The best abs workout you should start doing

Abs muscles are a part of our core, and the stronger is our core the stronger you will be. For better strength, better exercise, avoid injuries, and obviously to look muscular strong core is very important, abs workout helps you to do develop abs muscle.

Whenever we talk about abs muscle, it’s always about how complex and tough it is to build and develop, but is it that complicated? Let’s get into it understand what it takes to build abs or I should say, to develop abs.

Naturally, everyone has abs muscles, they consist of 5 main muscles, which are responsible for posture and movement. So, yes everyone does already have abs.

We will be talking on these topics in our blog,

1. Muscle groups to focus
2. The science behind muscle building
3. Exercises to do for abs workout
4. Exercise not to do
5. Why the variation in abs workout exercise is important?
6. Diet for abs
7. Conclusion
8. FAQ

Why you are not able to feel and see your abs, isn’t it?

Well it’s quite simple if only you could have avoided those burgers, coke, and pizza. Just kidding. For this we need to understand body fat and how it’s distributed across the body.

Talking about body fat, if you are a man with body fat percentage from 5% to 18% body fat, you can feel and your abs will be noticeable, and if you’re a woman with body fat percentage from 13 % to 23 % you will be able to see or feel your abs.

So, you must be thinking about ton reduce your belly fat and do all the best abs workout and get ripped abs muscle? Well, it’s not that simple,

Why is it difficult to reduce belly fat?

Since fat is distributed evenly throughout the body and hence we can not target naturally to reduce fat percentage from a specific part of the body. Then what you can do? To reduce body fat we need to focus on burning more calories and reduce body fat percentage and support it with our best abs workout.

Now let’s focus on separate abs muscle groups and how train them.

Muscle groups to focus

The Rectus Abdominis

They are between the pelvis and ribs. There are two pairs of muscles. They help to bend or lean in front.

The External Obliques

They are the outermost layer of our abs and they goes diagonally downward.

The Internal Obliques

They are located just below the External Obliques, but unlike external obliques they go diagonally upward to your sides.

The Transversus Abdominis

They are the main muscles that are around our spine, and major part of our waist. They are also known as the deepest ab muscles. 

The Hip flexors

Well, so many bloggers don’t include this abs muscle type when talking about abs, these muscles are helpful for lifting your legs towards your body. They consist of 2 main muscles,

            “Iliopsoas” and “rectus femoris”.

Now, let’s focus on the science behind muscle building, and then we will focus on exercise to hit them with proper science.

The science behind muscle building

There are three types of muscles. They are skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, and cardiac muscles which is also called myocardium.

 This science involves two major components, which are Mtor and protein percentage. Together they help in muscle building. Mtor is responsible for building or creating straining on the body.

Whenever you got to the gym and lift the weight, you Mtor will start functioning, what it does is to regulate your body muscle and this whole process is called MPS or muscle protein synthesis.

This looks quite simple and easy to do isn’t it?, let’s get into it.

Muscles continuously desire for protein for growth and getting stronger. So, this is the reason protein plays a crucial role while building muscles.

More on diet and related information?

Here we need to make sure we are not protein deficient, by ensuring our diet, for information related to cheap and safe protein please visit our blog “nutrition facts of eggs”, “10 Best supplements for bodybuilding”, and “10 best Supplements for Vegan diet”.

And for detailed information on how muscle builds, muscle memory, and exercise do visit this blog “How muscle builds”.

Let’s start with types of exercise, dos and don’ts.

Exercises to do for abs workout

Plank

Plank is the most common exercise to target abs muscle. Even whenever anyone thinks about abs workout plank is one that first exercise which comes in our mind.

To do this exercise you can use a yoga mat, with lying your face down on the yoga mat, and with your forearms plank position.

With your back straight and your elbows should be directly below your shoulder. You can use free hands or make them into a fist, just to notice is to avoid any contact between your hands and ground.

Hold for 15-20 seconds per set.

Hollow extension-to-cannonball

Lying on your back on the yoga mat, try to squeeze your body like a cannonball.

With your knees touching your chest. Now stretch your hands and arms while coming to normal position, avoid touching the ground as possible.

5 to 10 repetition per set.

Barbell back squat

For this you will be needing a barbell or any straight uniform rod.

