Abdominal Training for Bodybuilders

One of the first sets of muscles that people look at and for when determining if a male is good physical condition is a well defined six pack on the abdomen. This is true for bodybuilders and regular guys alike. One difference is that for bodybuilders, a poorly defined six pack can cause him to lose the competition no matter how well developed the rest of the body is. Abdominal training for bodybuilders at all levels can be accomplished with same set of 7 different exercises that specifically target the abdominals. These seven exercises will work for beginners and advanced body builders with only modifications in the number of reps needed to maintain the fitness level.

The first exercise, partial sit ups, targets the lower abs and obliques. In order to perform this exercise, lie flat on the floor with the knees bent and the feet propped under something to keep them on the floor. Using the abdominal muscles, raise the upper body to approximately 30 degrees from the floor. Slowly drop back to a lying position and repeat. It is important to maintain control of all movements during this exercise and avoid the tendency to rock back and forth. Breathing control is important during this exercise.

The next exercise reverses the process and targets the upper abs and obliques. This one is called leg raises. Lie flat on the floor and place the hands on the floor at your side and raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor. Slowly lower them back to the floor using your abdominal muscles. Do not forget to breath.

The third exercise targets all of the abdominal muscles. This is a combination of the leg raises and abdominal crunches. Lying on the floor as before, raise the legs until they are perpendicular to the floor, then using the abs raise the head and shoulders off the floor. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower the legs back to the floor while holding the upper body position, then let the upper body ease back to the floor.

The knee ins exercise works the lower abs. Sitting on the edge of a chair or bench, extend the legs out in front of you. Now, keeping the knees pressed together, pull them in toward the chest as far as you can. Hold for a second then slowly return to the start position.

The modified v-ups exercise starts out the same way but while you are bring your knees up and in, you also move your torso out to meet them.

Crunches and knee in, crunch combinations round out the seven exercises that are designed to improve and define the abdominal six pack. These exercises work for people at all levels of body building experience from beginners to competition ready professionals. The differences are in the number of reps needed to achieve the maximum definition of the ab six pack.

One important note: in order to make the abdominal six pack clearly visible, whether a bodybuilder or not, it is necessary to reduce body fat percentage to less than 6 % for males and 12% for females.

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