(ThyBlackMan.com) As the summer approaches, some of us get more anxious about the way we look. If you plan on going to the beach, it is hard not to notice how other people look. For guys, the best indicators of how in shape a person is are his back, arms, and abs. But, first and foremost, the abs are the staple of an above average fitness level in a healthy male. To help you finally get over the hump, and build those sexy, shredded abs, we have figure out the 6 best exercises for the perfect six-pack abs.
- Bicycle Crunch.
This is one of the more difficult and also most rewarding abs exercises that you can do. Start on your back. Bend the knees to a 90 degrees angle and lift them up until your calves are parallel to the ground. Put your hands behind your head. Lift your torso until you feel the full contraction of your abs. Rotate your upper body so that your,for example, left elbow tries to touch the right knee. While you push your elbow forward the same with your leg. Stretch it forward, to a 45-degree angle if possible. Return to starting position and alternate between sides. Do 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
- Russian Twist
Start sitting. Raise your legs, so that your heels are just above the ground. Keep your back straight. You can do this with weight or without one. Twist your torso, keeping your back straight, and touch the floor with your hands. Then, twist your body on the other side as well. Try to aim for 3 sets of 20 reps. If you reach that milestone, b sure to add some weight to keep yourself a challenge. You can only build muscle if you exert pressure on your body. Be sure to use slow, control motions while performing this exercise.
- Hip Raises
The majority of ab workouts tend to ignore the lower abs. The hip raises is here to fix that. Start on your back. Lift your legs up. Keep them straight. Push your hips up as far as you can. Try doing this exercise faster, with more rapid explosive movements. Aim for 3 sets of 20 reps. This is also an exercise that can be more difficult if you use weights or an elastic band.
- Plank raises
The plank is a staple of many workouts that are designed to get your dream abs. But the truth is that they are much too basic, and are way better for building stamina than actual abs. But that is not also true for their variations. One of the best plank variations is the plank raises. You start in a pushup position. Lower one side on the elbow, than the other. Then, raise yourself back up on your forearms as fast as you can. This is a taxing exercise. Try to do 3 rounds of 20-30 seconds. Remember, to get the max out of this exercise you need to keep both the core and back straight at all times.
- Plank walk up
Another fierce plank variation, sure to fire up your abs. Be sure to use a yoga mat or something else so that you do not injure or inflame your elbows while performing this exercise. Start in the plank position, but with your back a bit higher than usual for the plank. Bit by bit, move your elbows forwards until you reach the perfect plank position. Once you accomplish that, move back in the slightly elevated position, again moving very slowly on your elbows, bit by bit. Try to do 3 sets of 15-30 seconds.
- Seated scissor kicks
Another great exercise for the lower abs, designed to give you that jealousy inspiring v-shaped abs. Start in a sitting position. Lower your torso slightly, until you feel your abs contract. Lift your legs up and keep them straight. Move one leg above the other and vice versa. Aim for 3 sets of 20 -30 seconds.
You can do these 6 exercises as recommended here, or you can combine them in a really intense 10-minute Tabata circuit workout. But remember, just these exercises won’t be enough. To have great abs you need to put in the work daily and be smart about how much and what kind of food you eat. Without proper eating habits, you won’t get the great abs you dream of.
Staff Writer; Craig Jackson
Questions? Feel free to email me at; CraigJ@ThyBlackMan.com.