How to pump up your abs to a six-pack and make your stomach sculpted: 16 exercises for pumping up your abs

May 31, 2016 Admin Home page » Tips and recommendations

Are you pumping up your abs, but you can’t see them?! Find out the 6 main reasons and solutions to the problem to create a truly beautiful, sculpted belly.

You spend a long time in the gym, pay maximum attention to abdominal exercises, feel that it is there, but you can’t see it?! Most likely, you make mistakes like most people, not noticing simple solutions to the problem that lie right under your nose.

We present to your attention 6 reasons that hinder the creation of beautiful, sculpted abs; they will answer the painful questions of why the abs are not visible.

Everyone has six-pack abs, but they are usually hidden under a layer of fat.

Under the number zero, as the basics, you just need to repeat it again: everyone has six-pack abs, even a poorly trained person - simply because that’s how muscles are designed. But the cubes become visible only with a definitely low percentage of body fat.

Of course, the appearance of the abdomen still depends on the development of the abdominal muscles. Roughly speaking, if you have been training effectively for a long time, then the abs will be visible with a higher percentage of fat, and if the abs are poorly trained, then they will be visible only with an extremely low percentage of fat.

But in any case, the visibility of your abs depends primarily on the percentage of fat in your body. Therefore, achieving six-pack abs is FIRST OF ALL DIET, and only then the workouts, which we write about below.

Here's also a basic picture illustrating body fat percentage and abs:

How to reduce your fat percentage - watch the video to see what it is like and how to determine your fat percentage - read here.

Reason 2. You are not working all the muscles

An obvious consequence of the first mistake. Abs are not just two stripes in the center of the abdomen. This is just part of it, the rectus muscles. There are also transverse and oblique muscles. To form the relief, you need to pump each one. In general, when loading this area, all abdominal muscles are involved in one way or another. But different exercises put more stress on individual parts of the abs: for example, the upper one works while lifting the torso while twisting, the lower one works when lifting the legs.

Georgy Kakunin

Fitness and bodybuilding instructor, sports nutritionist, trainer of the Geoprofit channel.

The formation of cubes depends on the individual characteristics of the structure and attachment of muscles. In some people they can be very noticeable, in others they can be less noticeable. But after seven years as an instructor, I can say that it is possible to train a strong stomach with any anatomy. And there is no unique body structure that will prevent this from happening.

Strength training of the abdominal muscles does NOT burn fat in the abdomen and waist.

For some reason, the spring snowdrops that come to the gym, as Zhigan sings “pump up”, pick up magic programs for removing belly fat from VKontakte communities and storm the crunching machines.

We will not get tired of repeating every week - burning fat in any specific place is IMPOSSIBLE. There are no exercises or techniques (other than liposuction) to remove fat from just the belly or waist. Here's why in detail.

In this regard, barbell squats will be much more effective than attacking abdominal machines.

Reason 3: You're not eating right

You may already have some cubes. But they are not visible, because the muscles are hidden by a layer of fat. In this case, work on the abs needs to be supplemented with a diet. But not the kind where you deny yourself everything and live to the accompaniment of your stomach rumbling from hunger. A good diet consists of healthy, unprocessed foods and the right ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They are all needed for metabolism and muscle building, so an imbalance can ruin your efforts in the gym.

Georgy Kakunin

Fitness and bodybuilding instructor, sports nutritionist, trainer of the Geoprofit channel.

For a toned belly, you should focus on animal protein (poultry, fish, seafood, chicken eggs) and complex carbohydrates (all types of cereals), which provide slow energy throughout the day and prevent insulin spikes. Include a large amount of vegetables and fruits in your diet - fiber helps to absorb protein and gives a feeling of fullness, and vitamins and microelements improve metabolism and have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails. You should give up fast carbohydrates (sweets and baked goods) and trans fats (fast food, chips). This is both extra calories that are deposited in the abdominal area and harm to health.

