[pistol345]

Hey guys,
Looking to develop my abs this winter so they'll really pop when I cut in the spring. Any ideas for a routine? Also I have a problem where I try to do leg raises and my hip flexors get taxed and my abs miss out on the workout, improper form maybe? Thanks

[ZiR RED]

Hey guys,
Looking to develop my abs this winter so they'll really pop when I cut in the spring. Any ideas for a routine? Also I have a problem where I try to do leg raises and my hip flexors get taxed and my abs miss out on the workout, improper form maybe? Thanks

Leg raises are a hip flexor dominant movement. The rectus Abs connect the pelvis to the ribs/sternum. In no way do they cross the hip joint or have any major impact on gross hip movement. And, as I've wrote before, over working the "abs" via hip flexion exercises like leg raises and sit ups/large ROM crunches can actually weaken the abs.

My suggestion is a lot bridges and anti-flexion/anti-extension movements (like swiss ball pikes, roll outs, etc.). If you do any crunch, you need to set your pelvis in a posterior tilt. The posterior tilt is best described as the midnight meat train. Stand up, squeeze your glutes, notice how your pelvis tilts. Lay on your stomach and do the same thing. Midnight meat train. Lay on your back and do it again. This position, as long as you hold it throughout a crunch, will reduce hip flexor involvement dramatically. You'll also notice the ROM will decrease and the exercise will become more difficult.

Br

[NYiron]

^ ^ yes, yes and yes and also can't forget anti-rotation and anti-lateral flexion!

[Able825]

no need for any direct ab work unless you want a blocky mid-section.
abs are worked all day anytime you do anyting.
your normal workouts of squats, bench, everything, works abs.
abs are refined in the kitchen......period.

[Wrivest]

Ok...^^ this guy is only partially right. A large majority of people (I never like to say "all people") store fat in their guts. So yes, diet plays an enormous role in how your abs look. So make sure you are eating right in order to trim the fat and build muscle with lean meats and proteins.
But really, to say you don't need any ab work is incorrect. True, if you lift heavy (squats, deads, bench, etc), your core will tighten up and you will get some abdominal definition, but that alone will not give u the ripped 6 pack you are looking for. You need to train your abs like you would any other muscle. I like flutter kicks, but that may bother your hip. Also planks are great, and most gyms have ab machines. The machines are usually limited with how much range of motion you will get, but the extra resistance is good for muscle growth. Also GHD sit-ups are great, just break into them slowly and be careful of overextending your back.

[pistol345]

Cool. Preciate it

[hossjob]

Some awesome posts here!

Another trick I've used is if you "flex" your hamstrings, it will decreaese hip flexor involvement. If you are doing crunches, do them on a bench and hook your heels on the end of the bench and contract hammies, like a contracted/isometric hamstring exercise. Also, when doing crunches/reverse crunches, picture in your mind and "FEEL" the abs contracting. I think of each level of my rectus abdominus contracting over top the next.

[blueice]

Overall abs
Eventhough you can't completely isolate any single portion of your abdominals, you can nvolve a particular section over another through exercise selection.

Upper abs
Anytime you bring your torso toward your legs, you target your upper abs. And because you are naturally stronger during these moves, adding weight can make a big difference in the way your abs pop.

Lower abs
For many weight lifters, lower abs are the weakest link along the chain of abdominal muscles. The key is to bring your legs toward your torso, as with reverse crunch and hanging leg raises.

[NYiron]

Overall abs
Eventhough you can't completely isolate any single portion of your abdominals, you can nvolve a particular section over another through exercise selection.

Upper abs
Anytime you bring your torso toward your legs, you target your upper abs. And because you are naturally stronger during these moves, adding weight can make a big difference in the way your abs pop.

Lower abs
For many weight lifters, lower abs are the weakest link along the chain of abdominal muscles. The key is to bring your legs toward your torso, as with reverse crunch and hanging leg raises.

Please refer to the above post by Zir Red.

[Jiigzz]

no need for any direct ab work unless you want a blocky mid-section.
abs are worked all day anytime you do anyting.
your normal workouts of squats, bench, everything, works abs.
abs are refined in the kitchen......period.

