Tag: Bodybuilding
The Muscle Building Guide for Beginners, According to Pro Natural Bodybuilder
INBA PNBA pro natural bodybuilder Christian Lang put together a muscle building guide for beginners.
If you’re new to working out, you’ll likely want to build more muscle and may be struggling to put on the mass you want. To build muscle, you must follow a few golden principles to get the most out of your training, especially for a beginner. German International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) competitor, Christian Lang, knows that building muscle as a beginner can be challenging, so he put together a muscle building guide for beginners on Instagram (IG). When it comes to nutrition, Lang said:
“Lots of vegetables and fruit and lots of protein – these should be the basics.
500-800g of vegetables and fruit (together) and 4 protein doses a day should be absolutely standard.”
Regarding training, Lang stated:
“EVERY muscle should be trained hard, and hard doesn’t equate to heavy weight.
Use a weight that you can use 10-20 times with clean technique and stop when you notice a technique discrepancy. The more complex and difficult an exercise is, the fewer reps you should do with it (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, pull-up, row, etc.)”
Christian Lang suggests you have a diet filled with protein, fruits, and veggies. He also believes in lifting weights at a high intensity. However, Lang notes that doesn’t necessarily mean using heavier weights. Instead, he thinks more volume – 10 to 12 reps – with better technique on big compound movements will yield you more results.
See his complete muscle building guide for beginners in the IG post below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYqbvg-stg2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Christian Lang is a German INBA PNBA athlete who earned his INBA PNBA pro card in early June of 2021 after winning the overall in the Classic Physique class at INBA Hungary. Shortly after, he won the overall at the German Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (GNBF) German Championships 2021.
Natural Bodybuilding and WADA Compliant
Natural bodybuilding leagues differ from those like the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro because they require drug testing. The IFBB Pro doesn’t necessarily support the usage of drugs. However, they don’t have any drug testing standards in place that natural bodybuilding leagues like INBA PNBA have.
The INBA PNBA has the strictest drug test standard for its competitors – the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Olympics use these metrics, and it has a list of all banned substances the government prohibits professional athletes from using during sporting events to make competition fair. Sadly, other natural bodybuilding leagues don’t follow the same rigid drug testing standards the INBA PNBA use. Therefore, athletes’ doping may often go unnoticed.
That is until they are eligible to compete in the INBA PNBA. Since other natural bodybuilding leagues aren’t WADA compliant, new INBA PNBA competitors transferring from other natural bodybuilding leagues face the risk of failing a drug test administered. Since they could have previously passed it in a different natural bodybuilding league, and if you fail a drug test before, during, or after competing in an INBA PNBA show, you’ll be stripped of your title and thrown on the Hall of Shame. And never earn a chance to land a multi-media contract with Generation Iron, Iron Man Magazine, and INBA PNBA.
Generation Iron is looking forward to seeing how Christian Lang does this upcoming 2022 natural bodybuilding season!
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42-Year-Old Alanna Groom Reveals How Bodybuilder Saved Her Life
Alanna Groom is a mother of two who battled depression for years.
Bodybuilding is more than sculpting the perfect physique to compete on stage. For some, fitness is a way to improve mental health and improve overall lifestyles. This is especially true for Alanna Groom, a mother of two from London. Groom battled depression for years and was on the brink of suicide before she began venturing into bodybuilding.
Groom is the mother of two girls and this is when her depression began. She was diagnosed with post-natal depression and it intensified in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused stress to many but especially those who were forced to shut down their businesses. Groom was forced to shut down her business and this is when her depression was at it worst. This is when Groom began thinking that she was “worth more dead than alive.”
Throughout her life, Alanna Groom had tried different diets but nothing was substantial. When the gyms were closed during the lockdown, Groom’s sister hired a personal trainer for her. Scott Francis began training Groom and they began a 10-week program.
“In my head, I was going to end up killing myself in the next few weeks, so I had nothing to lose,” Groom said.
Alanna Groom quickly began losing weight quickly. In December, she began turning her attention to bodybuilding. Her next goal was to train hard enough to be able to enter a competition. She began taking classes to learn poses and perfect her craft. Groom entered her first competition in December and won gold. This was the culmination of all of her hard work.
