Written by Funk Roberts
Ask the average guy to tell you how to get rock-hard abs and he will boast about the newest and fanciest, super-duper "abdominal burning" exercise he just learned that you should definitely try.
Or... more likely, he will tell you to do 50 repetitions of abdominal crunches, sit-ups or leg raises, you know, the usual stuff that everybody believes will give them six-pack abs.
Oh yeah, let's not forget the tiny detail that the "average guy" doesn't have rock-hard abs, let alone six-pack abs.
So, stop doing what everybody else is telling you to do, in order to get those hard abs, and start doing what really works. Here are the 5 easy, but crucial rules to getting hard abs, that is...
1: Lose It to Gain It
If you can't see your ab muscles, it's not because you haven't found that "magic bullet" ab-sculpting exercise. In fact, it may not even be because you don't have any ab muscles. (If you have been working out even a little bit over the years, you may already have some ab development.)
The truth is you'll never be able to see your abs - even if they are the most developed and sculpted abs in the world- if they are hiding under and nice, comfy layer of belly fat.
So, the very first rule of getting hard abs is to lose the soft flab that's covering your ab muscles. There is no magic formula for losing belly fat. The only way to do it is with consistent, regular exercise and a healthy diet.
The easy solution is hike, bike, or jump around for at least 30 minutes every other day.
As for dieting, just try to minimize your intake of sugar and simple/processed carbohydrates. Cutting down on sugar alone can help you lose some pounds quickly. That includes sugary foods, desserts, and drinks.
Losing just 5-to-10 pounds of fat can make you look harder and leaner, instantly, even if you don't do any abdominal exercises. Besides, losing that belly flab will benefit you and many other ways, as well as dramatically lower your chances of developing several diseases and health risks.
2: Give 'Em a Chance to Develop
The next major rule of getting hard abs is to stop over-working your abdominal muscles. Most guys who want to get hard abs tend to do crunches, leg raises, or whatever, every single day, but they work every other major muscle group every other day.
Look, your abdominal muscles are no different than any other muscle group. You can't continuously work it without giving it a chance to rest, recuperate and develop!
So, the new rule of hard abs is: work your abdominal muscles three to four days per week, and no more. You can either work them every other day (with a day of rest in between) or just work them on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
If you don't already know, your muscles only grow, develop, and get stronger when they get enough rest in between workouts. So, do with your abs what you do with every other muscle group in your body: let them rest at least 24 hours before you work them again.
3: One Move, to Rule Them All
There are lots of exercises that can work your abs from every conceivable angle. That doesn't mean that you should do them all. In fact, you only need two or three core moves that you can cycle out every few weeks. However, if you only had to do one exercise, to see some quick results, it would be the Balancing V or V-ups or even the hollow hold.
Here's how it's done: Lie down on the floor, on your back, and your face towards the ceiling. With your legs straight and your arms also straight, stretched out over your head, without any bend in the elbows.
Slowly start to lift your upper body by bending at your waist as if you were sitting up, while bringing your arms forward slightly faster than the rest of your body.
As your upper body starts to lift up and forward, simultaneously lift your legs up towards the ceiling. When executed correctly, your entire body should be off the floor except for your butt, which will be resting on the floor and balancing the "V" formation of your body.
At this point, the tips of your fingers should be able to touch the tips of your toes. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and then start to slowly descend your upper body as well as your legs back to the floor.
You should end up back on the floor, laying down, with your body straight and your arms stretched out above your head. Repeat this move up to 6 times.
Hint: Doing this exercise will require a bit of balancing, especially when your butt is the only part of your body still in contact with the floor.
To start and for practice, you should first do this exercise on your bed. The give in the mattress will help you to balance much easier, until you get the hang of the exercise. At that point, you can move to the floor.
4: Work the Core
Working your abdominal muscles is not the only way to get that lean, hard look. You should work your entire core, not just your ab muscles, if you'd like to get that leaner, stronger, sexier look around your midsection, much quicker and easier. Everything that you do requires and engages your core. So, you might as well strengthen the entire thing to keep everything balanced and working properly.
For example, if you just work your abdominal muscles, your lower back muscles won't be able to keep up, and will tend to make your posture sloppy by pushing your tummy outward. That's not going to help you to look lean and hard around your midsection.
So, you must work the entire core, which will help you stand taller, and will give your waistline a leaner, trimmer look. Plus, strengthening the core will also tighten up the deep abdominal muscles to give you an even more lean and trim look, even if you haven't lost any belly fat yet.
5: Sleep
The final rule to getting hard abs is to get enough sleep! Most of us don't realize that we are sleep deprived. Getting enough sleep means clocking in at least 7 hours each night.
However, that's not all. The quality of your sleep also makes a huge difference. That means, if you're uncomfortable, tend to toss and turn, or wake up often in the middle of the night, then you're not getting enough sleep, even if you're able to clock in 7 to 9 hours.
If you're getting a few nights of low-quality sleep, in a row, your muscle gains will suffer. Additionally, you may tend to store more fat around your belly, which will only make your goal of getting "hard abs" even more difficult.
So, do whatever you can - including having a chat with your physician, if needed - to get the right quantity and quality of sleep each night.
Conclusion
As you can see from the advice and tips shared in this report, getting rock-hard abs is not just about doing endless crunches, leg raises, or any other exercise. Yes, you need a few of those core exercises to sculpt your abdominal muscles, but that’s just the first step. The rest of it has to do with your consistent and vigilant strengthening, recuperating, and fat-losing efforts.
Without those other elements, it wouldn’t matter how amazingly strong and shaped your abdominal muscles are. No one will ever be able to see them. So, forget what everybody else is doing – or telling you to do… and start putting the tips in this report to use right away.
Here is a killer workout you can start to implement into your training today!
10 Minute Ripped Abs Workout
(FOLLOW ALONG)
Perform each exercise for 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds rest one after the other for 1 round. Total workout = 10 minutes
- Lying Abs Hip Raise Circles Clockwise
- Lying Abs Hip Raise Circles Counter clockwise
- Russian Twists to Abs In and Outs
- Slow Bicycles to Leg Raises
- Plank Step Outs to Plank Hip Raises
- V-Ups to Alternating V-Ups
- High Plank Shoulder Touch to Hand Touches
- Lying Oblique Crunch Left
- Lying Oblique Crunch Right
- Dead Bugs