Introduction

Everyone seeks to have a good set of abs. Whenever someone is

discussing a goal or desired asset with their body, they will more

often than not inquire about getting a six pack. I mean why

wouldn’t you want that?! Nothing is as show stopping than taking

your shirt off to reveal wash-board abdominals.

In addition to looking good, it’s also a plus to have a fully

functional core. Having strong abdominals can help to not only

make you stronger, but also reduce the risk of injury while lifting

weights. It all starts at the center!

So, how can you make this happen? What do you need to do for

a strong, good looking core?

HOW TO GET ABS

The first thing that people tend to try when looking to get a six pack will always be sit-ups. It is

thought that, if I want abs, I need to work them out. While this is true, a lot more goes into

getting a ripped midsection than doing more sit-ups. We all have abdominals beneath the skin.

One of the main reasons that you may not be seeing yours could be due to a layer of body fat.

This is typically the main thing that is in the way of you seeing your abs. Regardless of how

many sit-ups you do, they may stay hidden beneath the surface. Working on reducing the

amount of body fat that you carry is actually a more effective way of getting a six pack.

This can be accomplished by focusing on your diet and bringing cardio into the equation.  By

eating a very nutritious diet that is focused on being in a caloric deficit for a consistent period

of time, you can reduce your body fat levels and start to see that desired definition. Having a

coach or nutritionist assist you in getting the proper number of calories, protein, carbs, and fat

will prove very effective for getting ripped. In addition, you can put more emphasis on doing

cardio-based activity. This is great for burning off extra calories that will aid in you being in

that calorie deficit. Cardio is also great for oxidizing body fat, which will reduce the amount

that you carry.

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 Exercise that is focused on the abdominals does have

a place in this as well. The more developed your

midsection becomes, the easier it will be to see. This

can be accomplished by using a variety of exercises

that focus on the various parts of the core

musculature. Not only will this make them more visible

but will also go into you having a strong and stable

set of abdominals.

By getting your diet nailed down, incorporating some

more cardio, and hitting those abs with the right

exercises you can build a strong and visible six pack!

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ANATOMY AND FUNCTION OF ABS
In general, the abs are there to help stabilize your body. Especially, the spine. The spine is very

strong and rigid but having the core muscles there to support it only increases the resiliency.

While yes, abs look great and are a desired trait, they are super functional. Essentially every

form of movement will use the abs in some form or fashion.

The abs or core are actually made up of multiple sections of muscle. Each one plays a

different role in movement and movement patterns. Depending on what is being performed,

they may all be used in unison or they may be used independently.  The sections include: the

rectus abdominis, the external obliques, the internal obliques, and the transversus abdominis.

Other muscles attach to these as well, but we will only include the main ones related to getting

a visible six-pack.

RECTUS ABDOMINIS
This is the main section that most will see. The actual six-pack is housed here and runs from

about the 5th and 6th ribs down to the hips. This section of the core helps to flex the spinal

column forward, backwards, and side to side. Any time that the body needs to be stabilized,

these muscles will kick on and start working. Any exercise that involves any of those movement

patterns will in turn work these. We’ll discuss those further in a later section.

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EXTERNAL OBLIQUES
These are the muscles on the side of your

midsection. If you have ever seen someone with

what look like tiny feathers leading into the

midsection, then they have very visible external

obliques. Developing these really gives off a

shredded look to the abs. The main function of

these muscles will be any type of side bending or

rotation.

A great way to hit these would be to work some

anti-rotation. Basically, staying stable with

something pulling you in the opposite direction.

Again, we will discuss some exercises in the later

sections.

INTERNAL OBLIQUES
Like the external obliques, these are located on the

sides of the body. However, these are below the

external obliques and run at about a 90-degree

angle in relation to their external counterparts. The

function of these muscles is primarily stabilization

and some movement of the spine.

Rotation is also a function of these obliques. Unlike

the more visible external muscles, these aren’t easily

seen on the outside of the body; this doesn’t take

away from their importance for a strong core,

however.

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TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS
This section of muscle is also a little more difficult to see on the outside of the body.

Essentially, this muscle wraps around the entire torso similar to having a massive belt on. Its

main function is breathing and building that intra-abdominal pressure for strength training

safely. Thus, making this muscle very important for safety and injury prevention instead of looks.

SHORT RANGE OF MOTION

You can very effectively hit the abdominals by utilizing a shorter range of motion on your

exercises. For most movements you would look to hit a longer range of motion. However, the

abdominals don’t necessarily need this. Keeping the range of motion short and focusing on the

stabilization as well as the contraction of the muscle will prove very effective. This is one of the

secrets to building a strong, stable, and good-looking core.

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HIT THEM MORE FREQUENTLY
We use our core A LOT. That makes them a very strong set of muscles. This also raises the

amount of volume they can handle as far as exercise goes. For most muscle groups, you would

want to space them out so that you don’t risk injury and allow for some recovery. However, you

will need to be hitting the abs more frequently to maximize the return and actually get some

stimulation.

This doesn’t mean that you need to hit them every day, however, you can hit them two or even

three times a week as desired. The core will recover very quickly and thus they can be put to

work twice as much without concern.  It’s also recommended that in addition to hitting them

frequently, you are also using a variety of exercises and angles to maximize the development

that is going on. As we mentioned before, there are many sections when referring to the core

and they all play different roles. Thus, you will need different movement patterns to get it all in!