Should I stop working out my arms considering I move them so much? Or my legs considering how much walking I do?

[Wrivest]

Should I stop working out my arms considering I move them so much? Or my legs considering how much walking I do?

HAHAHA!!!!

[bla55]

Well, he is partially accurate though, a lot of people do 10000x abs exercises while eating wrong and packing on fat; that will never bring a ripped 6pack.

I store all of my fat on my mid section. If I workout my abs and am anywhere above 12% it just looks like I have a huge gut as nothing will show. So I just kinda refuse to do them and focus on Stomach Vacuums.

[Able825]

Should I stop working out my arms considering I move them so much? Or my legs considering how much walking I do?

OP asked how to get a defined six pack.....not how to get huge ab muscles.
same thing applies to arms/legs......if you want definition, working them out with heavy weights doesn't not guarantee they will look defined.
it is possible to be totally ripped without ever lifting a single weight.

[Jiigzz]

OP asked how to get a defined six pack.....not how to get huge ab muscles.
same thing applies to arms/legs......if you want definition, working them out with heavy weights doesn't not guarantee they will look defined.
it is possible to be totally ripped without ever lifting a single weight.

No he didn't. He asked how to DEVELOP abs. Aka, improve on the abs he already has. He never said define them. Reread the post.

[Able825]

i stand corrected.
apparently i can't read.

[NYiron]

it is possible to be totally ripped without ever lifting a single weight.

Fail no matter how you slice it

[Jiigzz]

i stand corrected.
apparently i can't read.

Algood, it happens

[hossjob]

Well, he is partially accurate though, a lot of people do 10000x abs exercises while eating wrong and packing on fat; that will never bring a ripped 6pack.

I store all of my fat on my mid section. If I workout my abs and am anywhere above 12% it just looks like I have a huge gut as nothing will show. So I just kinda refuse to do them and focus on Stomach Vacuums.

So true. This drives me nuts. I see people doing 20 minute ab routines that are obese or even overweight. Spend that 20-minutes doing a circuit or cardio. It's going to have a much greater effect on weight loss and overall health.

[bla55]

A question though for the Doc. (ZiR)

I tried understanding the lower ab routine workout - gotta say, I always believed the leg raises were what did it, learn something new everyday - but I couldn't quite reproduce the workout explained yesterday, which leads me to assume I'm doing it wrong; do you happen to have any youtube vides where those exercises would be shown?

Thanks!

[ZiR RED]

A question though for the Doc. (ZiR)

I tried understanding the lower ab routine workout - gotta say, I always believed the leg raises were what did it, learn something new everyday - but I couldn't quite reproduce the workout explained yesterday, which leads me to assume I'm doing it wrong; do you happen to have any youtube vides where those exercises would be shown?

Thanks!

Youtube video's from what, the crunch that I described? I don't know of any...perhaps I'll take one and put it up.

[bla55]

Youtube video's from what, the crunch that I described? I don't know of any...perhaps I'll take one and put it up.

Yeah; I tried following the description but I could feel very little on my lower abs so I figured I'm doing it wrong.

[ZiR RED]

Yeah; I tried following the description but I could feel very little on my lower abs so I figured I'm doing it wrong.

Ah, ok. I'm not sure how much you'll feel in the lower abs, since the majority of the movement involves trunk flexion and compression. I think if you want to really induce some soreness in the lower abs then you should try some dragon flags, since the majority of the tension (and thus muscle trauma) will be at the pelvic insertion of teh abdominals as they work to prevent anterior pelvic tilt during the move..

[bla55]

Youtubed the dragon flag, will give it a go although I'm pretty sure I won't be able to do that exercise unfortunately...

[blueice]

So true. This drives me nuts. I see people doing 20 minute ab routines that are obese or even overweight. Spend that 20-minutes doing a circuit or cardio. It's going to have a much greater effect on weight loss and overall health.

this is so true! you will get a ripped abs if you focus on your nutrition more.

[Albert Simon]

It is possible to be totally ripped without lifting a single weight.My suggestion is to take healthy food and proper exercise for getting right abs.