For reasons which are unclear, the abdominal muscles (abs) have often been regarded by fitness trainers, bodybuilders and strength athletes of all kinds as being somehow different from every other muscle group.  While it has long been acknowledged that the best way to get big strong arms and legs, a powerful back etc, is to train these muscles intensely – that’s to say by using heavy weights for relatively few repetitions – it’s been maintained that the abs are some how different, that they will respond better to high repetition, low intensity training such as hundred of sit-ups, leg-raises and crunches.

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Check out Alex’s inspirational pictures and also the Q&A we put together on how he achieved these results (very informative and inspirational!)

But it’s now clear that the abs are just like the body’s other muscles and respond best to high intensity training.

It’s also clear that the belief that abdominal fat could somehow be “spot reduced” by high repetitions is unfounded.  Fat cannot be targeted in this way, and by far the best way to lose body fat, other than by dieting, is to build as much lean muscle mass as possible, and by far the best way to do this is byhigh intensity training.

So although there may still be a place for the lower intensity type of training, both for variety, and to work directly on some of the hard to reach smaller muscles, there’s no doubt that for really impressive ab development you need to include as many intense ab workouts as possible in your training.

One point to bear in mind is that there is no one, comprehensive, abs workout which need exclude all others.  There are numerous intensive ab exercises you can do and it’s quite possible to do a slightly different workout each time you train for weeks on end.  As long as you really feel the abs working hard each time you can be sure that these are the kind of intense ab workouts you need.    Combine this kind of training with daily practice of the stomach flattener and vacuum and you’ll see great results in no time.

For a really intense ab workout you have to include a number of exercises which will contract and squeeze both muscles and organs as hard as possible.  Here are a few examples, all of which are much tougher than they sound!

• Bridge with leg raise – lie on your back, knees bent, feet pulled up to your butt and hands by your shoulders (palms pressed to the floor).  Push up with your arms and legs, lifting your hips as high as you can.  Pause for a moment and squeeze your legs together; now lift one leg straight up to the vertical, or as close to it as you can, and hold.for a couple of breaths.  Repeat with the other leg and do as many reps as you can.
• Hanging leg raise – hang from a pull up bar (or preferably rings) and lift your knees towards your chest.  Hold the maximum position you can attain and try to curl your pelvis upwards.  Repeat until muscular exhaustion.
• Burpees – you may well be familiar with this one, but it’s no less effective for that – a great heart and lung workout and fabulous fat burner – as is well known to military physical training instructors!  Stand with feet shoulder width apart and then bend to place palms on floor, knees bent.  Jump feet back to push up position and then forward so your knees touch your arms.  Stand up straight and then repeat.  You should aim for at least ten reps but this is a tough one.

There are of course many other exercises which can form part of intense ab workouts, but the basic tests are these:  if you’re out of breath and feeling your abs burning and struggling after only a few reps then the exercise has sufficient intensity.

If you want to get a lean, toned and shapely stomach in the shortest time then click here for access to these great free downloads
Mike Geary’s – Insider Secrets For A Lean Body (e-book)
Tom Venuto’s – Six Pack Abs Revealed (e-book)
David Grisaffi’s – Posture & Core Conditioning (e-book)
Mike Geary and Jeff “Muscle Nerd” Anderson (90 minute MP3 audio)

Enjoy!

Steve

© 2011 Effective Ab Workouts