Get ready for a couple of Quick Ab Routines! Looking back to the old days, if you wanted great abs, you would be doing literally hundreds of sit ups. I think it’s safe to say, ab training has come a long way since those days. Right from the start, it’s important to bear in mind that six-pack abs begin in the kitchen, and are fine-tuned with exercise. Understand that, and there’s not really any reason to do marathon ab workouts. With that in mind, this article gives you 2 effective and quick ab routines, plus nutritional and supplement tips. So let’s dive right in!
Quick Ab Routine # 1
If you’re trying to develop a six-pack, you’ll want to work the rectus abdominis muscle. Why? It’s the main abdominal muscle responsible for the six-pack look. That means I designed these routines to target this muscle. We’re also going to use a somewhat overlooked classic exercise – vacuums. Then we’ll wind it up with a few twisting exercises to hit your obliques.
Vacuums
4 sets – 4 vacuums – hold for 15 seconds, rest for 15 seconds.
Vacuums are a great exercise that hits the transverse abdominis muscle. This muscle works with the rectus abdominis and the obliques to keep your stomach flat. Guys like Arnold and Frank Zane did these all the time, and Zane used it in his posing routine.
Crunch
3 sets x 20 reps
If you want to, you can hold a plate on your chest to make these harder. Some gyms have an ab machine that you sit in and perform a seated crunch. It lets you bring your legs up and you’re crunching your upper body down. If it’s in your gym, try it!
Hanging Leg Raises
2 sets x 20 reps
Most machines have elbow pads, but some may have an overhead bar. You can keep your legs straight, bend your knees, or tuck your legs up and in. Regardless, bring your legs as far up as possible.
Twisting Leg Raises
1 set x 25 reps
By making this a twisting exercise, you will target your obliques.
Performance Notes
Don’t rest any longer than 20 to 30 seconds between sets. This routine should not take long. Perform quality reps and don’t take long rest breaks. Don’t rush your reps, focus on your contraction and perform your reps using a slow and controlled rep style.
On vacuums, remember to suck your abs in as much as you can, hold, and squeeze your abs. Also, no phone! I see lifters kill 10 minutes between sets all the time because they can’t put their phone down.
Quick Ab Routine # 2
Vacuums
4 sets – 4 vacuums- hold for 15 seconds, rest for 15 seconds.
Kneeling Crunch (Using a Rope Attachment)
2 sets x 20 reps
Start by holding a rope attachment close to and behind your head. Pull down slowly using only your abs until your elbows touch the floor.
Lying Leg Raises
2 sets x 20 reps
Bring your knees as high up as possible.
Incline Crunch
2 sets x 20 reps
If you can’t do 20 reps per set, do as many as you can and work up to 20.
Twisting Crunch
2 sets x 20 reps
As mentioned above, this twisting exercise hits your obliques.
Performance Notes
As above, perform all your reps slowly and under control. No momentum doing the work! Limit rest between sets to 20-30 seconds. Also as above, no phone! Leave it in your locker and focus on performing quality repetitions.
How Often Should I Perform The Quick Ab Routines?
I suggest performing these routines 4 days a week, after your regularly scheduled workout for that day. If it’s an off-day, work your abs after doing cardio. You can alternate these routines during the week. For example, Quick Ab Routine # 1 on your first training day and then Quick Ab Routine # 2 on your next training day, and so on for the week. Or, use one routine for 4-6 weeks, then switch to the other one.
What About Cardio?
I assume fat loss is a major goal. If you still have fat to lose before you can see your abs, then you should be doing 30 – 40 minutes of the cardio machine or exercise of your choice 3-4 times a week.
For me, because I have knee and hip problems, I avoid most cardio machines and walk the track at my gym. Yes, my knees and hips hurt, but I can walk through it. For the average lifter, you should have a good selection of machines to choose from.
Nutritional Guidelines
In order to clearly see your abs, you should aim for 8-10% body fat (men) or 10-12% body fat (women). As mentioned in the beginning, abs are built by what you’re eating as much as by the workouts you’re doing. First, make sure you maintain a high-protein diet focusing on low-fat sources. Next, keep your total carb intake moderate while keeping simple carbs as low as possible. I suggest eating 50% of the day’s carbohydrates and all your simple carbs in the hours around your workout. Finally, avoid processed foods, high sodium foods, and fast foods.
Supplement Suggestions
It’s no surprise that illpumpyouup.com has some great supplements to help you get great abs. I always advise starting with a good protein powder to ensure you’re meeting your daily requirements while restricting calories. Good options include Hi-Tech Precision Protein, and for vegan lifters, PEScience Vegan Series Select. I also suggest a good pre-workout, such as Alpha Supps Pre, a great take on the new “core” value-minded pre-workouts. Rather have a regular Pre? Then I suggest Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode, one of the best Pre’s you can buy.
To stimulate fat loss, I suggest a good thermogenic, such as Condemned Labz Arsynist, a powerful high-stim thermogenic fat burner.
To help encourage stored body fat to be used as energy, there’s ProSupps L-Carnitine 3000. This is a liquid formula featuring 3000 mg l-carnitine per serving.
Summary
In this article, Quick Ab Routines, I’ve given you two ab routines designed to help get a tight midsection with a visible six-pack. Plus, I’ve provided nutritional and supplement tips (remember, you need to spend as much time in the kitchen as in the gym for a flat waist). All that’s left is to put these tips into practice – so let’s go work abs!