your body, raising your shoulder and head up. It is necessary to ensure that the lower shoulder comes off the floor a few centimeters. After this, you can return to the starting position and exhale. The hips remain motionless throughout the exercise. Do not bend your neck; your head should be in line with your spine.
“Plank (elbow stand).” This is a universal static exercise that not only trains the abdominal muscles, but also involves other muscle groups, effectively training them. Almost the whole body works, and you only need to maintain the correct position for a certain amount of time. Perform this exercise for at least 1 minute daily, and visual changes in your body will not take long to appear. The starting position of the exercise is to stand on the elbows and toes, while the body should be straight, without bending in the lower back, do not raise or lower the pelvis. The elbows are directly under the shoulder joints. The stomach is pulled in and tense.
"Hanging leg raises." This exercise perfectly develops the strength and endurance of the rectus abdominis muscle. It is one of the most effective exercises, but it is recommended mainly for experienced athletes, since it will be quite difficult for beginners to perform it. For a lighter exercise, they can do the Hanging Knee Raise. Perform lifts 10-30 times in 3-4 sets. To begin doing the lifts, hang on the bar, inhale and try to raise your legs (knees) as high as possible.
After lifting them, pause briefly, then carefully return to the starting position. You can lift not only your legs, but also your entire pelvis - this way the load will be even more intense
Holding your breath while lifting your legs will help you perform this exercise correctly.
Pump up your abs at home - Advanced
Circuit training - 3-4 circles
Exercise Sitap (Raising the torso from a lying position)
- 1 set of 25 reps
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Raising legs to arms from a lying position
- 1 set of 25 reps
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Exercise "Frog"
- 1 set of 25 reps
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Oblique (lateral) crunches on the floor
- 1 set of 25 reps
- Body Part: Press Equipment: No
Reverse crunches lying on the floor
- 1 set of 25 reps
- Body part: Press Equipment: Body weight
Russian crunches
- 1 set of 25 reps
- Body Part: Press Equipment: No
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Try these ab workouts at home, and you will no longer feel like saying that you don't have time to go to the gym and exercise. Now the gym is at your home.
Recommended materials on the topic of abdominal training:
- How to pump your abs correctly - a basic understanding of the key aspects of training: Time, Frequency and Volume.
- The application “Abs in 30 days” - how to make training even more fun and interesting for men and girls.
- Abs Workout app - workouts and exercises for the abs and waist are simple and clear.
Ab workout with dumbbells
Get a smart workout in with dumbbell ab exercises to get a toned abs and build a firmer, more defined six-pack.
The best beginner moves to build strong abs, even without machines. This is great news because it means you can start working on your belly anytime—anywhere, anytime. But after the first results, progress becomes slow, and even if you do hundreds of crunches, the body weight is not enough to move forward.
This is where it’s time for you to increase the load on your abs so that they continue to grow larger and become more defined. One easy and very effective way to do this is to add more weight using dumbbells. Try this challenging but rewarding set of six exercises that will help put you on the path to success.
How to do the workout
There will be six exercises in this set, and the set itself is divided into two cycles - so you will complete all three sets without a break. You perform all 1A reps, all 1B reps, and all 1C reps. You can rest for 10 seconds between the first two approaches, and up to a minute after the third. You should complete sets 1A, 1B and 1C, then rest and repeat the same with 2A, 2B and 2C.
Choose a dumbbell that is not too heavy. You must stick to technique with each rep. If it is too heavy, you will start to swing to perform the exercise, and this should not be done.
1A Dumbbell Crunch
For the upper abdomen
3 sets of 12 reps, rest 10 seconds
Lie on your back, bend your knees and lift a dumbbell above your chest with your arms outstretched. Perform a crunch, lifting the weight as high as possible. Stop at the top of the exercise, squeeze your abdominal muscles and return to the starting position.
