Six-pack abs are something each one of us would like to have, but sifting through the dozens of ab workouts for men that are out there can be daunting. This article should help clear up the confusion.
The first thing you’ll need to understand is how your muscles will react to the routines that target them. Not surprisingly, your abs will respond to such workouts just as the other muscles in your body would to the exercises meant for them – that is, they won’t grow if you keep doing low-intensity workouts and nothing else, no matter how often you repeat these exercises; if, on the other hand, you continue to challenge those muscles with increasingly difficult workouts, you will begin to see results.
Lifting a 10-pound weight all day long won’t bulk up your biceps, but increasingly heavy weight-lifting in 10-rep sets or more will. The same is true for your abs; increasing the difficulty of your ab exercises with the appropriate weights will go a long way toward building your abs. For example, hanging on to a weight plate during decline crunches will increase the difficulty of this exercise, and the plate can be swapped out for a heavier one once this gets too easy.
One of the most effective ab workouts for men is the hanging leg lift; it’s difficult to master, but provides your stomach with the most resistance of any workout. To do it, you’ll need to be off the ground, holding yourself up with both hands on a bar. Bring your knees up to your chest and hold for two seconds. This exercise can be made more effective by strapping on some ankle weights and making these heavier whenever the routine gets too easy.
Although the standard crunch is not necessarily considered one of the best ab workouts for men, there are variations on this exercise that can be helpful. One of these is the stationary bike crunch, which simultaneously works your lower abdominals, obliques, and rectus abdominus. First, lie on the floor with your back rounded and your hands behind your neck. Lift your knees up into a 90-degree angle. Alternate between touching your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa.
With each of these workouts, it’s important that you accompany them with a low-calorie, low-fat diet and a healthy dose of cardio; this will keep the your stomach fat from covering up the abs you’re developing, which is good not only terms of how you look as a whole, but will also help you track your progress better and increase your motivation.