Many people have been told that the best way to work abs is by doing targeted abdominal exercises, such as sit ups or crunches. But, science has proven that this just isn’t the case. Looking back at history, this shouldn’t surprise us.
One hundred years ago, nobody talked about six pack abs or purchased workout equipment. Many people had washboard stomachs, though. What was their secret?
Life was harder then and most people didn’t have desk jobs. If you weren’t rich enough to afford servants, you had to do everything yourself. There were no washing machines, dishwashers, cars, or utilities. People spent their days chopping firewood, tilling fields, cleaning, and cooking, and, most importantly, walking.
You may be wondering what this has to do with working your abs.
This constant work may have been inconvenient, but it was a fast, full body workout. This working produced abdominals that were fit, toned, and ripped without the benefits of a gym, or fitness science.
Now, naturally, you probably don’t want to give up your car or your office to become fit. But you can still harness the secret of 19th century fitness by performing a fast, holistic workout routine.
There are two elements a great ab workout:1. Full body fitness2. Fast Motion
Full Body Fitness:
Exercises that target only the abs are good, but not great. Alone, they won’t take you where you want to go.
The abdominal muscles, known to scientists as the rectis abdominis, are not designed to work alone. They work in tandem with your other muscles. Your pecks, your abs, and your back muscles are all connected.
So, by only performing abdominal exercises, such as crunches and sit ups, you are working harder for less pay off.
When you perform real work using your abdominal muscles, such as chopping wood, your abs are working with your other muscles to provide strength and power. So, it makes sense that doctors and fitness experts have suggested that you should work your abdominals in conjunction with other, related, muscles, rather than just using an isolated movement, such as a crunch or sit up.
Olympic athletes don’t spend all day doing crunches or buy exercise machines. The ones who have killer abs take a holistic, full body approach to working out.
Great full body workouts include:* Tai Chi* Yoga* Kick boxing* Martial Arts* Core Strengthening Plans
Fast Motion:
You may have heard that you should work out slowly, so that you can “feel the burn”. Sure, this lets you know that your muscles are being worked, but what does it really accomplish?
You just spend more time working out.
When you’re doing real work or playing sports, you don’t stop to feel your muscles working. You just work them and keep going.
So, when you’re exercising, why do you do it slowly? Perform your repetitions in one fluid, continuous motion. Don’t go so fast that you risk injury, but don’t stop to contemplate your abdominal contractions either.
Remember, the best way to work abs is to work the whole body. Don’t think of each exercise like an individual task, make your whole workout your goal, and you’ll see better results, faster.
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