Beautiful and sculpted abs are not only low level subcutaneous fat, but also the ability to consciously tense the abdominal muscles (those same cubes). Only by strengthening your neuromuscular connection and learning to feel the involvement of your abdominal muscles will you be able to effectively perform various abdominal exercises.
However, the difficulty is that the more subcutaneous fat you have, the more difficult it will be for you to feel the involvement of the abdominal muscles in the work. In addition, an excessively large belly causes stretching of the abdominal muscles and significantly weakens the ability to consciously tense these muscles.
On the other hand, creating six-pack abs will still require you to physical activity, because the abs are also a muscle. However, the main exercises for pumping it up are not hanging leg raises at all, but, first of all, static exercises for developing the core muscles - first of all.
How to pump up your abs correctly?
Fitseven already wrote that the best way is the combination of dynamic exercises with static ones, as well as the development of the internal abdominal muscles. In addition, we note once again that to burn subcutaneous fat you need a diet and regular cardio, and not crunches at all.
The main point when performing any abdominal exercise is the ideal technique, and not the number of repetitions or the amount of additional weight. However, to achieve correct technique This is possible only if you are able to maintain the abdominal muscles in slight tension when training them.
Learning to tighten your abs
The best exercise to learn how to tighten your abdominal muscles is static crunches. Starting position: lying on the floor, legs bent at the knees at an angle of 90 degrees and raised up, lower back with a slight arch, clasped hands behind the head (or at the temples).
Pressing your knees together, try to feel the tension in your abdominal muscles, then slowly and through their conscious involvement in the work, lift your shoulders up and hold this position. Start with 2-3 repetitions of 10-15 seconds, gradually increasing to 4-5 repetitions of 60 seconds.
Strong abs - anatomy
Muscle fibers are divided into two types -. Fast fibers are activated when lifting weights, slow fibers are activated during static loads. Slow muscle fibers predominate in the muscles of the core and abs, since the task of these muscles is to maintain posture.
Slow muscle fibers do not use free fatty acids as their main source of energy. This means that the stronger you develop your abdominal muscles, the drier and more prominent its muscle fibers will become - and those treasured abs will appear.
Key point of technology
The main point of the static crunch technique is not the height of the shoulder lift or the time spent at the top point. The key is to feel the abdominal muscles (especially the abdominal muscles) being involved in the work. A slight trembling in the body is an indication that you are on the right track.
Once you have learned to feel the engagement of your abs while lying down, try to achieve the same feeling first in an upright position (standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, chest facing up, arms tense and pointing to the sides), and then when doing other exercises or in everyday life.
How to properly train your abs?
Perform static crunches at the beginning of each strength training session until you are able to engage your abs without their assistance. At the end of your workout, first do a few sets of the exercise, then 2-3 of your favorite dynamic abdominal exercises.
To train the internal abdominal muscles at home, perform the “Vacuum in the Abdomen” exercise - lying on the floor, feet touching the floor, exhale the air from your lungs and pull your stomach inward as much as possible, as if trying to pull your navel to your spine. Start with 10 seconds, work your way up to 25-30 seconds.
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The main step in achieving a sculpted abdomen is the ability to tense your abdominal muscles and consciously engage them when performing exercises. Static crunches, planks, and Abdominal Vacuum exercises are the best ways to learn how to tighten your abs and feel your six-pack.
Nutritionist trainer, sports nutritionist, honored author of Evehealth
22-03-2017
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Verified information
This article is based on scientific evidence, written and reviewed by experts. Our team of licensed nutritionists and estheticians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and present both sides of the argument.
Today, the trend is proper nutrition and athletic, toned bodies, so playing sports is gaining unprecedented popularity. One of the desires of any person who works hard to develop a toned body is beautiful, sculpted abs, which will require a lot of effort to achieve.
But you should not despair and tune in to a result that will not appear very soon. As practice shows, if you apply maximum effort and follow all recommendations regarding nutrition and physical activity, you will be able to form sculpted abs in a month.
First of all, it should be noted that the basis of a sculpted press is a combination of three components, represented by diets aimed at eliminating excess fat deposits, special training and genetic features of muscle structure.
The main obstacle to flat stomach It is the fat accumulations in this area that appear. Many may be surprised, but every person has six-pack abs, which are carefully hidden behind a layer of fat. In this regard, the first step towards obtaining the coveted sculpted belly becomes obvious - it is necessary to get rid of fat mass.
