Let’s face it, a great majority of this society is overweight and out of shape, and many are seeking to improve their first impressions with others by taking the bull by the horns, losing weight and setting up an ab workout that will trim their midriffs and give them a set of firm abs that will be the envy of all onlookers. Well, maybe not that strong; but there are a lot of folks looking for a solution to their flabby midriffs, and a good workout routine targeting the abs is a good start.
There are basically 4 groups of muscles that make up what is referred to as the abdominals and before you decide on what kind of an ab workout you want, you should familiarize yourself with what those 4 groups are, and what they do—-what their function is in the moving of the body. The first is called the rectus abdominis—this is what laymen refer to as the “6 pack”; then the obliques—internal and external; and finally the transverse muscle. Knowing what action each of these muscle groups performs and why, will help you choose the most targeted ab workout for your body.
Okay, now we need to know where these muscle groups lie in the structure of the body, and not only what their functions are, but also why do they do what they do. First of all, the “6 pack” set of muscles, or the rectus abdominis, is the most centrally located of the muscle groups and lies between the ribs and the pelvis where it controls the motion of the middle body. The next is the internal obliques, and they are located inside the area of the hip bones and serve as the rotators of the torso. After them, come the external obliques; and as you would guess by the name, they are found more on the sides of the body and are the muscles that twist the torso side to side. Finally, we have the transverse muscle, which is designed to act as and looks very much like a belt, where its action is to hold your organs in place where they belong in the center of your body. Their workings are orchestrated so that they all move in tandem with one another, and yet one or more sets of muscles can be targeted for strengthening by a good ab workout.
Now we get into the meat of the discussion about an ab workout, and that would be the exercises needed to get the most out of your effort and help you reach your goal. Most ab exercise programs will revolve around doing crunches—-because they are much safer than situps in that they do not endanger your back. You can do different types of twists to strengthen the obliques, the bicycle maneuver; and then incorporate leg lifts and static holds that will help strengthen your core muscles. Don’t forget the core muscles—-they benefit just as much from a correct ab workout, because they are the pinions of the middle of the body and help keep all the other abdominal muscles in line.
You can set up plans over and over again for a good ab workout and hope each time to make it work, but if you don’t eat an adequate diet and stop with the fast food and over processed food, then there’s no use in even planning anything because without a solid dietary base and well running body, you have no hope of developing strong detailed abs. All the old sawhorses apply: never skip breakfast, eat smaller meals but eat more often, lower your fat intake and drink a lot of water. Incorporate weight lifting and cardio into your routines, and monitor your protein and carb intake according to the type of exercises you are doing. The results will please you no end.
Just remember a few of these little thoughts that will serve you well as you begin your diet plan and your ab workout routine. Make sure you have the right set of exercises for the areas you want to work on, and make sure they are exercises you like and will stick with—-it’s great to start out gung ho but if the plan doesn’t fit you or your lifestyle and you give up, what good is that. With the foods you are now eating, your metabolism should be running at a faster pace and burning fat more steadily; and as a last little tidbit—to lose one pound of fat per week, you must have a deficit of 500 calories a day.
It’s no easy task getting your body in shape and then making up an ab workout that you can stick to and will give you the results you want. But, if you are serious about getting good firm abs, then the key is to make up a workable plan and stick to it; because when you do, and you see the final results, you will be greatly pleased.
Gerald Holt gathers information and writes about subjects like Best Sit Ups. For more information on Best Way To Do Sit Ups At Home visit our site.