For many people, seeing their abs is one of their primary fitness goals. Here is some info to help. . You can work your abs to death, daily, but you likely will not clearly see them unless your body fat is low enough. There really is truth in the saying, "abs are made in the kitchen." . What if your body fat is fairly low (15% or less), and you still are not seeing them? Simply put, hormones matter! They play a major role when it comes to fat accumulation around your midsection. . Low testosterone and/or excessive estrogen (for your gender) can contribute to extra fat accumulation and water retention in this area. Poor thyroid function and high cortisol levels can also contribute to a "fluffy" midsection. If you struggle in this area, it is worth getting these levels tested. I will cover these hormones and how to tweak them in upcoming posts. . In order to make the abs "pop" it helps to train them under weighted loads. Bodyweight exercises are great at improving muscle tone, but to really make them stand out, exercises with added weight is the way to go. Weighted leg or knee raises (for lower abs), cable crunches (for upper abs), and high to low cable wood chops (for obliques) are my go-to ab isolation exercises. . Ab training tips -- Heavy compound movements (squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses) require a lot of core activation and bracing for stability and are actually effective for building abdominals all by themselves. On days that include these movements I usually do not do direct abdominal work. On days without these heavy compounds I do the movements I previously mentioned, and rotate through them on different days. Focusing on just one of them in a given day. The abdominal muscles are primarily slow-twitch (Type I) muscle fibers, which makes sense considering they are always at work in order to help stabilize and hold your torso upright. Keeping that in mind, it is usually most effective to train them in a higher rep range with a longer time under tension. . I hope this helps your ab goals! . . #absworkout #abs #abdefinition #hormonalbalance #trainingtips #fitspo #fitfam #abdominais #sixpack #physiquegoals #nakaathlete #fitgoals https://www.instagram.com/p/B1d7sFWggO8/?igshid=4kwtc6l7b951
