Ab Training – What to do.

Having developed abs is a common training goal. While we know from research that training your abs won’t burn abdominal fat [1], training your abs still is useful for strengthening your core and developing the underlying abdominal muscles. I will discuss 2 of my favorite weighted abs exercises in this post. Swipe left for more.
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The first exercise is the Horizontal Wood Chop, focused on training the obliques. In terms of how to perform this exercise, set the cable around chest height and take a big step away from the cable. While keeping your hips stable, rotate your body towards the cable machine and come right back to the other side. Avoid rotating back too far to the point that the cable touches your sides.
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The 2nd exercise is the Ab Pulldown, focused on training the Rectus Abdominis. During this exercise, you want to actively train spinal flexion. While you perform the pulldown, focus on bringing your elbows towards your knees while breathing out forcefully. Breathing out while contracting the abs helps you reach a deeper contraction. Train both the Ab Pulldown and Wood Chops in sets of 8-10 reps and aim to progress the weight over time.
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Reference:
Vispute, S. S., Smith, J. D., LeCheminant, J. D., & Hurley, K. S. (2011). The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(9), 2559-2564.
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