In terms of health and fitness, they are undoubtedly the Holy Grail. Something that many people can only ever dream of achieving. What are we talking about, well that’s simple, the perfect abs. If you want to achieve that sculpted 6 (or 8) pack then you’ll need to put in the work, both at home with your diet and also at your London gym with fitness class. Remember, if they were easy to achieve, then you’d already have them and moreover would be flaunting them right?!
Here however we focus on the best exercises for your London gym with fitness class to help you achieve your goal – a set of toned and defined abdominal muscles. You’ll be able to look past the hype and the nonsense and start focusing on what you really do need to do in order to achieve your dream. So if you are ready and willing to put in the effort, then read on for how to start.
Hard Work
If you’re not prepared to put in the hard work, then you cannot really complain if you never get the results you want. This is true in any walk of life, from business, to employment, from relationships to health. But don’t be put off something simply because it might get tough – that’s not the attitude to achieve.
Hard work is one thing, but focus is another. You can slog away in the gym all you want, but if you are heading in the wrong direction, you’ll never get to your desired destination.
Elements
The elements of achieving a great set of abs though are not all that complicated. Firstly you will need to address your diet. It’s all well and good training hard in the gym, but if you consume too many calories or your body fat percentage is too high, then as well developed as your abs might get, they will always be hidden to the world behind your belly fat. You can strengthen your core and build great stability, but for most of you, the result that you want to see, is to “see” the results! For men, you’ll need to reduce your body-fat percentage to under 10%, and women 12%. Although physiology does play a part, and some will never achieve the goal, you have to give yourself the best opportunity to do so.
Your training will need to be focused too. You cannot spot reduce body fat in an area, i.e. you can do a million crunches but you may not remove what’s hiding those abs. You’ll need to do strong elements of cardiovascular work, as well as strength training, but focus on the whole body rather than just the abs – you’d be surprised how much better your results will be! Think high impact interval training to keep your heart pumping and getting those calories shifted.
Exercises
You’ll probably already be aware of many “ab” exercises but the following ones are going to give you better results, and faster too. Make sure that you maintain your form correctly throughout the workout as the body finds ways in which to make things easier – and if it’s easier, then the results will not be as good.
- Plank – think lying as if you’re going to do a press-up, then instead raise your whole body in the plank position. The only body parts in contact with the floor should be your forearms and toes. Hold for 30-60 seconds, rest for 15 then repeat 2-3 times.
- V-Sits– lying on your back, arms stretched above your head, raise both legs and upper body, to form a v shape. Once balanced at the top, hold for 5 seconds and slower lower yourself down. It’ll take time to find your balance point. Keep your legs straight. Repeat for 3 -5 sets of 10.
- Squats and Lunges – you’ll all know how to do these, but the idea is to engage the core during every rep – almost squeezing your abs to feel them working. Form here is crucial, at the very least to avoid injury!
- Sit-ups & Crunches – just because they are traditional doesn’t mean they don’t have a place. Think of raising to 45 degrees though, and varying the speed and timings. Always look to vary things through twists etc.
There are no easy ways to a 6 pack which is why those that have one love to show them off. There are however things that you can help yourself with – a better diet, less alcohol (it’s called a beer belly remember), more regular exercise and focused exercises. Above though it will take effort, but will be more than worth it. Good luck.