Groom admits that she hit rock bottom during the lockdown. This is when she began drinking, self-medicating, and her eating habits got worse. When she began her training program with Francis, she went off her antidepressants and fixed her eating habits. After the 1- weeks were up, training for bodybuilding was an easy next step.
“The body building look isn’t everyone’s dream figure, but it’s mine.”
For Alanna Groom, her victory in her first bodybuilding show was worth much more than a gold medal. It showed that she could achieve her goals no matter the obstacles.
“The winning was amazing but I could finally say ‘wow I got myself here, I look like one of them girls I’ve always dreamed of.’”
Bodybuilding is a sport that shows off some of the best physiques in the world. This is a level that is difficult to reach and weightlifters should not be discouraged if they do not get there. For some, the activity of going to the gym and bettering your health can help both mentally and physically. Alanna Groom is the perfect example of that and an inspiration to others.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Ronnie Coleman Reflects On Emotional Speech During 2021 Arnold Classic
Ronnie Coleman reflected on his speech after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Arnold Classic.
Ronnie Coleman is no stranger to the bodybuilding stage. Coleman won eight consecutive Olympia titles from 1998-2005 and is one of the best competitors in the history of the sport. During the 2021 Arnold Classic, Coleman took the stage for a different reason and was given an incredible award.
Coleman received the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award during the event in September. This is when he was able to get in front of a microphone and delivered an incredible speech that will be remembered forever. On a recent episode of Nothing But A Podcast, Coleman explained the difficulties of giving this emotional speech.
“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my whole life.”
“When I was practicing in my head, it went through smoothly. And then I got up there in front of all those people, then I started thinking about it I think that’s what really got to me, I really started thinking about it. It just hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m like, man! I’m not gonna be able to say this.”
Ronnie Coleman has won plenty of competitions in his career and is tied with Lee Haney for the most Olympia victories in history. Coleman added a victory at the Arnold Classic back in 2001. He discussed his emotions receiving this award from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is known as the greatest bodybuilder of all-time.
“I haven’t won a lot of wars, you know. I have had a few here and there but lifetime achievement and then being presented by Arnold also, somebody you look up to, idolize in a was, it was a quite blood reaching experience.”
Coleman stepped on stage and let his emotions and feelings takeover. This is one aspect that makes the speech memorable. During this recent episode, Coleman joked about how he wished he have read off a card.
It is difficult to plan a speech ahead of time. Rehearsing a speech is a preparation tool but it never seems to workout how you expect it too once you get up there to speak. Also, Coleman explained how he felt knowing his mother was unable to be there to see him accept this award.
“When you rehearse something, you rehearse it so it’s easy. You’re just by yourself and you’re not thinking about it because you’re rehearsing it, you know. But once you get up there and all those people in front of you and then you get caught up in the moment.”
“The fact that my mom wasn’t there to see it and she always made the big events that I was involved in… that made it even more gut-wrenching. So it was quite an experience… I’ll say it was a very overwhelming experience.”
Ronnie Coleman is a name that remains influential in the sport of bodybuilding. He is an inspiration and has been since he began his career. This was the reason he was given the award. It was a very deserving honor and one that Coleman and those watching will never forget.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Bodybuilding Promoter Chris Minnes: Should Michal Krizo Move To The IFBB Pro?
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IFBB Pro/NPC Promoter Chris Minnes looks back on how the IFBB Pro vs IFBB Elite Pro split affected the sport – and his thoughts on Michal Krizo.
Promoter Chris Minnes has been quietly at work producing some of the fastest rising bodybuilding competitions and events of recent years. Starting originally with the Tahoe Pro, Minnes has grown his endeavors extensively and now runs some of the sport’s biggest shows such as the Legion Sports Fest Pro. With an extensive behind the scenes knowledge of bodybuilding, we connected with Minnes to talk about the IFBB Pro’s future, it’s past, and how the IFBB Pro and IFBB Elite Pro split changed the directory of the sport. Chris Minnes also touches upon the IFBB Elite Pro superstar Michal Krizo and whether or not he should move (or be even be allowed to move) into the IFBB Pro league.
The IFBB Pro league has long been the number one bodybuilding league in the sport. Home to the Mr. Olympia competition and the biggest names in bodybuilding. But a monopoly this sport is not. There are a wide variety of other leagues across the globe providing events for athletes passionate about bodybuilding. One such league is the IFBB Elite Pro. If the names sound familiar – well, that’s because they were once one united organization.
