Who has not ever dreamed of having a perfectly defined abdomen? Surely you have had enough of searching Google for the solution and have introduced a thousand sit-ups into your training routine to achieve that well-defined six-pack. We bring you the solution to this mystery today with this article.
Neither stop eating, nor do 2.000 crunches like Cristiano Ronaldo, nor fill up on protein shakes will be what makes you look abs.
How is our abdomen?
A bit of anatomy never hurts to know what muscle group we are working on. Most of us mortals have the problem that fat covers our abdomen and does not allow us to see the defined muscle. This is easier to do on the biceps or quads, for example.
As we already told you in this article, our abdomen cannot be divided into lower or upper. I know you've read thousands of routines that encourage you to work your abs depending on the area you want to strengthen, but I'm sorry to tell you that it's all part of the same muscle group: the rectus abdominis.
The rectum is the muscle that runs from the ribcage to the pubis, that is, our entire trunk. Obviously, the rectus abdominis has an upper and a lower part, just like any other muscle. But you will not be able to manage to exercise them individually. Can you imagine being able to train only the upper quadriceps? It is impossible to split the muscles to exercise just one area.
When does it become visible?
The answer is very simple: when we have a low percentage of body fat. And we can achieve this in two ways: through diet and with an adequate exercise routine.
Food is essential
Unless due to genetics you have had a fast metabolism and you have always had a low level of body fat, it is normal to have to resort to a diet that ensures a caloric deficit. Does this mean I have to stop eating? NOT! Neither stop eating, nor eliminate meals, nor prohibit nutritional groups.
Obviously, any ultra-processed product (pastries, soft drinks, fast food) is out of a healthy diet and any diet that seeks to reduce calories. We will only be able to reduce body fat if we reduce the calories we eat and increase caloric expenditure. You must be very meticulous with the food you are going to consume, but you must never eliminate proteins, healthy fats or carbohydrates.
Choose the best version of all of them to ensure proper functioning of the body. Losing fat is more work than gaining muscle mass, so be patient and don't throw in the towel.
It is also important that you stay properly hydrated with water, and that you avoid consuming alcohol (no wine, no beer). remember that they are empty calories and they contribute nothing.
Bet on multi-joint exercises
Please stop punishing yourself with the damn crunches. With the plank boom, athletes seem to have forgotten to do any other ab exercises. That isometric exercise seems very correct to me, as long as it is done correctly, but multi-joint exercises will help you much more when defining.
What do I mean by multi-joint exercises? To all those that involve the work of several muscles at the same time in a single movement. Some examples would be:
- kettlebell deadlift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgIDj3dolwg
There are several ways to deadlift: with a barbell, with a sandbag, with dumbbells, or with a kettlebell. You can also play with different measures of leg width. In this case, instead of going down completely straight (without almost bending the knees), we will play to do a squat powered by the gluteus. Although it seems that you are doing lower body work, I assure you that the abdomen is essential in this exercise.
- kettlebell swing
Here you will really notice the work of the abdomen. Both the buttocks and the rectus abdominis will be in charge of preventing your lower back from being damaged. That's why you should always keep them tight and use as much force as possible with them.
- Windmill with kettlebell
I know that I am very heavy with Russian weights, but they seem essential to me to mark the abdomen. This exercise, Windmill, will get your obliques on fire. It is very important that there is no swing in the arm holding the weight up, so start with a light weight until you master the technique. I assure you that the next day you will notice how you have worked the entire abdomen.
- Medicine Ball Wall Squat
You may have never fallen for adding more intensity to wall squats. By itself, this exercise is quite tiring, but the extra movements with the ball... will make you hallucinate! Don't push yourself with too much weight because your arms can get tired very quickly.
- Medicine Ball Slams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx_UHMnQljU
Can I like this exercise more? In addition to looking like a lot of fun to me (because of all that looking like a lumberjack thing), you completely work the entire body. In the video, the boy uses a cloth ball that has a bounce, I encourage you to choose the sand medicine balls. In the absence of rebound, he will "force" you into a deep squat to pick him up off the ground.
- Turkish kettlebell lift
In the video they use a dumbbell, but I recommend a kettlebell to avoid any swinging of the weight and improve grip. In this exercise we return to work the whole body. Remember to do it on both sides so that the next day you don't have soreness in only one half of your body.