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3 EXAMPLE AB CIRCUITS

CIRCUIT #1
6 Rounds of the following exercises

12 crunches 

24 bicycles 

30 second plank hold

Repeat as many rounds as possible

CIRCUIT #2

within 15 minutes 

20 sit-ups 

20 crunches

20 lying leg raises

5 Rounds of the following exercises:

CIRCUIT #3

30 secs each side banded

anti-rotation hold 

30 seconds plank hold

30 hanging leg raises

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CRUNCHES EXPLAINED
Crunches may be one of the most popular core exercises out there.

They are simple, effective, and anyone can pretty much do them

safely. To start this movement, you are going to want to lie flat on

your back. Now, you can bring your knees up off the floor or you can

keep the legs extended. This is totally up to preference. The hands

and arms can either go flat on the floor, or you can bring them

behind the head as a form of support. From here, you are going to

initiate the movement with the stomach. Be careful to NOT only

extend the neck forward. Your entire upper and middle back should

come off of the floor. From here, contract the stomach and control

yourself back to the ground. Repeat that process for your desired

amount of reps. You will be targeting the main portion of the core

that houses the actual six pack with this movement.

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 LEG RAISES EXPLAINED
The leg raise is great for hitting the entire rectus abdominis and can even be tweaked to hit

the obliques. This can be done a couple different ways depending on the level of difficulty that

you want. The simplest is the lying leg raise.The lying leg raise in done from the floor on your

back. You will want to lie flat and keep your arms next to you with the palms of your hands flat

on the ground. From here, bring your middle and upper back slightly off of the ground so that

your back doesn’t arch. Next, take your legs and bring them up until they are completely

vertical. Using the core, slowly lower the legs back to the starting position and continue.

Next comes the leg raise from a stationary leg raise stand. These typically have a pad for your

upper back and handles that will support your elbows. Get set in the stand and initiate the

movement by bringing your legs up until your toes are above your hips. Make sure that you are

bringing them far enough up on this, otherwise you will just be using the hip flexors and not the

abs. Slowly lower your legs back to the start position before going again.

Avoid swinging on these to get the best effect. These can be made slightly easier if you would

like to bend at the knees and raise the knees primarily. In addition to hitting the main rectus

abdominis, you can also hit the obliques by bringing your legs up in more of an angle. So,

instead of straight in front of you, bring your legs up to the left of right.

Lastly, and the most difficult, is the hanging leg

raise. This can be done from a pull-up bar or other

stationary piece of equipment that allows for

hanging. Hanging makes this more difficult due to

the fact that you need to have grip strength and a

strong enough back to support yourself. More

stabilization is needed on these; thus, you will get a

much stronger stimulus on the abs as well. Start by

grabbing onto the bar and activating your shoulder

blades (think of pinching them together). From here,

pull your legs all the way up past your hips to get

the full effect. Again, you can go multiple directions

with this to hit other muscle groups as well.

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BICYCLES EXPLAINED
With the bicycle, you will hit some of those lower

abdominal muscles that are part of the rectus

abdominis. These can a little more difficult to hit

sometimes because we don’t use them as often.

Regardless, you can hit this movement by starting

on your back. From here, have your hands on the

ground with the palms facing the floor. Bring your

shoulder blades slightly off the ground and bring

your knees up into a more vertical position. At this

point your shins should be parallel with the floor.

Initiate the movement by taking one leg and

extending it all the way out, while the opposite leg

stays in the same position. Bring the first leg back

to the start position while simultaneously extending

the other. Repeat this motion over and over, as if

you were pedaling a bike. Remember to keep the

shoulder blades off of the ground the entire time

to get the full effect.

PLANKS EXPLAINED
Planks go by multiple names, such as bows and toes. They are a popular exercise

because they are challenging, but also because they are very effective. As we said

earlier, you not only want a good-looking core but one that can perform. Planks help

with both. You can start this movement by getting onto your elbows and your toes.

From here, ensure that your back is flat but also slightly arched upwards. We want to

avoid arching the back in a way that the hips are sagging. This would take the core out

of the equation. Imagine that you are about to make the shape of an almost straight

banana. Work on stabilizing this position for whatever the desired time is and make

sure that you ARE breathing.

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ANTI-ROTATION HOLDS
As we stated earlier, if you want to hit the obliques you need to work on some sort of rotation.

Even better is to work on what is called anti-rotation. With this type of movement, you are

fighting some force trying to pull you out of place. For this exercise all you need is a band of

some sort and a stable place to anchor it. Anchor the band to the desired place and move

your body away from that place with the other end of the band in hand. You can start this

facing either direction, so long as you do work the other side as well. Position yourself so that

the band is trying to pull you into rotation from the hip. Slightly bend the knees, and slightly

push your hips back like you are going to start a squat. Pinch your shoulder blades back and

extend your arms while holding the band. It will try and pull you towards the anchored spot.

Don’t let it and fight to stay stable. Make sure that you are breathing properly and not holding

that breath in. Once you have done the desired time for the hold, switch sides and go again.

This WILL burn.

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PICTURE REFERENCES

Rectus Abdominis

External Obliques

Internal Obliques

Transversus Abdominis