Sculpting Magnificent Abs

Creating a sexy midsection is something so many people want to do, try to do, and fail to accomplish. Why does this seem so difficult? The answer is simple. They do everything wrong. I know that this sounds discouraging, however, this is the good news!

Why is it good news to be told that you are doing everything wrong? Because this means you can fix the problem. You see, if you were doing everything correctly, and still failing, what do you do then? In this case, all you need to do is change your approach.

How to train your abs

The first thing you need to understand is that, you have nice abs, they simply need to be revealed. I go into this in more detail in my post “The Surprising Truth About Your Abs”. The idea here is that in order to reveal your abs, you don’t train your abs. You merely need to burn off as many calories as possible so that you no longer have belly fat covering your abs. In a more recent post Get Your 2019 Beach-Body in 5 Steps + “The Ultimate Fat-Burning Secret!” you will learn the best technique to burn calories fast. Today, we will look at some great exercises and techniques for strengthening and shaping your abs.

The exercises:

Once you have eliminated the fat from your midsection, you will be able to see those beautiful abs. Now the work you have done on them will be evident. The following exercises are the basics for what you need to create awesome abs. You can start now by adding the first two exercises. Crunches/sit-ups, and hanging leg raises.

Do one of these exercises in the beginning of the week and the other later in the week. You will be learning the technique and strengthening your muscles. There’s no need to rush.

The following exercises and illustrations are from my book “The Ultimate Secret Weapon of Fitness for Women”.   

Exercises:

    Crunches/Sit-ups:

    Hanging Leg Raises:

    Twisting Sit-ups:

    Cable Crunches:

Let’s look at the form for your first two exercises.

Work your way up to doing each of these exercises for 4 sets of ten reps each. Then advance to 4 sets of 20 reps each. Once you feel ready, you can add weight resistance to these exercises. I used heavy weight and did sets 4 to 6 sets of only 10 repetitions. On occasion, I would go very heavy for sets of 5 repetitions. This was to increase the size and strength of the abdominal muscles to make them stand out. These methods proved very effective.

Remember, start out slowly and work your way up.

Ø  Crunches/Sit-Ups: This will work your upper abdominal muscles.

You can do crunches and sit-ups safely and effectively in two ways. You should do these with your arms crossed over your chest. (Never hold the back of your head. You will strain your neck.

The difference between the full sit-up and the crunch is simple. To complete a full sit-up, you will start out lying flat and stretched-out. You will then use your abs to bring your upper-body to the full, upright position.

For crunches, rather than pulling your upper-body all the way to an upright position, you will flex your abs tightly to curl your midsection, as though you were trying to pull your abs to your hips. You will look like you are trying to fold your upper-body in half, like an armadillo in defense-mode.

To add weight resistance, you can do the full sit-up (on a decline) while holding weights on your chest. Add weight slowly and gradually. You will be surprised at how strong you can get.

Ø  Hanging Leg Raises: This exercise works your lower abs.

Most gyms have the equipment for this. If not, you can do these while hanging by your hands from a chin-up bar. Usually, you will be in a position where your bodyweight is supported by your elbows, with your back against a pad for support. (Pictured here.) Your legs will be hanging straight down, feet together. This is the starting point.

Simply pull your knees up toward your chest until your thighs are parallel to the ground. This is the mid-point. Return to starting point. This is one repetition.

There are many variations to this exercise. You can use a twisting motion to bring your knees up to one side and then the other. You can lift your legs in a pike position (pictured above). Or, to use weight resistance, you can hold a dumbbell between your feet and pull your knees toward you. This is challenging and effective.

In the beginning, this is all you will need to do. As you get better and better at these exercises, you will want to do both exercises on the same day. You will also want to do them twice per week.

Once you are ready to add exercises to your abdominal routine, you can incorporate the following exercises.

Ø  Twisting Sit-ups:

This version of the sit-up will work all of your abdominal muscles and incorporate your obliques (sides).

This is simply a slight variation of the full sit-up. Lay back on the bench or floor with your arms crossed over your chest and knees bent. This is your stating point. Pull yourself up and bring your right elbow up to meet your left knee. This is the mid-point. Then return to your starting point. Next, bring your left elbow up to your right knee and return to the starting point. That is one full repetition.

You can also use the crunch-method for this exercise if you prefer. Again, I like the full sit-up for this because I like the full range of motion. If you feel that full sit-ups are causing discomfort in your back, switch to crunches and see if that alleviates the pain. I have not experienced any issues with my back, due to the full sit-up, so I continue with this method.

I do not use weight resistance with this exercise.

Ø  Cable Crunches:

The cable crunches work the same as sit-ups. On the cable-crossover machine, use a double ended rope for this exercise. (Your gym should have one). Grab the ends of the rope and kneel down. The weights (light weights) should be lifted at this point. Hold the rope, with your wrists at your forehead. This is your starting point.

Now, bend at the waist, in a crunching motion, to bring your head toward your knees. Return to starting point. That is one repetition.
For great Abs,
Click Image

There is no mystery to creating great abs. Eat a healthy diet and burn off any excess fat by training your entire body with intensity. Shape and sculpt your abdominal muscles to your liking by incorporating the exercises above. As you progress, you will see your abs taking shape. When this happens, you can adjust your training methods accordingly to create the look you want.

You are an artist and your body will be your masterpiece. You can do this!!!