The IFBB Elite Pro was originally part of the IFBB Pro proper. They organized the international and amateur league (separate from the NPC – which resided largely only in the US). In 2017, it was announced that these two entities would split. This changed the landscape to some degree in terms of qualifications for the Mr Olympia – especially for international competitors. Ultimately we landed on two parallel leagues, the IFBB Pro and the IFBB Elite Pro.
During our conversation with IFBB Pro bodybuilding promoter Chris Minnes, we asked for his reflection on the split and how it looked from behind the scenes. Minnes has been promoting bodybuilding shows for quite some time – and can recall the conversation he had with Jim Maino, president of the NPC and IFBB Pro league, just after the decision of the split.
Chris Minnes points out that the split ultimately led to two different approaches to the sport. The IFBB Elite Pro league now receives funds from the government at each international location. Minnes believes that this, in some respects, limits the possibilities of what a bodybuilding competition could be. On the flip side, it also allows the budges of the events to not be solely based on income from fans and athlete registration fees.
That being said, the IFBB Elite Pro league has been making a bit more headlines over the past year due to a viral rising superstar. Michal Krizo is an IFBB Elite Pro bodybuilder who is turning heads amongst fans of the IFBB Pro. This has led the community to call for Krizo to switch leagues. The logic being that most of the biggest talents in bodybuilding still compete in the IFBB Pro league. For Michal Krizo to really prove himself – he should be able to compete against these talented competitors.
But the IFBB Elite Pro and the IFBB Pro are now separate. Unless Michal Krizo formally switches leagues – he cannot quality to compete against the likes of Big Ramy or Brandon Curry at the Mr. Olympia.
We asked Chris Minnes if he felt that it would be a good move for Michal Krizo to switch leagues – when he’s already found great success in the IFBB Elite Pro. Minnes admits that he had never even heard of Krizo’s name. Which he attributes to proving just how much farther behind the IFBB Elite Pro league is compared to the IFBB Pro.
Of course, there are many others who know his name. He’s gone viral online across the divisions of all leagues. He even won Best Arms in the fan-voted Generation Iron Bodybuilding Awards 2021. Minnes believes that if Krizo were interested – he should be 100% allowed to switch leagues. But this comes with one condition – Minnes doesn’t believe in cutting to the front of the line.
Chris Minnes would be happy to see Michal Krizo enter into the amateur NPC league, compete, earn his pro card, then earn qualification to the Olympia. If he goes through the paces – and still proves himself to be a threatening athlete. Then he will really start to turn heads.
Until then, Chris Minnes points out that photos are very different than the real thing. Until we can see Michal Krizo standing side by side with the best of the IFBB Pro league, there’s no real way of knowing just how threatening his physique really is.
You can watch Chris Minnes’ full comments about Michal Krizo and the aftermath of the IFBB Pro vs IFBB Elite Pro split in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Blessing Awodibu Looks Huge At 300 Pounds In Recent Physique Update
Blessing Awodibu has made some serious strides preparing for a return to the stage.
Blessing Awodibu has not competed since the 2021 New York Pro. He has taken an extended break from the stage but has put in some serious work during his time off. Awodibu recently shared a physique update where he is looking massive while weighing 300 pounds.
Awodibu took to Instagram to share some early-year poses. In his physique update, Awodibu shows off his massive back and admits that he has some more work to do, especially with his legs.
“Light vacuum at 300 cannot wait to make that waist disappeared.Love this pose .Learned so much last year about my body ?Excited for my next move .@georgefarah_guru ?”
Blessing Awodibu has turned into a star on social media. He is a bodybuilder who many believe could turn into an Olympia champion. With the look of his physique, Awodibu certainly has the size and will work to make some necessary improvements. It is unknown when he will return to stage but when he does, Awodibu will be a force.
Awodibu began competing in bodybuilding at 18 years old. He quickly made name for himself and earned a victory at the 2016 Arnold Classic Amateur. In 2017, Awodibu earned his Pro Card at the IFBB Diamond Cup. He did not compete in a professional competition until last year. Awodibu finished third at the 2021 Indy Pro in May before taking on the New York Pro.
This is where Blessing Awodibu began his rivalry with Nick Walker, who won the New York Pro and finished fifth at the 2021 Olympia. This was the last time Awodibu stepped on stage and he has clearly made some strides in adding necessary size. In December, Awodibu and Walker were seen training together. Walker is one of the stars in bodybuilding and Awodibu could be on his way to taking that next step.
