Abs

Use these ab workout tips, strategies and techniques to strengthen and/or define your core.

Ready To Take Your Ab Workout To The Next Level?

April 13, 2015 By 1 Comment

wr01qe6b80o1_500Are you happy with your abs? Great, keep doing what you’re doing.

Not happy with your abs? Let’s talk.

And let’s assume you already know the basics. You understand that everyone has abs, and that showcasing your abdominal muscles is really all about reducing body fat through an effective workout program and proper nutrition. And let’s assume that you’ve put these foundational principles into practice - and have seen some results.

But what if you want more? What if you want carved, cobblestone abs that really pop?

In this instance, it’s about more than just reducing body fat to make your abdominal muscles visible. It’s about actually building up those muscles and increasing their size. The secret to building those ab muscles isn’t really a secret at all. It’s the same strategy that we use to build our biceps, pecs or glutes.

In short, you need to incorporate resistance. And, over time you need to progressively increase the amount of resistance so that your muscles build back stronger and bigger than before. After all, your body won’t build muscle unless more muscle is needed to get the job done.

Incorporating resistance with abdominal workouts takes some creativity. In this instance, using cables can be extremely effective. You can also simply hold a weight plate over your head while performing crunches or situps. Over time, increase the weight of the plate or the resistance on the cables. Keep doing this until you achieve your desired results.

Remember, you have have the biggest, baddest abs in the world - but if you have even a small layer of fat over your belly, they won’t be visible. You’ll need to keep your body fat down to really achieve the desired effect.

Sound like a lot of work? It is. While having a strong, powerful core provides many important benefits, carving out a magazine-quality six pack isn’t necessary - or realistic - for most of us.

P.S. If you want some guidance for improving your core, download Davey Wavey’s Six Pack Program and get started today!

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Is A Six Pack Worth It?

September 17, 2014 By 6 Comments

Hi Davey,

I’ve tried to get a six pack but it hasn’t worked and I can’t imagine putting more time into it than I already have. I honestly have to ask, is having a six pack really worth it? Why torture yourself over something superficial when there’s so many other more meaningful things worth doing in life?

From,
Audrey

caio-cesar-0402Hey Audrey,

Well, I think your email and question will strike a chord with many, many people. Indeed, for a lot of people, the energy and effort required to carve out a chiseled six pack might not be worth it. It’s a question all of us must ask ourselves and answer honestly.

But consider this.

I grew up overweight. Being a fat kid isn’t easy. The name calling and teasing was relentless - and it took a toll. By middle school, I starved myself and became dangerously thin. The ups and downs slowly leveled out in my teenage years; I slowly began the process of healing my relationship with my body. It’s still an ongoing journey, but I’ve learned so much from the experience and have come to realize my own strength.

It reminds me of a quote that I once came across: “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” And it’s a quote that’s very much applicable to the pursuit of a six pack.

Getting a six pack is a huge challenge. It requires changing the way you eat. It requires spending time engaged in exercise. In many ways, it can be a change in lifestyle for most people. And while the achievement of that goal is innately superficial, the process by which it is accomplished is full of very real and important lessons.

Moreover, I’ve never found it to be torture. Fueling your body with delicious and nourishing foods isn’t torture. Honoring your body with movement through exercise isn’t torture. Going to bed at night and sleeping well isn’t a torture. All of these things, in my opinion, are gifts. Sure, they all require energy and effort. But they also dramatically improve the way you look and feel.

There’s something to be said for dreaming it, wishing it and then doing it. Yes, getting a six pack is difficult. But life’s not about limiting your challenges. It’s about challenging your limits.

Love,
Davey

P.S. If six pack abs are one of your fitness goals, download Davey Wavey’s Six Pack Program - with a different 12-minute ab workout for each day of the week!

 

Filed Under: Abs, Ask Davey, Exercises Tagged With: ,

How to Get Abs Like the Movie 300.

March 13, 2014 By 14 Comments

Dear Davey,

I’m a big fan of the movie 300 and I’m excited to see the new sequel. I’ve always been really envious of the actors’ bodies and especially their six pack abs, and I was wondering what their secret is?