To achieve the intended results, it is recommended to involve diet and cardio training. Many newcomers to this field naively believe that only diet or intense physical activity will be enough, but this is a big misconception. In fact, fat deposits in the abdominal area are very difficult to burn, so without integrated approach the problem will not be resolved.
Defining optimal view cardio training, it is strongly recommended to pay attention to running. By devoting at least half an hour to this sport every two days, you will soon be able to enjoy pleasant results.
If running is simply not to your liking or serious contraindications to this sport prevent you from doing it, you can stop at using an exercise bike or doing cardio training at home.
Features of proper nutrition
Among the universal recommendations on how to make a sculpted press, an important role is played by proper nutrition. Correcting your diet does not involve making major changes. You should avoid fast foods and sweets, in other words, minimize the intake of carbohydrates into your body.
It is recommended to fill the daily diet with slow carbohydrates, represented by buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, bran porridge, all kinds of nuts and vegetables. In this case, food consumption should be distributed in such a way that the predominant part of carbohydrates falls on dishes intended for breakfast and lunch.
To create a menu correctly, it is recommended to follow in the following proportions: only a third of the daily diet should be allocated to carbohydrates, but the rest should be filled with eggs, meat, milk, sea fish, cottage cheese and other protein products.
To summarize the above, it should be noted that the main recommendations regarding nutritional correction are aimed at reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet and increasing protein foods.
The second important component of getting sculpted abs is regular exercise. special exercises aimed at training the abdominal muscles. At the same time, to obtain a sustainable result physical exercise It is recommended to perform at least twice a week, repeating each of the selected sets at least 10 times.
So, best exercises, intended for the press, are presented:
- By bicycle. The peculiarities of performing this popular exercise are known to everyone and involve clasping your hands behind your head and bending your knees while lying on your back. After taking the starting position, you need to alternately stretch your knees to your elbows so that the right knee touches the left elbow and vice versa.
- Twisting. To take the starting position, you should lie on your back, and your legs should be bent at the knees and rest on the floor. You need to put your hands behind your head. The exercises themselves involve doing crunches while exhaling in such a way that the lower back is pressed to the floor as much as possible.
- Plank. This exercise is one of the most favorite for many athletes who know how to pump up sculpted abs. At first glance, this exercise seems quite simple to many, but in practice it is not so easy to perform. As a rule, when performing the “plank”, not only the abdominal muscles are trained, but also the entire body. It is necessary to take the starting position, lowering yourself on your elbows and stretching your legs straight so that they rest their toes on the floor. You should stay in this position for as long as possible. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the body does not sag, because all the results will be negated.
- Leg raises. If you need to form sculpted abdominal muscles, paying maximum attention to the rectus muscle, you should focus on this exercise, for which you will need a crossbar. Hanging on it, you need to raise your legs as high as possible and slowly. Beginners should start with knee raises. To increase the load, you can perform pelvic lifts, but only experienced athletes can do such exercises.
Conclusion!
Having set a goal, you don’t need to count on lightning-fast results. In this matter, it is recommended to rationally assess the characteristics of the body and preliminary preparation.
So, for people who are actively involved in sports, there is a real opportunity to pump up sculpted abs in a week, because in this case, to achieve the goal, it is enough to simply adjust your diet and pay more attention to the abdominal area during training.
In any case, all efforts will be rewarded with what you want appearance, so never give up on the path to your intended results.
Abdominal exercise video
Everyone wants to prepare their body for the beach season, and most often it all comes down to one thing - you need to start sculpting your abs. During this period, girls and boys are interested in how to remove their belly and sides and make their waist narrower. Guys want to pump up their six-pack abs, and girls want to get a beautiful flat stomach.
But how to pump up beautiful abs, because the closer summer gets, the more pressing the question becomes beautiful belly? And there are often cases when systematic, regularly and technically trained athletes cannot achieve six-pack abs.
In this article I will talk about the basic principles that will help you remove fat from the sides and abdomen and achieve beautiful abs. I’ll also tell you little-known “tricks” that will help men get sculpted abs and pump up flat tummy and thin waist for girls.
