If you are going to perform workouts for abs, then clarify all the information about this process. For example, the fact that it is divided into lower and upper is a delusion. Physiologically, the ab muscle is the rectus abdominis muscle. Functionally, it should help twist the body. You should also consider the oblique internal and external muscles, which are located on both sides of the torso.
Are Ab Workouts Different for Men and Women?
The results of working on abs for men and women are usually different. This is due to physiological reasons. For the abdominal muscles to be visible, you need to have up to 12% subcutaneous fat. Wherein:
- Physiologically, females should have more body fat than males. It is normal for a woman to have about 20% of them. Testosterone is not enough. With that, this hormone is responsible for breaking down fats and building muscle. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve “six packs” not only through correct workouts for abs, but also through diet and rest.
- In men, everything is simpler physiologically. They also have less subcutaneous fat, only about 15%, and there is enough testosterone.
When doing crunches, the whole abs needs to work.
Overtraining of Abs
In this case, the abdominal muscles will remain in an aerobic mode. This means that no matter how much you increase the load, it will not lead to a result. Therefore, abs should be trained several times a week, allowing the muscle to recover. For beginners, you should do these exercises only 2 times a week.
Unpleasant sensations should and can be present after ab training. Only cramps and spasms should not be. The adaptation of muscles to stress is the most important factor if you want to achieve beauty and relief on the abdomen.
Fat is not burned during ab training. To do this, you must act through hormones that break down body fat. Therefore, athletes, under the supervision of competent trainers, in order to remove fat from the abdomen, start with fat burning workouts and diets, and then move on to ab workouts. And then they use moderate load and the use of extra weight so that workouts for abs are more effective.
Do 15 to 30 reps. It is strictly forbidden to train only the abs, otherwise it will lead to problems with the spine, including disc protrusion and lower back pain.
The 5 Most Common Ab Training Mistakes Beginners Make
If we talk about the main mistakes that beginners attend during ab training, then we have identified 5 of them:
- Lack of information. To develop loads without a coach, you need to have an idea of what you will have to work with. Important for ab training are: oblique internal and external, transverse muscles, as well as the rectus abdominis muscle. The first group helps to bend the body, rotate it and allows it to bend over to the side. The second is the deepest of all ab muscles, so they work with abdominal compression. The third allows you to bend the torso and raise the pelvis.
- Lack of leaving the comfort zone. In all sports, including abs workout, comfort zone is the worst enemy of performance. This is especially important at times when the body has adapted to the stimulation, and you get the feeling that you are doing the same work cyclically.
- Back alignment during ab exercises. It is not right. With this shape of the back, the abdominal muscles will not be able to actively contract, which means that exercises for abs will be ineffective.
- Rest between repetitions and the speed of their implementation. You cannot create a completely relaxed position even when doing ab exercises on your back. The same goes for the process when working with machine. Muscle tension, more or less, should be in any case. Also, beginners try to do the reps quickly. At the same time, they forget about quality. And exercises for abs don’t need to rush.
- Classes without additional loads. Indeed, ab workouts should be carried out with your own weight. But when you have been exercising for more than one month, it is difficult to increase this load. Additional resistance always has a positive effect when used rationally. In addition, weight gain is great for creating fast twitch fibers that tend to grow.
When performing ab exercises, do not lift your lower back off the surface on which you are performing the procedure. To strain your stomach, you should just slightly, a few centimeters, raise your chest. More info about Strombaject
Conclusion
If workouts for abs were as simple as many think they are, then most people would have a flat stomach and even have six packs. But it’s not that simple. To get the maximum effect, you should use these tips and take into account the main mistakes described above.
