Time is something you don't want to waste during your workouts. I see too many people at the gym
using up workout time doing pointless and ineffective exercises that will NEVER produce results.
Now some things you can't do without - like a warm up. Your chances of injury are multiplied many
times over when you don't take the few minutes required to warm up. Some simple stretching and
calisthenics - like squats and lunges - are fine for your warm up.
Once you're ready to begin your abs building workout, there are four golden rules that you need to
remember - whether you are designing your program, or having a trainer design it for you:
1. Stability Exercises
2. Stability with Resistance Exercises
3. Core Strengthening Exercises
4. Unbalanced Exercises
1. Stability Exercises
After you complete your warm up, stability exercises are next. These use only your body weight as
resistance. You need to do these exercises intensely - don't stop with a set number of reps. The
rule is do your reps until you can't do another one.
Stability exercises include crunches, flutter kicks, reverse crunches, or other exercises that you
don't need any weights or other apparatus to accomplish.
2. Stability with Resistance Exercises
THe next rule is to follow immediately with stability + resistance exercises. These are basically
the same exercises that you have done before - but with WEIGHT ADDED.
Some examples of stability with resistance exercises are an incline bench crunch, a weighted crunch
or a weighted straight leg crunch.
3. Core Strengthening Exercises
The next rule is to follow with core strengthening exercises. these include the most complex
movements of all. The require exact body position and execution.
Some core strengthening exercises that you can do lying down are the Plank, the Side Plank, and the
Superman. Core strengthening exercises that you do standing are cable torso twists, woodchoppers,
and "around the world."
4. Unbalanced Exercises
Final rule: finish your workout with unbalanced exercises. These are the hardest part of your total
routine. The idea here is to do an exercise that actually throws your body out of balance.
For example, you might get into a push-up position with your body straight, then lift one arm toward
the ceiling and open your entire torso to that side. Repeat on the other side. Very hard to do, even
if you're in awesome shape!
You can't do many reps of the exercises and you shouldn't. Five or ten of each unbalanced exercise
is enough.
Remember no workout "works" unless you eat the right foods and build up your workouts properly.
Be sure to keep these 4 golden rules in mind when developing your workout routine. And if there's a
5th golden rule, it's that your form must be absolutely perfect. That's the only way to design an
effective workout that will definitely build gorgeous rock hard abs.
