Let’s face it, a great majority of this society is overweight and out of shape, and many are seeking to improve their first impressions with others by taking the bull by the horns, losing weight and setting up an ab workout that will trim their midriffs and give them a set of firm abs that will be the envy of all onlookers. Well, maybe not that strong; but there are a lot of folks looking for a solution to their flabby midriffs, and a good workout routine targeting the abs is a good start.
Before you plunge headfirst into a strenuous ab workout, you can avoid serious injury and embarrassment by knowing first off what the abdominal muscles are, why they are placed as they are, and what their unique functions are. That way, you can streamline your ab workout to target the areas in the midriff that you want to work on, and get the maximum out of your workouts. First there is the prominent rectus abdominis muscle (commonly known as the 6 pack); the transverse abdominal muscle; and the internal and external obliques.
Okay, now we need to know where these muscle groups lie in the structure of the body, and not only what their functions are, but also why do they do what they do. First of all, the “6 pack” set of muscles, or the rectus abdominis, is the most centrally located of the muscle groups and lies between the ribs and the pelvis where it controls the motion of the middle body. The next is the internal obliques, and they are located inside the area of the hip bones and serve as the rotators of the torso. After them, come the external obliques; and as you would guess by the name, they are found more on the sides of the body and are the muscles that twist the torso side to side. Finally, we have the transverse muscle, which is designed to act as and looks very much like a belt, where its action is to hold your organs in place where they belong in the center of your body. Their workings are orchestrated so that they all move in tandem with one another, and yet one or more sets of muscles can be targeted for strengthening by a good ab workout.
One of the first exercises that is brought up whenever an ab workout is mentioned, or the subject of building up your abs, and that is crunches. Crunches are preferred over situps in most cases because they are easier on the back and tend to save your back any unnecessary stress. The obliques have their own sets of exercises that target them, and those are mainly twists. The core muscles are looked after here also with doing leg lifts and static holds, because without strong core muscles you might as well hang it up—-you must have a solid base to build a good set of abs.
And when all is said and done, a good ab workout is only as good as the body is healthy. If your diet is poor and you are shortchanging yourself metabolically by eating garbage, then all the exercises and workouts in the world will not do much good when they do not have a strong basis to work from. You need a well planned eating program—-you’ve heard it all before; lower fat intake, eat smaller meals but eat more often, never skip breakfast, and drink drink drink water. Depending on the type of ab workout you will be doing will determine the amount of protein you take in, and the amount of carbs as well. Certain types of exercises require more carbs than others, and you need to get that information and incorporate it into your plan. Start lifting weights and doing a cardio routine as part of your total workout as well.
Just a few small reminders when you are putting together an effective ab workout. Exercise with routines that are focused on the abdominal muscles, keep your body hydrated so it runs efficiently; keep your metabolism steady and at an increased pace so you are burning fat constantly and creating targeted energy. Also, remember that it takes a calorie deficit of 500 calories/day to lose one pound of fat/week.
There is nothing that you can’t do if you put your mind to it, and as all the old sages say “Where there is a will, there’s a way.” That applies to developing an ab workout that you like, you will stay with, and will produce results for you—-because, once you get started and start to see the results, you will be hooked and reaching your goal will be a certainty.
Gerald Holt is an author and publisher on such topics as Perfect Abs. For more information on Ripped Abs visit our site.
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