The number of repetitions does not matter

The key importance when loading the press is the time the muscles are under load. That is, if you raise your legs while hanging, then try to freeze for a couple of seconds at the most difficult point and do the repetitions slowly. 10 such repetitions will be more effective than 20 done at a fast pace.

Focus on the burning sensation. It is necessary to do repetitions through pain right up to subjective muscle failure, that is, when you feel like you cannot do one more repetition even for a million dollars. According to various sources, it is recommended to select the load in such a way that subjective muscle failure occurs within 15-25 repetitions.

Reason 4. You are trying to lose weight by doing abs.

It is impossible to burn the notorious layer of fat by working on your abs. If you have extra pounds in the abdominal area, add cardio to your training program. Classic cardio - running. In the park, on a path or elliptical. Remember that fat burning starts at a high heart rate: 100 beats per minute and above. Everyone has their own fat burning zone, so monitor your well-being and workout results or consult with an instructor. If you don't feel like running, do strength exercises that also provide cardio, such as burpees.

Georgy Kakunin

Fitness and bodybuilding instructor, sports nutritionist, trainer of the Geoprofit channel.

The ideal cardio exercise for a sculpted belly is interval running. It speeds up metabolism and starts the fat burning process. It is called interval because it alternates between low, medium and high intensities. The key here is to prevent the body from adapting to the load and turn on the “energy saving” mode. Example: 30 seconds of walking, 20 seconds of running and 10 seconds of acceleration. You can perform as many of these intervals as you want during your workout.

No need to raise straight legs and a straight body

Maximum contraction of the abdominal muscles occurs when the back is rounded and the chin is pressed to the chest. In all variations of twisting, you need to imagine that you are curling up in a ball.

In all variations of leg lifts, you need to slightly bend your knees and try to lift not your legs, but your pelvis. This will reduce the load on the hip flexors and quadriceps, and load the abdominal muscles to the maximum.

In addition, there is a study about the risk of injury in the lumbar region of some abdominal exercises. We talked about this in detail in the text “How to pump up the press correctly.”

Reason 1: Your workouts aren't varied enough.

Lie down on the floor.
Cross your arms behind your head. Raise your torso. This is how most people pump their abs. But in fact, the exercises that give rise to the six-pack are much more varied. Some of them are dynamic, for example, “bicycle” - you lie on the floor, raise your legs and spin imaginary pedals. Others are static, for example, plank - standing on your elbows in a horizontal position. The plank can be made dynamic by rising to your hands and then lowering yourself to your elbows. Another option is the “climber” exercise: while standing in a plank, you quickly pull one knee after the other to your chest. If you like crunches, try doing them on a stability ball rather than on the floor—this will help engage more of your core muscles. Georgy Kakunin

Fitness and bodybuilding instructor, sports nutritionist, trainer of the Geoprofit channel.

Weighted squats can completely replace endless crunches on the floor. In this position, the body is fixed and deep stabilizer muscles are activated, making you more active and mobile, and your stomach stronger. Another great option is exercises with shock absorbers and fitness bands, which create tension in the core muscles throughout the entire range of motion.

To develop abs of steel, you need to do many different exercises designed specifically for this area. The fitness program of the Geoprofit channel “Abs of your dreams” will help you achieve noticeable abs. You won’t have to suffer for months on exercise machines. You'll work with your own weight and perform the right set of exercises that will quickly strengthen your abs and make them visible. Along with the fitness program, you will receive nutritional recommendations from trainer and nutritionist Georgy Kakunin.

What kind of program is there?

How did it start?

Sculptures of powerful people with pumped up abs were sculpted even before our era in Ancient Greece, but such a body was not held as a standard. For a very long time, a sculpted physique was considered a sign of simple hard-working people, peasants - while aristocrats paid little attention to their muscles.

Everything changed in the 19th century, when the German bodybuilder Eugene Sandow (real name Friedrich Wilhelm Müller) introduced fashion for a beautiful and pumped up body. He was inspired by ancient sculpture and wanted his body to look the same.