From,
Ben

2r5ylrkHey Ben,

The chiseled, strong, oiled bodies of the men in 300 are a sight to behold - and can certainly serve as workout motivation and inspiration to the rest of us.

The secret to getting a highly defined body (like those showcased in 300) really isn’t a secret at all. It can be summed up in two steps:

  1. Train hard.
  2. Eat fewer calories than you burn.

The truth is, all of us have abdominal muscles. Training hard means strengthening and developing those muscles. But even highly developed abdominal muscles will remain hidden if they’re covered by a layer of body fat. Eating fewer calories than you burn (while continuing to train hard) is all about leaning down to a lower body fat percentage. As you become leaner, the coveted six pack becomes visible.

Exercise guru Mark Twight worked with the 300 actors to whip them into shape through months of intense training. At the end of the training, the actors were administered the following test. Based on their time, the actors were each given a score.

  • 25 pull-ups
  • 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
  • 50 push-ups
  • 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
  • 50 “floor wipers” at 135 pounds
  • 50 “clean and press” at 36 pounds
  • 25 more pull-ups

It’s a grand total of 300 reps (just like the name of the movie) and it’s meant to be performed without any rest. Keep in mind, the ability to punch through this workout test was the result of months of training. If it seems daunting, work up to it over time. Completing the test can be a great fitness goal.

If it all sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. Between training and massages and fight classes, many of the actors worked four hours per day to achieve their 300 look. For a lot of people, that might not be realistic - and that’s okay.

At the end of the day, 300 can - at the very least - inspire each of us to build stronger, healthier bodies that are fueled by delicious and nourishing foods. We might not end up looking like Greek gods, but we can certainly make progress toward our health and fitness goals.

Love,
Davey

 

Filed Under: Abs, Ask Davey, Exercises Tagged With: , ,

7 Tips for Better Crunches!

June 28, 2013 By 8 Comments

perfect six pack2Crunches are the staple of most ab workouts, but they’re rarely executed to their full potential. To really make make your crunches count, here are 7 tips:

  1. Keep your head and neck in alignment with your spin to avoid strain and discomfort. This means that there should always be space between your chin and your upper chest. A simple trick is to pretend you’re holding an apple under your chin… don’t crush it!
  2. Resist gravity. Crunching up is important, but most people forget about the lowering portion of the exercise. By resisting gravity as your shoulders lower back to the floor, you’ll get more punch out of each crunch.
  3. Use mind-muscle control. Mind-muscle control refers to the feeling of connection between your mind and the muscles that are being worked. By mentally focusing on your abdominal muscles while performing a crunch, you can can greatly increase the level of intensity.
  4. Avoid interlocking fingers behind your head. Interlocking fingers is more likely to result in your head being pulled forward (remember to keep that apple under your chin!). Instead, place your fingers by your ears or cross arms over your chest.
  5. Magnify your crunch with modifications. If you want to take your crunches to the next level, try elevating your heels so that they’re a foot off of the floor - essentially bringing your legs into tabletop position. Alternatively, try reaching your arms straight up, as though your palms were reaching through the ceiling.
  6. Don’t anchor your feet. Forget what you learned in elementary school. Anchoring your feet under something heavy shifts the focus from your abs to your hips. It’s also more likely to cause strain by overextending and/or arching your back.
  7. Breathe. Don’t hold your breath! Instead, incorporate rhythmic breathing into your ab work. Exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down.

If you’re looking to spice up your ab workout, then check out my Davey Wavey Six Pack Program. You’ll get five, 12-minute ab workouts to perform each day of the workweek and a slew of great materials. And use discount code “blog” to save 25% during checkout.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Abs, Exercises, Tips Tagged With: , ,

Crazy Two Person Ab Workout! [Video]

February 26, 2013 By 3 Comments

Screen Shot 2013-02-25 at 4.52.53 PMGrab your nearest friend or gym buddy and take 10 minutes to try this amazing two-person partner ab workout.

It doesn’t require any fancy gym equipment - but it does take some real stamina and dedication to power through! Fortunately, Ashton and I have plenty of that :-P

Check out the video.

Filed Under: Abs, Exercises
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