Six pack abs continue to be one of the number one desired fitness goals amongst not only men but also women. I’ve been getting more requests for ab focused workouts than anything else for almost a decade and it doesn’t seem to fade away. In this week’s Warrior Wednesday I’d like to shed some light on ab training and show you some really good core exercises that will deliver the burn your abs have been waiting for.

First of all, I’d like to talk about six pack to get that out of the way. Everyone can get a lean midsection and get at least close to having a six pack, but not everyone will always achieve the look of a fitness model. Genetics do play a big role and unfortunately, strong core doesn’t always mean a six pack. There are a lot of individuals that do have a nice definition due to a low percentage of body fat in that area, yet they lack a basic core strength. The question is, what’s more important to you? Being proud of your strength and be truly athletic or chasing the look you may or may not ever achieve? I’d say choose happiness, choose strength. I’ve been very blessed with my abs, but I will never have other things, like a thigh gap, or real boobs 🙂 haha. Hey, we just can’t have it all, so let’s just be grateful for having all limbs, cause some people don’t even have that.

Another thing, you should know is that your core is getting a workout each time you do a functional exercise like Burpees, jump lunges, push ups, kettlebell swings, jump squats, jump rope, pistol squats, and even handstands. And just because you don’t feel the burn specifically in your abs during these exercises doesn’t mean that your core is not being targeted. It would be very unlikely for you to have a weak core if you’re engaging in these type of workouts on a regular basis.

That said there are some core specific exercises that will make you feel the burn and including those in your workouts will benefit you even further and might help you to make your midsection “thicker” which can help with muscle definition. Some of the most effective ab and core exercises include hanging leg raises and knee raises, swiss ball exercises like extreme mountain climbers, pike roll and legs elevated push ups, of course any plank or side plank related exercises and variations of mountain climbers are also worth mentioning.

And last but not least, you should definitely try sliding exercises where your core has to work extra hard. All you need is a hardwood or a tile floor and either slippers or fluffy socks. If all you have at home is a carpet you can use anything that will slide such as paper plates or cd/dvd plastic covers.

If you’re a ZGYM member there’s a workout is waiting for you today, that includes these sliding ab exercises. Get ready for some serious burn.

If you’re not a member you can still try the exercises I show in this week’s Warrior Wednesday Youtube video and include them in your training.

So I hope I have answered some of your most frequently asked questions about ab workouts, have fun practicing, and don’t forget to subscribe to my youtube channel so that you don’t miss the next Warrior Wednesday or any of my Friday workouts and I’ll see you soon!