Abs has to be one of the most striking muscle groups on a physique, they instantly stand out and impress people.
Obviously the first thing you've got to do is get lean, otherwise, no matter how much you train them they just won't show. Provided you're on the way to doing that, there are things you can do to enhance the visual appearance and development of your abdominal wall.
Here are 4 tips I'd recommend you follow when doing abdominal training, things which I feel a lot of people miss out on and potentially overlook.
1. Breathe properly
This is a valid point for training in general, however this is particularly relevant for abdominal training. If you aren't controlling your breathing properly then you're going to be limited in terms of engaging your abs as you train them.
As you "crunch" your abs you want to breathe out at the same time to ensure that you're able to gain a deep contraction without the air in your stomach preventing that from happening. Every rep focus on this to get it right.
2. Tense
When people train their abs they focus so much on the movement they end up forgetting to actually tense and engage their abs. For instance, when doing crunches or kneeling cable crunches don't ever forget that along with your breathing you MUST really tense and contract your abs. If you don't then you're just moving weight, probably with the use of your lower back and not your abdominals.
3. Exercise selection
As with any other muscle group, you must have a 3-dimensional approach to your exercise selection. Don't limit yourself to crunches for instance. Exercises like hanging knee raise, hanging leg raises, kneeling cable crunches, standing cable crunches, and lying leg raises are all examples of exercises that are very effective in hitting your abs.
4. Do them fasted
If you can, I think that potentially training your abs first thing in the morning upon waking is a great idea. This is because your stomach is empty therefore you're going to be able to get a better contraction, without any restrictions. Doing this away from your lifting sessions also gives you another opportunity to exercise and burn more calories.
5. Other training and nutrition knowledge:
- MOST DIETS FAIL BECAUSE OF THIS
- HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE WITHOUT ADDING WEIGHT TO THE BAR
- 4 FOODS TO HELP WITH DIGESTION
- 3 WAYS TO SELECT THE RIGHT CHEAT MEAL
Let us know in the comment how you think and if you have any questions about this topic, feel free to ask. Besides, we will also gladly help you to learn more about protein powder, pre-workout, or other supplements you would like to find/use in Singapore.
