Summertime is around the corner and that means it is time to show off the abs!
Sooooo, the summertime is fast approaching and some of you may not be quite ready until those abs are at full peak.
So get ready to up your LISS morning cardio, or your afternoon HIIT, or even your post lifting elliptical and treadmill time. As exhausting as it sounds, for those who have more time, you may go to doing two sessions per day.
Be ready to adjust your diet and reduce your calories, and don’t forget 3500 calories is in 1 lb of body fat, so make it simple, just reduce your calorie consumption by 500 calories a day in order to lose 1lb of body fat per week.
But today I am not going to dwell on diet and cardio, I am going to delve into how you go about sculpting those abdominal muscles.
So how do you get your abs to look sculpted? All you have to do is follow the simple circuit routines below and they will be ready in time for the sunshine.
| Ab Circuit 1 | Upper Abs * | Lower Abs* | Obliques* |
| Weighted cable crunch | Hanging knee raise | weighted cable crunch | |
| Sets | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Reps | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Times Per Week | 2 | 2 | 2 |
- Superset with stomach vacuum with 20 seconds on vacuum during each set
Then repeat again so you have repeated the circuit at least 5 times, continue to do this twice a week in conjunction with your weights routine.
How to execute each movement
Kneeling Weighted cable crunch:
To execute, attach a rope attachment to a high pulley cable, then adjust the weight accordingly on the stack.
Then grab the pulley and get into a kneeling position, your buttocks should be resting on top of your feet. Keeping your elbows bent and hands at either head height or shoulder height, crunch down as far as possible.
Pause at the bottom, then slowly return to the starting position.
Hanging knee raise:
Grip the bar with hands around shoulder width apart. Once you’re hanging with your feet slightly off the floor, slowly pull your knees up keeping your legs together.
Pause for a second, and slowly lower your knees back to the starting position.
Weighted oblique cable crunch:
Set up the high pulley cable machine by attaching a grip attachment and selecting the weight you want to use.
If you are crunching the right oblique’s then grab the left pulley grip with right hand with the handle behind your head, feet should be shoulder width apart.
Pull down your oblique as far as possible without crunching into the hips.
Stomach Vacuum:
To execute the Stomach Vacuum, stand upright and place your hands on your hips, and exhale all the air out of your lungs. Expand your chest, and bring your stomach in as much as possible, and hold. Imagine that you are trying to touch your navel to your backbone.
| Ab Circuit 2 | Upper Abs | Lower Abs | Obliques | Rectus Abdominis |
| Upper ab crunch reach | Windshield wipers | Landmine oblique twist | Barbell rollout | |
| Superset with | Plank (30 seconds) | Superman plank (30 seconds per side) | Side plank (30 seconds per side) | – |
| Sets | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Reps | 20 | 10 per side (20 in total) | 10 per side (20 in total) | 10 |
| Times Per Week | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Then repeat again so you have repeated the circuit at least 5 times, continue to do this twice a week in conjunction with your weights routine.
How to execute each movement
Upper ab crunch reach:
This is pretty straight forward.
Simply lay on your back, knees bent, and raise your arms towards the ceiling and keep doing so while you are performing the crunch.
Plank: (forearm plank)
Start in a push up position, then place your forearms on the floor, and tighten the core, also ensure the quads, glutes are tight also. Keep this position for at least 30 seconds
Windshield Wipers: (on the floor)
Lie on your back on the floor with a slight bend in your knees.
I sometimes like to do these with my arms holding something behind my head.
Then tighten the glutes and engage the core, then keep both legs together, start them both on one side of your body, let’s say the left.
Then bring your feet off of the ground and bring your legs to the other side of your body while engaging the core, mimicking a windshield motion.
Ensure your legs do not touch the floor then mimic the motion and go back to the other side.
Continue in this fashion until you reach 10 reps per side.
Alternative versions:
This can also be done on a bench, aptly named the ‘sitting windshield wiper’ and also the hanging version, named the ‘hanging windshield wipers’.
Superman plank:
Set up in a high plank position then simply raise your left arm off the floor and point it out in front of you, and then also raise your right leg off the ground and keep it pointing behind you, So you are essentially mimicking Superman’s flying post, hence the name. Brace the core and hold this position for 30 seconds then switch sides
Landmine oblique twist:
Set up an olympic bar in a landmine position and add the appropriate weight.
Then raise the bar to your chest, that is the starting position.
Then while holding the bar with both hands rotate and twist your trunk from one side to the other. Ensure you engage your core while doing this movement. Do 10 reps per side.
Side plank:
Start by lying down on your side, with your feet stacked together.
Then begin by supporting your body on your right forearm and ensure the hips are kept tight and away from the floor and are in line with your feet.
Hold this position for 30 seconds then switch sides.
Alternative versions:
This can be made harder by using your hand instead of your forearm.
Barbell rollout:
Load up a barbell, and ensure the plates are able to roll so they need to be cylindrical.
Get into a kneeling position and grip the bar. Then keep the core tight and slowly roll the bar out in front of you, then use your core to bring the barbell back towards you, then repeat and go again for 10 reps
So there you have it, you have two awesome ab routines to kick your butts until summer comes around.
So until next time keep pumping!