An ideal sculpted belly and a toned figure adorn any man. Today, more and more representatives of the stronger half of humanity are challenging their own fat deposits and starting to actively engage in sports. At the same time, effective exercises for the abdominal muscles take pride of place in men’s training.
But in order to create an athletic body and not undermine your health, it is better to approach the process wisely. You will have to restructure not only your lifestyle, but also your internal state: direct your thoughts in the direction necessary for physical activity.
Preparation
The stomach is a classic “problem” place for men. It accounts for the majority of all fat deposits.
But it is possible to overcome them by intensive work on yourself, which begins with setting a goal. A good psychological attitude is required so as not to lose your way midway and return to your previous lifestyle.
Any, even the most regular workouts will not bear fruit if you do not adjust your diet. It is better to exclude sweets and baked goods, fried foods and sausages from your daily diet. It is advisable to limit the serving size, but it is better to do this gradually.
At the same time, the amount of calories consumed should be sufficient for intense physical activity. It is important to learn how to take them from the “right” healthy foods.
Learning Theory
The abdominal muscles perform a number of important functions:
- create support for the abdominal organs;
- supports the lower back: weak abs are a source of pain in the back;
- participate in walking, turning the body and bending.
Two muscles on the right and left form the so-called “cubes”. There are 6 upper cubes, they are square in shape. There are two lower ones and they are triangular. The abs are one muscle. But it is usually divided into lower and upper regions.
Developing a training schedule
When creating an individual schedule, you need to allocate strictly defined hours in your schedule. The main thing is consistency. The frequency of training is at least 3 times a week. Duration – up to 2 hours.
When developing a program of abdominal exercises, men are advised to first of all evaluate the capabilities of their own body.
A hysterical beginning will not bring pleasure from the process. The main thing here is a harmonious increase in physical activity.
How to properly pump up abs for a man?
Experienced athletes recommend exercising at least 2 times a week, and preferably 3 times for 2 hours. After all, only with such a training regimen can you achieve the desired result as quickly as possible. First of all, you will need to form abs in the upper abdomen, and then gradually exercise in order to reward the lower abdomen with abs.
It is important to know: most people make a very serious mistake due to their ignorance. During the training process, the abdominal muscles constantly take part in “pumping” one or another muscle. Some people, from the very beginning of training, first of all go to exercise their abs, as a result of which the training later turns into a test.
Workouts at home
Performing abdominal exercises at home will give men a sculpted, elastic belly only if everything is done correctly. Any workout begins with warming up the muscles, or warming up.
The main part of the complex is represented by the following exercises:
A selection for beginners
Crunches
You can’t lift your lower back off the floor, watch your technique
This is the most popular abdominal exercise that most exercisers do incorrectly.
You need to lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Your arms can be folded on your chest or behind your head.
As you inhale, you need to twist your body, lifting your shoulders off the floor and stretching your chest towards your pelvis. As you inhale, you must slowly return to the starting position.
Most of those who try to do this exercise, instead of twisting the body, in which it seems to break in half at the level of the lower ribs, do sit-ups with a straight back. Don't repeat their mistakes.
Reverse crunches
Unlike the previous exercise, reverse crunches primarily load the lower abdominal muscles. You need to lie on your back, keeping your legs straight and arms extended along your body.
Inhaling, lift your legs straight up. Stay in this position for 1-2 counts. As you exhale, slowly return to the starting position.
Try to keep your legs as straight as possible
Scissors
Despite the fact that this exercise is perceived by most athletes as feminine, it allows you to work out the abs very effectively and is great for men.
Starting position: on your back, legs straight on the floor. Raise your legs slightly up and begin to perform horizontal movements that imitate the work of scissors - first, the legs diverge to the sides, then they are brought together so that the right one is above the left.
After this, they move apart again and converge so that the left one goes above the right one. Do 3-5 approaches.
Crunches
Their target is the upper abdominal area. You will need any weights on your legs: they should rest firmly on the floor. Many of us use the edges of a sofa or chairs for this.
Perform crunches while lying straight on your back, with your lower limbs bent, and your hands behind your head. It is necessary to raise your torso so that your elbows touch your knees.
Scientific research
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) commissioned research to identify the most effective ways to work out the abs among the many common ways. At the Biomechanics Laboratory at the California Institute in Sacramento, Peter Francis and Jennifer Davis identified which loads have the most powerful impact on the abdominal muscles.
