*Proper Eating*
Proper eating is a must if you want to get lean abdominals, there is no
way around it. I am sure that you know the basics of proper eating. For
example, you should eat approx. 1 gram of protein per pound of
bodyweight. For protein eat foods such as lean meats, chicken, turkey,
fish, eggs, milk, protein drinks, protein bars, etc. Eat plenty of fresh
vegetables. Eat starchy carbohydrates such as brown rice, potatoes,
yams, oatmeal, high fibre cereals, etc. Limit your fat intake and avoid
eating "junk-foods". Eat a small meal or snack every few hours. Drink
plenty of water throughout the day. To satisfy your sweet tooth you can
eat fresh fruits in moderation. Protein drinks
<http://www.leehayward.com/protein.htm> and protein bars
<http://www.leehayward.com/proteinbar.htm> can help satisfy your
cravings for sweets.
*Cardio*
If you have excess bodyfat on your midsection, you will not see your abs
no matter how developed they are. Doing hundreds of crunches / sit ups
does not burn fat from your stomach. Cardiovascular exercise is the only
exercise that will burn off any substantial amount of bodyfat. Weight
training builds muscle and cardio burns fat. You should do cardio for at
least 30 minutes 3 times per week and more if you are trying to lose
bodyfat. I personally work up to doing two 30 minute cardio sessions per
day when I am getting ready for a bodybuilding contest.
*Train your abs 2-3 times per week*
Some people believe that the fast way to six pack abs is to train the
abs every day. This will not speed up the process because the muscles
need time to recuperate and grow. Training causes damage to the muscles,
and the muscles respond by getting bigger and stronger. Daily ab
workouts will not allow enough time for the abdominals to rest and grow.
However, the abdominals do recuperate faster than most other muscle
groups. So you can train them up to 3 times per week (i.e. Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday)
*Train your abs with resistance exercises*
To get the best results you should train your abs with resistance
exercises. No one trains their chest with 50+ rep sets of bench presses
with an empty bar, so why do so many people train their abs with 50+ rep
sets of crunches.
A good number to aim for with abdominal exercises is 10-15 reps per set.
Some good resistance exercises for the abs are:
_Incline bench sit ups:_
incline bench sit ups
When you are able to perform more then 15 reps per set with good form
you can hold a weight plate to the chest when doing this exercise to add
resistance.
_Leg Raises:_
leg raises are a great lower ab exercise
To make this exercise easier keep your knees bent throughout the
movement. To make it harder keep your legs straight. As you get more
advanced you can also add ankle weights or hold a dumbbell between your
feet to increase the resistance.
_Cable Crunches:_
cable crunches are a great abdominal exercise
When you are able to perform 15+ reps with good form simply select more
weight on the weight stack to increase the resistance.
You can also make abdominal exercises harder by pausing in the
contracted position and by performing the reps in a slow and controlled
motion.
*Train ALL areas of the waist line*
When most people think of training their waist line they focus on
crunches. But in order to have complete development you need to train
the upper abs, lower abs, obliques, and lower back. Not only does a well
developed waist line look good, but it will help to strengthen the
entire body. Your mid section stabilizes your body during your workouts
or any physical activity.
A good exercise for the lower back is the Hyper Extension:
hyper extensions are a great lower back exercise
To add resistance to this exercise simply hold a weight plate to your chest.
A good exercise for the obliques is the side bend:
dumbbell side bends are a great exercise for the obliques
To increase the resistance in this exercise simply work up to using
heavier dumbbells.
*Suck in your gut*
The Transverse Abdominus (TVA) muscles are used to keep the stomach
pulled in, making the midsection appear smaller. We all know of people
who are lean, but they have a pot belly that sticks out quite a bit.
This is because they have weak TVA muscles.
Training the TVA is very easy. Simply blow all of your air out and suck
your stomach in and hold it for 15-30 seconds. You can do this
throughout the day by simply sucking your stomach in. That may seem
rather simple, but it works for creating a slimmer waist line.
