It’s no wonder so many men look to ab exercises as they strive for firm, ripped, well-defined abdominal muscles. After all, this coveted “six-pack” look is a number one turn-on for most women.
Being able to make women swoon when you take off your shirt certainly has an appeal. Firm abs are a symbol of male virility and attractiveness in our culture. Tight abs are associated with fitness, youth and strength. If you have always wondered what it would be like to have the desired tight abs, here are some steps that will bring you closer to your dream.
To build big muscles requires lifting heavy weights. Any guy who has tried weight training is familiar with this idea. Heavy weights, rather than numerous reps, will build muscle mass. This is as true of the abs as it is of the biceps. To get large biceps, a man should lift, say, a 50-pound dumbbell in three sets of 10 repetitions, as opposed to lifting a 10-pound weight 100 times. The latter would tone the biceps but not do much for the muscle mass.
Your abs respond the same way. The key to building big muscles there is to add lifting heavy weights to the ab portion of your workout, for short reps. Here are a couple of good ab exercises:
Decline Crunches
On a declined weight bench, hold onto a weight plate while practicing the crunches. Start with three sets of 10-15 reps – whatever you can manage. Believe it or not, eventually the decline crunches will get easier. At that point, add more weight. Increased weight is the key. Add more weight, not more reps and watch your abs grow.
Leg Lifts
This exercises your lower abs. Adding ankle weights as you do your leg lifts will build the muscles in that area. As with the decline crunches, the secret is to do fewer reps with more weight. If the ab exercises are done correctly, you will find it a challenge to complete a set of 10-15 reps of leg lifts with increasing weight.
Muscle size is not the only element to a six-pack. You can really make your new abs stand out by dropping excess weight in your belly. Proper diet and exercise are important to get the look you want. Lowering your overall body fat, and the fat around your abdomen in particular, will give you the well-defined look you want, when combined with the weight-training ab exercises.