Exercise Routine For Going Beyond Six Pack Abs

You've made it back - great! That means you're ready to start burning that belly fat and getting that sexy six pack you've been dreaming of. Since this blog is geared towards shredding the fat around your belly through total body fitness, we'll start your first day of exercises with chest and...of course...ABS! I generally like to start my routine on a Monday., however this isn't written in stone.

We'll start with chest exercises first, remember, always work larger muscle groups before the smaller ones.

When performing these exercises, rest about 2 minutes between sets, even the warm-ups.

A. Start with incline barbell bench presses - perform these as follows:
1. Do a warm-up set of 12 reps with very light weight. This is just to get the blood pumping. It should be easy lifting. If you're a complete newbie, you'll have to figure out your 4-6 rep range, that's our overload range, where we lift heavy for stimulating muscle growth. The warm up sets should not be greater than 70% of your 4-6 rep weight.

2. Another warm-up set, same weight as the first but with 10 reps.

3. Now we're ready to acclimate our muscles for the heavy sets. Add about 20lbs to whatever the weight was during your warm-ups. You should be around 78%-82% of your 4-6 rep weight. For example, if my 4-6 rep range is 155lbs, my first acclimation set will be 125lbs. I want to gradually prepare my muscles for maximum overload. Perform this for 6 reps.

4. Add another 15lbs to 20lbs for the next acclimation set and perform 3 reps.

5. This last set I sometimes skip. I don't feel it is necessary, sometimes I just want to get one more "push" before my heavy sets. I'll put about 95% of what I will be lifting on the bar for 1 rep. If you haven't lifted in a while or are a complete beginner, don't skip this set!

6. Okay, now we're ready for the "muscle building, fat burning" reps. Add whatever weight is needed to get you to your targeted 4-6 rep range. In this example I'm using 155lbs. Perform this at 4-6 reps for 2 sets.

7. Next you'll move on to the flat bench, no warm-ups needed, go straight into your 4-6 rep range. I find I can usually lift 5lbs-10lbs more on the flat bench than I can on the incline. Again perform 2 sets.

8. For your final chest exercise you'll be doing dips, using parallel dip bars. Get a good grip and hold yourself up with arms straight. Lean your body forward, then lower yourself by bending at the elbows, lowering until you feel a good stretch across your chest. Lift up in an explosive motion. Do 6-8 reps for 1 set. As you progress you'll need to add weight with a dip belt.

Now your ready to target those abs!

I'll start you off a bit easy for your first day, okay, ready? Here we go:

1. Crunches - now, I only advocate crunches in the beginning and feel you need to perform weighted crunches unless you're really new to working out or it's been so long your abdominals are really weak. The truth is, most people are doing this exercise all wrong! That said, let's get started. Lay flat on the floor or a bench. Bend your legs raising your knees so that your legs are perpendicular to the floor. Place your hands in front of your chin or behind your head, exhale and curl your upper body towards your knees contracting your abs. Hold the contraction for a second then slowly lower your upper body back to its original position. For weighted crunches, hold a weight plate a few inches in front of your face. Remember these tips for proper form - Don't arch your lower back, it should be slightly rounded. If your hands are behind your head, make sure you do not pull on your neck. Make sure you're not lifting your whole body off the floor. Keep your lower back in contact with the floor or bench and round your shoulders towards your pelvis. Perform 8-12 reps, remember we're going for maximum overload at this time. You've got to build muscles before you can show them off!

2. Leg Raises - Again, you may need to do weighted leg raises initially, if not you will after a few weeks. To do so, either rest a plate on your feet, which may take a few times to get used to balancing, or hold a dumbell between your ankles. Similar to crunches, you want to lie flat on your back with your palms facing down, hands under your booty! Your lower back should be rounded and slightly raised and shoulders off the floor or bench. With legs slightly bent, raise them about 12 to 16 inches off the floor. Under control, lower them back until they are about 6 inches away from the floor. Do about 8-12 reps. Again, make sure you don't arch your back during the reps. Keeping your hands under your your buttocks helps keep the lower back firmly planted on the floor or bench. Also, if you lift your legs too high you will take tension off the abs. A no no if your trying to develop your six pack!

3. For the last exercise I'm going have you do cable crunches. This is a great one for targeting the abs and creating overload. Just remember, as with any exercise, make sure proper form is practiced. For this abs exercise, grab the rope and lower yourself down to your knees. Always keep your hands above your head, lower your body crunching towards the floor until you are approximately 90 degrees from vertical. Under control, raise back up to the starting position . Repeat for 8-12 reps. For added intensity, hold the contraction for about 2 seconds and keep your abs tight as you return to the starting position. Never move your legs or hips during your reps. Make sure the movement comes from your waist. To up the intensity of this exercise, hold each contraction for about 2 seconds.

Well, there you go. No excuses to procrastinate! Get started and I'll have your next days workout posted later this evening.

Also, I'll be posting some great tips and ideas for boosting your metabolism.

Have a great workout!