The “crunch” and the “sit-up” are becoming extinct.
You’re probably wondering how that’s even possible. After all, these movements are staples. They’ve been around forever.
They’re going extinct because folks are finally catching on to the fact that exercises like these are the cause of a LOT of lower back issues.
And here’s the worst part… You don’t even need them to get that six pack of your dreams!
That’s right. there’s absolutely no reason to stress out your spine if all you want is a great set of abs.
Now don’t get me wrong. Diet plays a huge role here too. Great abs are truly “made in the kitchen.” But part of this is trainable too, because those abdominal muscles are… well… muscles.
You need to strengthen them just like any other body part if you want them to tone up and stand out.
And that’s what I want to share with you today.
I’ve got an awesome 3-minute ab challenge that has been labeled “deceiving” by top strength and conditioning coaches. It’s pretty tough. But it works. And hey, you get it over with in just 3 minutes. You can do anything for 3 minutes… right?
Ready to give it a try?
Let’s go through a sequence that my clients love to call the 3-Minute Ab Annihilator!
The Exercises
1. Prone Iso-Ab Position
This is your starting position. Notice that my body is straight and neutral.
My glutes and abs are flexed, and my spine is in a straight line from crown to tailbone.
When you focus on contracting your muscles in this specific way, you WILL experience accelerated results.
2. Prone Iso-Climber (alternating)
Here’s the part that makes this challenge a Challenge…
The goal is to try to touch your knee to your elbow while maintaining a neutral spine. Your body will shift, and that’s perfectly fine and natural. Just don’t rest your knees on the ground or you’ll lose the effect.
3. Prone Knee Drives
This one can be a little awkward if you don’t focus on form. The goal is to push your knee through towards your chin. This is an alternating movement, so make sure you change left to right as you go.
So those are the exercises you’ll be performing. We’ll put it in motion in the video below:
And please hold in the Prone Iso-ab Position if you begin to tire out.
A few points to keep in mind
The most common error I’ve seen from working with hundreds of clients is that, when they get tired, they tend to lower their hips toward the ground.
Don’t do this. It causes excessive strain on the low back.
You can avoid “the sag” by keeping your glutes and abs flexed the entire time. Remember, it’s better to rest your knees on the ground, pause for a second, and then continue through the exercise than it is to sag at the middle.
Abs are the same as any other muscle group. For this reason, I recommend that my clients DO NOT work abdominals heavily every day. Your abs need time to recover and grow.
Now get off the computer and give this a try!
I guarantee that the 3-Minute Ab Annihilator will challenge you no matter what your fitness level.
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