The Best Abs Exercises of All Time and Pre-Workout Meal

You have been probably hitting the gym for quite a while, but do you know the right exercises you need to be doing in order to get the body you have been dreaming of? Of course, there will be hundreds or even thousands of articles that could tell you different exercise routines, but you also need to be aware of what kind of exercise your body needs in order to become healthier and stronger. Understanding your body and how it works is very important in your journey towards fitness and achieving those tight abs.

If you are hitting the gym and have been working out for the past few months, then you are on the right article. We will be giving you tips about the right exercise routines for your abs and the things you need to be doing before you workout.

People tend to make lots of mistake when it comes to working out, as they tend to focus on their abs only and they do not know that they also need to think about their core and how they could strengthen and enhance it. The traditional abs exercises like sit ups and crunches are often used in the hopes of achieving a stronger core and a more defined abdominal but this can also be a terrible method of exercising as it can be hazardous to the spine, especially if you are not doing it correctly.

Here are the best abs exercise you can do to help yourself achieve the best looking abs you could possibly have.

1. THE SPIDERMAN PLANK CRUNCH
The Spiderman Plank Crunch would require you to start in a plank position by placing your forearms on the ground while your body is on a perfectly straight position. You need to bring your right knee towards the right elbow and then return again to the original plank position. Repeat this exercise by bringing your left knee towards your left elbow. You must complete a total of 10 reps for this abs exercise.

Planking is actually the best way in exercising your entire core, because you are working your front and back abdominal areas without using any exercise equipment. You are exercising your rectus abdominis, your obliques, and also your lower back in a simple and effective exercise that you can do almost anywhere.

2. THE CABLE ROTATION EXERCISE
The Cable Rotation Exercise would require you to stand while holding a cable with your both hands out and in front of you while you are just under shoulder height. You need to keep your arms fixed and should be straight too as your abs engaged. Rotate your upper body to the left and then back to the center and then to the right. After that you need to be back to the center. You need to repeat the exercise and do it in the other side for a total of 10 reps.

The Cable Rotation Exercise will help you target the obliques and golfers, this is the exercise that golfers, baseball players, tennis players and other athletes do. You need to complete this exercise as close to the movement that you are going to do in your sport and you will get the biggest gain of muscles in your abs.

3. THE BICYCLE CRUNCH EXERCISE
The Bicycle Crunch can help you gain abs as you need to do this exercise by lying on your back while your hands are behind your head and while your legs are raised and bent at a total of 90 degrees. You need to alternate the sides by bringing your right elbow towards your left knee and then do it again on your other side. Put your left elbow towards the right knee and do it for a total of 60 seconds. You must try to hold the crunch for a two-count on each of your side to force a slower and concentrated movement.

This exercise will help you target all of your three key areas in the body at the same time. You need to combine a regular crunch with a side-to-side motion that would target your obliques and then do the reverse crunch that would hit your lower abs.

4. THE CROSS CRUNCH EXERCISE
The cross crunch exercise would help you gain abs in your abdominal area as this would require you to lie on your back while your arms and legs diagonally so your body could form an X. You need to keep your arms and legs straight and you need to bring your right hand to your left foot and then bring your left hand to your right foot again as you lift your head, neck and your shoulders off of the ground. You need to keep at least 10 reps of this every time you workout.

The cross crunch exercise is simple and safe as you are being supported on the ground. With your legs coming off of the floor and you are exercising your abs, the lower one.

5. THE SWISS-BALL ROLLOUT
The Swiss-ball rollout exercise would help you exercise your abdomen as you need to kneel on a mat with your hands while you hold a swiss stability ball. You need to keep your back straight and also your abs must be engaged. You need to roll the ball as far away as you can and then you need to slowly roll again back to the original position. You must do this exercise in 10 rollouts or reps.

This exercise is like an ab wheel but this is a lot easier and safer for the person’s lower back. You target your rectus abdominis with this exercise as you are staying in one place while doing it. If you want to add another exercise then rolling out in a 45-degree angle to the right and left challenges the obliques.