Awodibu has gained 1.7 million followers on Instagram during his career. He has not been shy about showing off physique updates and where he is in preparation. Fans are looking forward to the day Awodibu returns to the stage and reaches his full potential. Stay tuned for an official announcement on when Blessing Awodibu makes his return.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
These are the Hardest Exercises You Can Do in the Gym
The Hardest Gym Exercises You Should Try
The results you get from working out are directly proportional to the effort you put in. Training your body is a constant battle where you push yourself to shock your muscles with harder exercises in every single workout.
Most people avoid the hard exercises and stick with the easier ones which is why only a few people are successful in transforming their bodies. To see a change in your physique, you need to make these exercises a part of your exercise arsenal.
Squats
Squats are the king of leg exercises. Compound movements are harder to perform as they use multiple muscle joints as compared to the single-joint isolation exercises. Very few people perform the squats with the full range of motion – ass to grass and a strict form.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are another dreaded exercise and only a few people perform them in their workouts. All the exercises mentioned in the list are hard to perform as they require skill to perform and can take some time to perfect.
Bench Press
Bench press, squats, and deadlifts are the three big compound exercises and are some of the most fundamental exercises you can perform. Lifting heavy on the bench press takes some serious strength and a big heart.
Walking Lunges
Walking lunges add a new level of difficulty to leg training by adding the walking aspect to this exercise. Maintain a full range of motion while performing this exercise. The knee of your second leg should be an inch away from the ground at the bottom of the movement.
Military Presses
As the name suggests, performing the military presses require a military level discipline and a strict form. Most people use momentum to lift the bar above their shoulders or push the barbell forward as they complete the movement in place of pushing it over their heads.
Muscle-Ups
Muscle-ups aren’t for the faint-hearted. Chances are, you might have never even seen anyone perform the muscle-ups at your gym. Muscle-ups require brute upper body strength and a strong core.
Skullcrushers
Skullcrushers are arguably the hardest triceps exercise. To perform the skullcrushers correctly, lock out your elbows at the top of the movement and squeeze your triceps. The barbell should be an inch away from your forehead at the bottom of the movement.
21’s
Bicep pumps will never be the same for you once you do the 21’s. Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and perform seven half repetitions from the bottom to the mid of the full range of motion. Perform the second set of seven reps from the top to the middle of the movement and the final seven reps with a full range of motion. Perform the 21 reps without any rest in between and the 21 reps will be one set.
Planks
Planks are the ultimate exercise for building core strength. Most people make the mistake of slouching their butt or forming a bridge while planking. Keep your core tight and body in a straight line while performing the planks.
Burpees
Burpees are one of the hardest bodyweight cardiovascular exercises. The trick while performing the burpees is to maintain constant intensity. By the end of this exercise, you’ll be gasping for breath and swimming in the pool of your own sweat.
Which is the hardest exercise according to you? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Evato Elements.
Get A Bigger, Stronger Lower Back With These Top 4 Exercises
Building blocks of the game
Though it rarely gets any glory, any serious builder (or laborer for that matter) knows that the lower back is the alpha and omega when it comes to lifting heavy weights. As a former construction worker and bag thrower in the airline industry, I can tell you firsthand how important the lower back is in moving weights in a dynamic motion.
As bodybuilders we’re constantly doing compound movements and putting pressure on our lower back, when that starts to go we lose the stability we need to progress or even maintain. Nobody wants to be a victim, protect your bodybuilding investment with these 4 ways to strengthen your lower back.
Defense
There are two golden rules when it comes to protecting your lower back
-Keep your back straight
-Allow flexion in the bottom position of a lift, just know your limits.
-Keep good posture, even when you walk.
Offense
Now that we’ve got all of the precautions out of the way, let’s get at it. Some of the exercises below have been intentionally modified to concentrate on the lower back; they can also be modified to concentrate on the glutes.
Back raise with band
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What’s great about this exercise is that the band provides resistance on the way up as well as the way down. Increasing as the band stretches and decreasing as you go back to starting position. Do this movement at a controlled but swift speed as your lower back must be able to handle speed and weight in an isolation exercise if it’s going to be able to handle it at high bar speed. Feel free to add weights via kettlebell or dumbbell for extra resistance.
