How to design the best workout for abs

by admin on November 24, 2011

First of all it depends on what your goal is; let’s review some of the most desired goals:

  • You have several pounds to lose and your main goal is to get a flat stomach fast, this is for women and men
  • You need to lose fat and your ultimate goal is to get ripped fast, this is mainly for men
  • You want to build muscle mass and become athletic with visible abs, again more for men
  • Your main goal is to get in shape as soon as possible, have more energy and get a flat stomach fast, for women and men
  • You want to be able to wear this skinny jean the next month! Definitely for women.
  • You want to fight or at least you want to train like a fighter: you need abdominal strength and conditioning, ripped abs will be obvious results.

To design the best workout for abs you’ll need to combine total body exercises, specific abs exercises and cardio. It can be done in circuits of a few exercises and you do not need equipment. Bodyweight exercises range from very easy to very challenging and it shouldn’t be an issue for any level.

Here are 3 examples of circuits where we combine cardio for a metabolic impact, this is your best bet for a terrific workout for abs:

Beginner level:

Outdoor circuit: 20 bodyweight squats + 1 minutes of torso rotations (with abs activation) + 30 seconds run (or jogging), repeat 3-4 times, try to keep a pause at the minimum  between exercises.

Indoor circuit (home): 20 split squats + 20 exercise ball crunches + 30 seconds of shadow boxing or jumping rope, repeat this circuit 3-4 times with a minimum pause betweeb exercises.

Intermediate to advanced level:

Outdoor circuit: 10 burpees + 20 bicycle crunches + 30 seconds fast run (sprint), repeat 3-4 times, minimum pause between each exercises

Indoor circuit (home or gym): 20 plyometric (jump) split squats + 30 pushups + 20 russian twist + 30 seconds high paced shadow boxing, repeat 3-4 times, short pause between exercises.

Of course these cicuits will need to be adjusted according to your goals and present conditioning, but be aware that very simple circuits can be very effective workouts, knowing that intensity is very important. The good part is these workouts can last from 10 to 20 minutes. If you want very unique workouts for abs, check out these ones for a maximum metabolic impact:

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