Abdominal Exercises Progression

Abdominal  Exercises Progression

Because of tradition, abdominal exercises are often executed in long sets of fifty, 100, or maybe 200 repetitions. Friends even turn it into a contest:

- "I did 4 sets of 200!"
- "Really? I did 6 of 300."

Who would get the simplest results from their abdominal exercises during this scenario? nobody. Here's why.

Long sets of abdominal exercises aren't optimal if you would like six-pack abs. It's basic physiology: muscles grow better on heavy, medium-repetition (about 8-12) sets. Would you train your chest using 4 sets of 200 repetitions? I assumed so. Abdominal muscles are not any different, and that they got to grow if you would like them to point out.

But for instance you'll do 12 crunches. does one stop there (since sets of 8-12 work best)? in fact not. you would like to form the crunches harder by increasing the load you lift every repetition. But how? By positioning your arms differently.

Following are 3 arm positions you'll use with all abdominal exercises to form them harder and simpler at building six-pack abs.


1. Arms along your sides. It can't get any easier.

2. Arms crossed across your chest. Intermediate difficulty.

3. Hands behind your head.

4. Arms overhead. It can't get any harder
without adding external weights.

5. Arms crossed across your chest, with some external resistance (a plate or an important book, for example).



So, keeping with the crunch example, once you hit 12 repetitions together with your arms along your sides, start your next set together with your arms crossed across your chest.

Again, once you'll do 12 repetitions together with your arms crossed across your chest, start your next abdominal set together with your arms overhead.

Once you can do 12 repetitions together with your arms overhead, you'll be wanting to use some sort of external weight (dumbbell, plate, dictionary, etc.). you'll hold it across your chest (some people feel easier that way) or at distance, overhead. an equivalent principle also applies to all or any abdominal exercises: once you hit 12 repetitions, increase the problem by changing your arm's position.

Next time you're close to starting a group of 200 crunches, try crossing your arms across your chest. See what percentage repetitions you'll perform this manner, and the way the burn in your abdominals feel. Then drop me a line at my website below.