The experiment involved 30 healthy men and women aged 20 to 45 years who exercise regularly or occasionally. All abdominal loads were administered to the subjects in a random order.
A total of 13 exercises were studied. Using an electromyograph, scientists measured the electrical activity of muscle fibers during each exercise. The impact of loads was recorded separately on the rectus abdominis and separately on the oblique abdominal muscles. The degree of associated tension in the thigh muscles was also recorded. The measurement basis (for 100% load) was taken using ordinary twisting. The effectiveness of the others was determined in relation to them.
| Exercises for the rectus abdominis muscle | Efficiency | |
| 1. | "Bike" | by 148% |
| 2. | Exercise machine "Captain's chair" | by 112% |
| 3. | Crunches on a fitness ball | by 39% |
| 4. | Crunches with legs up | by 29% |
| 5. | Trainer "Torso Track" | by 27% |
| 6. | Crunches with arms raised | by 19% |
| 7. | Reverse crunches | by 9% |
| 8. | Lying crunches, legs bent, heels resting on the floor | by 7% |
| 9. | Ab roller | by 5% |
| 10. | "Plank" | by 0% |
Exercises with a tourniquet and on the Ab Rocker machine were not included in the table, since they showed lower results than regular crunches.
| Exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles | Efficiency | |
| 1. | Exercise machine "Captain's chair" | by 210% |
| 2. | "Bike" | by 190% |
| 3. | Reverse crunches | by 140% |
| 4. | "Plank" | by 130% |
| 5. | Crunches with legs up | by 116% |
| 6. | Crunching on a fitness ball | by 47% |
| 7. | Trainer "Torso Track" | by 45% |
| 8. | Lying crunches, legs bent, heels resting on the floor | by 26% |
| 9. | Crunches with arms raised | by 18% |
| 10. | Ab roller | by 1% |
Strengthening your lateral abdominal muscles with cable crunches or the Ab Rocker is worse than traditional crunches. They are not included in the table.
Analysis of electromyography data confirmed the view that each person performs exercises differently. And the same exercise does not work equally well for everyone involved. Therefore, for training with the best results, Dr. Francis recommends choosing several top options, testing them on yourself and taking those that tightly load your abs.
Reverse crunches
The exercises are designed to develop the lower abs in men. Active loading occurs due to raising the lower limbs. To perform it correctly, it is recommended to lie down with your hands grasping a support (for example, a sofa, a radiator).
Task: raise your legs, trying to touch your chest with your knees. Then lower them and press your heels firmly to the floor. You can do 3 sets of 15 times.
"Scissors"
Lying on your back, extend your arms along your body, lift your legs slightly off the floor. Perform intense leg swings. Swings should be as wide as possible.
For the first lesson, it is enough to do 20 repetitions. Further increase the number of swings.
Side plank
Trains the oblique muscles. You need to lie down with your legs closed tightly. Lean on your right elbow and lift your pelvis up. The left hand should not “walk”: its place is strictly on the left side.
Similar actions must be performed while leaning on your left elbow. For the first time, 2 sets of 20 repetitions are enough.
When performing these abdominal exercises at home, men should not forget about aerobic exercise.
The purpose of the exercises is to stimulate the cardiovascular system and remove excess fat.
Training for relief and endurance
There are two approaches to organizing training:
"Volume". If a man is interested in the appearance of his abs - two even, protruding rows of six-packs on his stomach and a clearly defined outline of the oblique muscles - training should be aimed at increasing the volume of muscle mass. To do this, the abdominal muscles are loaded intensively, not for long, and a break of about three days is taken between training the target muscle. The exercises are chosen to be complex, as a rule, weights are used, and they are done “to failure”, that is, it is physically impossible to do another repetition. With the correct choice of load, no more than 12 repetitions are performed in one approach. For each exercise, up to four approaches are planned, and all of them are performed “to failure”, resting between approaches for no more than two minutes. A prerequisite for such training is a break between workouts; muscles increase in volume during the recovery period, which lasts up to three days. Such training is not recommended for men with less than a year of training experience.
"Multi-repetition" (or "functional"). The goal of such training is no less important - to develop endurance and strength. Functional training is preferred by supporters of the ancient physique (without “pumped up” muscles), many athletes and beginners. You shouldn’t bring yourself to complete exhaustion during such a workout - fatigue and burning of the abdominal muscles will be enough by the end of the exercise. As a rule, each abdominal exercise can be performed at home, 20-30 times up to four approaches. Experienced fitness trainers believe that if a man can do thirty repetitions, then the load should be made more difficult or a different one selected. You can do this every day, but at least 3 times a week. In “high-repetition” training, abdominal exercises with dumbbells are recommended for men; As a rule, medium-weight shells are used. If the complexity of the training and the weekly load are selected in accordance with the man’s capabilities, then the abs will not only become stronger and more resilient, muscle mass will also increase, but much more slowly than with “volume” training.
