Acquiring and Maintaining Abs

By Shawn Jenkins

I have been asked over and over again, how did you get your abs and how do you maintain them? The way you acquire and maintain them is exercise, diet and rest. Intense cardio has always been the way for me.

My cardio consists of studio cycling minimum 2 to 3 times a week. On the off days, stair master at level 7 or higher for 10 to 15 minutes each session. This opens up the breathing cavity, giving a more efficient workout with weights, because breathing is very important when it comes to the force behind the power of the lift. Liquids for hydration should have little or no sugar. For those of you just starting out, I suggest you try the tread mill at a speed of 3.3 or higher, a minimum 30 minutes each session, 5 times a week.

As for diet, I suggest no fried, no dairy, low fat and low sodium. I grill my chicken or bake it, which causes the body to process the food easier. When it comes to lasagna or burgers, I don’t use hamburger meat, instead I use ground turkey. My breakfast consists of eggs, cold or hot cereal with soy milk. My snacks throughout the day consist of tuna and crackers, fruits and veggies.

The ab workout itself for beginners should consist of light abs, 4 sets of 30 reps and the first set should be to the front for the upper abs. The second and third set should consist of 30 reps on each side (the obliques). The fourth set should consist of 30 reps of leg raises for the lower abs, with the legs bent to take pressure off the back. Ideal maintenance for me is 50 reps of each set, with a 10 second isolation hold at the end of each set, increasing to 20 seconds. So a total of 200 reps a night are great and it doesn’t take long, because basically it’s a rep/second.

So happy maintenance from Shawn L. of the www.hollywoodextremeworkout.com signing off from sunny California!