you want amazing looking abs, forget about the traditional ab exercises like crunches, sit ups and leg lifts. There are a number of exercises that you can do that will give you better results, including a leaner body in less time. These non traditional ab exercises will boost your metabolism, while working your entire body, including sculpting your abs.
One of the best ways to gain abdominal definition is through compound exercises that require trunk stabilization, while limiting the amount of rest between sets of these exercises.
You can perform these exercises in a superset or tri-set formula. Pick two of the exercises below, like squats and overhead presses, and perform them back to back with no rest in between as a superset. Do 3-4 supersets and limit your rest between sets to 60 seconds or less to really ramp up the fat burning and lean muscle building effect.
Here's a list of compound exercises to choose from:
1. Squats
2. Deadlifts
3. Bench Press
4. Overhead Presses, especially one arm presses
5. Chin Ups/ Pull Ups
6. Rows
7. Renegade Kettlebell Rows
8. Turkish Kettlebell Get Ups
All of these exercises will work more than one muscle group and require your abs to work hard to stabilize your trunk.
You will find that front squats will work your abs more than the traditional placement of the bar on your traps of your back. With the weight out front your abs will have to work overtime to stabilize your mid section and aid with the lift. To do a front squat you will need to rest the bar across your clavicles and shoulders. Step up under the bar, placing the bar against your clavicles and shoulders. From there you can use your arms/ hands one of two ways. You can cross your arms in front of you and under the bar. You then lift your crossed arms up against the bar and use your fist to push back against the bar, keeping it in place. The other option is to bend your arms straight back so that you elbows are point straight ahead and level with the bar. You then take a reverse underhand grip under the bar and keep it in place on your shoulders. A lot of people lack the flexibility to do this, so the first option may be the better.
Single arm overhead presses can give you the most beneficial ab work. The stabilization work involved when pressing overhead with one arm is greater than when using two arms, especially if you do not use your off-hand to stabilize yourself by holding onto something.
Renegade rows and Turkish Get Ups are great kettlebell exercises. The Turkish Get Up is too involved an exercise to actually outline here, but you can find videos demonstrating them on YouTube. However, I would recommend enlisting a certified kettlebell instructor to teach the exercise to you.
Renegade rows are an excellent indirect ab exercise. Place two large kettlebells on the floor shoulder width apart. Assume a pushup position, balancing yourself on the two kettlebells and spread your feet shoulder width apart to stabalize yourself. Lift one kettlebell up in a rowing motion while balancing yourself on the other kettlebell. Return the kettlebell to the floor and repeat on the other side. Renegade kettlebell rows is an amazing exercise because it will test all of your stabilizer muscle from your core, to your back musculature and shoulder and wrist stabilizer muscles.
All of these exercises provide the benefit of stronger abdominal muscles while building lean muscle mass. That additional lean muscle mass will increase your resting metabolic rate, which will help you burn more calories and lose the fat covering the strong abdominal muscles you are build.
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