LET’S TALK ABS

ryan3478
14 minutes ago
1 min read

“Abs are made in the kitchen.”

Not true.

I agree that lower body fat is heavily influenced by your nutrition, yes, but your abdominal wall still needs to be trained like any other muscle group. Strength, definition, and injury prevention all come from consistent training.

Woman in gym gear smiling while doing sit-ups on a black exercise ball. Background is a light blue wall with wooden floor.

FUNCTION:

Rectus abdominis – attaches from the hip to the bottom of the ribcage; causes flexion of the spine.

External oblique – starts at the lower portion of the 8 ribs, inserts into the hips; helps with lateral flexion.

Internal oblique – runs from the crest of the hip to the lower 4 ribs; supports rotation.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Because the quads also tie into the hips, it’s really easy to overuse them during ab exercises. Make sure to train all aspects of the core and allow for recovery.

Since the core supports the spine through multiple ranges of motion, train flexion, rotation, and rigidity.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE EXERCISES:

Flexion: Feet-up crunches, curl-up crunches, jackknife

Rotation: Russian twists, floor wipers, oblique tuck-ups, cable twists

Rigidity: Elbow plank, weighted plank, side plank

Man in white shirt and black pants doing yoga side plank on green mat. Dark wall and plants in background. Calm and focused mood.

TIPS & TRICKS:

Don’t be afraid of adding resistance

Control momentum and avoid “leg cheating”

Keep tension and avoid arching your low back

Focus on your breathing

Of course, there are tons of options when it comes to ab training. Be intentional, write things down, review regularly, and have different levels of accountability to maintain consistency and progress.