Have you ever seen a perfect set of washboard abs?
You know, those that are defined and really bring a physique together?
Everyone dreams about having them.
But it’s a tough task.
Not only does it require hard work and dedication, but you also need to have knowledge of how you can tone your abs and build muscle at the same time.
Even if you are one of the few who isn’t that bothered about having perfect abs, your core muscle strength is still vital in your fitness journey, as well as your day-to-day tasks.
That’s right.
Having a strong abdominal section affects almost everything in life, from your balance to your posture.
You may not even realize it, but your core is the support and the backbone of every single exercise in the gym.
This is arguably way more important than having those toned abs.
So, how can we get you there?
How can we build and tone your abs, while strengthening your core at the same time?
Luckily, with this definitive guide, you will get all the information you need.
From the health benefits to the other factors you need to include in your lifestyle, I give you all the advice you need.
Oh, and sprinkle in my 3 top resistance band exercises for your abs, you can do it all without a gym membership.
Let’s get into it.
What Are The Abdominal Muscles?
Your abs are the center of your physique, found in the abdomen, or trunk, of your body.
You can find them just above your stomach, between your hips and ribs.
5 muscles combine to help you stay balanced and protect your organs.
All with a variety of functions.
Fortunately, unlike different muscle groups in the body, we do not have to perform a variety of movements to target each muscle.
We can usually hit them all with just a couple of exercises.
Pyramidalis
The first vertical muscle is found just above your hips.
It’s extremely small and shaped like a triangle, helping to form the V-Line in your abs and control the pressure in your abdomen.
Rectus Abdominis
If you’re looking to get showy abs, then this will be your favorite muscle.
It runs down the center of your body, from your ribs to the pelvis, helping to keep the organs protected and body balanced.
If you can define your stomach, these muscles will be on show, giving you that six-pack look.
External Obliques
The first muscle that lies on the side is the external oblique.
It is the largest muscle on the edge of the torso, spanning from the bottom of the ribs to the top of the pelvis.
Its main function is to rotate your trunk and stabilize your core.
Internal Obliques
Sitting right below the external obliques are the internal obliques.
With a similar shape and size, these muscles just add extra support and protection for the torso.
It’s also a vital muscle for maintaining internal pressure in the body.
Transversus Abdominis
The final, deepest muscle in the torso is the Transversus Abdominins, spanning from the lateral side of your abdomen, and connecting with the muscle fibers in the back, acting as support.
You can view the function of this muscle as similar to a corset, providing stability to the upper body and maintaining posture.
Why Should You Train Abs With A Resistance Band?
Most people exercise the abdominal muscles to gain muscle mass and make their six-pack way more toned and noticeable.
While this goal is up there for me, it isn’t top of the list.
There are a variety of reasons that I make sure to crunch my core at least once a week.
Balance And Stability
Have you ever noticed that squats, lunges, or even just standing on one foot seem to be extremely difficult?
This is because your core muscles aren’t as strong as they could be.
With the addition of an intense abs routine, you will notice that your personal best on exercises that seem irrelevant start to increase, as your core muscles start working effectively with your legs, pelvis, and many other muscles.
Physical activities and sports will become a lot easier now that your full-body strength is being utilized to its maximum capability.
Adding A Resistance Band To Core Exercises Help With Fitness
Upping the ante of any exercise in terms of intensity is not only going to help you become leaner and more powerful, but it’s going to be the perfect tool for your cardiovascular health.
You may think the best way to improve your overall stamina, your breathing, and your heart efficiency is through cardio or sport, but throwing core exercises into the mix will optimize your results.
Cheaper And Versatile
Gym memberships are expensive.
Hey, the average price is around $60 a month, the last time I checked. It’s probably increased by then.
This is an extortionate cost, added onto the evergrowing fuel costs in today’s economic climate and we have got ourselves a money drain.
Luckily, with these types of workouts, the only money you will be forking out is the occasional 15 dollars for a resistance band.
On top of this, you can work out anywhere and everywhere, adding to my philosophy that you can train wherever the f*ck you want.
My 3 Simple Abdominal Exercises You Can Do At Home
Resistance Band Kneeling Crunch
In recent years, this exercise has become one of my favorites, simply for its large range of motion and the prolonged time under tension your abs experience, meaning your muscles are working so much harder.
This wasn’t always the case, though. It took me a while to get the form of this exercise on lock and reduce the risk of a back injury.
Funny story actually, I did in fact hit my head on the floor because of this exercise, I’ll save the details for another time.