Deficit deadlift
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Besides making every part of your deadlift stronger, this exercise forces you to maintain body awareness and keep your back flat with an anteriorly tilted pelvis in the deficit position, you’ll become better at maintaining good lumbopelvic posture when deadlifting from the floor. This increased lumbopelvic control will make you less likely to get injured when pulling heavy. Start with low weights with a 1-2 inch deficit then slowly work your way up. FORM FORM FORM is everything in this exercise.
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Single leg back extension
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Everyone has one side of their body that’s stronger than the other. The singe leg back extension is a good way for figuring it out. Concentrate on strengthening the deficit on either side for a solid healthy back.
GoodMornings
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It is known as a good morning because of the movement in the erector spinae which resembles the rise out of bed to stretch. The erector spinae muscles of the lower back work isometrically to keep the spine in an extended position while the hamstrings and gluteus maximus work isotonically to perform hip extension. Other muscles are involved in stabilizing weight on the back and maintaining balance.
Try to keep your knees straight as the straighter the knees, the more the hamstrings are stretched and stressed by the movement and this stretch involves them more as the hip extensors.
There you have it, the 4 exercise that will keep your lower back, healthy, fit, and strong and lead to massive gains in the process.
Be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Be Your Own Trainer: The Only 3 Exercises You Need To Know
The Essentials of Bodybuilding
While there are many components to bodybuilding, 3 of the main essentials are “show”, “performance”, and “”strength”. The “show” is how you look on stage, how your physique shows up on a particular day. The “performance” is would have to do with posing and athleticism. And finally “strength” which allows you to lift heavier, breaking down more muscle fibers and building more mass.
These three elements should allow you to show up prepared for any contest or just look immaculate for the summer. Here are 3 exercises for the 3 essentials of bodybuilding.
The “Show”: Snatch-Grip High Pull
Every builder wants to look yolked. If not, you’d be doing crossfit. Not only do you want the strength and athletic gainz, but you want the sculpted mass look to boot.
The snatch-grip high pull is the perfect exercise for that intimidating larger than life look of a bodybuilder. This exercise targets the shoulder pad area of the delts, traps, and mid-back that give you that “don’t [email protected] with me” look.
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For the high pull, focus on exploding upwards with the lower body and hips to create upward momentum. Then pull the barbell violently toward your neck – anywhere between the nipple line and neck constitutes a high pull. Keep the bar close and the elbows high.
Athleticism: Power Snatch From Hang
This is good for explosive movements, coordination, and full shoulder mobility. The power produced is also very high for this exercise. You get higher acceleration and rate of force development and peak velocity in the power snatch – all elements that are key to ultimate performance in explosive sports.
Step by step instructions provided in the video below.
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Power: Deadlift
We know this isn’t exactly the newest exercise, but if someone said it best…This exercise is still the best hands down for pure, raw strength.
No movement transfers better to strength than picking things up from the floor and carrying stuff with your hands, the two most important tasks in strongman competitions. It’s primitive, yet so true, “I lift things up, I put them down.”
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But at this stage, you know everything about the deadlift, as there’s countless articles written about the benefits of this compound movement. What we will suggest is the Jean-Francois Caron method (Max out on rack deadlifts then 6 sets of 3 reps of floor deadlifts). He’s known for deadlifting over 900 lbs for reps, so I’d take note.
There you have it, these 3 exercises will help you develop three very important components to bodybuilding. Try out these 3 exercises at let us know what you think. Be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Redcon1’s Aaron Singerman Reveals All On His Falling Out With PJ Braun & Blackstone Labs
Aaron Singerman details his rise in the bodybuilding supplement world and gets honest on falling out with PJ Braun.
Aaron Singerman is a notable name in the bodybuilding industry – mostly for his success in the world of supplements. With the supplement industry so oversaturated – it’s always a major accomplishment when one succeeds to such a high degree. But that doesn’t mean Singerman’s rise didn’t come with some hurdles. Most notably, he had a very public and somewhat dramatic falling out with his former business partner PJ Braun. In our latest GI Exclusive, Aaron Singerman details his rise and also reveals the truth behind is split with PJ Braun and Blackstone Labs.