Spread your feet with your shoulder width. Avoid using any weight, now lower your glutes like your sitting, while keeping the posture intact and bending knees as much as possible. Don’t do it like a squat.

Try doing 10 to 15 reps per set.

Dip/Leg Raise combo

You need a chin-up bar setup, hold it with your hands with the width of your shoulder. Now stretch your lower body upward with your legs trying to touch the bar while using muscle group Iliopsoas, rectus femoris. Visit YouTube for the correct form.

Do 5 to 10 reps per set.

Swiss Ball Crunch

This is a core exercise targeting for Rectus abdominous.

You need an exercise ball, lying at your back, then squeezing your upper core while placing your legs on the ground. Make sure your hips are above your knee level.

Do 10 to 15 reps per set and try doing 3 sets of 5 by max.

Ab Wheel Roll-out

You will be needing an ab wheel for doing this exercise, you can get one online from Amazon or Flipkart.

Grab the sides of the wheel and make a while your back facing the wall. Now lean forward and place the wheel on the ground just in front of your feet, while squeezing your abs, now slowly roll it in the front direction.

Keep your body intact as we do in plank, now return in the same standing position while repeating the procedure in the opposite direction.

Flutter kick

It helps you to target your lower abdominal area.

For doing this exercise, you need to lie on your back, lift your legs upward, and do a movement of up and down while keeping your core intact.

You can use your hands for balancing yourself.

Do 10 to 15 reps per set and try doing 3 sets.

Leg Raise

It is one of the most common strength training exercise, used for building core. In this you need lying on the yoga mat with your back touching the met.

Now lift your legs slowly and make it perpendicular with your torso or upper body, do not rush, do it slowly. It will help you to train internal and external obliques.

You can use your hands to support your balance by placing them near your hips but don’t push your lower body with your hands to lift them or while lowering the.

Do 10 to 15 reps per set and try doing 3 set and 5 set by max.

Pike to Superman

For doing this exercise you will be needing an exercise ball.

Now get into a push-up position and while keeping your legs on the ball and your hands wide enough.

Now stretch your body by rolling the ball backward, while ensuring your arms and core is intact, now in the second stage, you need to squeeze your body by lifting your glutes upward and rolling the ball in front.

Repeat the exercise for 10 to 15 reps per set. Try doing 3 sets.

Resisted Reverse Crunch

To do this exercise you need to lie down on your yoga mat, while you back facing the mat. Now left your lower body upward, while your knees are bend in 90 degrees.

Squeeze your upper body while lifting your knees and while lowering don’t let your feet touch the ground.

Do 10 to 15 reps per set.

Side plank

Similar to regular plank, we do this exercise by making our core intact.

For conducting this exercise, lie down in a direction so that you can use only one hand while your elbow is just below the shoulder.

Now stretch your core and keep it straight, hold while stretching for 10 to 15 seconds.

Repeat the same exercise 3 to 5 times.

Exercise not to do for abs workout

• Dumbbell side bend
• Sit-ups
• The Ab roller

These are some of those exercises which can affect your spine and can cause pain.

You can visit our blog “Exercise schedule for gym” for other exercises information and knowledge.

Why the variation in abs workout exercise is important?

There is something called muscle memory, which tends to store all sorts of physical exercise we are doing like if we are doing the same 4 to 5 exercise for a muscle and not introducing any variation.

It will reduce the growth and this happens because of muscle memory because now your muscle is already having details about the weight and training you are doing and your body will be adjusted to it.

You can take a simple example, of while eating with a spoon, as you don’t need to monitor the spoon and guide the path to your mouth.

It happens automatically, and even when while eating light goes off, you can easily complete that last bite of your pizza, it happens because of muscle memory.

Diet for abs workout

The best diet for abs would be calorie restriction and a high protein content diet. You can consume eggs which is one of the best sources of lean protein, or even take supplements if your diet is not providing you enough protein.

Conclusion

As we have covered almost every single abs muscle, and the exercises to develop and build abs muscle. There are certain things you need to understand, abs are a part of your core, you should try to skip any possible chances of injuries.

use weights which are under your control and you should be able to balance it well. Start with mild exercises and do have some restriction on your late night pizza!

FAQ