The number one mistake thousands of guys make when trying to get ripped abs is assuming that doing countless reps of crunches or other ab exercises is going to get them ripped. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Most of the ab exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, and even leg raise tend to be isolation exercises. That means these exercises will tone and work the abs and only the abs. But that is a good thing right?
Well,not exactly. We’re assuming your body fat percentage is above 10 percent. If it were 10 percent or lower, you wouldn’t need to read this article. You would already have ripped abs.
To see your abs, you need a low body fat percentage. The best exercises to burn off the fat are compound exercises and NOT isolation exercises. Knowing the difference is key.
A bicep curl is an isolation exercise because it only works the bicep. A barbell deadlift is a compound exercise; you will work your legs, thighs, hamstrings, lower back, and even your forearms.
Your core muscles are not spared either. So, when one single exercise recruits so many muscle groups, you can bet that is a lot of work done.
Your body will burn more calories, and that means more fat is burned. You may research online the different compound exercises that you can do. We’ll list a few that you can start on immediately.
- Deadlifts
- Renegade Rows
- Snatches
- Pull-ups
- Squats
- Bench Presses
- Any kettlebell training
- Mountain climbers
- Dips
These are some of the top exercises we’d strongly recommend. When doing them, you need to aim for a weight that will allow you to do about 10 to 12 reps. Combine the different exercises and do three sets in total.
Keep your rest time between exercises and sets minimal. we’d suggest a 15 to 20 seconds rest between exercises and a 2-minute rest between sets. Your goal is to complete the workout as fast as possible while maintaining good form for each exercise.
This will ensure intensity in your workout that is so crucial in burning fats. Keep your workout to about 45 minutes maximum. Record down your workout and the duration in a journal. Try and improve your timing each time you work out. Once you can’t improve it further, add more weight and start all again.
You will want to change up your routine every month or six weeks. This will keep your body guessing, and you will not hit a plateau. Mix up your resistance training with cardio.
On days where you are not working with weights, go for a run or swim. Cycling, skipping and rowing are other excellent forms of cardio. The two most effective ones are running and skipping.
They will give your body a heart pounding workout that will elevate your metabolic rate and cause an oxygen deficit. This translates to optimum fat burning. Even 30 minutes of hard cardio can make your body burn fat for hours.
You want to get the maximum benefit from your workouts. This will speed up the duration it takes to get ripped. You will be more motivated when you start seeing results. So, follow the tips above closely, and you will have won half the battle.
