How to pump up abs: the most effective exercises

fitness trainer, nutritionist, coach

“As a student, I lived in a dormitory with a neighbor who had perfect relief abs like from the picture. There was no effort on his part, and he could only do 20 bending presses. Whereas I could continue to do the exercise even at a hundred. However, I did not have any cubes, and already in the third year a small belly appeared”.

Later, when I started to study this issue, I realized that it’s all about the percentage of fat in the body, that is, performing only exercises on the abs, it is impossible to achieve cubes on the abdomen. That’s why it’s also important to eat right. In addition, you need to constantly increase the load, and patience – strong abdominal muscles require at least six months of hard training.

Good abs do not equal cubes.

Now, when I have already built a diet and training system, I have strong enough abs. The secret is simple – after each workout I do three or four approaches to the abdominal muscles. That is exactly at the end of the exercise, not at the beginning or in the middle. And I always vary the exercises, trying something new. From classical bending exercises, as they used to do in school, to complex things for balance.

Personally, I’ve singled out several effective exercises for abs:

bending on an angled bench with rotation. And when moving down we touch only the lower back, you should not lie down with your shoulder blades on the bench, otherwise there will be a big load on the lower back;

lifting the knees above the waist while hanging on the bar. This exercise has a double effect. First, it strengthens the muscles of the forearm. Secondly, it works the abs. And we need grip strength in almost any exercise;

the Stuart McGill breathing plank. This is not a “pop” version of the plank, when we stand for 5-10 minutes. The plank lasts only 13 seconds, and two or three series will give a great effect.

Also compiled an anti-top of exercises for cubes:

crunches or lying press bends. This is not a bad exercise, but many people cannot do it because of posture and neck problems;

lying leg raises. The main muscle that bends the legs is not the abs. It is the inner and rectus femoris muscle, and the abs work passively. It prevents extension in the lumbar region. Herein lies the problem, as many people don’t hold their back, so instead of abs, they get a sore lower back;

lifting the body on an angled bench. Here the wrong technique can play a decisive role. If we completely lower ourselves on the bench, the lower back muscles will always be involved when lifting. This variant does not give any advantages, only overloads the lumbar region.

Expert opinion

fitness manager of the Pride Fitness chain of fitness clubs

“It is true that there are some differences in which order to pump the abs, but they are not the determining factors for achieving abs.”

For example, I, as in the case of the hero, recommend putting this exercise at the end of the workout to save energy for other exercises where the abs are engaged indirectly. The most important thing when training abs and achieving cubes is proper exercise technique, regularity of workouts and a proper diet.

In general, all three exercises recommended by the hero can be effective for developing abs, but their choice should depend on the individual characteristics and level of training of the athlete. Proper technique of performing abs exercises will help to achieve the best results and avoid injuries.