As men when we think of 6 pack abs we think of 100 crunches a day or 100 reverse crunches a day (insert crazy exercise regime here). But is this really the best way for us to train our core muscles to develop a 6 pack without getting annoying niggles in our backs?
Here are my top 5 exercises to build a 6 pack FAST
Best Core Exercise For Men. 1. - Hollow Hold
Muscles Worked - Lower Abdominals
What Makes This So Good?
The lower abs are notoriously the trickiest part of the 6 pack to develop. Whilst this has a lot to do with diet, too much focus on the '6 pack muscle' called the rectus abdominal through crunches and planks and not enough focus on the lower abs leads to many men having weak and under developed lower abs. Done correctly this exercise burns a lot!
How To Do It
Lie on your back with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor.
From this position suck your belly button in towards your spine and squeeze your glutes to flatten your back against the floor.
Slowly raise your legs off the floor to create a 90 degree angle at your hips.
Focusing on keeping your back flat kick your legs out until you start to feel the back leave the floor.
Hold this position for as long as possible.
GOAL - hold this position for 3 sets of 60 seconds with just 30 seconds rest between rounds.
Best Core Exercise For Men. 2. - Inchworm
Muscles Worked
Lower Abs, Obliques, '6 pack muscle' rectus abdominus, shoulders, chest, arms
What Makes This Exercise So Good?
I'd call this exercise a big bang exercise. It pretty much works your whole body and has a high metabolic demand (it burns a lot of calories!). Not only does it train your core through a movement that has you work hard to prevent flexion and extension, two of the most damaging movements for your spine. It also works your shoulders, chest and arms.
How To Do It
1. Set yourself up in a press up position. Torso as long as possible, belly button sucked in towards your spine and glutes tight.
2. From this position slowly walk your legs in towards your body, keeping your legs straight and pressing the heels down in to the floor.
3. Once you cannot walk up any further walk out with your hands so that they are just an inch or two in front of your shoulders. Be careful with how far you walk out as this places a lot of stress on your back as you fight hard to prevent extension of your lower back.
GOAL - to complete 15-20 reps with your hands 6 inches in front of your shoulders.
Best Core Exercise For Men. 3. - Reverse Crunch
Muscles Worked
Lower Abdominals, Obliques
What Makes This Exercise So Good?
Like the hollow hold this exercise works the lower abdominals hard. As a core muscle that is commonly forgotten about this is a great exercise for not only developing 6 pack abs but also helping bulletproof your back and preventing annoying niggles.
How To Do It
1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, the further your heels are away from your glutes the harder the exercise.
2. Suck your belly button in towards your spine and squeeze your glutes to push your back down against the floor.
3. Maintaining a flat back against the floor raise your feet off the floor and bring your knees in towards your chest.
4. Holding this position slowly lower your legs towards the floor, as soon as you feel your back start to arch, stop and bring your legs back up towards your chest.
GOAL - to be able to complete 15 reps with straight legs all the way down to the floor without your back arching.
Best Core Exercise For Men. 4. - Side Plank With Full Rotation
Muscles Worked
Obliques, shoulders, chest
Why Is It So Good
This exercise is not only great for the larger Oblique muscle, your external oblique but the rotation in to and out of a front plank also hits your smaller internal oblique HARD. Don't forget to factor in the rotational element teaching you to rotate from the hips not the lower back and you have an exercise that can really help you develop 6 pack abs and bulletproof back.
How To Do It
1. Set yourself up in a good side plank, body as long as possible, belly button sucked in, glutes tight and top hand reaching up towards the sky.
2. From this position, under control slowly rotate round in to a front plank, ensuring your hips don't drop and your head doesn't droop as you come down in to this position.
3. From the front plank reverse the movement to return to your side plank.
GOAL - to be able to complete this exercise for 15 reps with perfect form.
The Best Core Exercise For Men. 5. - Ab Wheel Rollout From Knees
Muscles Worked
lower abs, obliques, '6 pack muscle' rectus abdominus, shoulders, chest
Why Is It So Good?
This is a hugely beneficial exercise. Not only does it work your core and your upper torso it also integrates synchronised movement with your hips and arms. Add to this the fact that you are fighting the extension forces pushing down on your back and you have a core exercise that will develop your abs FAST!
How To Do It
1. Set yourself up so that your knees are directly under your hips, hands and ab wheel directly under your shoulders.
2. Suck your belly button in towards your spine, squeeze your glutes and pick your chest up.
3. Holding this posture slowly push your hips and arms forward until you start to feel your back arch.
4. Reverse the movement to return to the start position.
Andy Perkins is a strength and conditioning coach from Guernsey, Channel Islands whose clients include three time world touring car champion Andy Priaulx, the national Guernsey cricket team and the Guernsey Rugby team.
He specializes in core training to develop strong, powerful, fast athletes with a very low injury rate of under 10%.
