{"id":13983,"date":"2025-04-12T14:38:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T14:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/13983\/"},"modified":"2025-04-12T14:38:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-12T14:38:12","slug":"ab-training-workout-tips-for-six-pack-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/13983\/","title":{"rendered":"Ab Training Workout Tips for Six-Pack Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is part of the Men’s Health Body Bible<\/a>, a collection of cutting-edge stories focused on helping you build more muscle using the latest science and lessons from some of the finest athletes and trainers on the planet.<\/p>\n

THE SECRET TO <\/strong>training your abs is out\u2014and it entails more than situps and planks, more than just targeting your rectus abdominis<\/a>, the ballyhooed band of muscle between your chest and your hips. If you want true core strength (and, yes, that six-pack), a growing group of experts will tell you that you need to carry heavy weights and walk. This forces your core to constantly microcorrect and rebalance as you move, explains Aaron Horschig, C.S.C.S., D.P.T.<\/a>, a St. Louis\u2013based physical therapist. You also need to twist and turn, challenging your oblique muscles and back extensors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile there\u2019s nothing wrong with training the abs for show, training for stability\u2014which encompasses all of the muscles that surround the spine and hips\u2014is essential training for everyone,\u201d says Horschig. His new book, Rebuilding Milo<\/a>, includes a variety of exercises, many of which challenge your entire core\u2014think lower back extensors, glutes, and obliques, which all team up with your abs to stabilize and bolster your back, lending postural support. <\/p>\n

Unlike body parts that handle just one or two tasks (like your biceps, which are most heavily utilized to bend your elbows), all those core muscles have a host of responsibilities. They work together to flex your spine (as happens during a classic situp), and they help rotate your shoulders so you can turn to look at a friend. They also prevent excessive rounding of the lower back (known as anti-flexion), a key tactic in the battle to stop back pain. The ideal abs regimen trains all these functions, protecting you against injuries and readying your core (and spine) for anything life can throw at you. Horschig says people finally get that. \u201cMore and more people are starting to understand the true role of core,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The end result of all this work? A lower back that\u2019s armor-plated against persistent pain, and the ability to move athletically and fluidly. And along the way, you\u2019ll build those six-pack abs, too.<\/p>\n

\"breaker\"Must-Do Ab Training Moves\"plankPlank Shoulder Tap<\/p>\n

HOW TO DO IT:<\/strong>
An underrated plank upgrade, this move challenges your abs and obliques (and your glutes, too!). Start in pushup position, feet wide. Lift your left hand and touch it to your right shoulder. Keep your hips square as you do. Repeat on the other side. <\/p>\n

REPS & SETS:<\/strong>
Work for time, not reps, doing three 40-second sets.<\/p>\n

Ben Mounsey-Wood\"splitSplit-Stance Cable Chop<\/p>\n

HOW TO DO IT:<\/strong>
Stand in a split stance, left shoulder next to the high pulley of a cable machine, both hands grasping the handle, then bend at the knees until your left thigh is nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your hips square to the front as you pull the cable across your body, then return it to the start. <\/p>\n

REPS & SETS:<\/strong>
Do 10 to 12 reps per side. Do 3 sets.<\/p>\n

Ben Mounsey-Wood\"mixedMixed-Rack Carry<\/p>\n

HOW TO DO IT:<\/strong>
Stand holding kettlebells in both hands, the left bell at your chest, the right bell at your hip. Walk forward (or march in place) for 10 to 15 steps per leg. Move slowly, working to keep your hips square. <\/p>\n

<\/strong>REPS & SETS:<\/strong>
Do 2 sets per side, challenging your abs and lower-back muscles to keep you upright against the heavy load.<\/p>\n

Ben Mounsey-Wood\"breaker\"The Ultimate Abs Cheat Code
<\/p>\n

TRAIN YOUR ABS EVERYDAY.<\/strong> Some muscle groups require several days to recover, but your core muscles are built to be resilient. That means you can train them nearly every day. Consider doing 3 or 4 sets of core work in every work- out, rotating in new and different ab exercises to continually challenge your rectus abdominis, oblique muscles, and lower-back spinal erectors.<\/p>\n

Biggest Workout Mistake<\/p>\n

NEVER GOING HEAVY. <\/strong>Bodyweight planks and situps are a solid starting point for your ab training. But just like any other muscle, core muscles are meant to be loaded and overloaded. Add resistance to your core training, and don\u2019t be afraid to challenge yourself, especially on moves like the mixed-rack carry above. \u201cYou have to do that sometimes,\u201d says the popular bodybuilder and trainer known as Ulisses Jr.<\/a> \u201cI\u2019d be lying if I told you I didn\u2019t load my abs.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story originally appears in the January\/February 2024 issue of Men’s Health.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

Want more muscle-building lessons from our Body Bible? Click the link below to read all of the stories.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News. \u00a0<\/p>\n