30 days to 6-pack abs: Part 1

Get ready to start on a 30-day journey to absolutely crazy abs! You may be no stranger to most, or even all, of the exercises that will be mentioned here but it’s not just about what, but also about how and when each exercise should be performed. It will involve a lot of intensity-boosting techniques that will demand utmost muscularity, working the whole body but with special priority given to the abs. Train six days a week, perform cardio in the morning (preferably before breakfast) for five consecutive days and lift most afternoons or evenings. Rest completely one day per week. The cardio workout can be a 30-minute steady exercise like walking or stationary cycling, keeping the intensity at your target heart rate. To know your target heart rate, use this formula:

Target Heart Rate = (220 – (your age)) x 0.7

If your schedule prevents you from lifting in the afternoons or evenings, shift it to morning and do cardio later. But keep in mind that the two components should be several hours apart.

Days 1/8/15/22/29

A.M. – Cardio

P.M. – Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Cable Crunch

Kneel below a high pulley, grab the cable attachment with both hands and place your wrists against your head. Position your hips back and flex them, allowing resistance on cable pulley to lift torso upwards so your spine is hyper-extended. Note that movement is in the waist not the hips as elbows travel toward mid-thighs. Exhale as you do so, hold the contraction for a few seconds and inhale as you return to starting position.

3 sets to failure; 60-second rest.

Machine Bench Press

Sit down on the Chest Press Machine and select the weight. Step on the lever, grab the handles with a palms-down grip and lift your elbows so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor to the sides of your torso. Now bring the handles back towards you as you breathe in. Push the handles away from you as you flex your pecs as you breathe out. Hold the contraction for a second before going back to the start position.

4 sets; 10 reps; 2-minute rest.

Incline Dumbbell Press

Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand atop your thighs with each of your palms facing the other. Using the thighs to push the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder width. Rotate your wrists forward so that your palms will be facing away from you. This is your starting position. Breathe out and push the dumbbells up with your chest. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second and then slowly start lowering the weight.

4 sets; 15, 12, 10 and 8 reps; 2-minute rest.

You may also like: 30 days to 6-pack abs: Part 2

Barbell Incline Bench Press

Lie back on an incline bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your upper chest. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again.

4 sets; 6 reps; 2-minute rest.

Weighted Bench Dip

For this exercise, you will need to place a bench behind your back and another one in front of you. With the benches perpendicular to your body, hold on to one bench on its edge with the hands close to your body, separated at shoulder width. Your arms should be fully extended. The legs will be extended forward on top of the other bench. Your legs should be parallel to the floor while your torso is to be perpendicular to the floor. Have your partner place the dumbbell on your lap. Slowly lower your body as you inhale by bending at the elbows until you lower yourself far enough to where there is an angle slightly smaller than 90 degrees between the upper arm and the forearm. Using your triceps to bring your torso up again, lift yourself back to the starting position while exhaling.

3 sets to failure; 60-minute rest.

Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

Place a couple of dumbbells looking forward in front of a flat bench. Sit on the end of the bench with your legs together and the dumbbells behind your calves. Bend at the waist while keeping the back straight in order to pick up the dumbbells. The palms of your hands should be facing each other as you pick them. This will be your starting position. Keeping your torso forward and stationary, and the arms slightly bent at the elbows, lift the dumbbells straight to the side until both arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you lift the weights. After a one second contraction at the top, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

4 sets; 15 reps; 90-second rest.

You may also like: 30 days to 6-pack abs: Part 3

Standing Low-Pulley Deltoid Raise

Start by standing to the right side of a low pulley row. Use your left hand to come across the body and grab a single handle attached to the low pulley with a pronated grip. Rest your arm in front of you. Your right hand should grab the machine for better support and balance. Make sure that your back is erect and your feet are shoulder width apart from each other. This is the starting position. Begin to use the left hand and come across your body out until it is elevated to shoulder height while exhaling. Feel the contraction at the top for a second and begin to slowly lower the handle back down to the original starting position while inhaling. Switch arms and repeat the exercise.

3 sets; 12 reps (each side); 90-second rest.

Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

Place a flat bench (or preferably one with back support) underneath a smith machine. Position the barbell at a height so that when seated on the flat bench, the arms must be almost fully extended to reach the barbell. Once you have the correct height, sit slightly behind the barbell so that there is an imaginary straight line from the tip of your nose to the barbell. Your feet should be stationary. Grab the barbell with the palms facing forward, unlock it and lift it up so that your arms are fully extended. This is the starting position. Slowly begin to lower the barbell until it is level with your chin while inhaling. Then lift the barbell back to the starting position using your shoulders while exhaling.

4 sets; 8 reps; 90-second rest.

Days 2/9/16/23/30

A.M. – Cardio

P.M. – Rest

(To be continued in upcoming article/s.)