EXTREME ABS WORKOUT!

This Extreme Abs Workout is designed to fully work your rectus abdominals (six pack muscles!) as well as incorporate the oblique’s (side stomach muscles) by using twisting type movements.

Never forget the importance of eating right in order to lose fat and tone your midsection! Be sure to read this info regarding nutrition to help improve your midsection, because the extreme abs workout will be useless unless you make good eating a part of your plan!

Keep rest periods between sets at 30 seconds, and allow at least 48 hrs rest between workouts.

SUMMARY OF EXTREME ABS WORKOUT

(Click on exercises for a description)

EXERCISE	SETS x REPS
1. V-up superset with Weighted Twist	3 sets x 10-20 reps (V-up) 3 sets x 10-15 reps each side (Weighted Twist)
2. Decline Sit-up	2 sets x 10-20 reps
3. Decline Twist	2 sets x 10-20 reps
4. Roman Chair superset with Prone Hold	3 sets x 10-20 reps each (Roman Chair) 3 x 30 secs-1min (Prone Hold)
5. Fitball Crunch	3 sets x 10-20 reps

1. V-Up superset with Weighted Twist

V-Ups

Great exercise for upper and lower abs.

Start by lying flat on the ground, with feet slightly raised off the floor. Simultaneously lift your upper and lower body so that your knees almost touch your chest. Control the movement back to starting position.

You may find that you may need to practice the coordination of this exercise so you don’t go off balance!

Superset the V-Up with the Weighted Twist (below). This means go straight from the V-Up to the Weighted Twist without a rest in between. The rest period should be after the Weighted Twist.

WEIGHTED TWIST

This is a good exercise to include in the extreme abs workout as it involves both the 6 pack muscles as well and side muscles (obliques).

Sit on your butt, knees bent, leaning back at approximately a 45 degree angle to the floor. Twist to each side touching the floor just beside you hips making sure you look to each side of the room so you can get a good ‘twisting’ action.

Shoot for 10-15 reps each side.

Variations:

You can start with using no weight to using medicine balls and/or weight plates or dumbbells!
Holding the weight out further out (straighter arms) gives you an even more extreme abs workout!

2. Decline Sit Up

DECLINE SIT UP

Considered a lower ab type exercise, but you’ll also be working most of you ‘six pack’ muscles!

Pretty straight forward exercise… sit up then back down! Control the movement on the way down.

Points to consider:

You can vary the range of movement to suit yourself. For example, you don’t have to do a full sit up, you can experiment with using only the top range of movement, the bottom half, or even just the middle. Experiment until you find one that gives your extreme abs workout the burn you want
If you do not have a decline bench, you can use the floor and place your feet underneath a fixed object.

3. Decline Twist

DECLINE TWIST

Similar to the Decline Sit Up, but with this exercise you add a twist to incorporate more of the oblique (side) muscles.

As you sit up twist and look to one side of the room, return to the start, then sit up and twist to the opposite side.

Variations:

You can start by holding your hands across your chest, and intensify it by having your hands on your head. Don’t lock your hands behind your head, keep your fingers touching your temples.
As with the Decline Sit ups, if you don’t have a decline bench you can use the floor and place your feet underneath a fixed object.

4. Roman Chair superset with Prone Hold

ROMAN CHAIR

Generally regarded as a good lower ab exercise, the key with this one is slow and controlled movements, especially on the way down. Too many people swing and use momentum with this one, so slow it down.

To begin with you can raise you legs so that your hips finish at 90 degrees. Slowly lower your legs in a controlled manner so that you can still see your feet at the bottom. In other words lower your feet so that they are slightly in front of you.

Variations:

To increase intensity of your extreme abs workout you can lift the knees up higher, and/or hold your knees for a few counts at the top of the movement.
For the more advanced you can use straight legs, but you should not feel it in your lower back.

Superset the Roman Chair with the Prone Hold (below). This means go straight from the Roman Chair to the Prone Hold without a rest in between. The rest period should be after the Prone Hold.

PRONE HOLD

This is an abdominal stabilization exercise. Basically make yourself in to a plank and hold for the desired time e.g. 10 seconds. Obviously the longer you hold it, the harder it is! Hold for anywhere between 5 seconds and 1 min.

Points to consider:

If you feel it in the lower back squeeze your butt, and if you still feel it in your lower back, slightly lift your but towards the sky (whilst still squeezing at the same time), until tension is felt more in the abs rather than your lower back.
The further forward your elbows are, the harder it is.

Variations:

You can start on your knees (rather than your toes) to make it easier
You can use a fit ball under your elbows to increase the intensity of your extreme abs workout

5. Fitball Crunch

FITBALL CRUNCH

This exercise is like a floor crunch, or sit up. The idea here though, is to flex at the spine rather than the hips, as you will see most commonly in the traditional sit up method.

Us you sit up, focus on pushing your hips up toward the sky, and your lower back in to the ball. This will help eliminate hip flexion, and enhance spinal flexion.

Points to consider: