How To Get Super Defined Abs Faster
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8 Ab Training Tips To Work Your Abs Not Your Hip Flexors
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing my best 8 ab training tips on how to get super defined abs faster.
These 8 ab training tips will show you how to work your abs, not your hip flexors.
It’s no secret that we all want abs.
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But before I share how to get super defined abs faster, it’s important to note the following.
Your diet, weight lifting routine, and cardio workouts are essential to burning off your belly fat.
Once you reduce your overall body fat percentage, it’s then time to focus on sculpting and defining your abs.
To do this, you need to train your abs directly, just like any other muscle group.
Most Ab Workouts Create Tension In Your Hip Flexors Not Your Abs
Unfortunately 89.456% of the time you’re training you’re abs the wrong way.
This is because most typical ab workouts are creating tension primarily in your hip flexors, not your abs.
This means you will have a hard time getting super defined abs, because you’re not primarily creating tension in your midsection.
You’ll also run the risk of ending up with super tight and over compensating hip flexors.
Super tight hip flexors can lead to long-term issues such as lower back pain and poor posture.
So let’s talk about why your ab workouts are not actually targeting your abs.
What Are Hip Flexor Muscles?
Your hip flexor muscles are made up of the following five primary muscles:
- Psoas major (the primary muscle)
- Iliacus
- Rectus femoris
- Pectineus
- Sartorius
If you’re looking to get super defined abs faster, the training goal is to place as much tension in the abdominal region, while de-emphasizing tension on these 5 primary hip flexor muscles.
With all that said, here are 8 tips to ensure you always create tension in your abs, not your hip flexors.
8 Ab Training Tips On How To Get Super Defined Abs Faster
Tip #1: Learn How To Create Tension First, Then Add Weight
Don’t add extra weight to your ab exercises until you learn how to really isolate and focus the tension in your abs, at the top of the move, for at least 1-2 seconds.
Once you can really feel the tension, then you can add weight.
The quality of the rep beats the quantity of reps, every single time when it comes to abs, and every other muscle group.
Tip #2: Initiate The Move With Your Abs Rather Than Using Momentum
When doing any kind of ab exercise, initiate the movement by first contracting your abs.
For example, when doing the hanging leg raise, curl your hips by tilting your pelvis forward and rounding your back.
When you just raise your legs, without tilting your pelvis, this primarily fires the muscles in your hip flexors, not your abs.
Feel the contraction in your abs, then initiate the move.
Let’s keep it going.
Tip #3: Complete The Most Difficult Abs Exercises First
Perform more difficult lower ab exercises first when your abs are still fresh.
Leg raises are a more difficult exercise, so complete it up front.
This will decrease the risk of firing your hip flexors, rather than your abs.
Tip #4: Keep Each Rep Slow And Under Control
Following a slow and controlled tempo will help de-emphasize the stronger hip flexor muscles, and place more tension on your abs.
Tip #5: Contract The Opposing Muscle Group
Like most muscle groups, to activate and fire the working muscle, you should remember to also focus on contracting the opposing muscle.
When it comes to working your abs, squeezing your glutes and activating your hamstrings can also help de-emphasize your hip flexors.
When doing a hanging knee raise, if you’re feeling more tension in your hip flexors rather than your abs, place a swiss ball between your feet and squeeze your feet together.
By doing this, it will help fire and work your abs, not your hip flexors.
Tip #6: Activate Your Abs First With A Plank
If you have a hard time feeling the contraction in your abs, try this.
Before every abs workout, start by holding a forearm plank for up to 90 seconds.
Really focus on keeping your abs tight.
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This will help activate and “turn on” your abs.
Tip #7: Stretch Your Hip Flexors Before Your Abs Workout
When your hip flexors are tight, they are in a shortened position.
You can lengthen your hip flexors before your workout by stretching them.
This will really help to de-emphasize them during your abs workouts.
Let’s move on to the final tip to get super defined abs.
Tip #8: Use Active Release Technique i.e. ART To Open Up Your Hips
ART, which is short for active release technique, is a great way to open your hips and loosen your hip flexors.
I’ve been seeing amazing results since hiring a chiropractor 4 weeks ago, to perform ART on me.
To do this, check out an ART practitioner in your area.
You can also do yoga 1-2 times per week.
Yoga can also help open up your hips and release some of the tension.
Remember, abs are not just an “on-season” muscle.
As a Live Leaner, we rock abs all year round.
So if you want to implement all 8 of these ab training tips to activate, develop, and sculpt your abs, and maintain them for the rest of your life, here’s what you need to do.
Check Out Our Live Lean Abs Workout Program
This ab training workout program manual and videos showcases my most effective ab training workouts and secrets, as well as a belly fat blasting meal and supplement plan.
Do you want to strengthen, condition, and build upper and lower abs, and obliques that pop?
The sweat will be coming down after just one of these ab circuits.
Damn that’s good!
Go get it all here: Live Lean Abs
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
You have define 8 tips for best body structure . is it any suggestion for making body with out going Jim. Your blog is very good .Can i take it Yoga Alliance TTC course in india for good body structure ….
Good tips…
Brad,i can see my abs when i contract it ,but normally its hard to
visible,how to get more defined abs?
Hey brad, to train your abs effectively, how many minutes do you advice
working out per day? Thanks for the video!
Brad, you videos are awesome AND very helpful. Thanks for sharing them with
us!!!!!!
Brad how long did it take you to obtain your physique? I’m 18 and have been
training consistently since July of 2013 and following you since day 1 of
my training, nutrition and fitness both, I’m now just beginning to see some
good muscle results and a little bit of abs and its February of 2014!
I actually gave up some moves because my legs were getting tired & I
thought to myself, how are my legs getting tired when its abs I’m trying to
target.. I don’t want a routine but can you just name a few moves I can do,
because now I’m worried about what moves I should not be doing…
Brad, how are Russian Twists for abs?
Can you help me STRETCH MY HIP FLEXORS PLEASE?!?!?!?! They’re TIGHTER THAN TIGHT. 😉
i need an 8 pack workout no matter length.
How many of these 8 tips do you follow to get defined abs?