Ab Workout (for free!)
I was at a friend’s house last night and the TV was playing in the background while we talked. I usually don’t pay that kind of background noise much attention, but I was distracted by one of those annoying infomercials. This one was for some ab machine and promised toned “six pack” abs within 2 weeks or your money back.
Scam Alert
First of all, this kind of ad is just a scam. If your belly is covered in fat, no amount of crunches on some silly machine is going to help that. You need to lose some weight which you can do by eating healthy and exercising. Second, this isn’t going to happen in two weeks. These ads rely on people looking for a quick fix. They know you’re not going to see results and the odds of you getting your money back are zero!
No Need For Fancy Machines
Second, there is ZERO need to spend money on fancy workout gear, especially not for abs. All you need for ab work is your body and a little bit of time.
- Start out with basic crunches.
- Once you’re able to do sets of 20 basic crunches, add some difficulty by doing knee to chest crunches instead.
- Remember to work the sides with exercises like alternate situps.
- And if you get bored, add in something a bit different like leg raises.
That’s all it takes. Do 1 or 2 sets of each of these exercises once or twice per week and you’ll be fine. Just remember that this needs to be part of an overall fitness plan. You can’t just work on your abs and not worry about anything else.
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Don’t fall for infomercial scams. They’re just preying on your desire for a quick fix. Unfortunately, there is no such thing, but the good news is that a real fix doesn’t cost you any money.
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Actually the reality is closer in line to your point about abdominal exercises doing nothing if you’re overweight. Everybody has ab muscles - they’re already there, all the time. If you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t be able to function as a human being.
For most people abs only become visible below about 10-12 per cent body fat. If you can get down to that level, you wouldn’t have to do any abdominal exercises at all to have a decent six-pack.
Abdominal work will strengthen those muscles and help with your ‘core’ - it can be essential if you have back problems as a lot of that strain can be relived by a stronger stomach - but it is in no way important to get a sick pack. If anything, for people with a higher level of bodyfat all you’re going to get from regular ab work is a *bigger* stomach (the muscles will broaden behind the fat) until you lose that excess.
My advice is always to simply not bother with ab work at all until you lose enough weight. Just focus on cardio work until your stomach is reasonably flat, then concentrate on your abs.
I agree whole-heartedly!!!
If my education (from 20 years ago) is still with me, I recall what gives the abs their shape are 3 tendons fusing things into place. Tendons are no different than muscle fiber, just more dense at the point of connection/insertion.
For people who strength train regularly, regardless of body fat levels, the muscles and tendons of the abdominal region get worked substantially, in static form, just by maintaining appropriate postures in strength training. For those who choose leg intensive cardio, such as stair-stepping, hill running, sprinting or walking up hill on a treadmill, you are working your lower abdominals with each stride you take.
Too many people focus way too much on ab work in the gym. And above all else, it gets done first at the dinner table.
Here are a few ab exercises I moved onto when I got bored of crunches, knees to chest etc.
1. Hanging leg-raises
2. Ab wheel rollouts (from the knees)
3. Weighted crunches using the rope attachment and a weight stack
I appreciate that all three of these would be classed as ‘advanced’ a work, but it’s useful to know about them because sometimes boredom can be a real enemy with ab work, especially when you get good enough at crunches that you have to do over 100 just to feel like you gave them a good workout!
Methuselah
Pay Now Live Later
Great post. The variants in the workout are less important than the gist of what you are saying - and to that all I can say is AMEN
You hit the nail on the head here… The key to a set of washboard abdominal is low body fat. In many cases, you don’t even have to train you mid section that hard to have a six pack, you simply need to have body fat levels below about 10%.
Also, in terms of the best exercises for the abdominals, you can’t beat crunches on an exercise ball.
Okay so I’m wondering how to lose that little extra bit of body fat. I flex my abs and I can faintly see them. I don’t have much body fat but I want to have a six pack. What exercises can I do to see those abs?
Hello Cari,
Two things might help.
First, a regular ab workout like the one mentioned in the original post will increase definition. That means the muscles will stand out a bit more assuming that the fat above them is gone. Second, need to lose more body fat.
The problem is that this can be taken to an extreme. Women for example have a hard time getting “six pack abs” because they naturally have a higher level of body fat. This is NOT a bad thing. If you reduce your body fat too much, you actually start to damage your body.
Just eat healthy, exercise daily and do an occasional ab workout (once or twice a week is usually fine). Some people (like me) are never going to have six pack abs and that’s just fine. Don’t kill yourself trying for some unrealistic ideal.
Gal
Oh, almost forgot to mention. The original post does include links to specific exercises. You can click on those links to see the exercises and how they should be performed. Some of the comments also have additional exercises you can do.
Gal
I have to be honest, I am one of those people who buys stuff sold on infomercials. They had me believing that regular crunches were no good and just hurt your back. However, you guys are saying that if your body fat is low enough then regular crunches can define your muscles. My question is then why do the infomercials say that regular crunches are bad? Also what king of cardio exercises are good for you, or help you loose stomach fat…running, walking, hiking?
Hi Hannah,
Regular crunches can be bad for you if you do them badly, but the same could be said for just about any exercise. If you click on the links in the post itself, they should take you to a site called Cooper’s Guns. There you’ll see videos of how to properly do many of these exercises. If you follow the instructions, you should have no problem getting in a great ab workout.
As for why the infomercials tell you crunches are bad. Well, because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to sell you their machines. If you knew you could get the same ab workout for free, why would you ever buy their junk? So they tell you crunches are bad and hope that you’ll believe them.
Finally, any cardio exercise can be good. I’m a big fan of the elliptical, jogging and hiking. Jogging is probably the best for burning off the calories but it’s also the worst in terms of impact to your feet and knees. If you want something a bit more moderate, I would recommend the elliptical machine. Alternatively, swimming is amazingly good cardio. Walking is NOT good cardio exercise although it’s a great way of staying active. Walking doesn’t get your heart rate high enough to really count as cardio.
Gal
I absolutely agree, fancy machines simply costs you fancy money.
Good ole down and dirty hard work is the most effective.
I do not however agree with your suggestions. (sorry)
Our ‘Abs’, are now being referenced in our CORE. And those exercise, while are great beginner isolation exercises, can result in imbalance, injury (possible neck strain) and the use of other mover muscles that your not trying to target (rectus femoris).
Anything that is working your core is also working the muscles you have listed.
Great post though. Scam alerts are everywhere.
@Strong One
Disagreement is always welcome. I never claimed to be the final authority on all things fitness related and I appreciate any additional information and corrections.
So what exercises would you recommend for working out the core?
Gal