One of the most frequently stated goals of men in the gym is to "get ripped abs." The ab muscles are what really identify someone who is serious about their fitness and diet plan, because without determination and a fair amount of effort, getting ripped abs is a goal that will never be reached.
While everyone has developed ab muscles to some extent, it’s getting them to show that becomes the biggest issue for most. This is due to the fact that most of us tend to store our body fat, at least partially, in the abdominal region. This is also one of the most stubborn places to lose fat from.
That said, if you know the principles for how to get ripped abs, you can make this goal a reality.
Genetic factor
The first thing you must realise is that every guy has his own uniquely shaped abs. Randomly selecting a picture out of some men’s magazine or billboard and saying that’s what you want your abs to be like could be slightly self-defeating, because even if you did get to low enough body fat levels, your abs may not be genetically shaped in a similar way; therefore, the appearance of your abs will still be different. Recognising that this factor is out of your control and not getting hung up on it is one step forward on your quest to get ripped abs. If you are unable to do this, you’ll only become more frustrated as time progresses, which is a serious motivational killer.
Rest assured, though, that if you can get your body fat levels low enough and perform correct, targeted exercises for this muscle group, your midsection will garner second glances.
Food factor
Next comes the diet aspect of the equation. Ever heard the saying, "Abs are made in the kitchen"? Nothing could speak the truth more. As stated, everyone has some ab muscles, but most have a layer of body fat hiding them. Removing this layer is going to be about 90% dietary effort and 10% exercise effort when it comes right down to it. If you aren’t ready to take control over the foods you are putting in your mouth, getting ripped abs should not be a goal for you.
While the old notion used to be that you should eat a diet as low in fat as possible in order to remove body fat, this has changed in modern times. Now, diets that are higher in protein, moderate in fat and low or moderate in carbs are making headway, as this helps to control insulin levels better, and insulin happens to be the prime hormone that stores body fat (in a hypercaloric balance). That’s not to say you can’t get lean on a higher-carbohydrate diet; you most certainly can -- and some guys do -- but for the vast majority, hunger levels are much more manageable on a low to moderate carb approach, which correspondingly makes eating fewer calories easier. At the end of the day, it’s really going to come down to your total calorie intake, with less importance placed on how you get there -- assuming sufficient protein is present, of course.
Ab Routine
Finally, you have the actual ab routine. The regular performance of these exercises will play a large role in shaping the way your abs look once the fat is removed and they are visible.
Furthermore, since yourab musclesform the core of your body and are recruited for all other lifting exercises, it only makes sense that you’d want to dedicate some time to strengthening them.
Exercise Ball Movements
When selecting ab exercises, think of anything that will decrease your stability -- this effectively causes the abs to work harder as they are recruited.Exercise ballsare the perfect tool for this, and there are a variety of movements you can do with them.
Examples of such exercises include basic front and side crunches, ball kick-outs (lying on the floor with feet on either side of the ball and palms on the floor, squeeze the ball with your legs and move from a crunched to a straightened position), and lying leg raises with the ball between your legs.
Weighted Exercises
If you are looking to actually increase the size of your ab muscles, weighted ab work will be your best bet. Since muscle tissue will only grow significantly when an overloading weight is placed upon it, you must treat your ab muscles like you would any other muscle in the body. You wouldn’t get as developed doing push-up after push-up as you would with heavy bench pressing, so the same principle applies here.
Terrific options here include decline weighted sit-ups, weight abdominal twists (moving from side to side), and hanging leg raises with weight strapped onto your ankles.
Isometric Contraction Exercises
Finally, the last types of ab exercises to include in your program are ones that have you contracting the ab muscles and holding this contraction for an extended duration of time. The benefit to this is that it will help the abs learn how to remain contracted, which will help when it comes to keeping them slightly flexed, allowing the muscularity to show even more.
As you’ve likely done before, if you stand in the mirror and flex your abs they look better, right? Well, the more isometric contractions you do, the more habitual this type of positioning will become, and you'll likely start to keep them contracted to a slight degree all the time without really noticing it.
This could include performing the plank exercise andvariationsof that or simply tensing your abs, holding for 10 seconds and releasing. Repeat this tense/hold combo 5 to 10 times a couple of times a day and you should notice a difference in a few weeks.
Abdominal Greatness
If you are trying to get ripped abs, be sure to keep these major factors in mind. Most importantly, do not overlook the importance of your diet. Far too many guys think that they can just be sure to do enough ab work and cardio to make up for a less-than-stellar diet, but this kind of thinking almost always leads to less-than-stellar results.
Shock your arms with this routine! Work this routine into your workout for 10 weeks. Once per week for the first 8 weeks, then twice per week for last 2 weeks.
Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Single Muscle Group
Intermediate
1
Barbell, Cables, Dumbbells, EZ Bar
Male & Female
Workout Description
Want bigger arms? Arms stuck in a plateau? Shock your arms with this routine! Work this routine into your workout for 10 weeks. Once per week for the first 8 weeks, then twice per week for last 2 weeks.
Workout Notes:
Thoroughly warm up and stretch both biceps and triceps before the workout. Stretch both muscles at the end of the routine.
Rest between sets: 90 seconds.
Rep timing: slow and precise.
Frequency: once per week for weeks 1-8, weeks 8-10 twice per week.
This back workout is short, intense and designed to build a strong v-shaped back. Warning, this workout is not for the faint hearted!
Welcome to the first installment of the “8 Week Intense Workout” series. This series of articles is going to pump out some intense workouts for each major muscle group. A new article will be released every week. Today we’re going to look at building a big, strong, v-shaped back with an intense back workout.
Back Anatomy
Before you read this article it’s important that you have a good understanding of what muscles make up the back. This workout focuses on the entire upper back. The muscles we will be working are lats, traps, rhomboids, teres major and minor, rear deltoids and infraspinatus. Secondary muscles worked are biceps and forearms.
Goals of this Back Workout
As quoted by IFBB pro bodybuilder Milos Sarcev, “The last 10 Mr. Olympia titles have been about who has the best back. Ronnie Coleman has one of the best backs ever seen in bodybuilding”. The point Milos is making is that having a big, strong, v-shaped back is critical to building a perfectly proportioned physique.
This workout aims to build real width in your upper back, as well as add definition in the smaller muscles like teres, traps, rhomboids and infraspinatus. This workout also aims to get you doing wide grip pull ups. If you’re serious about developing your upper back you should be doing wide grip pull ups. I’ve heard dozens of excuses why guys don’t do them, and I’m telling you now, none of these excuses apply here. You either do them, or forget this workout.
Wide Grip Pull Ups – The holy grail
As I just mentioned, wide grip pull ups are going to be a major focus of this workout. This is simply because they are the best exercise for developing your upper back. There’s no argument about it. I know most of you reading this article may not be doing wide grip pull ups or may have trouble with them. That’s OK, you can start using an assisted machine and work your way up to bodyweight. I don’t expect you to be doing bodyweight pull ups be the second workout, but by the 4th or 5th you should be there.
Workout Principals
There are two key principals I used when putting this workout together. These principals are variation and intensity and are vital for muscle development. Your muscles need to be stimulated using a variety of techniques, weights and reps for maximum growth.
1. Variation
Variation is the key to any good training regime. This back workout uses 4 individual workouts and each workout is performed twice in the 8 week period. Each workout includes a mixture of heavy training, moderate training, supersets, drop sets, different rest times and different exercises.
2. Intensity
Intensity is the latest buzz word in the bodybuilding scene. Intensity, or more importantly varying intensity, is a key element in the way modern workout routines are designed. Intensity can be controlled by rest times, exercises used and the advanced techniques used in a routine. This back workout is short and very intense, with the maximum workout time being about 40 minutes.
Don’t Forget Your Diet
If you don’t have the diet and supplementation (see bodybuilding supplements section for more info on supplements) to back (no pun intended!) this workout up, don’t even attempt it. There is no point in destroying your back in gym if your body does not have adequate resources to repair the damage. You need to follow the basic muscle building diet and nutrition principals.