1. Do you want to pump up your abs? Stop training your abs!
At first glance, the recommendation may seem absurd and pointless, but there is no point in overloading the rectus abdominis muscle with grueling workouts if it is hidden under a layer of fat. Too frequent abdominal workouts will not help burn fat locally, that is, in the desired place (in our case, on the stomach). This approach to abdominal training will only lead to an imbalance between the back extensors and the abs and can cause lower back pain. It is better to pump the abs 2-3 times a week after training large muscle groups, in 2-3 approaches until failure or almost to it. The intensity of abdominal exercises should be high, you need to work with full dedication. This will be quite enough to get a strong and lumpy abs. Aerobic exercise and a proper diet will help you with the rest.
2. Not eating after 6 pm doesn’t really help fight fat.
Fasting does not help you burn more fat, and may even lead to increased fat accumulation. When you fast, you burn more muscle rather than fat. A muscle mass It just helps the body burn fat, and the fewer muscle fibers, the less fat you can burn. You can safely eat after 18:00, 20:00 and even after 24:00, the main thing is to follow the rule - after 6 pm do not eat carbohydrates, all food should be protein. An evening or night snack that does not slow down the fat burning process can be like this:
A) Protein shake with water or skim milk, with a protein content of at least 70%
B) Fish, chicken fillet, beef (100-200 g) + light vegetable salad(cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, greens). Eating potatoes, corn, beets is strictly prohibited!
3. Waist-hoop training doesn't help reduce your waistline.
Hoop training is not particularly energy-intensive; it has a weak training effect on the cardiovascular and muscular systems. It’s foolish to hope that training with a hoop will help you burn belly fat and make your waist thinner when they actually require little calories.
More effective in burning calories and fat will be heavy basic exercises, such as deadlifts, squats with a barbell on the shoulders, and pull-ups on the horizontal bar. And even push-ups will help you burn more fat around your waist, because they use more muscles and so the body has to burn more calories. During these exercises, the heart begins to beat faster, the body temperature rises, free glycogen in the muscles is burned, and these are the conditions under which fat in the human body begins to burn.
4. To lose weight, you need to run - this is a myth!
It is a misconception to think that to lose weight you need to go on a treadmill, and exercise with weights in gym This is for those who want to gain muscle mass.
In both training options, diet will be the deciding factor in burning fat or gaining weight. The final result will depend 80% on properly selected nutrition. Physical activity will only act as a catalyst, that is, an accelerator of these processes. I don’t argue that during aerobic exercise, fats are mainly burned, and during anaerobic (strength) exercise, creatine phosphate and glycogen (glucose) are the source of energy. But after strength training during recovery, the loss of energy will be compensated by burning the breakdown of fats in the body. But this is only subject to a properly formulated diet.
That is, aerobic training burns fat reserves well during the training itself, but at the end of it it has little effect on fat burning. During strength training, the source of energy for the muscles is carbohydrates, that is, glucose, but after finishing training in the gym, strength training spurs fat burning for a long time afterwards.
Conclusion: whenever possible, you need to combine strength and aerobic training. In training for sculpted abs, this is great option pump up sculpted abs.
5. Aerobic training will not help you burn fat if:
- Before training, you ate a good meal of foods containing carbohydrates (bread, sweets, cereals, pasta, fruits, potatoes, etc.)
- If aerobic exercise occurs before strength training. When you first went for a run or walked at an accelerated pace for half an hour - an hour, and then went to train with a barbell
Train correctly: the first should be power training, for which the muscles need energy in the form of glucose found in the blood, muscles and liver, then we do a cool-down after training in the form of a treadmill, exercise bike or elliptical.
And in a light, or maybe interval, mode, we work for another 15-20 minutes on burning fat. This way you will start the process of intensive fat burning and this will happen much earlier than if you perform aerobic training separately and separately give your muscles strength training.
To burn fat during aerobic training, you first need to run for about 20 minutes and use up all the glycogen from your muscles, and only then will fat be used as energy.
6. Don't be fooled by low-carb diets.
If you follow a carbohydrate-free diet for more than 20 days, without adding carbohydrate foods to your diet, then:
- Instead of abs, you will get intestinal problems from a lack of fiber, and your liver and kidneys will also suffer from excess ammonia and other toxins (ketone bodies) from an excess of protein in food
- Due to the lack of fuel for the brain (our brains feed on glucose, which is why it is recommended to eat chocolate before exams), you will slow down a lot. You will also be constantly cold and it will be difficult for you to train or do physical work. There just won't be enough strength for anything.