While Aarong Singerman might be best known for his supplement company Redcon1, he was also involved in the shockingly fast success of Blackstone Labs. Blackstone Labs was known as a more “hardcore” supplement company. Aarong Singerman and PJ Braun worked together to make it such a massive success.
But that success came with a hefty load of drama. Soon after Blackstone Labs cemented itself as a success, Aarong Singerman had a very public falling out with PJ Braun. Not only that, but Singerman eventually left Blackstone Labs completely.
Many rumors swirled around the web as to exactly what happened. Even beyond that, both Singerman and Braun are thought to now be bitter rivals in the public eye. But is that true? And what is the true story about the falling out between these two successful bodybuilding entrepreneurs?
During our video conversation with Aaron Singerman, he explained in honest detail exactly what happened from his perspective. While the entire falling out was surely a long story of multiple events, the broad stroke of it is that the two men started to change in opposite directions.
“As people get older, your values change,” Aaron Singerman states in our interview. He continued:
“And as money is involved, people’s personalities could change. And so, I think what really happened was – two guys were best buddies who had so much in common and then it really dramatically shifted apart. Because you know, PJ was doing what we were initially doing – having fun doing his thing. And then I had babies, more babies, another baby, you know? And my life was so much different and my values changed too. Where his were pretty much still the same and mine had dramatically shifted… The things that appealed to me before don’t appeal to me now.”
We then followed up by discussing the present. Does Singerman still have a problem with PJ Braun and vice versa? According to Singerman, not at all. He claims that he has no ill will towards Braun.
You can watch Aarong Singerman’s full comments about the rise of Redcon1, Blackstone Labs, and his falling out with PJ Braun in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
The Abs Workout You’ll Feel Until Next Week
Abs Workout to Make You Sore
Most people treat their abs as accessory muscles which is why only a few people have a chiseled six-pack while the others are always figuring out a way to get them. You need to train your abdominals as you train all your other muscle groups.
Doing a couple of ab exercises at the end of a workout isn’t going to budge the needle when it comes to building a six-pack. There are only a few things more satisfying than having sore abs for a week after you train them.
Exercise 1 – Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3 Sets Failure
We start the abs workout with the ab wheel rollouts. The ab wheel rollouts work your complete upper body and help in building core strength. If you don’t have access to an ab wheel at your gym, use a barbell and put a quarter plate on each side.
Maintain a full range of motion while performing this exercise and pause for a second at the bottom of the movement. All the exercises in this workout will be done to failure. Don’t stop until there is nothing left in the tank.
Exercise 2 – Superset
– Hanging Leg Raises – 3 Sets Failure
– Kneeling Cable Crunches – 3 Sets Failure
We’ll be training the complete abdominal in this workout. The hanging leg raises target the lower abs while the kneeling cable crunches will train the middle and upper abs. Using cable in the crunches puts constant tension and resistance on the abs.
Maintain a constant repetition tempo while performing all the exercises. Don’t rush through the exercises and focus on maintaining a mind-muscle connection with your abs and contract your abs with every rep.
Exercise 3 – Giant Set
– Crunches – 3 Sets Failure
– Heel Touches – 3 Sets Failure
– Reverse Crunches – 3 Sets Failure
In the giant set, we will be training the upper, middle, lower abs along with the obliques. Obliques are the fish gill-like muscles at the sides of your abs and are one of the most overlooked muscles.
All the three exercises are done while lying on the floor so you don’t waste time switching positions. Go from one exercise to another without stopping for rest in between sets. You can take a minute’s rest after completing one giant set.
Exercise 4 – Superset
– Landmine Ab Twists – 3 Sets Failure
– Russian Twists – 3 Sets Failure
Your goal should be to complete this workout in half an hour. The abdominal is a small muscle group and doesn’t need a lot of time to recover between sets. Both the exercises in this superset are focused on developing your obliques.
For the landmine ab twists, anchor one end of a barbell in a corner. Grab the barbell from the other end with both hands at neck level. Perform the movement by rotating the trunk and hips as you swing the weight to the right side. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
Exercise 5 – Planks – 3 Sets Failure
Planks have earned a name for themselves for being an ultimate core strength building exercise. We start and end the workout with core strengthening exercises. Hold the planks for as long as you can.
By the end of the workout, your abs should be filled with blood and lactic acid. Don’t be surprised if you cramp up during the workout. One workout like this in a week should be enough to get you the washboard abs.
How often do you train your abs? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.