Best Ab Routine

Best Ab Routine

Ab routines are a dime a dozen nowadays, which means you need to start approaching your ab workouts with a more critical eye as you’ll notice most of them don’t provide the best results.

The good news is that it’s not going to take 100 ab crunches a day to get there!

This ab routine may not be overly crazy but it definitely packs a bunch in a short amount of time and the best part is  that it’s designed to work from beginner through to intermediate and variety given for the more advanced fitness enthusiasts.

Getting toned and ripped abs may not be the easiest task, but the right exercises combined with a healthy, low-fat diet will help you reach your goals faster!

First, let’s break down the plan according to your fitness level.

Beginners – If you’re a beginner, aim for 15 reps per set at a total of 1-2 sets of the following exercises. If fitness training is really new to you, start with any 4 of the exercises or what you can fit into 20 minutes.

Intermediates – If you’ve had some workout experience but still aren’t a pro, then aim for 2 sets at 20-25 reps each. Fitting what you can into a 30 minute workout should be sufficient for getting real results.

Advanced – If you’re pretty familiar with a gym and have been pretty consistent in the past 6 months, then let’s push it. Aim for 3 sets at a maximum number of reps (until you reach muscle fatigue or can’t continue the set) for each exercise. Do as many as you can in the window you have, with the ideal goal of doing all exercises.

No matter your fitness level, don’t forget to follow up your workout with a natural protein supplement like Optimum 100% Natural Whey or plant-based Vega One. It will help you see results even faster and provide your muscles with the nutrients they need for quicker recovery.

Now let’s take a look at the ab exercise routine…

Best Ab Routine: Exercises for a Ripped Stomach

• Crunches on Stability Ball (view exercise) – For this one, grab a stability ball to help engage your core muscle more fully. Holding your hips in the same position, do a traditional crunch, making sure not to pull with your shoulders or neck.
• Ab Rollout on Stability Ball (view exercise) – Hang onto your stability ball for this one. You need to use even more balance here, which will totally target your entire midsection. Make sure you engage throughout and follow through the movement slowly and with control.
• V-Ups (view exercise) – This one can be challenging for the beginners out there but it’s a great way to get you to concentrate on having all the right positions.  Start off with flat on your back and raise your arms above your body with your thumbs touching the ground.  Now raise your legs up and slowly crunch your abs.  The key here is to go up about 45 degrees on both your legs and upper body.  Note: make sure not to strain your neck by pretending you have a tennis ball between your neck and your chest.
• Oblique Side Bends with Dumbbells (view exercise) – Now we’re going to switch things to your obliques, which play a major role in the definition of your waistline. Grab 2 dumbbells of moderate weight (depending on your strength), and engage your obliques as you lift and lower the weights by your side. For the best results, tighten your abdominal muscles throughout.
• Ab Crunches with Legs Raised (view exercise) – We’re going to return to the traditional crunch, but this time you’re going to hold your leg up from the ground with your knees bent. This is going to make things a lot more challenging, and will help target the lower portion of your abdominal muscle. Again, make sure you don’t pull with your neck or shoulders.
• Side Plank Crunches (view exercise) – Back to your obliques. This one’s a little less intense, but it helps to more fully engage all of your core muscles, including your lower back. Make sure you get your balance down first, a then move in and out of each crunch slowly while engaging your abdominal muscles.
• Lunge with Ab Twist (view exercise) – This one incorporates some lower body exercise by including a traditional lunge movement. Lower into the lunge, twisting as you lower and engaging your core muscles. This one’s a bit of a challenge, but it will give you killer results!
• Now the only way to really make your abs show is to add a good 10-20 minute interval training session after using your favorite cardio machine.  If you need a killer treadmill interval training guide check out one of the most popular articles on my site – Treadmill Workout Ultimate Routine

Have any questions or feedback about my best ab routine? Please leave a comment below…

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