With all of the different workout plans that are available, it is incredibly tough to work out which is the best one to help you reach the illusive 6 pack abs. I mean, given all of this info, some of it conflicting with each other leaving you scratching your head with which is the best way to workout abs.
When you start working to these muscles, what you have to do, is bear in mind that the different routines all work whether it be aiming ito do lots of reps or just a few using light or heavy weights, using a machine or a stability ball, the thing is it will work until your body gets used to it, then it needs to be challenged again in a different way to keep the progress going.
When working your abs, ideally, you should start off with your own body weight on a stable platform, and look to increase the intensity of it until you are using heavy weights on an unstable platform. Following this procedure will allow you to progress with some good results, because what happens when ending out on an unstable base, this forces all of your core muscles to work, especially the really deep ones that do not get called in to play much when you are using a stable basewill cause even the deepest of your core muscles, which generally do not get called in to play much, to work.
If you are uncertain of what I mean by stable base floor work I am on about doing exercises such as sit ups and crunches etc… on the floor. Then to make it unstable you would progress to doing these exercises on something unstable such as a gym ball and then make it more intense by adding weight into the mix too.
Weighted movements are a definate requirement if you want to get that proper 6 pack, after all you can have a flat belly without the abs showing and although you look nice and slim, but that is not the result we are after here. The reason we need weights here is because we will be targeting the actual abdominal muscle itself and the best way to do this is with exercises such as weighted ab crunches on a machine or getting on a stability ball with a dumbbell. Also, when performing the rep, it is important that the exercise involved forces your upper abs to crunch onto your lower abs. This is needed in order to really max the burn and fully develop the core muscle.
You can do workouts for both upper and lower abs, but in reality, you should just treat them as one muscle and training them together whenever you do your stomach exercises. The reason I say this is that you cannot totally separate upper and lower, so why not just focus on working them all in the first place. However if you do feel that you want to work out the lower abs on their own then exercises like leg raises will certainly help. And again with leg raises, just like crunches, you can progress from unweighted and stable to weighted and unstable
One of the key areas in all of your workout plans and not just ab workouts is how often to train them, the main thing is to ensure that you have fully recovered from the last time you trained them. So bearing that in mind, train them as often as you want as long as you are recovered. If you are finding you are not making any progress then you need more rest in between training them.
The last point on this subject is that your abs are under a layer of fat, so in order to make sure you get a razor sharp six pack, as well as the weighted exercises, you need to ensure that you have cardio in your plan and that you watch your calorie intake too.
Also do not forget to consult with your physician before undertaking any exercise regime
