While I love the ab routines that are part of the P90X, P90X2 and P90X3 programs, I am always looking for some ways to mix things up a bit in the Ab department. We all know that if were to stick with lifting the same weights in the gym every time, our bodies would hardly change. This is due to it adapting to that stimuli, hence the need for “muscle confusion”. By doing the same abdominal routine each time it soon becomes ineffective in helping to shape your abs. The key thing to remember here is variety. Things like:
I recently stumbled upon a guy (Rob Riches) that seems to know his stuff in this arena and he provides a decent ab routine that I have started to shuffle into my week.
The routine is pretty simple and basic but very effective. The first couple of times that I performed this routine, my abs were pretty sore the next day or two. Having sore abs is not something I normally experience during the week of the P90X2 program as of late. This could mean a couple of things…1. I am not working as hard as I should during the Ab Ripper X routine. 2. This new routine is simply working different muscles than the Ab Ripper X routine and thus giving me soreness in places that were under worked. The only downside to this routine is that it does require either a resistance band or a pull down machine.
Give it a try and work this in on days you feel like a change in your ab routine. Let me know what you guys think?
The following is the sequence of the routine and it is performed in 3 circuits with no rest between exercises, a 30 second rest is allowed between circuits. I have upped a few of the rep counts to suite my needs better.
Hanging Knee Raises – 30 reps
Rope Pull Down (aka Kneeling Cable Crunches) – 40 reps
Double Crunch – 40 reps
Single-Arm Rope Pull Down – 20 reps (each side)
Reverse Crunches on Decline Bench – 20 reps
Seated Straight Bar Torso Twist – 50 reps (25 each side)
Detailed descriptions of each exercise
Hanging Knee Raises – 30 reps
The hanging knee raise hits your lower abs. You can hang from literally anything to do this exercise, but the most popular method using hanging from a pull up bar.
Grip the bar with hands around shoulder width apart. Increase the width if you’re tall and your feet touch the floor.
Once you’re hanging with your feet slightly off the floor, slowly pull your knees up keeping your legs together.
Pause for a second, and slowly lower your knees back to the starting position.
Rope Pull Down – 40 reps
To perform kneeling cable crunches, use a band, rope or a bar with a pull-down machine. Kneel down facing the machine so that the cable comes down at a slight angle away from the rack as you crunch down.
Grab the rope or bar and pull it down so that your hands are positioned just above your forehead. Crunch down as far as you can go, keeping the rope or bar in the same position. Keep your arms locked in the same position and focus on your abs doing the work.
Bring your body back up slowly to the start position by focusing your abdominals to do the work and control the motion.
Double Crunch – 40 reps
Lie face-up on the floor with your legs fully extended. Place your hands behind your head with your fingertips touching to support your head and your elbows out to the sides.
With just a slight bend in your knees, raise your feet about 6 inches off the floor or on something like a bench or the seat of a chair, keeping your head neutral and your eyes forward. This is both the start and finish position of each rep.
Slowly curl your upper body off the floor one vertebra at a time. As you curl up, your shoulder blades should move farther off the floor as your raise your nose, chest and shoulders toward the ceiling.
At the top of the move, the lower portion of your glutes should curl off the floor as your quads and torso come together to form a tight “V.” Exhale at this top position.
Hold the peak-contracted position momentarily while squeezing your abs, then return in the same deliberate manner, stopping short of your feet and hands touching the floor.
Single-Arm Rope Pull Down – 20 reps (each side)
This exercise will be done in a similar manner to the “Rope Pull Down” described above.
Again, using a band, rope or a bar with a pull-down machine. Kneel down facing the machine so that the cable comes down at a slight angle away from the rack as you crunch down.
Grab the rope or bar with your right hand and pull it down and towards your left hip (opposite hip). They key point here is that you are using your obliques to pull the resistance not your arm. Keep your arm locked in the same position and focus on your abs doing the work.
Repeat on the left side.
Reverse Crunches on Decline Bench – 20 reps
Using a decline bench, lie on your back with your head at the top of the bench, near where your feet usually go.
Hold the top of the bench with both hands. Hold your legs straight out together in the air, parallel to the floor using your abs to hold them there.
Slowly bring your pelvis up and in towards your chest, having your abs control the movement.
Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position, always keeping constant tension on your midsection.
Seated Straight Bar Torso Twist – 50 reps (25 each side)
With this torso twists exercise it requires that you sit straight on a flat bench, feet positioned firmly on the floor, shoulder width apart.
Place a long bar or stick across your shoulder and hold it by stretching out your arms around it.
Twist your torso towards your left, as though you were attempting to look over your shoulder. Twist as far as possible, without moving the lower part of your body.
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Hold the position for a count of 3 and squeeze your oblique muscles. Then return slowly to the center. This is one repetition
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