Comments on: How To Build Six Pack Abs

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:58:49 +0000

@Aaron. See my response to Mitchell above.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:55:46 +0000

@Chad. Yes it’s a good movement.
@Dhruv. Thanks 🙂 . No the plank is not optimal to ‘build’ the abs because you can’t possibly recruit all available muscle fibers because you never bring the abs into the fully contracted position.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:52:56 +0000

Liza. Genetics are very important. See here
https://musclehack.com/can-we-all-be-as-big-as-arnold-bodybuilding-genetics-explained/
At 10% you were VERY lean for a female. So you only need to actually build the abdominal muscles themselves. Yes you should ABSOLUTELY train like a guy – human physiology is human physiology. If you want to build the abs, train just like we do. Pick a weight for your abs that causes you to reach failure within 60-90 seconds.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:48:58 +0000

@Tommy. Yes. I only did 2-3 sessions per week (none at all for the first few weeks) to get from 15% to 9% last summer. It only took 7.5 weeks and cardio only started on about week 4 if I remember correctly. I wrote about it here
https://musclehack.com/how-to-have-ripped-abs-all-year-round/
Well Total Six Pack Abs is what you need to be honest
https://www.totalsixpackabs.com/

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:43:58 +0000

Mitchell.
The kneeling cable crunch is a good movement but I chose declines as the best for the following reason.
While The KCC works with the function and places resistance at the PCP, the level of resistance at the PCP is less than during Declines. This is for the following reason:
KCC has the resistance pulling you UP and out of the flexed spine position.
With declines you are being pushed out of this position as well but the torso is also being pushed DOWN and out of the seated position. The fight to hold the resistance at the PCP is greater which is important because this is the position where most fibers are recruited.
The degree of stimulation at the PCP is therefore greater with declines IMO.
KCCs are a great movement though, I’m not knocking it. Jeff Willet also also highly recommends it.

By: Keith Davis

Keith Davis — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:37:50 +0000

Thanks for the info on “unsafe” Mark.

Looks like decline sit ups are back on the abs programme.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:34:03 +0000

Just to clear up the “unsafe” stuff here. Sit-ups are not unsafe if performed correctly (like any exercise really).
In the video I included a side-view because I wanted you to see that it is only my lower back that makes the slightest contact with the bench. The spine must maintain its roundedness during the movement. If you straighten the spine at the bottom of the rep, you’d be putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
When people say that this movement is unsafe, they’re not saying that it’s unsafe in itself, but rather there’s a tendency for people to do it wrong and put themselves at risk. Horse riding is an unsafe sport, but only if you’re not a competent horse rider, get it?

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:53:34 +0000

Mark,

This is a bit of my specialty as I’ve been giving advice to people about abs for years (I’ve had a six pack since I was 12 or 13). When sit ups and crunches no longer worked for me, I switched to weights and lower reps. The decline sit up (I hold dumb bellsby my head instead of a plate as they are more comfortable and I can use 2 25lbs instead of having a 45 lbs plate on my chest) is one of the those exercises I reguarly do. I’ve been doing the Kneeling Cable Crunch with my back to the tower (according to your principle of muscle function and PCP, it is the MOST effective ab exercise) to see wonderful results.

To all of you with lower back problems, there are tons of good ab workouts. But whatever you do, STOP when your lower back begins to arch backwards. You want to keep your spine flexed forward.

Mitchell

By: tommy

tommy — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:16:36 +0000

hi mark,
do you think doing 15 minutes of hiit every day is enough i think im about 12 percent of body fat but i ve a problem i have a really flat stomach but at the back of my waist im fat is really weird skinny in the front and a little fat at the back what should i do, what type of diet is convenient for my problem M.a.n.s.?? give some advice please its so annoying
thanks alot for youre help in advance and
cheers from argentina

By: John

John — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:48:57 +0000

I think if your back is not ‘Trained’ it could be harmful. If you have too little weight training experiance and you jump in doing what Mark does on the Video, I agree it could be harnful. As with any weigth training work up to using weights as extra resistance only after you are proficient in a number of body weight exercises. I have also seen a lot of nonsense about not stretching. Thats just foolish. Stretch and ensure you are well warmed up.
John

By: John

John — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:48:54 +0000

By: Keith Davis

Keith Davis — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:38:39 +0000

Hi Mark
I stopped doing decline sit ups because of the pressure on the lower back.
Do you recommend it as a safe exercise and are there any precautions I should take to protect the lower back?

