The abs are one of the first muscle groups people imagine when they think about working out. Firm, strong abs are the foundation of an attractive physique, which is why exercises that focus on them remain eternally popular.
But with so many workouts circulating the internet, how can you cut through all the noise to find the ones that give you results? Andrew Demetre, a Charleston-based fitness coach, has some crucial workout tips to help you get the most out of your ab workouts.
Don’t Ignore Your Diet
As the old saying goes, abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. Accordingly, anyone who wants visible abs must pay close attention to their diet. Eating junk will kill your chances of getting cut, sculpted abs, even if you work them often.
Some strength athletes, including powerlifters and strongmen competitors, might not consider the increased definition of a low body fat percentage worth it compared to the losses in strength that tend to accompany exceptional leanness. Still, diet is the first thing you should adjust if you aren’t seeing the kind of definition you want.
Train Right
Too many gym-goers want instant results when it comes to ab training. They mistakenly think that to get them looking their best, they must do as many crunches or planks as possible every day.
But to get more defined abs, most people will first need to grow them. Consistent hypertrophy requires workouts combining high tension, muscular damage, and metabolic stress. Developing an impressive set of abs without doing exercises that stress these adaptations is challenging.
Cardio is another underrated element of getting a chiseled core. The right forms of exercise in the right amounts at the right times can melt away body fat, making it easy for the muscles underneath to shine through.
Exercise All Angles
Andrew Demetre, Charleston-based health coach, notices that many common abs exercises focus on the top row alone, ignoring the lower abs and obliques. He suggests combating this by starting your ab workouts with lower-ab exercises before moving on to movements that stress the upper abs.
Some exercises address multiple regions of the core, saving you time while yielding great results and increasing your overall strength and stability.
Weighted planks, ab wheel roll-outs, and dragon flags are all examples of single exercises that can do it all. Such advanced movements can be incredibly fatiguing, but they have the benefit of engaging virtually every part of your abs simultaneously.
No More Drab Abs
If your ab workouts haven’t been cutting it, use these tips to get more cut. Getting chiseled abs requires a lot of focus and dedication, but working on them can be much easier and more enjoyable when you know how to approach them.
Andrew Demetre, Charleston physical trainer, health coach, and bodybuilder, found a new direction during the pandemic, filling a much-needed niche by helping clients get healthy at home. Demetre now uses his expertise to train clients everywhere in the world while keeping his roots in the greater Charleston area.
Demetre believes that anyone can achieve their fitness goals without a gym membership — all they need is hard work, dedication, and a trainer to help push them to be their best.
About Andrew Demetre
Andrew Demetre, Charleston health coach, physical trainer, and bodybuilder, first found his calling during the pandemic when he realized that many of his clients preferred working out from home. These days, Demetre uses his expertise to train clients from home, whether in the greater Charleston area or worldwide. Andrew firmly believes every client can achieve their ideal body through hard work and dedication — no gym membership needed.