THE PRE-WORKOUT MEAL

So, you are reading this article, because you are desiring to know how you could prepare yourself from the workout you will be doing today or tomorrow.

Most people would be familiar with the exercise routine that one could do, especially with the help of the internet. But, before you do your exercise and head to the gym, there are preparations you need to do.

Well, here is a pre-workout meal you need to follow if you want to do your abs workout today, tomorrow or in a few hours from now. This has been widely tested and proven to be very beneficial, but, it does not do no harm to further do research about other variations of dietary information.

1. A CLEAN AND MODERATE TO SLOW-DIGESTING CARBOHYDRATES
Before you hit the gym and do your abs workout, you need to fuel your body and we do not mean that you must starve yourself out or even eat a lot. You need to remember that you must eat slow-digesting foods with carbohydrates moderately.

Carbohydrates will be able to provide your body with a source of energy that you would need for the workout you would be doing. This way, you will be preventing your body from tapping into the muscle for some energy, because a slower digesting carbohydrate food will help in sustaining you throughout your entire workout.

You need to remember that you cannot consume an overabundance of carbohydrates or even consume them when you are close to doing your workout, as your body has insufficient time to metabolize the food you have eaten. If you do this, your blood will be redirected to your working muscles instead of being re-flowed to your stomach to aid in digestion, causing stomach cramps.

You must always remember that you can only consume carbohydrates between 20 to 40 grams within one to two hours before you workout.

2. EAT FRUITS
Fruits like oranges can make an excellent addition to your pre-workout meal. Fruits are helpful in making your body fueles with a slower digesting carbohydrate source as it is beneficial to have a small but sufficient source of fast-digesting carbs to help you with your workout.

The oranges could provide a quick energy source for your body. This is why you can always hear bodybuilders discussing about eating or sucking on orange juices before they do their workout.

Oranges are also packed with vitamin C and electrolytes. Plus, fruits like bananas and apples can also be an excellent option if oranges are not what you like to eat.

3. SOURCE OF PROTEIN
Of course, your body also needs protein and this will also help in gaining and building muscles as you workout. As we all know, no meal would be complete without foods that are pack in protein.

As you aim for new muscle growth, protein is helpful in gaining muscles because it is composed with essential and non-essential amino acids. These are vital to maintaining a positive nitrogen balance in your body which is necessary to help in stimulating the maximum protein synthesis in your body.

You need to keep in mind that you need to moderate your intake of protein too as you need to obtain a right ration of amino acids to achieve an anabolic state which can be achieved by consuming complete protein sources like chicken, egg whites, beef, turkey and skimmed milk.

You can also turn to protein shakes if you are not fond of eating meats. You can try whey protein shakes. It provides a balanced source of high-quality amino acids which is necessary in achieving a positive nitrogen balance in the body.

4. THE QUALITY PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENTS
Once you are done preparing yourself with the nutrients you need for your workout, then you can turn to taking your workout supplements. You can buy some sports and dietary supplements, but of course, you will need to be aware of its use and ask for your doctor’s advise before you purchase it.

Supplements that are containing a mix of arginine and caffeine are extremely popular and great choices for the workout. This is because caffeine promotes an increase in focus, in the intensity and in the energy as you hit the gym. Arginine-based dietary and sports supplements are another popular choice for this supplement are designed to help in activating a peak vasodilation, which can result in a more powerful muscle pumps.

It is very important for your body to achieve a good pump as you exercise as this will be helpful in strengthening the muscles and even gaining muscles. It also helps in delivering the key muscle building nutrients, amino acids and oxygen in the body and this helps the working muscles by effectively creating an optimal anabolic environment conducive to new muscle growth in your abdomen and other parts of the body.

Now that you are aware of the abs exercises and the preparations you need to when it comes to working out, you can now workout without thinking that you might have skipped an important method before your workout routine. You are now more knowledgeable in creating an effective abs workout as you put these words in action.

By following the tips from this article, you will be assured that your body will be getting the right exercise as you target the right part of your body that you want to gain muscles and become healthier.