1B Side bends with dumbbell
Oblique muscles work
12 reps on each side, rest 10 seconds
Stand at your full height, holding a dumbbell in one hand. Extend your arm with the dumbbell and bend your free arm so that your palm is at your temple. Tighten all your core muscles and bend to the side that supports the weight. After this, return to the starting position. Perform all repetitions on one side, then on the other.
1C Lumberjack exercise with dumbbell
Movement for the torso
12 reps on each side, rest 60 seconds
Hold a dumbbell in both hands above your head. Move the dumbbell to the right of the body. Straining the muscles of the torso, sharply lower the dumbbell to the opposite side of the body. The dumbbell should be near your left leg. We perform the reverse movement, returning to the starting position. We perform all the repetitions, after which we do the same on the other side.
2A dumbbell T-lift
For the core muscles
Perform 3 sets of 6 repetitions on each side, rest for 10 seconds
We start in a push-up position, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your torso tense, lift one dumbbell and turn your torso so that the hand with the dumbbell points upward. Reverse the movement and repeat on the other side.
2B Russian standing dumbbell crunch
12 reps, rest 10 seconds
We stand up to our full height, keeping our arms parallel to the floor. We hold dumbbells in our hands. Keeping your hips in place, turn your arms with dumbbells to one side, then to the other. Then we return to the starting position. It was one repeat. Try to work smoothly and without jerking. Keep your arms straight.
2C Mill with dumbbells
12 reps on each side, rest 60 seconds
We stand up to our full height, holding a dumbbell in one hand above our head. Tighten your torso, turn your gaze toward the dumbbells, and, keeping your arm straight, bend at the waist so that your arm moves unloaded down your leg. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Complete all repetitions on one side, then start working on the other side.
Training in the gym for sculpted abs
One of the reasons why athletes fail to develop ripped abs is because they are not working the muscles with enough resistance, repetitions, or intensity to stimulate muscle hypertrophy.
If you really want to get amazing abs quickly, you have to work them from different angles, just like you do with other muscle groups.
The proposed training program for quickly pumping up the abs was developed by a professional and has proven its effectiveness in practice. Let's look at all the complexes performed by the author, Viktor Chentsov, the champion of Belarus in bodybuilding and fitness.
Train correctly and build excellent body contour.
All about the press and features of pumping up cubes
First, some scientific facts about the press.
The press is one continuous muscle, which is divided into upper and lower parts only conditionally. And it is not possible to pump each part of the abs separately in isolation. However, certain exercises will help you target a specific area of your abdominal muscles.
- Perform cable crunches with your knees on your knees and your legs locked, so the upper part of the rectus abdominis muscle (upper abs) swings much better.
- To better target your lower rectus abdominis (lower abs), hang from a pull-up bar to stabilize your torso and perform leg raises with your knees bent. This way you will better pump up your lower abdominal muscles.
- Additionally, bending your torso helps engage the internal and external obliques, so perform twisting or rotating movements.
- Some exercises can target different areas of the same movement, depending on whether the upper or lower body is stabilized. For example, a crossover crunch can work both your upper abs and your obliques.
Because your abdominal muscles work all day long to keep your body upright, they contain more slow-twitch fibers. Therefore, they fatigue more slowly than other muscle groups with a high content of fast-twitch fibers (i.e. pectorals, biceps, etc.).
Fast twitch fibers are the most capable of growth, but you want to target a muscle group like the abs, which is the most stubborn muscle group to grow. Therefore, you cannot use the typical method for training them, such as for the arms, chest or back.
Until you decide which exercises are best for you, use several different training methods at varying exercise intensities (from medium to high) to get different types of fibers to grow.
Finally, don't forget about progression when it comes to your abdominal muscles. Just doing 20 reps all the time is not enough. You need to increase the load, every workout, try to do a little more than last time. Try to add weight or number of repetitions for each repetition or set in each subsequent workout, or slightly reduce the rest time between sets. You will grow faster if you increase the intensity from workout to workout.