Carving out a set of eye
popping six pack abs is an art form. You need to pay
attention to the finer details in order to create
that polished look. Performing a variety of
exercises that place emphasis on the lower abs,
upper abs, obliques, and transverse abdominals is
key to sculpting a sexy midsection.
The following
abs workout includes two supersets that will do just
this.
A1: Hanging Knee Raises - 15 reps A2: Stability Ball Sit-ups - 15 reps
Rest for 60 seconds and repeat two more times
B1: 1 Dumbbell Twist - 15 reps B2: Stability Ball Plank - hold for 45-60
seconds
Rest for 60 seconds and repeat two more times
Hanging Knee/Leg Raises place more emphasis
on the lower abdominals. Curling your pelvis up and
inward at the top part of the movement is what makes
this exercise effective for emphasizing the lower
abs.
If you are simply raising your
knees or legs up and down you will be placing more
emphasis on your iliopsoas muscles and significantly
reducing the emphasis on the lower abs. You may have
noticed in the video that the last couple of reps I
performed did not have the same degree of curl with
the pelvis. You will notice this happening as your
abs fatigue. It’s best to stop the exercise before
this occurs.
Stability Ball Sit-Ups place more emphasis on
the upper abdominals. I have found that varying your
foot position can change the way you “feel” this
exercise. If you place your feet closer together you
may feel some additional emphasis on your obliques
as they stabilize you.
The Dumbbell Twist is a great exercise to
work your obliques. There is no need to go heavy
with this exercise. For some individuals, going
heavy will be detrimental as it will thicken your
waist and make your midsection appear bulky.
The plank is a fantastic static movement that
ROCKS your entire core! What I love about this
exercise is that around the 15-20 second mark I
begin to feel all the deep cuts in my abs and
obliques. Every muscle becomes nice and tense. This
may not be the best exercise for building your abs,
but I believe it to be one of the greatest exercises
for sculpting some deep cuts.
Typically I will add this superset or a similar
abs workout at the end of an upper body training
session two times per week. If your abs recover
quickly, you may want to add a third session in.
Give this abs workout a try and let us know how it
helps you carve out an amazing six pack.
About Scott Tousignant
Scott Tousignant,
BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for
transforming fitness enthusiasts into physique artists. His most
recent program,
Metabolic Masterpiece guides you through the process of
sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott
has coined, "The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula. His detailed approach
and variety of workouts makes fitness challenging, fun and
effective!