Now I think about it, that’s probably the reason why this type of crunch is banned in most commercial gyms.
This exercise is the perfect option for toning your abs and making them more prominent.
It targets them extremely efficiently and requires all of the muscles in your torso to work in tandem to keep your body stable throughout the complete motion.
If you are relatively new to the fitness world, then I recommend starting with some bodyweight crunches.
This can build up your strength slightly, so you can attempt this exercise without putting your back through too much strain trying to compensate for your core strength.
How To Do It
- Start by tying a resistance band to a fixed bar around head height.
- On a comfortable surface, get on your knees with the resistance band in both hands.
- Pull it taut and you should feel the tension in your abs. Engage your core and start with your torso upright.
- Slowly crunch your body by bringing your wrists to your knees and head to the floor, you must bend your back.
- When you reach this position, hold it for a second and tense your abdominal muscles further.
- Control your body back to the original position to increase time under tension.
- Repeat until failure.
Resistance Band Russian Twist
This is your typical bodyweight exercise, adding the resistance band will guarantee the gains your abs will get an extreme workout with this movement.
It’s a core exercise that requires a ton of your muscles to work in tandem, keeping your legs up, your torso fixed, and your arms moving.
Its main movement is the twist of the torso, which as we know from earlier, is the main function of the Oblique muscles, making it the perfect exercise to target them.
The Russian Twist is a challenge, not only for your strength but for your fitness.
You can guarantee your body fat will decrease significantly after just a few weeks of this exercise, making your abs a lot more shredded, due to the pure intensity of it.
It has the added benefit of drastically improving your cardiovascular health and endurance levels.
Your body is constantly using energy with this movement, making it a great option if you’re trying to improve your overall health.
How To Do It
- Find a flat, comfortable surface, preferably with a mat.
- Sit on the ground, with your legs outstretched in front of you. Put one end of the resistance band around your feet, and grab the other end with both hands, close grip.
- Raise your back a couple of inches off the ground, like a situp. Do the same with your feet, bringing your knees just a little bit closer to your chest.
- Pull the resistance band as tight as possible, and engage your core, you should feel the tension in your abdomen at this point.
- Keeping your legs facing forward, slowly twist your torso as far as it will move to the right side.
- Hold this position for a second, then control your body back to your original position.
- Repeat this movement on the left side, keeping your core engaged.
- Repeat until failure.
Hanging Leg Raises With Resistance Bands
Another exercise that is tough with just your body weight, but adding the resistance to your legs makes defining your abs, and even building muscle in your legs, so much more efficient.
Oh, and don’t get me started with the burn you will feel with this movement. It requires maximum effort to just keep your body hanging there, helping to build upper-body strength, increase in size, and drastically increase your fitness levels.
The leg raises themselves are an excellent exercise if you tend to suffer from pain in your hip joints.
They help to strengthen the flexors and improve your overall agility and range of movement, aiding you on your road to recovery if you suffered from some sort of hip trauma.
I used to add this exercise to the majority of my workout routines, especially when I was trying to cut down on my body fat.
It took a lot of my energy to just complete 1 set, so you can guarantee it will help you in your calorie deficit.
How To Do It
- For this exercise, try and find an area you can hang from via your forearms, with your feet slightly off the ground. I use 2 walls in my garden!
- Tie a resistance band to a fixed beam behind you, with the band looped around your ankles.
- Allow all the pressure to rest on your arms, and let your feet hang by your side.
- Engage your core and push your glutes upward, using your abs as a driving force.
- Bend your knees and try to pull them as close to your chest as possible.
- When you reach the furthest you can go, hold the position for a second, tensing your abdominal muscles.
- Slowly control your legs back to the original position.
- Repeat until failure.
Conclusion
While these exercises are important to build volume and make them stronger, the main objective for shredded abs is to lose weight.
Rather than only concentrating on the workouts, try to introduce healthy routines into your lifestyle.
Take the stairs rather than the elevator, choose healthy dietary options, and stay consistent.
Now you have these 3 exercises, though, you can begin to implement them into your routine and start working out smarter.
They have been chosen for your convenience, with them being some of the most effective and efficient resistance band exercises so you can get shredded abs and benefit your overall health.
Before you go, make sure you go see my friends at Dmoose and get yourself a pack of 6 resistance bands for only $49.99!
Replace the gym for a fraction of the price and train when and where you want!
What do you think about the exercise I have chosen?
Are there any you would add to get a stronger torso?
Let me know in the comments below.