A unique ab workout that doesn't contain your typical boring stomach exercises - no crunches or situps here!
by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-seller: The Truth about Six Pack Abs
Instead of the typical ab
routines that we see so often with crunches, situps, leg lifts, etc... I
like to give my readers better options for metabolism-boosting high
intensity workouts that work their entire body while also working their
abs... thus building rock hard abs & core, but also creating a much
better fat-burning workout than a typical ab workout.
I'm going to show you an example
today of one of my favorite "ab workouts" that doesn't include any
direct "ab exercises" at all. This is actually a full body workout that
works your abs pretty hard indirectly, and stimulates a good metabolism
boost! It's in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating
between 3 exercises instead of 2).
Here goes:
1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows
1b. Front Squats with Barbell
1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor
A good rep scheme to use with this
could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less
reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can
be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".
Exercise Pics & Descriptions:
Renegade dumbbell rows
are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells.
You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other
arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm
while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during
the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area.
Trust me... you'll feel it in the abs!
Renegade Rows shown above
Front squats are
done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your
body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back
as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by
crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your
shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body.
This takes a little practice at
first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to
help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization
strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the
front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg
exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time! Any time I do front
squats after not having done them for a while, I get a really deep
soreness in my abs the next day.
Front squats shown above
Mountain climbers
are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet
in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then
back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain
but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also
shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the
leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more
difficult than standard mountain climbers.
Mountain Climbers shown above
After finishing each exercise, try
to move to the next exercise with very minimal rest (no more than 15-20
seconds). Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before
repeating the sequence.
This will give you one of the best ab workouts
you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises.... and
with a LOT more fat-burning metabolic effect compared to standard ab
exercises... You'll see what I mean after you try it! This can be used
as a stand-alone workout (as it can be very intense if you use
challenging weights), or you can incorporate it as a portion of your
full body workout.
Not only will you receive a complete blue-print for challenging full-body workouts
that will thoroughly define your entire body in addition to your abs
(can be adjusted to beginners or advanced levels), but you'll also gain a
thorough understanding of what types of nutritional strategies and
other lifestyle aspects that it takes to reduce your belly fat to the
level where your abs are visible. Remember, nutrition and mindset are
MORE important than just the workouts!
Check out what other users are saying about their results with the Truth about Six Pack Abs program
Don't be lazy... Be lean.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
homepage: Unusual Tips to Lose Stomach Fat for Six-Pack Abs
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