ABDOMINALS

The thing about training abdominals, like I have stated previously, is that you have to do some aerobic training/dieting to really maximize the results.   This is especially important for men who tend to have a greater tendency to store fat in this area.  Bottom line is, you are not going to have a six pack if you have a lot of fat tissue in that area, I don't care if you can do crunches with 100lbs of weights on your chest!  So if you are serious about getting a six-pack, watch your diet, and do some aerobic work. 

One way that I have found that helps me watch what I eat, is that everytime I feel hungry (and not for normal food, I'm talking about chips, pizza and other junk food), I do two sets of crunches until exhaustion.  Ever feel NOT hungry after exercising?  This is the same idea.

I also  urge everyone out there to really watch their posture.   If you know or realize that your belly is hanging, suck it in!  After a while this will become second nature to you.  The belly was not meant to be distended at all times.

By now I think it has become common knowledge that sit-ups don't work, nor do leg raises.  Another thing to realize, is that the abdominals are like any other muscle, they get bigger if you use larger weights!  So don't get all caught up in the idea that 50 rep sets are the norm for this particular muscle group..they are not!

On occasion, do a few reps of the following exercises with no weights so that you can place a free hand on your abdominal muscles.  I want you to really feel the muscles underneath...see if they are contracting or not, and ensure that the right muscles are being worked.

The Crunch Sit-Up

This movement begins with you lying on your back, with your thighs perpendicular to the floor and your calves (parallel to the floor) resting on a bench or sofa.  Press you lower back against the floor, chin on chest, crunch your shoulders towards your thighs.  That's it.  Remember the 2 second cadence mentioned earlier, as well as the 1 second pause at the top.  ALWAYS keep your hands across your chest (not behind the neck), and add weight to your chest as you progress, either in the form of plates or a dumbbell. 

Reverse Crunch

This starts in the same exact position as the previous exercise, except that in this case, you have your arms over your head either holding on to the end of a bench or the bottom of a sofa.  You legs are not supported by anything.   From this position, the goal is to CURL your pelvis off the floor or bench, and move your knees in a completely vertical manner towards the ceiling (the more advanced version involves straight legs, with the goal being to try to stamp your feet on the ceiling).  Slowly descend so that your buttocks returns to the floor (thighs still perpendicular to the floor!)  This exercise does not begin like your basic leg raise, so don't even bother lowering those feet to the ground.

Pulley Side Bend

Contrary to belief, your oblique muscles do not grow like rabbits, which is how  the theory that you shouldn't do side bends with heavy weights came about.   It's just not true.  To do the pulley Side Bend, you need to have a lat pulldown type machine.  Hang on to it with one hand (let's say your right, with your right arm completely bent and your hand remaining about shoulder level)) and slowly crunch down towards your right side.  You will notice that your hand moves vertically about 3 inches.  I do these for two sets X 10 reps on each side...the first time I tried it my muscles cramped big time later that evening.  Do the same with your left side.  See the bulging muscles on Bruce's left waist  in the picture above?  Those are intercostals, and they get worked out too!