Workouts in the gym
The main difference between such training is the use of simulators. And it will be useful for novice athletes to get advice from an instructor before going to the gym for the first time. He will correctly calculate the load and help men choose the optimal set of abdominal exercises.
Twisting on the top block
All abdominal muscles are involved, so the exercise is very useful. You need to stand with your back to the block, legs slightly apart and bent. Next, take the upper block with your hands and tilt your body forward. At the same time, exhale calmly. You can perform 2 sets of 20 repetitions.
Ab exercises with a roller
For men who are well prepared physically, this simulator will help diversify their activities.
To get acquainted with the simulator, you can try the “Plank”. Starting position: get on all fours, roller in front of your face. It is necessary to grasp the handle of the roller with your hands, while pointing your palms towards the floor.
Take a plank position and straighten your torso into a line. Hold the pose for 40 seconds. Start with 3 repetitions, gradually increasing their number.
Exercises
- With a roller. The most effective exercise is getting out of a lying position . We lie down on our stomach, stretch our arms in front of us, take the roller in our hands and, as we exit, pull it toward us, thereby lifting our torso. We exhale and return to the reverse position. You need to do 3 approaches several times.
- With dumbbells. It is much more effective to pump the press with weights. Of course, at first it will be very difficult and therefore it is best to start with the maximum weight for you, gradually increasing it. One of the most effective exercises: we take the starting position, take dumbbells in our hands, inhale, and at the exit we begin to lift the body. We stay in this position for about 10 seconds (do not relax the abdominal muscles). Exhale and return back to the floor.
It is impossible to say exactly how many approaches you need to do, since the exercise is quite complex and one can do 10 times in one approach, and the other 100. So, be guided by your capabilities.
Errors
Trying to create a beautiful relief, many novice athletes rush into training as if they were in a whirlwind.
Meanwhile, the mistakes that beginners make can lead to health problems and forced refusal of physical activity.
Main mistakes:
- Performing exercises chaotically, not adhering to the program.
- Athletes often begin training by working on their abdominal muscles. It is better to leave these exercises for the final stage, as they require a lot of effort.
- Execution is not as correct, but as convenient. In this case, the desired effect is more difficult to achieve.
- Workouts without complications. Meanwhile, it is important to force the muscles to work, constantly increasing the load.
It is important to remember: to get the body of an athlete, you need to constantly work, complicate tasks and not give up halfway.
Even the best abdominal exercises will not give men a beautiful, sculpted belly if they are not taken seriously. Therefore, throughout the entire training period you need to maintain a positive attitude and the will to win. Then everything will definitely work out!
Exercises for drying the abs for men
The best way to dry the abs is through cardiac exercise, and therefore it is advisable to focus on running, jumping on a rolling pin, cycling, and so on. Also, we must not forget about classical exercises. Let's take a closer look at this issue:
- Warm up. It consists of running, jumping rope and the like.
That is, we begin to moderately load the heart to burn fat. It is important to know: such exercises will not cause harm to health, as they are done in moderation (10 minutes of warm-up is enough). - Bike. Undoubtedly, this exercise is familiar to many, but not everyone knows that it is aimed at developing the abdominal muscles. Let's bend our legs, raise them and begin to imitate riding a bicycle.
- We raise our legs above the ground. This press is similar to the classic birch exercise.
We lie on our backs and slowly begin to raise our legs, trying to achieve a right angle, and after you are in the desired position, we begin to stretch your lower back. You need to do about 100 repetitions per day. But this does not mean that you need to do everything at once. Ideally, 1 set should consist of 10 repetitions. And so on throughout the day. It is important to know: at first you will feel some discomfort in the lower back area (this means that the muscles are as tense as possible). But this will pass after a couple of similar training sessions. - Book. The book practically repeats the previous exercise, but with one difference - instead of the legs, you will need to lift the whole body, which is much more difficult to do. You need to put something under your back for support (for example, a roll of towels works great). Now, lie down on your back and slowly begin to lift your body along with your legs. As with leg raises, you need to do about 100 repetitions per day (10 times per workout).
