Author: Richard Adefioye / Source: Lifehack
Having a well-chiseled six pack is the ultimate fitness goal for many people. And it’s okay if you want some as well.
Having a strong core is of vital importance – not just for aesthetics, but also for improved strength and overall health.
But there’s a problem – many people never succeed in carving out the core of their dreams!
For some people, the problem lies in their approach to working out, while others have got their feeding wrong. Either way, there’s a remedy and you can commence your journey to an impressive six pack – starting today!In this article, we’ll go over the role nutrition plays in carving out the body of your dreams, as well as non-sexy reasons for having a strong core.
I’ll also be sharing some proven stomach workouts and core exercises that’ll help you carve out an impressive ab and then I’ll cap it up by revealing the fool-proof formula for carving out that magazine-worthy core that you desire. So, be sure to stick around to the end, okay?
Why you need rock-solid abs
Believe it or not, there’s actually more to having a strong core than just good looks. Core muscles are required for just about everything we do on daily basis, from sitting, to walking, running and throwing things around.
Before we go any further, though, you should probably know that there’s more to core muscles than just the abdominals (abs), it also includes hip and pelvic muscles, as well as mid and lower back muscles. All these muscles work synergistically to support movement and maintain stability. Here are some benefits of having strong core:
1. It helps your posture.
When you engage in core-strengthening exercises, the thorough working of the torso helps to maintain a balanced posture. The posture balance in turn helps to reduce the risk of vertebrae degeneration and disc herniation…in other words, bad conditions for your spinal cord.
2. It reduces back pain.
Having a strong core also helps to alleviate back pain by providing adequate support for the spine. Research has also revealed that having strong core muscles reduces the risk of back injury during workouts.[1]
3. It improves athletic performance.
You’re going to have a hard time finding a sport that doesn’t rely heavily on core muscles for effective performance. From running, to rowing, baseball, football and tennis, every sport you could possible think of engages the core in one way or the other.
So, if you’re planning to become an athlete, then strengthening your core is absolutely indispensable.
4. It makes life easier on-the-job.
Life will become a whole lot easier for you on the job if you can manage to strengthen your core. And the reason is simple – just about every activity you engage in at work engages your core…from standing to lifting, twisting and even sitting.
So, if you’d like to be a bit more comfortable and energetic at work, then strengthening your abs and back muscles would be a great place to start.
Nutritions you need for impressive abs
Alright, before we dive into which exercises you should start focusing on, let’s talk about the most important factor in building an impressive figure – what you eat.
If you’re a frequent gym goer, then chances are that you’ve overheard this common saying among gym rats – “abs are made in the kitchen.” Well…they’re not wrong!
Doing 1,000 crunches per day won’t give you magazine-worthy six packs if you’ve got your nutrition wrong. Okay, here’s how it works:
Ab exercises are aimed at strengthening your core muscles, not revealing them.
In other words, you may have a strong core, but until the fat layer above it is torched, it will stay hidden.
This is why your first course of action should be weight loss…which begins with a proper diet.[2] Your daily diet should contain the right amount of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
So, in order to save yourself a whole lot of frustration and headache down the line, you need to ditch junk foods and start eating clean foods.
5 Amazing stomach workouts for rock-solid abs
Before diving into the specific workouts that will finally send your abs out of hiding, there are a couple of anatomical jargon you need to be familiar with. These are just fancy names for the muscles that make up the abs and they are:
- Rectus abdominis (front abs commonly known as six-packs)
- Internal and external obliques (side abs found around the waist).
Got it? Great! Keep those in mind because I’ll be mentioning them a lot in the coming paragraphs.
Now, let’s move on to the actual workouts:
1. Crunches
Regardless of the negative media crunches may have received over the years, one thing is for certain – it works…when done correctly!
Crunches are great for eliciting muscle activity in the rectus abdominis and this helps greatly in strengthening those muscles.
How to do the traditional crunch
- Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet closely together and flat on the floor. You may want to hold on to something with your toes to make it easier.
- Place your hands behind your head (without interlocking them) or place them across your chest.
- Keep your elbows open to the sides.
- Gently tighten and pull in your abs.
- Curl forward lifting your head and shoulder blades off the floor towards your knee.
- Hold it for a moment and lower back down slowly.
Several variations of the traditional crunch have been developed to focus on other core muscles ignored by regular crunches. One of these is the bicycle crunch or bicycle kicks. The bicycle crunch impacts the external obliques (on the side of the waist) in addition to the rectus abdominis and this helps to work the torso.
How to do the bicycle crunch
- Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet wide apart on the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head without interlocking them and avoid pulling your head with your hands to avoid neck pain.
- Lift your right knee off the floor, toward the left side…
The post 5 Killer Stomach Workouts for Impressive Abs appeared first on FeedBox.