Today I’m gonna be explaining the reasons why you don’t have abs. And then telling you how to get them.
Reasons you are not getting abs:
Everyone has abdominals, but a lot of people have trouble making them visible or just trying to get more aesthetic.
1. Nutrition
You need a low body fat percentage to even make your abdominals visible. So it’s gonna help a lot if you’re on a caloric deficit and if you’re eating clean.
And incorporating diuretic foods such as asperagus. Sometimes you can have a low body fat percentage but still have a lot of water retention. So make sure that you’re drinking lots of water but make sure that you’re always sweating during your workouts.
2. Engagement
You wanna make sure that you’re really engaging your core, even before you start to do the exercise.
So engage that core before you start training and while it’s engaged, then you begin to do your reps.
You really wanna feel these movements. You don’t just wanna be moving through these exercises, because you’re not really engaging, you’re not really gonna grow and get stronger, the more aesthetic in that muscle, you’re abdominals.
If you’re just moving through the motions of the exercise and you’re not actually properly engaging, you can actually be incorporating very little of abdominals in the first place.
3. Train harder and smarter
You need to train harder and you need a more strategic approach to your training.
If the only way you’re getting your ab training in is at the end of your workouts for 10 minutes, that’s not enough abdominal training. You need to train your abs just like any other muscle group in your body.
Your core is the fundamental supporter for every lift, every exercise you do, you engage your abs. So this is the most important muscle that you have. Which is why you need to be dedicating at least one full day for your abdominals. Not 10 minutes at the end of every workout, which is fine too. But you need one dedicated day every single week just for abs.
You also need a strategic approach to your training. You need to be incorporating all angles, all different styles of abdominal training. On the ground, hanging, holding yourself up, high intensity, static holds, etc.
It’s gonna help a lot if you are pre-fatiguing your abdominals during your workouts. Focus on the exercises that are really gonna kill your abs first. And then go on to the other exercises that you may need to support your weight or hold up from.
A lot of times when you’re doing other moves like, hanging for support or holding your body up, there’s other muscle groups or other things that can get in the way from focusing on your abs. Such as, your grip might give out, or your shoulders aren’t strong enough for that particular move to go on as long as your abs could. So focus on your strategic training.
How to get abs:
Just like every other muscle group, I always have a dedicated day for each muscle to focus on. And that’s because each muscle is actually a group of muscles.
Your lower back is considered part of your core as well. Each muscle group helps the other to give you more control, stabilization, and strength for every exercise. And that’s why you need a fully dedicated day to be able to train your entire core.
If you want real results with six-pack abs then you need to be engaging all the areas of your core. And one thing that makes you look way more shredded and gets your core way stronger is training your obliques. Your obliques is the muscle that connects your ribs to your hips, and this is what’s gonna give you a stronger, solid body connection with all other exercises.
These are highly effective, abdominal exercises that do no require any equipment or any prior fitness experience.
1. Switching mountain climbers
45 Seconds | 4 Sets
Bend your knee all the way up. Now you guys wanna go at your own pace. If you can go faster, then go faster. If you need to go slower to catch your breath, go ahead. Just don’t stop whatever you do.
Make sure you have a strong grip on the ground. You’re regulating your breathing, and you’re tensing your core. It’s a nice little warm-up.
If you really engage your core and pushing through with your hands, you should feel your oblique engagement.
2. Slide plank reach throughs
15 Reps each side | 4 Sets
Keep your hips up. Make sure you’re engaging your obliques, regulating your breathing. You really want to be pushing out with your opposing arm as well. Your shoulder should be tight.
You want to make every single movement fluid and solid engaging the whole entire time.
Focus on your contraction. The better contraction, the better results you’re gonna get.
3. Plank knees to elbows
15 Reps each side | 4 Sets
Go down in the plank position. Make sure that you’re engaging your core. You don’t wanna have your butt drooping down. You wanna be nice and tight. From this plank position you’re gonna bring your knee to elbows, and then bring it back down. Make sure you get a tight squeeze every time.
4. Seated in and outs
45 Seconds | 4 Sets
You don’t have to go too fast. If you’re feeling fatigued, you can start going really slow. Just don’t stop. That’s the goal eventually. You’ll build your endurance.
If you want more oblique engagement, you can always choose to go to the side.
5. Hip raises
15 Reps | 4 Sets
Bring our legs all the way out, completely bring them in, lift the hips up, and then fully extend. And for more oblique engagement, come up, twist to the side.
