CORE WORKOUT GYM: MY TOP 3 WEIGHTED AB EXERCISES

Core Workout, GYm! 

y0, Joe g (head turns)!

hey man, How do I get abs like that?

what types of abs exercises should I do?

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question...

well, let's just say I'd be a lot richer!

so, today I'm going to share with you my top 3 weighted ab exercises so you can build your abs and core on autopilot.

here's what we'll cover:

• How To Properly Target And BUild Your Abs
• Weighted Roman Chairs (lower abs)
• Kneeling Cable Crunch (upper abs)
• standing cable twist (obliques)
• plank (transverse abdominis)

CORE WORKOUT GYM: how to properly target and build your abs

abs or abdominals are four muscles that are on your midsection and include:

• rectus abdominis
• external obliques
• internal obliques
• and the transverse abdominis

The best ab programs use exercises that target all four parts of your abs in a progressive manner.

Upper Abs:

The best way to target your upper abs is with crunch exercises that involve flexing your upper spine forward by brining your shoulders toward your hips. a simple example of this is your garden variety crunch.

Lower Abs:

the lower abs are best targeted with exercises that flex the lower spine forward by brining your knees towards your chest. A simple example of this is a haning knee raise.

internal and external OBliques:

The internal and external obliques are targeted by flexing your spine forward and rotating it to the left or right. A simple example of this would be cross-over crunches.

transverse abdominis:

The transverse abdominis (deep muscle) is best targeted by using core exercises that make you pull your navel toward your spine (this forces the transverse abdominis to stabliize the spine and pelvis). A simple example of this would be the traditional plank.

CORE WORKOUT GYM: how often should you train your abs?

Your abs are postural muscles that stay flexed for extended periods of time in order to keep you upright and support your spine.

For this reason, they tend to have sligthly higher slow-twitch muscle fibers than other muscle groups.

"oh, i didn't know this. that's cool, joe, so what does this mean for me?"

I'm glad you asked.

what this means is you can train your abs more frequently  and with higher reps than other major muscle groups, depending on your goals.

BUt for most folks, training your abs on three times per week, depending on your workout split, will be plenty for you to start seeing noticeable results.

CORE WORKOUT GYM: what's the best rep range to use to train abs?

when it comes to the right rep range for building your abs and core you have to take into account that most ab exercises are done using body weight.

so a higher rep range of 15-30 is normally used. But that doesn't mean that you should perform 15-30 reps on every ab exercise that you do and call it a day.

The truth is abdominal training should be periodized, meaning your rep ranges should be cycled and you should also use resistance.

Now, when I say resistance, many people tend to have a fear of their waist being too big or "blocky" but for the bes results it's important to train your abs like any other muscle group.

this is because increasing the development of your abs will

• improve your muscle definition when your body fat is low enough to see it.
• increase overall core strength which spills over to increase overall strength.

CORE WORKOUT GYM: what's the best way to train your abs?

The best and simplest way to train your abs is to chose four exercises that each target a different area on your abs for each exercise or workout.

However, there is one caveat. 

YOur current workout style (upper-and-lower body, whole-body, split-body, or two-day training) may not give you enough time to choose 4 exercises for your abs.

If that's the case, just choose two exercises and targe the parts of your abs that you want to develop more.

CORE WORKOUT GYM: weighted roman chairs

The first exercise in this core gym workout is called roman chairs. this movement  will target your lower abs. 

This is one of my favorite lower abdominal exercises because it really helps to develop the lower abs which is normally a hot-spot hang-out for fat storage.

how to do weighted roman chairs

• Climb onto the roman chair using the foot supports. Grab dumbbell between your legs.
  
• Press your back onto the back rest, and support your torso with your forearms resting on the arm pads so that your legs are hanging down to the ground.
  
• with knees bent, Raise your legs up towards your chest by flexing at the hips.
  
• Bring thighs past parallel, flexing at the hip for peak contraction of the abdominals.
  
• Slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position.
  
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

PRO physique TIP: for best results be sure to focus on slowly lowering the weight.

Repetition and intervals: Do this  for 20 seconds and repeat x 6

Target muscles:

Lower abs

CORE WORKOUT GYM: kneeling cable crunch

the second exercise in this core gym workout is the kneeling cable crunch.  This movement will target your upper abdominals.

This exercise can be tricky in the sense that many people struggle to properly engage their core. So to successfully execute this movement, you'll need to focus on your mind-muscle connection.

how to do a kneeing weighted crunch

• Kneel below a high pulley that contains a rope attachment.
  
• Grasp the cable rope attachment and pill down until your hands are placed next to your face.
  
• Flex your hips slightly and allow the weight extend the lower back. This will be your starting position.
  
• With your hips stationary, contract your abs so your elbows travel towards the middle of your thighs. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction for a second.
  
• Slowly return to the starting position as you inhale. Tip: Make sure that you keep constant tension on the abs throughout the movement.
  
• Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

PRO physique TIP: try to keep your elbows stationary throughout the movement and flex your spine toward your pelvis/waist focusing on the mind-muscle connection to contract your abdominal wall.

Repetition and intervals: Do this  for 20 seconds and repeat x 6

Target muscles: 

Upper abs

CORE WORKOUT GYM: standing cable twist

The third exercise in your core gym workout is the standing cable twist. This exercise will target both your external and internal obliques.

again, you do not have to worry about this exercise giving you the appearnce of a "bulky waist" I can almost guarantee that will not happen (if it does, send me a picture).

how to do a standing cable twist

• Stand up straight holding kettlebell in both hands.
•  place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
• point your toes  out at 3 (right) and 9 (left) o'clock.
• Raise your left knee to the level of your sternum.
• Raise your right knee to your chest and switch sides.
• Continue moving at a sprinting or running pace, alternating legs.

PRO physique TIP: try to relax and focus on moving your torso instead of solely leading with your elbows and arms.

Repetition and intervals: Do this  for 20 seconds and repeat x 6

Target muscles: 

internal obliques

external obliques

CORE WORKOUT GYM: plank

THe fourth and final exercise for your core gym workout is the plank. This exercise will target your transverse abdominis muscles.

It's and oldie but goodie. Simple but can be fairly challenging if you're mid-section is lacking proper muscle development.

how to do a proper plank

• Come down so that your elbows, feet and hands are touching the floor.
  
• Engage your core by drawing your navel in towards your spine.
  
• Keep your butt down so your head, back, glutes, and lower legs are flat and in alignment.
  
• Hold this position for the recommended amount of time.

PRO physique TIP: try to focus on a spot on the floor to help distract your mind if you find doing planks challenging.

Repetition and intervals: Do this  for 20 seconds and repeat x 6

Target muscles: 

transverse abdominis

CORE WORKOUT GYM: wrap up

alright, that's all I got for today.

Now it's your turn, let me know your thoughts on this workout if you tried it in the comment section below.

I'll see you soon, remember the juice is worth the squeeze.

Joe G. - Elite Health and physique Leader

Take control of your health. Build your Physique.