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ABDOMINALS |
ADVANCED
ROUTINE: MIKE VRABEL
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GOOD LOOKS AND ABS LIKE THESE?
Some dudes have all the flippin’ luck. Amateur
bodybuilder and aspiring fitness model Mike Vrabel obviously
has been paying his dues in the gym. Sure, you can hate him,
but it can’t hurt to take his advice in the meantime, right?
>> “If abs are what you
want, work them first,” Mike says. “When I’m trying to shape
my abs and really bring them out, that’s what I do.”
>> Focus on making
each repetition perfect — 20 great reps are better than 100
poorly executed ones.
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#5 |
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EXERCISE |
SETS
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REPS
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Leg Raise
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3
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20 |
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Hanging Knee Raise |
3 |
20 |
| Decline Crunch |
3 |
15–25 |
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Twisting Crunch |
3 |
30 |
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LEG RAISE
START: Mike likes to hit
the lower portion of his abs up front in his routine, so he
performs this movement first. Lie down, head on the floor,
and place your hands under your glutes to stabilise your
torso.
MOVE: Begin the
movement with your legs extended about 6 inches above the
floor. “With my knees soft [not locked out], I raise my legs
up toward the ceiling, then lower them slowly to the start
position.” Mike stresses feeling the negative on the
downward motion, and keeping tension on the muscle every
inch of the way. “It’s not a major ab builder, but it’s a
great warm up for my next exercise, hanging knee raises,
which also focus on my lower abs.”
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‘‘Get to the point where you feel
that
burn — and then push to get maybe five
more reps after that,” Mike says.
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HANGING
KNEE RAISE
START:
For this move, set your elbows within the hanging sleeves
and begin with your torso completely straight and knees
slightly bent.
MOVE: Lift your legs,
bending your knees on the way up while slightly rounding
your lower back and bringing your glutes forward. When your
quads reach a point just above perpendicular to your torso,
pause, then lower your legs.
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DECLINE CRUNCH
START: Mike
likes to lie flat and stretch out his abs before
beginning the movement. “My hands are behind my
head, my elbows pointed out. Keep a loose grip
behind your head and focus on holding your
elbows out so you don’t use your hands to jerk
your neck up, which people tend to do when their
ab muscles are fatigued. I stay focused on
keeping my neck aligned with my spine throughout
the movement.”
MOVE:
Raise your torso just short of sitting up to
maintain stress on your abs, pause briefly, then
slowly lower your torso about three-quarters of
the way down before starting the next rep.
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TWISTING
CRUNCH
START: Lie on your back, knees bent,
arms extended a few inches off the floor
alongside your hips.
MOVE:
Raise your left shoulder blade off the floor as
you reach with your left arm across your torso
to your right knee, return to the start and do
the same for the opposite side. Continue
alternating, right side, then left, until you
complete the set.
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Source:
One
of the
magazines of MUSCLE
& FITNESS
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