- The worst news: You'll lose more muscle than you burn fat. You will notice that despite all the efforts and torturing yourself, the fat layer does not decrease, and your strength becomes less and less.
One of the techniques for proper fat burning is to alternate low-carb meals with loading ones. That is, once every five days you give your body a sufficient amount of carbohydrates, then again reduce their amount. This technique accelerates metabolism (metabolism), improves mood and desire to move towards sculpted abs. This way you will lose maximum fat with minimal muscle loss. But this is not the only technique. Subscribe to the free newsletter to always receive new articles and not miss anything.
To make your abs sculpted, just the right exercises and regular training are not enough. Proper muscle pumping requires an integrated approach. This can be compared with sports nutrition. The sun is out, shirts off, and now it's up to you to decide whether you become the center of attention or some other guy (or girl).
Especially for beginners who are just starting to pump up their abs, we have collected the most important tips. Read carefully, put the tips into practice and you will achieve success!
Everything about ripped abs: everyone should know this!
Rule 1: You shouldn't train your abs every day
The fact is that the abdominal muscles are used when performing many other exercises aimed at 
to other muscle groups. In particular, when you train your legs and back, you indirectly use the abdominal muscles; during such training, the abs receive noticeable secondary loads. But don't forget that when you do exercises like squats or bench presses, you're not getting all the load from the ABS.
The second argument in favor of breaks in training is that the abdominal muscles should rest; after an intense workout, they will need time to recover. Do not forget that this particular muscle group has the highest threshold for fatigue. This means that the results of your training will be most noticeable if you give your muscles time to “come to their senses.”
Rule 2: A set of abdominal exercises will not reduce belly fat.
Experienced athletes know very well: no matter how intensely they train, even the most significant loads will not reduce the fat layer; it will still envelop the muscles. Of course, a certain amount of calories are burned during exercise, but this is not enough. Your muscles will really pump up, which means they will increase in volume. They will simply “lift” the fat layer, and it may seem to you that you have even gained weight in your stomach.
Rule 3: Pumped up abdominal muscles will not be visible under the fat layer
We have already noted that pumped muscles will only increase your volume, as they will be hidden under a layer of fat. In addition, unlike other muscle groups, abs will never be visible under the fat layer.
The fewer calories, the less body fat, don't forget about it! This means you will have to either reduce the number of calories you consume daily or burn them more actively.
Important! The structure and volume of the fat layer depend, among other things, on genetic factors. That is why some people get rid of it much easier than others, and it is inherent in their heredity.
Rule 4: noticeable, defined muscles are not always healthy
Abdominal abs do not always mean that a person maintains a healthy weight that is optimal for his body. Especially when you consider how many people today suffer from obesity.
Many athletes with sculpted abs cannot boast of excellent health, since they have incorrectly composed their diet and illiterately selected their training regimen. In order to get sculpted abs and subsequently maintain the muscles in this state, it is important to find a balance, a “golden mean” between their attractive appearance and health.
Rule 5: Anyone can get 6 pack abs
Or at least 4. This result is available even for girls. But do not forget that genetics also plays an important role here. Perhaps your genetic predisposition will allow you to achieve noticeable results very quickly, but it may also work against you.
For some athletes, genetics helps them build up to 8-10 abs, while for others it barely allows them to achieve 4.
What should the diet be like?
Abdominal muscles are formed not only in the gym, but also in the kitchen. Of course, you can increase physical activity as much as you like, but it will not bring the expected results if you do not adjust your diet.
Don't worry about having to limit yourself noticeably. Most athletes slightly reduce the number of calories they consume each day to lose weight. Some people manage to stick to a diet that involves consuming enough calories to maintain their current shape. But this is a rare case, and here again genetic predisposition makes itself felt.
Simply reducing the amount of food you eat is the wrong approach. You need to carefully consider your diet and structure it in such a way that proteins predominate in it. In this case, preference should be given to foods with moderate calorie content. This type of nutrition will relieve you of constant hunger, make you feel full and cheerful, and will have a beneficial effect on the condition of your muscles.
How to create a training schedule and what exercises to do?
Your task is to pump all the abdominal muscles in a comprehensive manner:
1. Lower press. Exercises designed for lower press, involve raising your legs. You can 
do this lying down or fixing your torso on the horizontal bar.
