Tips for Working Out On Ab Machines

Posted by Roland Steyn on March 17th, 2018

Regardless of what season it is and what occasion might be coming up, there is one fitness goal that runs through the mind of every gym goer all year long – getting a lean and defined midsection. Everyone wants perfect abs and everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that elusive goal. But they also know that developing your core muscles and shedding those last remaining pounds from your midsection is the hardest task of all. Simply putting in some extra work on the ab machines in the gym wouldn’t cut it – you need something extra to make your workout “work” for you. Here are a few tips that you can follow to tweak your exercise strategy and get the most from your workout on an abs machine: 

Mind your breathing 

Any fitness trainer can preach for hours on the importance of proper breathing in ab workouts. Engagement of core muscles require various bodily systems to work in tandem to generate enough activity that you start feeling that fat burning. The ideal situation is that you exhale on the contraction and inhale on the negative portion of your movement repetition. Holding your breath during movements can generate even better results from your workout. 

Open your eyes 

Michelangelo didn’t create his masterpieces with his eyes closed, so what makes you think you can sculpt those perfect abs without actually looking at your good work? So go the extra mile and actually raise your head and look at your abs as you work out. Not only will this help with your concentration but it will also generate greater resistance that will eventually lead to greater muscle growth. 

Quality over quantity 

To all those fitness freaks who can pump out 100 crunches in 5 minutes, here is a toast and a tip of the hat. But think about it – does training your ab muscles for the marathon run really matter? You might be only increasing the endurance of these muscle groups and may actually miss out of strength building this way. Improve the quality of your workout by choosing different forms of exercises on the ab machine, all being repeated to a reasonable number. 

Feel the burn 

Feeling the resistance on every repetition is getting instant gratification for all your efforts. Why not crank up the resistance and add more weight on your machine? This way you get to feel the searing burn of fat every time your core muscles are engaged while ensuring that you get more results from all the efforts you are putting in to build those ab muscles. 

Act like you got ‘em 

It may sound silly but your mind needs to know that you got some good results after every session on the ab machine. So each day, as you finish off your abs routine at the gym, go ahead and pose for your benefit. Contract your core and let your eyes witness the result of all the good work you have done. You’ll be amazed at the positive effect this simple step will have on your overall workout mood. 

See – getting abs that look as though they are carved out of wood isn’t all that difficult. Just follow these tips and you should be good. 

About the Author: 

This article is written by Roland Steyn, the Director of MiFitness. MiFitness is one of South Africa's most trusted online suppliers of home-use and commercial gym equipment. They supply a wide range of high-quality exercise equipment for home and corporate use.