1. Eat excess calories over 6-7 meals
This is muscle building 101, if you want to get big you’ve got to eat big. Loads of complex carbs, protein and essential fats spread over 6-7 meals.
2. Post-workout nutrition
When you complete your workout your body is crying out for nutrients to replenish those lost. Glycogen levels are low and must be replaced as soon as possible. Simple carbs are needed as soon as possible after you finish your workout to induce and insulin spike and replenish glycogen. A good post workout shake would consist of simple carbs, protein and possibly creatine and glutamine.
3. Eat before you sleep
Sleeping is the longest time your body will go without getting nutrients from food or supplements. Sleeping is also when the bulk of muscle repair and rebuilding takes place. So it makes sense to give your body some fuel before you sleep.
4. Carbs for energy
Don’t neglect carbs. People often associate carbs with fat gain. Carbs are essential to give your body the energy it needs to work hard in the gym. With a workout like this, you’re going to need all the energy you can get! Never hit the gym on an empty stomach, if you do that with this workout you’re probably going to pass out!
Overtraining
Overtraining can really limit your muscle gains. Remember, the less is more principal. Shorter, intense workouts with long rest periods will give you the best gains. This workout should be done once a week and should not be within 48 hours of your biceps training. This means you should not train your biceps the day before or after this workout, ideally you wouldn’t train them for at least 2 days before. Your biceps are used in every one of the exercises in this workout and if they’re not 100% up to the task you’re limiting your back’s growth potential.
Workout 1 – Weeks 1 and 5
We’re going to kick this workout off with some pull ups. If you have trouble with these, I want you to do as many as you can with your bodyweight then straight to the assisted machine to finish off the set. Don’t make the assisted machine too easy, you should barely be able to make your last rep of the set.
Next up we’re onto the first superset of the workout, lat pull downs and seated row. These exercises go together like Ronnie Colman and Mr. Olympia trophies! With both these exercises form is extremely important! I cannot stress this enough. It’s easy to let your form go out the window and start swinging the weights back, come on, we’ve all been there!
Lat pull down – sit straight up (don’t lean back at all!) and pull the weight on a 2-1-2 count. Count of 2 to pull the weight down, pause for a count of 1, then a count of 2 to lower the weight back up. If you’re doing them right, you won’t be able to use as much weight as usual but your lats will be burning after 10 reps.
Seated cable row – same deal as the lat pull down, 2-1-2 count. Sit with your back straight up and pull the bar into your stomach. Make sure your squeeze your shoulder blades together for the 1 count.
For the superset (and all supersets in this workout) you don’t get any rest in-between! That’s why it’s called a superset. Even 5 seconds is too much.
Now we move onto bent over barbell row. With this exercise we want to target all those small muscles in your upper back. So keep your back straight and use a wide overhand (palm down) grip. Pull the bar up to your middle chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
Exercise
Sets and Reps
Wide grip pull ups
4 sets for MAX reps
Superset: Lat pull down / seated cable row
4 sets, 10 reps each exercise
Bent over barbell row
4 sets fo 10 reps
Workout 2 – Weeks 2 and 6
Good news for you, no bodyweight pull ups this week! However, we are still going to be doing assisted pull-ups and we’re going to superset them with some close grip pull downs for variety. We are going to up the reps on the pull ups now, to 15. So set the assisted machine to a weight that allows you to just complete 15 reps.
The pull ups in this session need to be ultra strict, ultra slow and ultra long range of motion (and you thought you were getting out easy by not doing bodyweight pull ups!). We want to force as much blood as possible into the lats and hold it there for a long period of time. I must emphasize here, you want the longest range of motion possible. This means you should literally be hanging at the beginning of each rep. I want you to use the 2-1-2 count on this exercise as well.
So once you’ve completed a set of 15 assisted pull ups, finish off the superset with 10 close grip pull downs. I’m not going to lie to you, the close grip pull downs will be painful! Complete a total of 4 supersets.
