For the Getting A Six Pack Experiment there were two requirements for me to achieve washboard abs:
- Lose fat
- Gain ab muscle
Losing fat was most important so I could SEE the muscles underneath. No matter how big your ab muscles are, even a small amount of fat covering them will still hide them.
So MyBodyTutor set out an ab exercise routine for me….nothing crazy, and it didn’t require a gym or extra equipment (which is good because I could do them a home if needed).
At first they said I should be doing 10-15 repetitions for each set, but ideal was 20 repetitions….it took me about 1 1/2 weeks to work up to that level.
The first week I would go through the paces, and my abs would literally give out on the 10th or 15th repetition of each exercise. It was nearly impossible to get through the whole thing without hunching over in pain (the good kind of I-Feel-Good-Because-I-Exercised pain).
After doing this nearly every day (I was told to do this routing 4-5 times per week) I started getting “immune” to the exercises and increased my repetitions. Within no time I was doing 20 of each repetition, and 3 of each set…for a total of 180 situp variations per session. My abs would get nice and sore from this (once again, the GOOD kind of sore).
Adam told me my abs should ALWAYS be sore after each session or I’m not working them hard enough.
After a while of doing these diligently (and doing random ab exercises throughout the work day), 20 of each got me tired, but not sore. I thought I’d add weight or more repetitions (which gets a little boring), but Adam told me something that REALLY helped:
Simply hold each one for 2 seconds!
So instead of going up, then down…I’d go up, pause for 2 seconds, go down. THIS KICKED MY ASS!!
It was actually unbelievable what a difference this made. Usually by repetition number 5 or 10 I was hunched over groaning from this extra load….and it didn’t require any extra equipment or much more time.
So what are these magical exercises that transformed the strength of my abs? Let’s take a gander:
Bicycle Situps:
Each set: 20
Number of sets: 3
Instructions:
- Pull your opposing elbow and knee together (try to hold it there for a second or two)
- Go back down (both elbow and knee)
- Repeat with other elbow and knee
Knee Bends:
Each set: 20
Number of sets: 3
Instructions:
- Support yourself with your hands behind you
- Lift legs and chest towards each other
- Stretch back out
- Slowly let legs down
- *Note* This one is even better if you do it off a bench
Foot Reaches:
Each set: 20
Number of sets: 3
Instructions:
- Hold legs up in air (I can’t physically stretch my legs straight up)
- With one hand reach up and touch your toe
- Pause for a second or two while touching your toe
- Go back down
- Repeat with other hand
After doing this routine about 5 times per week, I could already feel the size increase of my abs. The top part of my abs (near the bottom of my rib cage) had grown in….and I had previously never even SEEN those muscles before!
These exercises worked great for me and my particular purpose, but if you’re a big ole fatty looking to lose weight, these exercises alone probably won’t work for you becaaaauusseee….(click play to listen):
[audio:because-fat.mp3]