“What about abs?” - It’s one of the body parts personal trainers are asked about the most in coaching sessions.
The technical term for this muscle is the rectus abdominis and it’s the long muscle that runs vertically along the abdomen. The upper abs refers to the top segment of the rectus abdominis muscle which is divided by tendinous intersections. It is this that creates the horizontal lines that we have all come to know as the ‘six pack’.
Important Notes About Ab Training
In order to strengthen this muscle effectively it is essential that you focus on key compound movements e.g. squats/presses/deadlifts etc rather than simply isolation exercises. Utilise movements that recruit lots of muscle mass and require you to stabilise your torso whilst moving a large load over a suitable range of motion. It’s a much more effective and functional way to build a stronger mid-section compared to thousands of crunches.
Also, you cannot spot reduce the body fat on your abdomen through ab specific exercises. This is achieved through applying nutrition and weight management principles and will largely take place in the kitchen. You can, however, strengthen and develop the muscles with consistency and a progressive training program.
Although we can’t just isolate one portion of this muscle, we can place more stress on the upper abs with specific exercises, ultimately those where you are pulling your rib cage towards your pelvis. The exercises below will be excellent accessory movements to your programme.
Here are five exercises that you can build into your training. Perform as a circuit for 1-2 rounds.
Upper Ab Workout
GHD Sit Ups
The focus here is on full range of movement and control so start slowly with a modest number of repetitions leaving some in reserve.
Kneeling Cable or Banded Crunches
This exercise allows for progressive overload through selecting a higher notch on the weight stack or thicker resistance band. It’s also easy to scale to your current strength level. Perform 8-12 reps per set.
Ab Wheel Roll Out
This Ab Wheel exercise will target the abdominal muscles eccentrically (as they lengthen). It’s a surprisingly challenging exercise - make sure you read our guide on how to How To Do an Ab Rollout with good form. Perform 10-15 reps per set.
Wall Ball Sit Up + Throw
Wall Ball throws are great for adding a dynamic and explosive component to your abdominal training. Not got a wall ball? Throw a slam ball so that it lands in front of your feet. Perform 10-15 reps per set.
Hollow Body Position
This exercise teaches bracing mechanics to stabilise the spine and carries over well to many gymnastic based movements. Hold for 20-30 seconds and use Exercise Matting to increase comfort.
The training principles of progression and overload apply to developing abs just like any other muscle group. By increasing your abdominal strength you will notice improved stability, force transfer and better posture, all of which can contribute to enhanced performance at the gym and in day-to-day life.
Train exercises that require either thoracic flexion or strong stabilisation as your foundation but remember nutritional habits and body composition levels will in the end determine how much of your abs are visible when you next hit the beach!
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Tags: Misc > Workouts
