Building muscle in your abs isn't something that happens overnight. It takes consistency in both your fitness and dietary habits and results will vary from person to person.
That being said, keeping up with a regular practice of the best ab exercises is a starting point and something that will help to form definition in and around this area of muscle.
Thankfully, a good ab workout doesn't necessarily need weights to make it worth your time. Of course, if you own one of the best kettlebells then you might like to incorporate weight into your core training to increase the challenge.
But for this workout, you just need Kayla Itsines' seven-move bodyweight routine to start strengthening your abdominal muscles.
Watch Kayla Itsines' 7-move abs workout
Itsines calls this her 'Intense abs' workout and when a professional fitness trainer says this, it's not something we take lightly. So be prepared for a proper ab burn and to get sweaty.
The reps vary per exercise, but the main thing to note before starting is there are seven exercises in total and you should aim to complete 3-5 rounds of the workout. You can follow Itsines' demonstrations to practice your technique before you start too.
The combination of exercises in this workout ensures that all major muscle groups within the core are engaged. This includes the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and even the hip flexors to some extent.
Each exercise within the routine offers a variety of benefits, ranging from improving core stability and coordination to enhancing muscle strength and endurance in your abs. And while some people use core and abs interchangeably, there are differences.
Your abs form part of your core — a collection of mid-body muscles responsible for connecting your upper and lower body. A stronger core helps improve your posture, reduce the risk of injury while working out, and makes every day tasks like walking and lifting easier.
Plus, the workout incorporates both static and dynamic movements, which offers a well-rounded approach to building strong and defined abdominal muscles. Going several rounds with this routine will challenge your muscles and the high-intensity format will raise your heart rate too.
This is important if you're hoping to develop visible abs. The only way to make your defined stomach muscles show is to reduce the amount of fat around your stomach. And since you can't spot-target fat, you'll need to do heart rate-raising workouts, like this one, to burn energy and increase your metabolism.
While ab workouts are valuable for strengthening the core, they are just one part of the equation when it comes to achieving visible abs. Combining targeted exercises with a healthy diet, cardio exercise, and proper rest and recovery will help you reach the best results.
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