The 6 Best Ab Exercises Ever To Get A Ripped 6 Pack!
Everybody thinks that getting abs is one of the most difficult things to achieve. In fact, the reality is that developing abs is just like developing every other muscle in the body. There are just two basic questions you need to answer.
1. How can you develop your abs?
2. Once you have those thick abs, how do you get them to show themselves?
The answer to the first question, is that you need to train your abs hard! Train them like other muscles, using weights with the exercises when you can. Just like you do with any other body part. Just doing a few crunches and feeling like you’re done, is not enough.
The answer to the second question is plain and simple. Reduce your overall body fat and that in turn will remove the fat that is covering your abs. When you lose body fat, they will then naturally start showing themselves and you will get that ripped 6 pack look.
Both of these things can be achieved if you follow these best ab exercises mentioned, along with a proper nutrition. Most people forget about the diet, which is why it becomes the missing link to their abs. Remember, your diet is what really makes the most difference to your body.
The Best 6 Ab Exercises Ever!
Here are 6 of the best ab exercises out there to develop an amazing core and really stengthen and grow your abs!.
1. Hanging Leg Raises
This exercise might look simple, but in reality, it is a lot more intense than it looks. The hanging leg raises one is no exception.
You hang from the bar and raise your legs until they achieve a 90 degree angle. Most people prefer to add another layer of difficulty with this exercise. They twist their legs side by side to increase the intensity of this exercise. You can also add a dumbbell in between your feet before you start to increase the intensity.
2. Kettlebell Windmills
This exercise is also considered a compound exercise, because it puts pressure on other body parts too. You have to press the kettlebell over your head and rotate your wrist.
While doing that, lean yourself to one side and touch the floor or your foot while still holding the kettlebell overhead. One thing you have to remember is that the kettlebell should be above your head at all times.
Once you are done with your ideal number of repetitions, switch your hand and do the same thing on the other side of your body.
3. Barbell Ab Rollouts
Just like the plank, the Barbell ab rollout also engages the overall core of your body. But the difference here is that instead of doing the traditional plank, you will be using a barbell.
Load the barbell with 5 or 10 pound plates and keep it on the ground in front of yourself. Take the position of the kneeling push up. Once you have got enough grip, roll the bar forward and achieve the position similar to the plank (make sure that you don’t go too far or you might fall).
Count to 10 in that stretched position, and then pull back to your starting position. This makes one repetition. Also, don’t forget to take a good breathe before stretching again.
4. The Plank
This is one of the best exercises you can do for abs. It requires no equipment, no space and you can do it anywhere.
All you have to do, is hold yourself up using your elbows for as long as you can. Once you have achieved enough strength, and you are able to hold yourself for longer time, modify it. Start doing this with only one side, by using only one elbow to hold yourself up, and then switch the sides accordingly.
5. The Spiderman Plank
In this version of the plank, you get yourself into the traditional plank position, and then bring your knee to your elbow. That is, you will be trying to touch your right knee to your right elbow, and then your left knee to your left elbow, and this makes one repetition.
The more repetitions that you could do, the better. Most people prefer to make it to 10 reps.
6. Cable Crunches
In this exercise, you pull the pulley and and kneel down on the ground. Grip the ropes tightly, and bring your hands next to your face.
Pull the cable, but don’t use your hips; keep them stationary. You will be using your waist and hyper-extending your back to contract your abs. This will bring your elbows towards the middle of your thighs. Remember to exhale when your elbows go past your thighs, and inhale while returning back to the starting position.
The best thing to do is to combine all of these exercise and complete ab circuits. Not only these are a major time savers, but they will bring you the results that you want faster! Do 10-12 reps of each of these exercises, and then repeat them after a rest.
Another great benefit of doing ab circuits is that they are also considered as cardiovascular exercises (but these will not substitute your treadmill). So overtime, your abs will gradually start getting built (and become more visible), because the fat around them is also getting reduced.
Also concentrate on getting the most out of each rep, you can really make them as hard or as easy as you like depending on how you tense your abs and how slow and intense you make each move. “Don’t count the reps, make the reps count”