Weak core = back pain, weak core = girl abs!
- As males (Yes there might be one maybe two females on these forums but for the sake of simplicity I will assume we are all males)
- Everyone has abs, the size/etc. depends on how hard you train
- You TOO can have awesome abs!
*]Doing ANY weighted ab exercise will cause your abs to come out (they will grow, if you don't know what I mean imagine yourself as a 13 year old... your abs are flat there may be lines on your stomach but in general your abs are not 3 dimensional. With weighted ab exercises expect your abs to come outwards thus why "increasing the weight" constantly may not be the best idea but sticking with a size you are comfortable with is.- When your abs do come out, even at higher body fat percentages definition in stomach area is not lost right away.
- YOU MUST BE LEAN, it does not matter how much you work your abs if you are 50 pounds overweight. 8-12% are where abs are visible for most people.
- Drink plenty of water while working on abs (not during but after) to prevent cramps
As requested there are a set of exercises that have NO crunching involved.
Overhead Lift
You want to get into squat position with a weight you CAN keep above your head, you want to be in the 12-15 rep range to trigger growth.
(Squat position is 90 degrees for the legs)
One Arm Lifts
These are actually pretty hard to do, would recommend starting with a dumbbell and taking it slow not using a super heavy weight and hurting your back.
Health Lift
You can either do deadlifts or this variation ^
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With crunches ab workouts
BICYCLES
I love these, they really work the side obliques!
ISOLATION CRUNCHES
The only warning I have is you won't feel it right away, but when you start doing them you may be in the 50+ range (YOU WILL CRAMP, if you do too many in a short period of time)
LYING THROW-DOWNS
Direct Quote:
--While lying down grab your partner's legs as he stands with his feet on both sides of your head. While keeping your legs straight or slightly bent (but locked into place) bring your feet to your partner's chest as fast as you can.
sources:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/henkin33.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/nic1.htm
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Conclusion:
I will write a routine guide sometime in the future, keep an eye out for that!
Good luck, ALWAYS remember you must lose the fat before you can see the abs!