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3 Exercises to Build a Solid 6 Pack
Two things are required to get a six pack – diet to reduce total body fat, and exercise to strengthen abdominal muscles. We have covered diet in previous articles, here we talk about exercises to build rock solid abs.
As any bodybuilder knows, building muscle requires lifting increasingly more weight. The abs follow the same rules as any other muscle. Generally muscle growth (in terms of size, not functional strength) is most successful when lifting 10-12 rep sets. Therefore, maximum weight is not used, but also the weight should not be so light that you can easily perform more than 12 reps per set.
For this abs training routine you will require some free weights (discs and a dumbbell, plus ankle weights) and a bench that can be set at a slight incline.
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1. Incline Reverse Crunch – Targets Abs
We start on the bench, which is set to its first incline position. Put on your ankle weights, lie back and grab the bench behind your head with both hands. Raise you knees so that they are above your waist, and then lift your hips off the bench, towards your head. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
2. Weighted Crunch – Builds Bigger Abs
The crunch is the classic ab training exercise. Simply lie back and hold a weight disc to your chest. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, lift your shoulders off, hold, and lower. 3 sets of 10 reps.
3. Weighted Russian Twist – Essential 6 Pack Abs Exercise
Sit upright on the floor with your legs out in front, but legs slightly bent. Lean back approximately 45 degrees while holding a dumbbell in both hands straight out in front of you. Then twist your torso to the left, keeping your back straight, hold for 2 seconds, then return to face forward. Repeat on the right side. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Adding weight should mean that you are working your abs harder, and result in better muscle growth. Do not try building abs with 200 sit-ups every day, do it the proper way with bodybuilders weight training exercises.
Abdominal Muscles Need Recovery
Remember that like your other muscles, the abdominals require adequate rest to ensure that the muscles recover after the exercise. Do not perform these exercises daily. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked his abs everyday, and Bruce Lee’s abs were also training often. However, we do not all have the same genetic advantages, so do not over train.
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52 Responses to “3 Exercises to Build a Solid 6 Pack”
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what is interval cardio exercise?
Interval cardio exercise is another way of saying interval training. This is when instead of just performing exercise at a steady pace, such as cycling, jogging or cross training, you do short sprints throughout your workout. During these sprints your work yourself as hard as possible for a set period, generally from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then you slow down and recover for 2-3 minutes before repeating the sprint interval.
It is up to you how you work this in terms of time. Personally I prefer 30 second sprints on a cross trainer followed by 3 minute recovery early on, and then 1 minute sprints at the end of the session before a longer recovery/cool down. The key is getting the heart rate up high several times. You cannot sustain a sprint, so have to do intervals.