2. Upper press. Such exercises involve pulling the upper body towards the legs fixed in one place. These can be standard lifts and crunches.
3. Side press. Don't forget about the obliques. They are used when performing exercises involving rotation of the torso.
A few tips for beginners:
Choose one exercise from each group
Do 4 sets of each exercise
Take breaks between sets of no more than 30-60 seconds
Such exercises will take you very little time and, together with a properly formulated diet, will help you achieve noticeable results.
Sports fashion has reached its peak. And not for clothes of this style, but specifically for external manifestations healthy image life, one of which is considered to be a fit figure and sculpted abs.
This is an excellent trend, but has one drawback – the lack of clear information about the sequence of actions to achieve the goal. If a person does not know what to do and when, the results can be disappointing and discourage the desire to take care of one’s body.
Another thing is a structured approach to working on appearance. In an effort to develop, you need to understand: the key to success is a clear, individually drawn up plan.
Training for summer: more interesting articles:
Beginning of relief
Often, when asked “how to quickly build up six-pack abdominal muscles,” most people mistakenly think that intensive exercise is enough. In fact, a truly noticeable effect will be achieved only when physical activity is included in the complex of actions.
Experts insist on the need to get rid of subcutaneous fat. This is facilitated by properly selected diets, running, and cycling.
You need to think not about how to pump up abs, but about the other side of the issue - about maintaining health, the advisability of stress on the body.
Don't trust promises beautiful view“in 5 days” - there are already plenty of myths. Excellent, long-term results are guaranteed only by hard work, patience, and moderation.
Basic mistakes
Having asked the question of how to pump up sculpted abs at home, we stock up on knowledge about what not to do:
1) borrow supposedly “professional diets” from the Internet, from friends - balanced diet Only a specialist can help you choose. What suits one person may harm another;
2) exhaust the body with excessive loads - the principle individual approach must remain in charge;
3) skip classes using original methods as an excuse;
4) increase the load unevenly - you can damage ligaments and muscles; 
5) use the approaches of various sports doctrines. That is, if you are involved in fitness, you should not combine it with bodybuilding or gymnastics - perfect result it is impossible to achieve such a “mix”;
6) forget about other muscle groups, directing all the intensity only to this area - in combination with the flabbiness of the rest of the body, a pumped up stomach will look like a caricature;
7) ignore cardio stress (watch your heart and blood vessels, avoid their wear and tear)
Running on an empty stomach increases the fats absorbed by the body after a run.
Cardio training
Strengthening the cardiovascular system. It is important to use all muscle groups here. How to quickly pump up abs for a girl.
Without going to the gym, without having a cardio machine, you can choose the following offers:
Running (at one time daily – 30 minutes);
Cycling (similar to running);
Explosive push-ups (like regular push-ups, but more intense, lifting off the floor);
Burpee (sit on all fours, hands on the floor, knees resting on the chest. Then sharply stretch your legs back, finding yourself in a lying position. Return to the starting position again.
Push off the ground, jump up to your full height, stretching your arms up);
Rock climber (lying position, sharply pull one leg to the chest, put it back, then the other).
Jumping (half squat, hands behind head, jump high);
Sumo squats (we squat with our hands on the floor between our legs, abruptly move into a lying position and back to the starting position).
Important: when building six-pack abs, increase the intensity of the described exercises gradually, use either a system of squats/push-ups, or running and cycling.
Target - maximum efficiency. Achieved by a simple set of exercises that strengthen required areas bodies. Before pumping up sculpted abs at home, we select workouts that are suitable for the load on them.
There are only eight exercises to help you achieve your goals:
1) twisting
Normal (lying with legs bent, slowly rise until your knees stop);
Diagonal (the same, but turned sideways);
Reverse (lying, raise your legs vertically);
Double (raise your head and bent legs towards each other, hands behind your head);
2) raising legs
In a supine position;
Lying on your side;
3) bicycle (on your back, alternately raising your elbows to your legs imitating riding);
4) abdominal vacuum (on all fours, pull in and relax the stomach);
5) book (“fold” the lower and upper limbs vertically).
Variable approach
An important principle of success for anyone asking themselves the question “how to quickly pump up six-pack abdominal muscles” is the ability to understand the importance of variation in training.