Proper eating is a must if you want to get lean abdominals, there is no
way around it. I am sure that you know the basics of proper eating. For
example, you should eat approx. 1 gram of protein per pound of
bodyweight. For protein eat foods such as lean meats, chicken, turkey,
fish, eggs, milk, protein drinks, protein bars, etc. Eat plenty of fresh
vegetables. Eat starchy carbohydrates such as brown rice, potatoes,
yams, oatmeal, high fibre cereals, etc. Limit your fat intake and avoid
eating "junk-foods". Eat a small meal or snack every few hours. Drink
plenty of water throughout the day. To satisfy your sweet tooth you can
eat fresh fruits in moderation. Protein drinks
<http://www.leehayward.com/protein.htm> and protein bars
<http://www.leehayward.com/proteinbar.htm> can help satisfy your
cravings for sweets.
*Cardio*
If you have excess bodyfat on your midsection, you will not see your abs
no matter how developed they are. Doing hundreds of crunches / sit ups
does not burn fat from your stomach. Cardiovascular exercise is the only
exercise that will burn off any substantial amount of bodyfat. Weight
training builds muscle and cardio burns fat. You should do cardio for at
least 30 minutes 3 times per week and more if you are trying to lose
bodyfat. I personally work up to doing two 30 minute cardio sessions per
day when I am getting ready for a bodybuilding contest.
*Train your abs 2-3 times per week*
Some people believe that the fast way to six pack abs is to train the
abs every day. This will not speed up the process because the muscles
need time to recuperate and grow. Training causes damage to the muscles,
and the muscles respond by getting bigger and stronger. Daily ab
workouts will not allow enough time for the abdominals to rest and grow.
However, the abdominals do recuperate faster than most other muscle
groups. So you can train them up to 3 times per week (i.e. Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday)
*Train your abs with resistance exercises*
To get the best results you should train your abs with resistance
exercises. No one trains their chest with 50+ rep sets of bench presses
with an empty bar, so why do so many people train their abs with 50+ rep
sets of crunches.
A good number to aim for with abdominal exercises is 10-15 reps per set.
Some good resistance exercises for the abs are:
_Incline bench sit ups:_
incline bench sit ups
When you are able to perform more then 15 reps per set with good form
you can hold a weight plate to the chest when doing this exercise to add
resistance.
_Leg Raises:_
leg raises are a great lower ab exercise
To make this exercise easier keep your knees bent throughout the
movement. To make it harder keep your legs straight. As you get more
advanced you can also add ankle weights or hold a dumbbell between your
feet to increase the resistance.
_Cable Crunches:_
cable crunches are a great abdominal exercise
When you are able to perform 15+ reps with good form simply select more
weight on the weight stack to increase the resistance.
You can also make abdominal exercises harder by pausing in the
contracted position and by performing the reps in a slow and controlled
motion.
*Train ALL areas of the waist line*
When most people think of training their waist line they focus on
crunches. But in order to have complete development you need to train
the upper abs, lower abs, obliques, and lower back. Not only does a well
developed waist line look good, but it will help to strengthen the
entire body. Your mid section stabilizes your body during your workouts
or any physical activity.
A good exercise for the lower back is the Hyper Extension:
hyper extensions are a great lower back exercise
To add resistance to this exercise simply hold a weight plate to your chest.
A good exercise for the obliques is the side bend:
dumbbell side bends are a great exercise for the obliques
To increase the resistance in this exercise simply work up to using
heavier dumbbells.
*Suck in your gut*
The Transverse Abdominus (TVA) muscles are used to keep the stomach
pulled in, making the midsection appear smaller. We all know of people
who are lean, but they have a pot belly that sticks out quite a bit.
This is because they have weak TVA muscles.
Training the TVA is very easy. Simply blow all of your air out and suck
your stomach in and hold it for 15-30 seconds. You can do this
throughout the day by simply sucking your stomach in. That may seem
rather simple, but it works for creating a slimmer waist line.
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