As summer gets closer, everyone is looking to get their dream body, which consists of a flat tummy and perfectly molded abs. Most people think that it is a must to perform thousands of sit-ups to achieve that aesthetic stomach. But in full actuality, to achieve defined abs requires time, cardio, eating the right meals, and dedicated training.
So, the primary place to begin training for your abs is where the food lies. It is vital that you do away with sugars, alcohol, processed and refined foods, and fried foods. It would be best if you also tried to avoid dairy as they contain a high level of fat. Foods you should focus on eating include whole-grain bread, brown rice, lentils, protein (like lean meats), fruits, vegetables, and ensure you drink plenty of water.
Doing lots of cardio is also a great way to get you those abs that you are looking for. Research suggests that you mix up your program and do intervals rather than cardio that is slow and steady. The diversity of the pace allows your body to burn more calories. This means that in lesser time, you will be able to get better results. You should choose times for your cardio where you will go intense, then relax a bit, then repeat for about 30 to 60 minutes.
These are some of the workouts you can try if you want those abs ready for the beach. These moves will help you get started and build strength and mass in your abs before you take on the advanced exercises.
Static One-legged V-sit
- All through this movement, ensure that your belly button is pulled toward your spine.
- Form a V shape with your body with the use of your legs and arms and place one leg about one inch above the floor.
- Maintain that position for about 30 seconds. You can gradually increase the time with each week that passes.
Static V-sit on Bosu Ball
- All through this movement, ensure that your belly button is pulled toward your spine.
- Form a V shape with your body with the use of your legs and arms while sitting on a Bosu ball.
- Maintain this position for about 30 seconds, gradually increasing each week.
Static V-sit
- All through this movement, ensure that your belly button is pulled toward your spine.
- Form a V shape with your body with the use of your legs and arms.
- Maintain this position for about 30 seconds, gradually increasing each week.
Crunch then Hold
You have to perform this exercise in two segments. Ensure that your belly button is pulled to your spine all through.
- Crunch and maintain that position for about 30 seconds.
- After that, go a bit higher and maintain the position at the same time as in the first step.
Plank
- Stack your shoulders and elbows as your neck should be in line with your hips and spine
- All through this movement, ensure that your belly button is pulled toward your spine.
- Ensure that you do not let your hips drop.
- For starters, hold this position for about 30 seconds. When you start feeling comfortable, you can increase the time.
Benefits of working your abdominal muscles
These are the benefits of strengthening your abdominal muscles and increasing their endurance;
- Gives you better balance
When you find yourself needing to stabilize and balance your body, the benefits of building abs strength become more apparent. Research has shown that if you train your core, the muscles in your lower back, abdomen, hips, and pelvis will work in harmony to provide you with better stability and balance.
It is important to note that balance doesn’t just mean walking a tightrope or standing on one leg. You need your balance for everyday activities like riding on a bumpy road, trying to catch yourself from falling, or walking on an uneven surface. Building the strength of your abs would make these activities less hazardous and more pleasant.
- Improves sports performance
When doing sports, the level of action and stability you get is defined by how optimal the middle of your body is. Your core is engaged when you are running, you bend to use a hockey stick, you rotate your torso gently when swimming, and you twist to catch a ball. Research says that the benefits of abs are significant for runners, who can use core training to get a better running economy, core endurance, and static balance. Strong abs help make you less susceptible to sports injuries, and even if you get injured, you will have quick healing and recovery.
- Builds functional strength
In addition to supporting your lower back and spine, strong abs go a long way in improving functional strength. If you have a weak middle, it could be challenging to perform simple activities like tying your shoes or bending to pick an object on the floor. The strength of your core is needed to perform activities like lifting, getting up and down, and even twisting. If you have a weak core, you may be more susceptible to sustaining injuries when doing these activities where your back has to bear a more significant part of the work.
- Supports quality posture
You will be more likely to slouch if you don’t have strong abdominal muscles as you lack the musculature to support correct alignment. Developing strong abdominal muscles give you that quality posture by propping up your spine. This would make standing tall feel more natural. When you have a quality posture, it reduces the wear and tear that your spine experiences, which could result in further complications like disc herniation. Other benefits of a good posture include looking more confident, leaner, and taller.
- Reduces back pain
If you have weak abdominal muscles, your back muscles would need to work more to support your middle as your abdominals are the anchor for the muscles in your lower and mid-back. Working on your abdominal strength helps to improve the endurance of your back muscles, which will make you less susceptible to sustaining injuries or getting fatigued easily. Your belly will protrude too far and alter your center of gravity if you don’t have strong abs. In most overweight people that have weak abs, this stresses the back. An exaggerated anterior tilt to the pelvis is a problem that can be prevented if you have strong abs. Having this tilt would mean that your lower back’s discs and facet joints would be subject to a significant amount of pressure.
Things to avoid when working for your abs
If you want to get those abs ready for the summer, you will need to follow the above steps, but also keep in mind that there are things that could affect your progress. These are the things you should avoid when working for those beach-ready abs;
Do not neglect your diet
It has already been established that the kitchen is where abs are truly made. You ne
ed to carefully select what you eat as bad eating habits could mean you are not getting those abs even if you are doing exercises up to five times a week. The fact that you are eating too much is a major reason that you cannot lose body fat, but research has shown that it can also be a result of not eating enough. To get those abs, you have to keep track of the food you eat.
Do not go on a crash diet
When you are making those tweaks to your diet, ensure that you don’t take on something that cannot be maintained for at least 85% of the time. You can regain the weight you lost at the same time that it took you to lose it. It is recommended that you take it slowly, which means reducing your calorie intake by about 300 to 500 per day. Try to improve on your diet slowly and maintain it in the long run. You can start by quitting the intake of sugar and other unhealthy foods.
Do not train your abs every single day
Your abs need a break occasionally, just like every other muscle in your body. While you can still activate your abs muscles by doing exercises like planks and other stabilization and balance exercises, it would be best if you don’t work them every day. It is recommended that you do high-intensity workout for few times a week to burn fat faster and get those abs quicker, instead of training the abdominal muscles every single day.
Do not crunch way too much
While sit-ups and crunches have their place as abs-focused exercises, most people do it in a way that would cause problems. Having muscular imbalances could mean that this exercise would be a painful waste of time as well as being very ineffective. Engaging in compound movements like burpees, lunges, or squats are some of the best ways to burn that layer of fat on your abs. You can also burn fat faster by doing exercises like planks, high plank knee-to-elbow, and push-ups.
