What is the Best Ab Workout?

The best ab workout will draw out the most visual potential out of your abdominal region. Nine out of ten times the primary focus of masculine sex appeal is centered around the male midsection. Since the conception of swimming in the ocean for leisure became a thing, many a woman has based their attraction to their male counterparts based on what’s going on below the nipple line and above the beltline.

However, times have changed. People have developed distinguished tastes and not everyone chases after the guy with abs like a cheese grater. There’s never not a time to have great abs.

Apart from looking absolutely on a level of your own, there are a few other benefits to possessing rock hard abs. First of all, in order to obtain abdominal perfection requires that you work your butt off. For those who like a challenge and feed themselves with their accomplishments, obtaining a 6-pack is as satisfying as eating your favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with zero guilt attached.

Secondly, your confidence gets a boost alongside your physical appearance. Confidence can come from many lifestyle changes, however, one of the most simple ways to boost your confidence is to hit the gym and positively change the appearance of your body. To add to that, as a beneficial side-effect, if one may call it that, is that your performance in the bedroom will reap the benefits of strenuous abdominal training.

The Basics of Obtaining Abs

Developing hard, chiseled abs may seem as easy as following a workout regime, and though this is true, you’ll still need to do away with a layer of subcutaneous fat to reveal what you’ve been working so hard to obtain.

As the old adage goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” Yes, they are — for the most part. Ensuring that the fuel you put into your body matches the effort that goes out is one of the most important aspects of having a visible six-pack. What goes up, must come down, and what goes in, must come out. If you’re not expending the same, if not more, amount of calories at the end of each day, then you’re doing nothing more than simply spinning your wheels.

Believe it or not, everyone, in a sense, has abs. Our midsection is used on a daily bases, we just don’t always realize it. See, our abs act as the stabilizers to our upper bodies. And so, for most of the day, they are working on keeping our torsos from contorting into every which way. We may not feel it because the effort required is for nothing more than sitting in a chair or walking from point A to B, and so on.

So, if you were to get rid of that layer of fat sitting between the skin of your midsection and your abdominal muscles, you would visibly be able to abs popping out. So, why do we need to train our abs if all we really need to do is lower our body fat?

Even if all you did was lower your body fat, your abs would be showing, right? Right. But to get them to really “pop” and manifest their presence, you need to throw in some repetitive, strenuous, contractile movement.

Kitchen Discipline

Maintaining a certain level of discipline when it comes to the food that you eat will make or break your ab obtaining efforts. You can crunch away all you want, but if you’re stopping by Burger King on your way home from the gym because you think you feel like you put in enough work to justify getting a burger slathered with thick, creamy mayo, think again.

One of the simplest ways to ensure that you’re eating the amount of food that you should is to start keeping track of your calories. This is an absolute must for the casual gym-goer striving towards the washboard abs look.

A few easy-to-follow principles are as follows:

Keep it lean. The leaner the meats you consume, the better. Lean meats are low in fat and relatively high in protein, depending on the source, of course.
Healthy fats are good. Fat has received a lot of bad rap over the years, but science has caught up in the last decade or so, advocating for the need for healthy fats. Our bodies require fat in order to maintain and produce healthy hormone levels. Healthy hormones are important for our moods and sexual health.
Nutrient timing is everything. It’s important to ensure that the food you put into your body correlates well with your needs and goals. But another important aspect is to ensure that you time it well. For example, increasing your protein and fat intake while reducing your carbs in the morning will offset catabolism. And increasing your carb and protein intake after training will have your body restore empty glucose cells while utilizing the protein to rebuild muscle.

Your Ab-Building Kit

Gym Discipline

This is likely to be the more fun aspect of obtaining abs. Maintaining a certain level of dedication is a rather big requirement if you want rock hard abs. Training abs once a week isn’t going to cut it, and neither is doing 3 sets of 15 crunches after a workout.

In order to promote a positive change, you’re going to have to show some serious dedication that involves more than one ab exercise. Here is a list of some exercises that, if done with the right intensity, will be the best ab workout you’ve never done. Rest for one minute in-between exercises.

1. Planks

3 sets, 45-second holds, 30-second rests

The good ole plank! If all else false, assume the plank position. This exercise, though basic, can build an abdomen strong enough for a powerlifter to set new personal bests — with a little variation, of course.

To perform a plank, drop down to an extended push-up position, and then lower yourself onto your elbows. Keep your entire body as straight as you possibly can. When viewed from the side, your body should form a straight line from head to toe.

2. Flutter Kick

3 sets, 20-second kicks, 30-second rests

Lay down on your back and extend your legs. Lift your feet about 6 inches off the ground and place your arms at your sides on the floor. You could also place your hands underneath your lower back for some support.

Once you’re all set up, begin to scissor-kick your legs as though you were swimming.

3. Jackknife

3 sets, 15 reps, 30-second rests

Laying flat on your back, extend your arms behind your head. Raise your legs up (while keeping them extended), and bring your arms overhead towards your feet as though you were going to touch your toes. This movement should create an intense contraction all through your abs.

4. Reverse Crunches

3 sets, 15 reps, 30-second rests

Sitting on the floor, bend your knees in front of you while keeping your feet flat on the ground. Lean back until your torso reaches a 45-degree angle and extend your arms our in front of you as a counterbalance. Slowly lower your torso to the ground without touching it and bring yourself back up to the 45-degree angle.

5. Frog Stand

3 sets, 25-second holds, 30-second rests

The frog stand incorporates a little more balance than the aforementioned exercises. To start, place your hands (about shoulder-width apart) on the ground as though you were going to do a handstand. Crouch down while placing your knees against the outside of your elbows. Slowly begin to lean forward and lift your feet off the ground. This exercise might take a few attempts to get right.