Now we’re onto one of my favorite back blasting techniques, ascending and descending drop sets on the seated cable row machine. Choose a weight that you can semi-comfortably do 10 reps with.
The first set is going to be descending. So you start with that weight you just chose, do 10 reps, take off 20% of the weight and do another 10 reps, then take off another 20% of the weight and do another 10 reps for a total of 30 reps. This a basic drop set.
For the next set, we’re going to do the opposite. So you start with the lightest weight and move up. And for the last set back to the same as the first, starting with the heaviest weight.
To finish off this workout we’re going to target the upper back again with 3 sets of smith machine bodyweight pull ups. You should pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. If you can still manage it, try to hold yourself up for a count of 1 for each rep.
Set 1: Ascending Set 2: Descending Set 3: Ascending
Smith machine bodyweight row
8, 6, 6, 4
One arm cable row
3 sets fo 10 reps
Workout 3 – Weeks 3 and 7
Back to bodyweight pull ups again this week. You should notice your strength difference from week 1. Again, if you can’t finish the sets of these with your bodyweight finish off the set on the assisted machine.
Next up we’re going to do a stock standard lat pull down drop set. Start with a weight you can manage for 10 reps and take one plate off the stack after each set. No rest in-between sets! Not even a few seconds, adjust the stack and straight back into it.
This is the first time we are using bent over rows in this workout. I want you to use strict for, heavy weights and low reps. Although this is a heavy set, if your form slips drop the weight. Form beat weight hands down.
Finally we finish this session off with one arm cable rows. Weight is not important here, we’re looking for perfect form and slow, long repetitions. Your arm should be fully extended at the start of the movement and the handle level with your hips at the top of the movement. Squeeze your shoulder blades hard at the top of the movement. Again, we want to keep to the 2-1-2 tempo.
Exercise
Sets and Reps
Wide grip pull ups
MAX, 10, 8, 8
Lat pull down drop sets (strict)
3 drop sets of 10, 10, 10
Bent over row (heavy)
8, 6, 6, 4
One arm cable row
4 sets 15 reps
Workout 4 – Weeks 4 and 8
Are you ready for this? We’re going to kick off this workout with a tri-set. The tri-set will consist of assisted pull ups, ultra strict lat pull downs and seated rows. No rest in-between at all. You will be doing 4 tri-sets in total.
After the tri-sets, you’re going to be pretty fatigued. This is why the next exercise is straight arm lat pall down. Don’t worry about heavy weights with this one, just focus on keeping your arms straight and not allowing the bar to go over shoulder height.
Our final exercise for this session will be smith machine bodyweight rows. Again, use a wide grip and pause for a 1 count at the top of the movement.
Exercise
Sets and Reps
Tri Set: Assisted pull ups/lat pull down/seated row
10 reps on each exercise
Straight arm lat pull down
3 sets of 12 reps
Smith machine bodyweight row
3 sets of MAX reps
Your Ego Stays Home!
Why do you go the gym? To lift the heaviest weight possible, or to build muscle? Remember this every time you’re in the gym because this affects all your training. Correct technique combined with increased resistance builds muscle. It’s not just a matter of lifting as much as possible. The main exercise I want to emphasize this in is the lat pull down. In this workout, lat pull downs are not meant to be used with heavy weights. The role of lat pull downs is to push more blood into the lats and hold it there for longer. So in this workout pull downs should be done with ultra strict form and very slowly. This means keeping your upper body upright (don’t lean back at all!) and pulling the bar down with a 2-1-2 count. Count of 2 to pull the weight down, pause for a count of 1, then a count of 2 to lower the weight back up. If you’re doing this correctly, your lats will be screaming after 10 reps!
Hit The Gym!
Alright, the time for talking is over and it’s time to hit the gym. Remember, you must follow what I have written here exactly. No cheating! You only get out what you put in. If you give this back workout 100%, keep your diet and supplementation up and get plenty of rest you should feel and see the difference in your back. The next installment of the 8 Week Intense Workouts series will be shoulders.
Exercise Ball Movements
