One of the ultimate wishes of almost every fitness enthusiast is to have a solid pair of six-pack abs. Abs are marketed as one of the top fitness traits that showcase a fit and strong body.
Abs are a sign of hard work and dedication. This statement is not incorrect in most cases, but it might be in some cases. If you are blessed with good genetics, then by doing half the amount of work, you can achieve a good six-pack abs.
Contents
Let’s learn about ABS or Abdominal Muscles
The abdominal muscles, or core muscles, are located in the midsection of our body (our stomach area). In almost every exercise, you will need the assistance of the core muscle, directly or indirectly. The core muscle helps maintain stability. If you do not have a good core, you will jiggle when trying to perform exercises with heavier loads.
Everyone has abs. However, everyone’s abs are not visible due to the layer of fat in the stomach area. If you have a body fat percentage of 15% or less, then chances are your packs will be visible. It really depends on genetics. Some people’s abs can be seen in more than 15% body fat, and some people’s abs cannot be clearly seen even below 15% body fat.
Genetics plays a vital role here. You will see some people have four packs, like the infamous Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is not that he does not train his abs or anything; it is simply because of his genetics that his abdominal tissue forms four packs. On the other hand, our current Mr. Olympia (2023) winner, Derek Lunsford, has ten packs, and it is also because of his genetics.
Then, if you have bad abs genetics, should you not train your abdominal muscles?
You should train your core 100%. Six-packs and four-packs do not increase the strength of the core muscle. If you train your core muscles, they will eventually get stronger, which will help you with various daily life activities, training, and sports.
Anatomy of the Abdominal Muscles
Many think the packs they see are individual muscles, but that is untrue. Your packs are one singular muscle. If we break the core muscle, we can find four types of muscle:
- Rectus Abdominis: The rectus abdominis, also known as the six-pack muscle, is situated in the middle of the core. Its primary function is to bend or flex the body forward.
- Transversus Abdominis (TRA): TRA is the deepestof the abs muscles, wrapping around the waist like a belt and supporting the organs.
- External Obliques: External obliques are situated on both sides of the waist. They help rotate and bend the body.
- Internal Obliques: Internal obliques are situated under the external obliques, which assist in flexing and rotating the trunk.
Best Abs Exercises
There is a popular saying that “abs are made in the kitchen,” which is kind of true. However, if the statement is modified a bit, it will make more sense. The correct statement should be “Visible abs are made in the kitchen.”
If you want good, visible abs, you need to have a lower body fat percentage. In most cases, if you have 15% or less body fat, your abs will be visible.
It would help if you keep in mind that training abs will not make your abs visible unless you have lower body fat. Abs are a muscle group, just like others. Training them will make them strong and also give you a good aesthetic look, especially when you have lower body fat.
That said, let’s discuss the best abdominal exercises. We will also provide some alternative exercises with minimal equipment so you can perform them efficiently, even when working at home.
Rope Crunches
Rope crunches are an excellent abs-strengthening exercise. We love this exercise because progressive overload is easy to do in this exercise, which is a must for muscular hypertrophy.
To perform this exercise, you will need the assistance of a cable machine and a rope attachment. It is pretty easy, so any beginner can start doing it immediately.
How to perform:
- Set the pin to the highest setting of the cable machine.
- Grab the rope ends in a neutral grip (Palms facing each other).
- Hold the rope attachment over your head or put it over the neck.
- Curl your body down using the strength of your core. Make sure you bend your spine.
- Slowly return to the starting position and hold that stretched position for at least one second.
Alternative
Situps
If you work out at home, you probably won’t have a cable machine, but that doesn’t stop you from training your abs optimally. Regular situps are one of the best alternatives to rope or cable crunches at home.
You do not need any equipment to perform this exercise anywhere.
How to perform:
- Lie on your back on any plain surface.
- Bend your knees. Your knees should be fixed throughout the exercise
- Put your hands on the chest, or on the temple.
- Push your body up till you reach a sitting position.
- Slowly go down by controlling your body weight.
You can hold weight plates or dumbbells over your chest to progress in the exercise.
Hanging Knee Raise
Hanging knee raises train your abs very nicely, as you get a nice full stretch at the bottom position. However, they can be challenging for beginners, as holding your body weight is tough. Do not worry if you are a beginner; we will provide an alternative to this exercise if you are not able to perform the hanging knee raises.
You will require a bar to perform this exercise. In this exercise, you can use weight belts or dumbbells on your knees to do progressive overload. However, in most cases, your body weight is more than enough.
How to perform:
- Hold the bar with an overhand grip (Palms facing away from the body).
- Embrace the core.
- Keep a slight bend on the knees.
- Push your legs up as much as you can. At least try to reach your waist level.
- Slowly lower the legs to reach the starting position.
Alternative
Lying Knee Raise
An excellent alternative for those who cannot perform the hanging knee raise is the lying knee raise. The exercise’s functionality is the same; you just perform it lying on the bench rather than hanging.
You can easily perform it at home using a bench or bed.
How to perform:
- Lie on the bench on your back.
- Embrace the core.
- Hold the bench with your hand for more stability.
- Keep a slight bend on the knees.
- Push your legs up so your knee reaches your belly button height.
- Slowly lower the legs to reach the starting position.
DB Side Bend
Dumbbell Side bends target the oblique muscles. Usually, people do not train their obliques because it makes their waists thicker. However, if you do not have that problem, you can definitely add one oblique exercise to your routine.
Use lightweight equipment for this exercise and focus more on flexing the obliques to increase their stretchability.
How to perform:
- Hold a moderate-weight dumbbell on the non-bending side.
- Stand straight and keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
- You can keep your non-working hand on the side or on your temple.
- Bend the obliques on the opposite side of the dumbbell-holding hand.
- Slowly ascend your body to reach the starting position.