Build Better Abs April 7, 2018 | Dusty Otis 12 Week Training Guide To Build Better Abs You know by now that you will never out-exercise poor eating habits, so no matter if your belly is flat or round, it is shaped by what you eat first, and your activity level second! The snacks you love throughout the day and the late night sweet-treats before bed only add to what you carry every day, and I haven’t even mentioned your job or the stress you carry. Now, about the workout. Your upper Abs are easier to see because they do a lot of work, and other than your lower back they are constantly engaged holding you up, plus they are the farthest from your waste. Whether you will admit it or not catching a glimpse of your upper abs gives you confidence and makes you feel like you still got it. See there is good news here, you’re still in the game. How about them lower abs? Your lower Abs and obliques are the hardest to see for a couple reasons. Like I mentioned earlier your meal plan has to be on point, your activity level needs to increase and you need to add resistance while training your lower abs. Truth is you can see your upper abs easier because they have more muscle mass than your lowers. So then you need to get your lower abs and obliques a little more mass, which is going to take strength training. So if your nutrition is right, and you’ve increased your activity, here is the plan to get your six pack to pop. It is Spring Time and 12 Weeks from now you will be 1 week into Summer, where will that belly be? Know This: not many people like training abs, it can be awkward, painful and is always uncomfortable. You will get out of it, what you put into it. INSTRUCTIONS: THIS WORKOUT IS MOST EFFECTIVE IF FOLLOWED WITH CARDIO TRAINING. 12 WEEK TRAINING GUIDE | 3 DAYS PER WEEK | 45-75 SECOND REST PERIODS. 1ST SET OF EXERCISES: 4 SETS OF 20 REPS EACH – 2 SECOND PAUSE AT THE TOP OF EACH REP. 2ND SET OF EXERCISES: 3 SETS OF 25 REPS EACH – 1 SECOND PAUSE AT THE TOP OF EACH REP 3RD SET OF EXERCISES: 3 SETS OF 20 REPS EACH – FULL RANGE OF MOTION – SLOW AND CONTROLLED 4TH SET OF EXERCISES: 3 SETS OF 15 REPS EACH – STRETCH IN THE BOTTOM, SQUEEZE EVERY 3RD REP 5 SECONDS AT THE TOP. HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AB TRAINING: LEARN HOW TO BREATH, KEEP YOUR CORE TIGHT, PULL YOUR BELLY BUTTON TOWARDS YOUR SPINE. (THIS KEEPS THE STRESS OFF OF YOUR LOWER BACK) PAUSE FOR A SECOND AT THE TOP OF EACH REP (SQUEEZE) THE LONGER THE PAUSE, THE MORE YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH. ABS ARENT MADE WITH SHORT CHOPPY REPS. FULL RANGE OF MOTION ALWAYS RECRUITS THE MOST MUSCLE. HOW TO ADD RESISTANCE TO LOWER AB AND OBLIQUE EXERCISES: ANKLE WEIGHTS ARE SAFEST AND EASIEST (START LIGHT) A DUMBBELL BETWEEN YOUR FEET A MED BALL BETWEEN YOUR FEET A RUBBER BAND AROUND YOUR FEET AN ATTACHMENT (NYLON STRAP) FROM THE CABLE MACHINE AROUND YOUR FEET FEET IN TRX STRAPS WEEK 1 | 3 | 5 MASS BUILDING HANGING LATERAL LEG RAISES SS MED BALL LEG LIFT WITH SEASAW MOTION (LEGS TICK LIKE A CLOCK, KEEP BACK FLAT ON THE FLOOR) HANGING LEG RAISES SS ROPE CRUNCHES (FROM HIGH PULLEY IN CABLE MACHINE) MED BALL SIT UPS SS CABLE REVERSE CRUNCHES (NYLON STRAP AROUND FEET FROM LOW PULLEY IN CABLE MACHINE) WEEK 2 | 4 | 6 MASS BUILDING BICYCLE CRUNCHES (WITH ANKLE WEIGHTS) DUMBBELL LEG LIFTS ALTERNATE ROPE CRUNCHES (FROM HIGH PULLEY IN CABLE MACHINE) MED BALL V-UPS WEEK 7 | 9 | 11 DEFINITION FULL SIT UPS – 5 SECOND REPS (2 POSITIVE | 1 MID | 2 NEGATIVE) KEEP CORE ENGAGED | FULL RANGE OF MOTION REVERSE CRUNCHES – START WITH A LEG LIFT, PULL KNEES TO CHEST, GET UPPER BACK OFF THE GROUND AND KICK FEET TO THE SKY, AND CONTROL THE RETURN TO YOUR FEET TOUCH THE FLOOR. LEG OVERS SS TRUNK ROTATION LEG OVER = CLASSIC ARMY STRETCH TURNED INTO AN EXERCISE. EXTEND KNEE, POINT TOE TO CEILING, ADD ANKLE WEIGHT FOR RESISTANCE, KEEP SHOULDER BLADES FLAT ON THE FLOOR AS YOU ROTATE TO OUCH YOUR TOE TO THE FLOOR. TRUNK ROTATION = CLASSIC GOLF STRETCH DONE WITH INTENTIONALITY. KEEP SHOULDERS FLAT ON THE FLOOR AS YOU ROTATE YOUR TRUNK TO TOUCH YOUR KNEE TO THE FLOOR. WEEK 8 | 10 | 12 DEFINITION CROSS LEG CRUNCHES (3-5 SECOND PAUSE AT THE TOP) ALTERNATE V-UPS – ADD ANKLE AND WRIST WEIGHTS PLANK PIKES ( SUCK BELLY BUTTON INTO YOUR BACK, KEEP CORE TIGHT) DOUBLE CRUNCHES (PAUSE FOR 2 SECONDS AT START AND MIDDLE OF EACH REP) QUESTIONS: [email protected]