1- High-intensity of
muscular overload
2- Progressive
intensity from workout to workout
3- Proper spacing of
workouts to avoid overtraining or undertraining
Most people do sit-ups or crunches as an ab
exercise. While these are basically good exercises that can
satisfy point 1 above, how many people use them in a way that
satisfies point 2? Muscles will only develop in response to
overload that is above normal. So if you do 20 crunches every
day for a year, why would your ab muscles develop beyond that
capacity? They won't.
To force new development, you need to
increase the intensity. You could add a few crunches every
day, but that really just increases duration; there is a
better way to get fast results.
Abs exercises proven to work
1- Weighted
crunches
2- Weighted incline
sit-ups
3- Weighted
sit-ups
The best way to do weighted crunches is to
lie on the floor with your head close to the low pulley weight
stack. Using the rope handle attachment, grasp the ends and
pull the cable until it is tight and your hands are resting at
the side of your head near your ears. Now contract your ab
muscles in a crunch that lifts your shoulders off the floor
and draws the weight stack up an inch or two. Choose a weight
that is so heavy, you can only do 8 to 12 reps. If you don't
have access to a low pulley, there is a good alternative. You
can use the high pulley that is normally used for lat
pulldowns. Kneel on the floor or sit in the seat directly
under the rope handles that you attach to the high pulley.
Lock your legs under the hold down. Pull the handles into
position next to your ears, then contract your ab muscles into
a crunch that raises the weight stack an inch or two. Again,
choose a weight that is so heavy, you can only do 8 to 12
reps.
As a further alternative, you can lie on the
floor and do a sit-up or crunch while holding a barbell plate
against your chest. The limitation of this exercise is that,
as you progress in strength, it will not be possible to hold
enough plates on your chest safely. But that's a good problem
to have.
On each successive
workout, shoot for a 5-15% increase in the weight you use. If
you can't get a 5% increase, it's time to add more days off
between your workouts.