Ab Workouts - Intermediate Workout Routine #7 For a Lean Stomach

Intermediate Ab Workout #7

Exercise: Crunches With Hands Overhead
Sets: 3
Reps: 25
Rest: 60-90 seconds of rest between each set
Advice: Lie on your back on the floor (or mat) with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent. Stretch your arms straight out over your head. Crunch your upper body forward and bring your shoulder blades just off the floor. Slowly lower down to the original start position and repeat. Remember to squeeze your abs tight throughout the motion.

Exercise: Press Sit-ups
Sets: 3
Reps: 25
Rest: 60-90 seconds of rest between each set
Advice: Lie flat on your back on the floor on a mat with your knees raised and your feet above the floor. You can also lie on a flat or decline bench to perform this exercise as well. Grab a barbell and start with the bar on your chest as though you were preparing to perform a bench press. Begin by simultaneously raising your torso in a crunching fashion and pressing the bar to an overhead position. Slowly return to the start position and repeat.

Many people who are new to working out seem to always focus on developing ripped 6-pack abs. They really want to obtain a washboard like stomach that is lean and sexy. The key to getting shredded abs is diet and cardio since the only thing that is getting in the way is a layer of body fat. See, everyone actually already has 6-pack abs, its just that they are hidden under a layer of adipose tissue (body fat) that is hiding them. So, the most important things you can do is to eat a clean, healthy diet and include cardio workouts in order to burn calories so you can shed that layer of unwanted body fat that is keeping your six pack abs from popping out.

The abdominal muscles, also knows as "abs", are a group of muscles that provide movement and support to the trunk and torso, which is often called the "core". The core muscles are extremely important to mobility since they help control bodily movements, transfer energy, shift body weight and allow you to move in any direction. The abdominal muscles consist of:

• Transverse Abdominal
  
• Internal Obliques
  
• External Obliques
  
• Rectus Abdominis

The "core" is often referred to by personal trainers who advise their clients to develop this area in order to provide support for a weak lower back that usually causes pain in most people that have excess body fat in the abdominal region. If you have a "spare tire" or a "gut", you will be much more susceptible to issues with your lower back since the excess weight will put additional pressure on your back which over time will produce pain and discomfort. The abdominal muscles also assist in the breathing process and they have a direct influence on body posture. Developing a strong core is extremely important for creating and maintaining a healthy spine. As you get older, this is crucial to living a healthy and pain free life.

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