One Move For Ripped Abs: Cross Body Crunch
What do you always see in the BOD commercials? The dude with the six pack walking or playing some sport and the women are just staring in awe. Do you want to be that dude? Of course ladies want nice toned abs too.
Yes it does take strict dieting and cardiovascular exercise to achieve the definition but you do need to train the abs so the muscles have that brick-like effect once your body fat disappears so they are more visible.
Crunches and Leg Raises are the craze when it comes to ab training and they are good. There is an exercise that is not as popular but it is every bit as effective as the other two. Let's get in Cross Body Crunches.
Lie flat on your back and bend your knees about 60 degrees. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and place your hands loosely behind your head. Do not clinch your hands together. This will be your starting position. Now curl up and bring your right elbow and shoulder across your body while bring your left knee in toward your left shoulder at the same time.
Reach with your elbow and try to touch your knee. Exhale as you perform this movement. Try to bring your shoulder up toward your knee rather than just your elbow and remember that the key is to contract the abs as you perform the movement; not just to move the elbow. Now go back down to the starting position as you inhale and repeat with the left elbow and the right knee. Continue alternating in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.
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If you need further instruction than this or perhaps a video demonstration check out the Bodybuilding.com Exercise Database. Once you have the movement down, let's go to the gym and learn how to put it into your routine.
Actually you don't even need to go to the gym for this one, do you? You can do this movement at home or if you are traveling and stuck in the hotel you can do Cross Body Crunches right in your room so you know you trained the abs if nothing else that day. These routines will do it for you.
The 100 Workout
In case you are short on time, this is a great routine to get you in and out of the gym or onto something else you have to do if you are not in the gym. This is unique and if you never tried this before you will be in for a shock. Go for as many reps as you can until you reach failure. You go for as many reps as you can and once you hit failure you rest for the number of seconds it takes to get to a total of 100.
Let's say you got 35 reps on your first set as an example. You rest for 65 seconds before continuing (35 + 65 = 100). Once you finish resting you do another set until you reach failure again. Say you get 25 more this time. You take that 25 and add the previous 45 for 60 total reps. You now rest for 40 seconds (60 + 40 = 100). Now you do a third set and get 20 so now you are up to 80 total reps. That means you rest for only 20 seconds. This process continues until you get to 100 total reps.
This appears complicated but once you do it you will understand it and may even enjoy the challenge in getting to 100 total reps with less rest than the previous workout.
The 100 Workout Example: Cross Body Crunch
- Set 1: 35 reps with 65 seconds rest
- Set 2: 25 reps (60 total) with 40 seconds rest
- Set 3: 20 reps (80 total) with 20 seconds rest
- Set 4: 15 reps (95 total) with 5 seconds rest
- Set 5: 5 reps
FST-7
Hany Rambod's training routine is effective if used properly in developing your abs. Fascia Stretch Training 7 works regardless of what it is you are training. The part to focus on is the seven sets of 8-12 reps with no more than 45 seconds rest between each set. You can use one version of the wrist curl and do 3-4 sets before using the other version for the sevens.
- Ab Exercise: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, with 90 seconds rest
- Cross Body Crunch: 7 sets of 8-12 reps, with no more than 45 seconds rest
Next time you are training abs, do the cross body crunch at the beginning and the other ab exercise for the sevens.
- Cross Body Crunch: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with 90 seconds rest.
- Ab Exercise: 7 sets of 8-12 reps with no more than 45 seconds rest.
FST-7 Reverse
You can also do FST-7 Reverse. Do the sevens first with either exercise and then do the other movement for 3-4 sets.
- Cross Body Crunch: 7 sets of 8-12 reps with no more than 45 seconds rest.
- Ab Exercise: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with 90 seconds rest.
Next time, do this routine with the exercises flipped to prevent the workout from getting boring.
- Ab Exercise: 7 sets of 8-12 reps with no more than 45 seconds rest.
- Cross Body Crunch: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with 90 seconds rest.
10 sets of 10
Although this is known as German Volume Training and is used to build strength this is good for ab training too. 100 reps total makes sure your abs are completely fatigued and will have no choice but to get stronger. Rest for 90 seconds between each set.
- Cross Body Crunch: 10 sets of 10 reps each way with 90 seconds rest.
The Burn
This is another one you may not see in the magazines but is effective nonetheless. You do a set of 10 reps and hold the 10th rep for 10 seconds. Then you do nine reps and hold the ninth for nine seconds. This process continues until you finally have one rep to hold for one second. This sounds simple but do it and have a new appreciation for its difficulty.
Cross Body Crunch:
- 10 reps with a 10 second hold on the 10th.
- 9 reps with a 9-second hold on the 9th
- 8 reps with an 8-second hold on the 8th
- 7 reps with a 7-second hold on the 7th
- 6 reps with a 6-second hold on the 6th
- 5 reps with a 5-seconds hold on the 5th
- 4 reps with a 4-seconds hold on the 4th
- 3 reps with a 3-second hold on the 3rd
- 2 reps with a 2-seconds hold on the 2nd
- 1 rep with a 1-second hold
Note: Do all of these in one direction and then switch it up and do them the other direction. That means you are doing 110 reps total (55 each side).
Conclusion
Keep rotating these workouts to prevent boredom and to keep those abs guessing so they will continue to improve. As you train the abs harder and continue to eat properly and do effective cardio you will see those abs that will make others "want your BOD".