The gym that I train at here in Toronto doesn't have any foam rollers. So, prior to my squat and deadlift workouts, I have to head over to the "abs & stretching" area of the gym to use a medicine ball to knead out my glutes & IT bands.Without fail, every time I get to the open floor area, I've got to step over or around some poor trainee trying to chase his abs by doing crunches (or even worse, sit-ups) until he "feels the burn" - what is this, 1983?
If only he knew that there was a better way to get those six-pack-abs and burn fat that is actually safer, less boring and more effective.
I wish I could have told him to use big, bang-for-your-buck exercises like squats, deads, lunges, chins, rows & dips that require more abdominal work than your average crunch or sit-up.
I wish I could have told him that his 6-pack will come a lot faster if he were to limit his sugar intake and eliminate all junk food and just focus on eating fruits, vegetables, lean protein & healthy fats.
I wish I could have told him to make sure he gets enough rest and manage his stress to reduce the amount of cortisol (a belly fat loving hormone) he produces.
I wish I could have told him all those things, but I made a pact to myself never to give advice to another trainer (yes, he was a trainer that works in the gym that I go to) unless I actually know him or unless he asks....long story short, the last time I "made a suggestion" to another trainer, I almost got my a$ kicked because he thought I was being arrogant.
So, in dedication to all crunch-happy gym-goers who are in search of that "burn", here is a great ab exercise circuit "finisher" that I did on Friday after my squat workout.
It's called a "finisher" because...
1. You should always do your ab exercises at the end of your training session and
2. After you do a few of rounds of this circuit, you will be "finished".
Make sure to give this one a try and let me know how you feel tomorrow! If you do this right, I guarantee you'll be so sore that it'll hurt to cough.
FitAndBusyDad Intermediate Ab Finisher
1a. Ab-Wheel Roll Outs x 15
1b. Lower Ab Reverse Curl x 15
1c. X-body Climbers x 20 total
Repeat the above circuit 3 times with NO REST between exercises, then finish with...
2. 100 x KB or Dumbbell Swings (Complete the swings in as minimal sets as possible resting 45s between sets...remember to brace your abs HARD on these)
This circuit should take you about 6-8 minutes to finish and uses so many muscles that it could be considered a workout by itself!
Tack this onto the end of one of your FitAndBusyDad workouts and you'll be shedding the fat and getting 6-pack-abs that work in no time.
Chris
The FitAndBusyDad
P.S. Stop wasting your time with useless crunches and sit-ups. Stop buying $50 ab-gadgets. Stop looking for the magic bullet. Work hard, train hard, eat REAL FOOD - and use FitAndBusyDad Workouts!
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