Ab Workouts are not all the same!

Here's one with a difference...

Typical ab exercises such as the ab crunch, reverse crunch, oblique crunch, sit-ups, knee-ups, V-ups, leg raise, hanging leg raise, bicycle manoeuvre, scissors manoeuvre, roman chair side bends and so many other ab exercise variations... train movement muscles.

Consequently, most people have well-developed movement muscles. However, many of these same people have not properly developed their stabilization muscles.

If the core is unstable during movement, the body's ability to produce force, reduce force, and the transference of forces become less efficient-- or at the least, less than optimal.

Training the deeper muscles develops support necessary for joint stability, postural control, and optimal force production.

It's important that any ab workouts you choose train stabilization muscles first.

For a more complete discussion, see why your ab exercises should focus on building a strong foundation before you progress to training movement muscles.

Here below, is an example abdominal workout intended to train the deeper muscles of the stabilization system. Use a similar abs workout before progressing to crunches and other variations of ab exercises.

Ab workouts such as this one is ideal for home fitness. Those of you who like to workout from home will appreciate that you need very little space and no exercise equipment at all.

A distinguishing factor...

Note that unlike crunches and other typical ab exercises, because we're training stabilization muscles, these exercises involve very little motion from the spinal column to the pelvic girdle. The principal notion is to optimize time under tension and hold the position for sustained contractions.

To improve over time, we always employ the Progressive Overload Principle-- no matter what ab workout we use.

Our bodies eventually adapt to the stresses and forces imposed upon it. To continue making gains, we have to give our muscles a reason to grow. This means applying a stimulus of overload or greater intensity than our bodies are accustomed to. And you must increase this intensity progressively.

By far the most common approach is to increase the load or weight used in an exercise.

However, stabilization muscles are best challenged through a proprioceptively enriched environment. This means an unstable, but controlled environment. So the way to progress these exercises is to go from two legs to single leg, or from a stable surface to an unstable surface perhaps using a stability ball, for example.

In order to perform any of these ab exercises, you should first master what is often called the drawing-in manoeuvre. This is simply the action of pulling in the belly button toward the spine to produce a slight contraction.

The drawing-in manoeuvre is depicted as the first exercise. Note that you don't need to be on hands and knees to learn the manoeuvre. You can learn it standing upright.

The drawing-in manoeuvre is thought to increase pelvic stabilization and has shown some increased core musculature activation through electromyogram (EMG) studies. In other words, by 'bracing' yourself, muscles are better activated as you perform your exercise.

However, not all sources are in agreement as to the value of performing this manoeuvre during your exercises. Either way, it doesn't really hurt to practice its use.

The final question then, is how long to stay on an abs workout program of this nature.

Of course, this will vary from person to person. The rate at which physiological adaptations occur cannot be forced and varies from individual to individual. Although rather broad, use two weeks as a minimum and four to six weeks as a maximum.

This ab workout focuses on the abdominal region only and assumes you are performing a proper warm up, cool down, and incorporating a cardiovascular, resistance training, and flexibility component to your regular fitness workout program during your week.

It includes a selection of five different ab exercises. Perform 2 to 3 exercises per session on 2 to 3 non-consecutive days. Rotate the exercises every couple of sessions to include all five. Advanced exercisers may perform 3 or more exercises per session.

Sustain the contraction for 3 to 10 seconds. Beginners should start at the lower end and increase your time as you improve. Beginners may also want to perform fewer reps and sets until conditioning improves. In all cases, progress gradually.

Always strive for quality of movement with each contraction.

As per usual, please take note of the following disclaimer:

As with any exercise, you should know that all forms of exercise pose some inherent risks and that not all the exercises presented here are suitable for everyone. Do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. To reduce the risk of injury, consult with your physician before beginning any exercise-- or dietary program.

Click here for an example core stabilization ab workout:

Example Ab Workout - Core Stabilization

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Example workout created with Personal Trainer On the Net tools and technology.