To download your free copy of Andy's top 9 core training programs please visit:
http://fileunlckr.com/110001
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8589612
Here are my top 5 exercises to build a 6 pack FAST
Best Core Exercise For Men. 1. - Hollow Hold
Muscles Worked - Lower Abdominals
What Makes This So Good?
The lower abs are notoriously the trickiest part of the 6 pack to develop. Whilst this has a lot to do with diet, too much focus on the '6 pack muscle' called the rectus abdominal through crunches and planks and not enough focus on the lower abs leads to many men having weak and under developed lower abs. Done correctly this exercise burns a lot!
How To Do It
Lie on your back with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor.
From this position suck your belly button in towards your spine and squeeze your glutes to flatten your back against the floor.
Slowly raise your legs off the floor to create a 90 degree angle at your hips.
Focusing on keeping your back flat kick your legs out until you start to feel the back leave the floor.
Hold this position for as long as possible.
GOAL - hold this position for 3 sets of 60 seconds with just 30 seconds rest between rounds.
Best Core Exercise For Men. 2. - Inchworm
Muscles Worked
Lower Abs, Obliques, '6 pack muscle' rectus abdominus, shoulders, chest, arms
What Makes This Exercise So Good?
I'd call this exercise a big bang exercise. It pretty much works your whole body and has a high metabolic demand (it burns a lot of calories!). Not only does it train your core through a movement that has you work hard to prevent flexion and extension, two of the most damaging movements for your spine. It also works your shoulders, chest and arms.
How To Do It
1. Set yourself up in a press up position. Torso as long as possible, belly button sucked in towards your spine and glutes tight.
2. From this position slowly walk your legs in towards your body, keeping your legs straight and pressing the heels down in to the floor.
3. Once you cannot walk up any further walk out with your hands so that they are just an inch or two in front of your shoulders. Be careful with how far you walk out as this places a lot of stress on your back as you fight hard to prevent extension of your lower back.
GOAL - to complete 15-20 reps with your hands 6 inches in front of your shoulders.
Best Core Exercise For Men. 3. - Reverse Crunch
Muscles Worked
Lower Abdominals, Obliques
What Makes This Exercise So Good?
Like the hollow hold this exercise works the lower abdominals hard. As a core muscle that is commonly forgotten about this is a great exercise for not only developing 6 pack abs but also helping bulletproof your back and preventing annoying niggles.
How To Do It
1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, the further your heels are away from your glutes the harder the exercise.
2. Suck your belly button in towards your spine and squeeze your glutes to push your back down against the floor.
3. Maintaining a flat back against the floor raise your feet off the floor and bring your knees in towards your chest.
4. Holding this position slowly lower your legs towards the floor, as soon as you feel your back start to arch, stop and bring your legs back up towards your chest.
GOAL - to be able to complete 15 reps with straight legs all the way down to the floor without your back arching.
Best Core Exercise For Men. 4. - Side Plank With Full Rotation
Muscles Worked
Obliques, shoulders, chest
Why Is It So Good
This exercise is not only great for the larger Oblique muscle, your external oblique but the rotation in to and out of a front plank also hits your smaller internal oblique HARD. Don't forget to factor in the rotational element teaching you to rotate from the hips not the lower back and you have an exercise that can really help you develop 6 pack abs and bulletproof back.
How To Do It
1. Set yourself up in a good side plank, body as long as possible, belly button sucked in, glutes tight and top hand reaching up towards the sky.
2. From this position, under control slowly rotate round in to a front plank, ensuring your hips don't drop and your head doesn't droop as you come down in to this position.
3. From the front plank reverse the movement to return to your side plank.
GOAL - to be able to complete this exercise for 15 reps with perfect form.
The Best Core Exercise For Men. 5. - Ab Wheel Rollout From Knees
Muscles Worked
lower abs, obliques, '6 pack muscle' rectus abdominus, shoulders, chest
Why Is It So Good?
This is a hugely beneficial exercise. Not only does it work your core and your upper torso it also integrates synchronised movement with your hips and arms. Add to this the fact that you are fighting the extension forces pushing down on your back and you have a core exercise that will develop your abs FAST!
How To Do It
1. Set yourself up so that your knees are directly under your hips, hands and ab wheel directly under your shoulders.
2. Suck your belly button in towards your spine, squeeze your glutes and pick your chest up.
3. Holding this posture slowly push your hips and arms forward until you start to feel your back arch.
4. Reverse the movement to return to the start position.
Andy Perkins is a strength and conditioning coach from Guernsey, Channel Islands whose clients include three time world touring car champion Andy Priaulx, the national Guernsey cricket team and the Guernsey Rugby team.
He specializes in core training to develop strong, powerful, fast athletes with a very low injury rate of under 10%.
To download your free copy of Andy's top 9 core training programs please visit:
http://fileunlckr.com/110001
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8589612
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