Sandov performed in the circus, promoting his own methods, a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. In 1894, he moved to the USA - and thanks to him, sales of weights, dumbbells, barbells and books about bodybuilding there increased significantly.

Sandow later opened the world's first gyms and organized an athletic beauty contest. In Russia, Evgeniy had many followers - for example, the St. Petersburg Athletic Society used his methods, and the legendary wrestler Ivan Poddubny trained using them.

But even in Sandow's time, six-pack abs were not a fetish. Bodybuilders willingly showed off their biceps, but rarely pumped up their abs, and to competitions they wore high shorts that completely covered their stomachs.

The cult of cubes developed already in the 1980s. Just look at the popular actors of those years: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Their heroes popularized a beautiful, pumped up body - including strong abs.

This has led to the fact that sculpted cubes have become perhaps one of the main goals of fitness center clients.

To pump up your abs, you need to eat right

The next step that will help you see your abs is nutrition. It's very simple: first you need to stop eating most of your carbohydrates. Stop eating fast foods, stop eating sweets (at least for these 3-4 months).

Give preference to slow carbohydrates: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, bran porridge, rice, all kinds of nuts, as well as vegetables. Try to eat most of your carbohydrates in the first half of the day. The percentage of carbohydrates in the general diet should be around 25 - 30%, the remaining 70 - 75% is filled with proteins: eggs, meat, milk (in small quantities), sea fish, cottage cheese, protein shakes.

Here's a sample meal plan for you:

The right clothes

If you are not photographed topless, clothing will help you look more impressive. Here are some tips:

• White colors help to look more voluminous, so it is better to choose them over dark ones.
• Horizontal stripes expand your figure, vertical stripes make you taller.
• It is better to take clothes a size smaller, it will help highlight your figure.
• If you have a high percentage of fat, you can wear looser clothes. At the same time, it will be great if the sleeves are tight-fitting: this way you will emphasize the developed muscles of the arms and shoulders and hide imperfections in the abdominal area.
• For those with extremely long and thin arms, we advise you to wear long sleeves and roll up the sleeves halfway. The arms will look visually shorter, and when gathered in folds, the fabric will add volume to the biceps and triceps.
• For those who have well-developed biceps and triceps, it is better to choose clothes with short sleeves. The main rule here is that clothes do not cover the triceps, since it is thanks to them that the arms look voluminous and pumped up.
• Try to choose styles that visually expand your chest and shoulders.

selfie photography

A short summary

Change your diet: Eat more protein than carbohydrates. Try to eat only slow carbohydrates (porridge, vegetables, nuts). Use cardio exercises 3 – 4 times a week: this can be running, cycling or cardio exercises at home. And of course, don’t forget to pump up your abs using the Ab Ripper X program.

We looked at the main points that will help you achieve a sculpted belly and finally see your abs.
If something remains unclear to you, ask your questions in the comments. Rate this article

Maybe it’s better to buy a belt to pump up your abs?

There are no miracle ways to quickly lose weight or pump up your abs - you always need to work hard and hard. A magic belt with an electromyostimulation effect, which is often advertised on TV, definitely won’t help.

In fact, such belts are not completely useless. They are used to relieve muscle spasms and prevent muscle atrophy in patients during the postoperative period. But that’s all – they won’t pump up your abs, and they won’t remove fat either.

In other words, this is just an advertising campaign that has nothing to do with reality.

Taking creatine

Yes Yes Yes! It will be useful to you here too. Creatine attracts water to your muscles and helps them look fuller.

True, you need to get started with creatine in advance: take 20 g of creatine for 5 days before the photo shoot, and the pictures will turn out just right.

Plus, creatine will help you gain more lean muscle mass during your workouts—a nice bonus for photos. You can buy creatine inexpensively on iHerb - a selection is available at the link.