Abs Training Basics
There is a huge confusion and misunderstanding around abs training. Some trainers and trainees place emphasis on exercising hard every day, without even understanding how abs and generally how muscles work.
First of all, you have to have a clear goal. Ask yourself this question now: “Why do I want to train my abs?”
Possible answers are:
- To lose fat from the abdominal area.
- To develop a nice, visible six-pack.
- To improve core strength.
Your training methods will depend on your chosen goal. However, the goals I mentioned above are not independent from each other. Keeping that in mind, I’ll tell you now what to do to achieve the one you’ve chosen.
1. How to lose fat from the abdominal area?
Probably the most difficult and most important question in abs training. Let’s face it, most of us have excess belly fat. And most of us want to get rid of it. Well, here’s the trick. Cardio and weight training is not enough. Diet is not enough. You have to do all three of these! Okay, I can hear you know saying “Damn, I give up, I’m too lazy to spend several hours a week in the gym and eat crappy food.” You don’t have to! Here’s what you’ll have to do:
a) Do 10-20 minutes of muscle training 2-3 times a week.
b) Do some cardio ‘training’ once or twice a week. Cardio training can be anything that raises your heart rate by 50% for at least 10 minutes, including going to work by bike, or playing football with your friends. Making love also counts.
c) Follow a high protein, low carbs, low fat diet.
That’s it. It isn’t hard at all.
2. How to develop a nice, visible six-pack?
This is the most common question related to abs training. If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for a way to get visible, toned, delicious six-pack abs. Actually, this question is highly related to the first one. It has been said many times, that everybody has a six-pack, but most people have it well-hidden under a layer of fat. That’s true. To make them visible, you only have to lose fat. The fastest way to achieve that, is to follow the points a), b) and c) I’ve written for the previous goal. Sure, you can do it without any muscle training. You can do it even without cardio-training. But to get fast results, you have to do them all. Without muscle training, you’ll get a ‘flat’ six-pack. Without cardio-training, it will take a lot of time to lose fat. Without the proper diet, your muscle development will be slower and/or you won’t lose any fat.
3. How to improve core strength?
This is an important question for people who do some kind of martial arts, or other sports that require strong kicks, jumps and body twists. The answer is: you have to follow the proper abs training program. There are exercises specifically developed to improve core strength. Without getting deep into anatomy, let’s just say that you’ll have to train the lateral muscles of your abdomen as well. The upside is that if this is your goal, you won’t have to lose fat at all. No cardio-training is required. For the downside, you’ll have to do some more muscle training. Following the diet helps, but isn’t necessary.
So hopefully you’ve decided which achievement are you aiming for. Stay tuned, in my next few posts I’ll show you the abs training methods that will help you achieve each or all of the possible abs training goals.
Tags: abs, achievements, basics, core strength, facts, goals, lose fat, six-pack, visible six-pack
07.Jul.09 
anatomy, basics, facts 
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