By: dave

dave — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:35:45 +0000

i’d like to add that boxer style cross situps are also *excellent* for isolating the inner abdominals…i do these by laying on the floor on my back, feet up on my bed (so feet are above my head) – then instead of just coming straight into a crunch, i slighltl lift my butt off the floor to contract lower ab, exhale and pull muscle toward floor, then bring right elbow to left knee, etc…it is hard even without any weight and relieves pressure on the neck if your form is correct, and it requires NO equipment of any kind…

By: Liza

Liza — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:40:12 +0000

Hi Mark

Enjoyed the six-pack article. Started competing in fitness shows a couple of years ago and although I did really well the judges feedback were that although the rest of my body is in great shape my abs are not defined enough. I do not want to continue competing if due to my genes I will never have a very defined six-pack. The genetic part is that myth or not? I went on stage at 10% and as a woman feel that I cannot go lower if I still want to maintain a feminine look. I am going to give your decline situps(with the weights) a go, but please be so kind as to tell me how many sets, reps and how many times a week. Should I maybe approach my training the way a guy would have? Thank you and Kind Regards Liza

By: John

John — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:39:07 +0000

normal sit-ups are pretty useless, this is a really good excercise to do, and leg raises are great aswell but hard to get into without straps. i use about 6-7 excercises from an abs book i got ages ago, and the only time i’ve ever felt pain my lower back was when i did abs after heavy squatting.

By: romi

romi — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:43:56 +0000

How you calculate fat percentage?

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:08:00 +0000

Sticking with your recent trend of using cables, I’ve been doing the following exercise. Position the cable pulley and handle at about waist level. Then kneel down, grip the bar behind your head, and make a bowing motion. Kind of like this guy , but gripping a bar.(https://anomalycentral.files.wordpress.com/2006/05/Bowing.jpg) Be sure you don’t have any motion in your arms or it’ll be working your tri or bi, depending on your grip direction. Today, I did this first, then decline weighted situps, then leg raises for abs. Any opinion Mark?

By: shan

shan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:02:26 +0000

wow its great. i was doing normal workout for abdoman. i will follow the same. thank u very much

By: dhruv

dhruv — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:48:26 +0000

Mark I want to thank you for helping me get into shape. I am down to 16% body fat and I need to lose just another 6% more to get my abs. I have never looked or felt better in my whole life and it is all thanks to you. Would you recommend performing the plank for core strngth?

By: dhruv

dhruv — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:47:51 +0000

By: dhruv

dhruv — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:46:27 +0000

By: Chad

Chad — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:31:11 +0000

What about hanging leg lifts? Any merit to those?

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:51:16 +0000

I’ve read stuff by different health professionals who warn that sit ups do, in fact, cause unnecessary strain on the cartilage between lower vertebrae – it wears it away, just like mogul skiing wears away the cartilage in one’s knees, causing it to break down faster than normal use would.

Mark, would you mind going into any greater detail on why this isn’t the case, and where you get your info? I’m not trying to be argumentative; this is just one of those things that I see argued all the time, and I’d like to see if there’s a way to actually settle it without going to med school myself.

Thanks.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:11:56 +0000

@Lee. Well said.
@Nikola. Thanks. No, progressive overload beats variety. If there’s PO there’s growth to some degree. Secondly, the abdominals will only grow to a certain size anyway, which is a good thing in my opinion. The “steroid” six-pack just ain’t hot IMO.

By: Nikola

Nikola — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:05:48 +0000

Wonderful article as always Mark. I like how you casually approach the abs without making many and complicated and “advanced” ab routines, since abs get worked up during the big compound movements such as deadlifts, squats and overhead press. On the other hand though, do you think that eventually you would need some kind of ab circuit workout just to keep the variety, since abs might stall and stop growing by doing one exercise alone (even with progressive overload)?