Are you also tired of counting the seconds in the "plank" position and doing sit-ups over and over again, but it's nowhere to be seen? Then take the time to review these 20 tips on how to optimize your workouts to get strong abs faster.
1. Activate the pelvic floor
While activating your pelvic floor—as if you're trying to hold urine—before and during the crunches you do, engage your transverse ab muscles, which act as a girdle for your entire core. This helps you get a tighter stomach.
2. Focus on the exercise
Watching TV, thinking about a to-do list, or daydreaming will take your attention away from your workout. Focusing on the exercise will make you less prone to injury while also engaging the mind-body connection. Research has proven that directing the brain to focus on core activation actually increases muscle activity and, in turn, increases strength over time.
3. Close the rib
When you do a sit-up, you probably go up and down and don't even think about the movement, right? To use this exercise to tone your abs, you need to activate your core and be careful to keep your ribcage closed. This helps you to "squeeze" your abdominal muscles more, close your transverse abdominis and keep your back safely supported.
4. Don't hold your breath
Your core muscles need oxygen to function at full capacity, so make sure you're breathing properly. As a rule, you inhale at the easiest part of the movement and exhale when you need to exert the most force.
5. Perform exercises for all abdominal muscles
Your body doesn't work in just one direction of motion, so why should your stomach? Instead of always doing classic crunches, incorporate functional abdominal exercises that involve twisting, twisting and turning your body just like in real life.
6. Small beginnings
Just like you wouldn't jump into a deep pool if you don't know how to swim, don't start with complex or advanced core movements. Start with simple exercises in a smaller range of motion (hold the diaper for 15-20 seconds), then as your core strength improves and you master proper execution, move up to larger and more difficult exercises.
7. Add weight
Weights aren't just for biceps! Like any other muscle, the abs need to be challenged to become stronger. So, if regular sit-ups are no longer a challenge for you (or if you need to do more than 20 to feel sore), add some weight to the exercise and watch your results improve.
8. Always warm up well
A warm core is a happy core. Since your abs are connected to your lower back, it's extremely important to start each workout with a proper warm-up to prevent injury. Prepare these muscles for the challenge with easy strides in place and gentle standing mid-section rotations.
9. Plank
Abdominal training is not just about abs - especially if you want to gain muscle fast. For best results, you need a multi-muscle activation approach. The plank or so-called "plank" is one of the best basic exercises that works on several different parts of the abdomen and upper body at the same time.
10. You imagine a grapefruit
One of the biggest mistakes people make when doing sit-ups is keeping their head down, pressed against their chest. This puts unnecessary strain on your neck and does not focus on your stomach. Every time you perform abdominal exercises on the floor, imagine that you have a grapefruit between your chin and your chest, and don't let your chin go lower than your chest.
11. Do squats
Physiologists always recommend that we think of our core not just as the abdominal and lower back area, but also as the entire core (which means everything except the legs, arms and head). To really strengthen your core, fitness experts recommend strengthening the muscles that attach to your core, such as your glutes.
12. Train your lower back
True muscle strength is primarily about balance. If our goal is to get abs quickly, many of us focus only on toning the abs (the muscles we can see) and completely neglect the lower back. This strength imbalance can lead to lower back injuries and pain.
13. Try balance exercises
If you want to see more definition faster, incorporate balance exercises into your routine. Exercises that offer a balance challenge cause your deep core muscles to engage in a stabilizing task.
14. Exercise slowly
Think speed training will speed up your results? It won't! If you want to really feel the pain, slow down the execution of the exercise. By varying the speed of your abdominal exercises, you will train your abs in a more targeted manner, building strength and getting toned abs faster.
15. Adjust your diet
It doesn't matter how many hours you exercise each week. The only way to really tone your abs is to lose some fat above your abs. This means it will take longer than a few days or weeks to get the toned abs you are looking for. If you don't eat a healthy diet, it will be hard to see definition. Enjoy a diet high in protein, low in fat, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
16. Treat yourself to rest
Just like other muscles, your abs need rest. Although you can do exercises that activate your core in other ways, try to take a recovery day. Rest helps muscles repair and strengthen!
17. Vary your exercises
Do you feel guilty about doing the same workout day after day? If so, it's time to replace it. In fact, you should change your entire workout every four to six weeks for best results.
18. Maintain constant tension
If you're short on time, here's a simple trick to get more done. Tighten your abdominal muscles and maintain them throughout the exercise.
19. Train the upper abdominal muscles last
Many traditional exercise movements target the upper abdomen. In doing so, they neglect the lower and lateral abdominal muscles. Therefore, start the exercise with exercises with the lower part of the abdomen (e.g. bicycle).
20. Yoga or Pilates
Many yoga and pilates exercises are extremely good for building a strong core. If you're tired of always doing abs at the end of cardio or strength training, opt for yoga or pilates. In addition to strengthening the core, these are exercises that are also great for the mind and reduce stress.
