You might be one of the multitudes of people performing a multitude of crunches every single day. If this is you, you can stop doing them as a part of your six pack abs routine. So, how to get washboard abs is the question. I want to tell you about plank exercises. Doing planks for abs is going to help you get your washboard abs. You might think this workout is not very sophisticated because planks are basically used in yoga. However, plank exercises are an extremely effective way to get those six pack abs.
Prior to going into the details of the exercise, I want to talk about why crunches are not the best abs exercise. In order to get washboard abs, you need to know that crunches, or other kinds of workouts, are not going to lower the amount of fat you have around your stomach. The only way you can drop enough fat to get six pack abs, you have to workout intensely and follow a strict eating plan.
Moreover, I believe that crunches do not work well as a ab workout. Abs are part of core muscles that are meant to stabilize your body and keep your spine straight. Crunches involve the exact opposite movement, whereby you flex your spine and “crunch” at your back’s weakest point. As such, it adds tension to the lower part of your back and your posture gets worse.
Situps are an exercise that help remedy this issue because your back should remain straight as you do them. The problem with situps is that they don’t really require much from the abs - all the action is taking place in the lower back muscles. And you end up with the problems you had before, lower back pain and bad posture. If you do not believe me, you might want to remember the old adage about lifting heavy items. Bend your knees, lift with your legs - not the back. If you bent straight over, you would likely strain your back.
On the other hand, plank exercises will work your abdominal muscles as well as the rest of the core area. By forcing your body to stabilize itself in one position, planks work both your abdominal muscles as well as your back muscles. Crunches only target the rectus abdominus muscle, but planks target both the rectus abdominus muscle ant the transverse abdominus muscle, which contains the rectus abdominus. This is definitely a benefit of doing planks over crunches. What will happen with crunches alone (aside from back pain) is that your abs will stick out when viewed from the side.
A variety of plank exercises are available to help you meet your goals. A great one to begin with is the basic plank. Get down on the floor as if you are going to do a push up, but put your weight on your forearms rather than your hands. Keep your back straight and suck your stomach muscles in as you keep steady. I’m sure you’re thinking this sounds easy, but the longer you try to hold the position, the harder it becomes. It’s best to start with 30 second sets and slowly build up to 2 - 3 minute periods.
Do this exercise no more than 2 or 3 times every week. Abs are like any other muscle in that they require rest. Keep in mind that you will use your abs when you do other workouts too.
For those who are looking for a more ab centered training program, there are other core and abdominal exercises that you can add to your routine, like leg raises and renegade rows. To perform renegade rows, get down as if you are going to do a push up and execute a one-arm row as you keep yourself steady. Other good options are the hanging leg raise and the lying leg raise. These should be done slowly, so the focus is kept on the lower abs and back.
Building a strong core is the best way to get washboard abs. If you are looking for the best core and abdominal workouts available, took no further than plank exercises. A simple 5-10 minute routine performed 2-3 times per week is all it takes to increase core strength. You do not need to do crunches any longer, except if you want to get back discomfort, bad-looking abs, and a slouch. And make sure you’re spending plenty of time on fat burning workouts so you can eliminate the body fat that’s been concealing your core.
