Six Pack Core Exercise Routine
Ab workout without crunches. There are a lot of myths surrounding ab training. One of the biggest myths is Sit Ups. You really should stop doing tons and tons of sit ups. Also, crunches really aren’t that great for developing abs. You can’t crunch your way to abs. That fact is, you really don’t get great abs by just training the abs.
Six Pack Abs are the result of…
- How You Workout
- How You Eat
- Being at a Caloric Deficit
You have to decrease body fat in order to show your abs. The abs you see in the mirror are the Rectus Abdominis. And then also there is the Serratus Anterior, Transverse Abdominis, External Abdominal Obliques, and Internal Abdominal Obliques.
External Obliques start at about the 8th rib and run down to your Pelvis. The Transverse Abdominis starts at your Pelvis and runs up to your Sternum. Underneath the external obliques are the internal obliques that runs the opposite way. External obliques run down while the internal obliques run up toward your midsection. Under that you have your transverse abdominis which runs sideways around your waist.
If You Want Six Pack Abs STOP Doing Crunches
You can’t train your abs to a six pack. You can spot shape, but you can’t spot reduce. The point is, doing a million crunches isn’t going to get you a six pack. Until you get rid of the layer of fat that is over your abs, your abs aren’t going to show. You can make the muscle bigger, but you need to lose the fat to really make the difference.
Genetics Come into Play with Abs
Some people have a more pronounced transverse. Some people it just depends on how much separation is in the six-pack wall. For some people, there is potential for a six pack or even an eight pack while others can only get a 4 pack. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced trainee, use the following ab workout without crunches to improve progress towards getting the look you desire.
First Exercise – Ab Workout Without Crunches
Beginner: The first exercise is the Vertical Knee Ups. This ab exercise is more effective at working muscle fibers in your abdomen than the traditional ab crunch. Do 10 reps.
Intermediate: Next, we have the Hanging Knee Raise. 10 reps. Once comfortable with these, add in a twist as you pull up.
Advanced: Next, we have Toe to Bar. Out of all the hanging ab exercises, this is perhaps the most advanced. Go straight up with the legs and get the toes high. Do this slowly and come back down.
Pick one of those exercises (the chair, the hanging, or the toes to the bar) and you do that first.
So, we are training the abs in a circuit fashion. You pick one of the first three and then transition immediately into this next exercise.
Second Exercise – Ab Workout Without Crunches
Beginner: Next, we have the Elbow Plank for One Minute. When you do the plank, flex your glutes and abs.
Intermediate: Side Plank for 30 Seconds. Once you master the plank for 1 minute, add in the Side Planks. Do 30 seconds both sides.
Advanced: Roll Out Plank. We are using the smaller stabilizer muscles to stabilize the core. This is the Roll Out Plank using the stability ball. The straighter the legs, the harder the exercise.
Pick one exercise out of these three then quickly transition to the next exercise.
Third Exercise – Ab Workout Without Crunches
Beginner: Bicycle Crunch. Alternate touching your feet on the outside of the shoes. You can keep your shoulders up off the ground. Do at least 30 before you move on to the intermediate exercise.
Intermediate: Reverse Crunch on Decline Bench. The focus here is to keep the pelvis as close to bench as you can (we don’t roll up too high). Once you get to 10, go straight up 10 times (toes to ceiling).
Advanced: Around the World. This is a great exercise for working everything.
For this workout, you have 4 exercises 10 to 15 reps and do 4 rounds.
A good strategy is to either train abs a little bit every day or do a tough ab workout 3 times a week. Anytime you train the abs, you need to also train the lower back muscles to balance things out. The lower back typically takes longer to recover than any other muscle group in the body.
The following are low back exercises without weights.
Low Back Exercise – Ab Workout Without Crunches
Beginner: The first exercise is the Superman. Three sets of 10 with a 10 second hold on each rep. Come up as high as you can and hold.
Intermediate: Next, we have Good Mornings. Just use a bar or no weight. Keep chest high while back stays straight. Do 10 reps.
Advanced: Next, we have 45 Degree Back Extension. Keep the back straight as you lower down slowly. Push the hips back as you come up. If it’s a day where you have done heavy compound movements, then you won’t need a heavy ab training day.
Just a few sets of ab training exercises a day can go along way towards achieving six pack abs.
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