The famous Six-Pack
Having a defined six-pack, with that “V” shape on your lower torso, is perhaps the most “evident” sign that your fitness lifestyle is at its peak…
Even though you can be totally healthy and in shape without super-defined abs, most people that are engaged with a fitness routine truly want a defined torso. The not-so-great part is that most beginners have no idea of how hard it is to mark those six squares!
A six-pack is created at the gym and in the kitchen; there’s no way to do it without them both. A healthy and balanced diet will help you get rid of the extra fat in that area (if you have it), but will also give your muscles the protein they need to grow and show their growth. Exercise will make your muscles break and be rebuilt stronger and bigger.
So, even though exercise is a matter of doing it’s also important to know how things work. Let’s talk about the abdominal muscles.
The best part of abs workouts is that you can practice them at home, outside, or at the gym.
The rectus abdominus
Between the ribs and the pelvis, in front of your body, there are the abdominal muscles. Their core function is to allow movement, support the trunk and hold your organs in place. Even though every section of your abdominal muscles is involved in movements and exercises, when we talk about upper or lower abs, we’re also talking about the abdominus rectus.
Its specific function is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis. The AR is not divided per se, but there are specific movements that make the upper or lower part of it move more than others. So, that’s where upper and lower abs workouts come from.
Going a bit further: looks are not the only reason you might want to exercise your abdominal muscles. As stated before, all of the abdominal regions are responsible for supporting and moving most of your body; so you not only want a good-looking core, but you also want it to be strong, so you’ll be stronger.
The upper abs
The abs are controlled by a series of nerves that make it move. It’s not that you can choose to only move the upper part of your abdominus rectus, but you can perform certain movements that make the upper fibers contract a bit more than the rest.
Remember that: to obtain abdominal definition, you must focus on working your abdominal muscles as one balanced unit. Doing more exercises focus on a specific part while forgetting the others will give you unbalanced results and even health problems.
If you want a workout routine specifically focused on your upper abs, try focusing on movements that involve pulling your chest towards your pelvis. Here are some examples:
Upper abs workout
Depending on your strength, your endurance and your level of training, you can perform these exercises as a circuit (performing the exercises for 30s, switching to the next one and resting 15-30s before doing them all over again), or as a full workout (repeating them by series and having more time to rest between each one).
The hollow hold
This one is like a plank, but backwards.
Start by laying on your back with your arms extended over your head and your legs pressed together.
Lift your legs and the upper part of your torso off the ground, focus your balance on your abs. Once you’re able to hold this position, start rocking back and forth, again, with the most pressure put into your upper abs.
The Plank-to-toe
Start with a high plank position. Make sure your heels stay up the whole time.
You will be using your abs and hips to create an upside down V shape while using your left hand to touch your right ankle (or as close as you can get to your ankles). Repeat this exercise alternating the hands.
The V-Up
Start by laying on your back with your arms on each side of your body and your legs straight. You will be making everything in one movement: lift your upper body, arms and legs until your body has formed a “V” shape. Hold it for a few seconds and then go back to the initial position.
The mountain climbers
Start with a high plank position and make sure your shoulders are over your wrists and your back is always flat. Rapidly, move one of your knees towards your chest, return to initial position and do the same with the other, repeat so it seems like you’re running.
Roll-outs
For this, you will need an abs wheel.
You will start by kneeling while holding the abs wheel with your hands. Then, you have to slowly roll the wheel, making sure your abs are making the effort to avoid lumbar extension. Don’t be surprised if you feel like this one is hard, cause it is!
The Bicycle crunch
Start by laying on your back. Place your hands behind your heads and slightly lift your shoulders off the mat.
Simultaneously, you will raise your legs at a 90 degree angle. Then, you will start rotating your torso as your shoulder will be trying to touch the opposite knee. While doing so, the other leg should be extended straight, lowering as much as possible but not touching the ground. Alternate the movements for as long as you can.
The weighted cable crunch
For this, you will need a cable station. Be aware that this movement is considered more advanced, so only do it if you feel like regular weighted exercises are too easy to perform at this point.
Get down on your knees while holding a rope handle attached to the cable station. While in this position, hold the handle behind your head and neck, then crunch forward, making sure your forearms go down to your knees and your head goes down to the floor. Return to the initial position slowly.
The dragonfly
Another exercise considered to be more advanced. For this, you will need to hold a sturdy object, like a column.
You want to start by laying on your back, with your hands above your head and holding your object. You will lift your hips and then your whole body, so all the body weight will be put on your shoulders and upper back. Try to maintain your body as straight as possible while you hold this position in the air. Lower your legs and body as slowly as you can, maintain the pressure on your glutes and core.
And there you have it! Remember to chose the exercises that best fit your abilities, and slowly grow your resistance so you can perform the toughest ones in the future.
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