Learning how to build muscle can be a tricky affair. Many people get lost in the endless confusion and new fads to hit the market, getting nowhere fast. A lot of tire of trying to learn how to do it for themselves and instead go in search of workouts used by their favorite celebrities. The Sylvester Stallone abs workout is undoubtedly one of the most popular results in this category.
Make no mistake about it, the sculpted six pack you see in the Rocky movies didn't come cheap. However, if you can combine this style of training with some of the proven muscle building principles towards your diet and rest you will see fantastic results with it.
This workout is quite brutal and you are going to be pushed very hard. However, there is something about training like Rocky Balboa that seems to warrant a brutal session like this. After all, if it was ridiculously easy you would probably complain, right?
There are a few exercises in today's workout which you may not have encountered before so we will walk you through each one.
* Crunches on the floor or with an exercise ball.
* Crunches with a twist.
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Broomstick Twist.
* Ab Wheel Roll-out.
The first exercise on today's schedule is the good old crunch. If you are able to perform this on the floor without any equipment then you should do that, however if you want to use an exercise ball to provide comfort for your back then this is a perfectly fine adaptation to make. In fact, Sly made this change himself in the late 1990's after injuring his lower back on a during a stunt on the disaster movie Daylight.
This move is all about tempo and technique. Have you ever met anyone who claims to do 1000 crunches per day? You'll notice that they tend to blast through the reps and don't actually feel any soreness or get any results from their mammoth workouts. Work up to 3 sets of 30 reps on this exercise, focusing on keeping a slow controlled pace and focusing on contracting your upper abs each time you roll forward into the finishing position.
Another of Sly's favorite exercises is crunches with an additional twist at the end of each rep. This allows you to place the emphasis of the move on the oblique muscles. Most of us know these as the tiny muscles which run down the outside of the six pack area.
Elevated knee raises are a move which you'll often seen performed wrong in gyms around the world. Instead of swinging your legs forward and putting stress on your hip flexor muscles, try doing this move with knees bent at a ninety degree angle and lift them by contracting your lower abdominal region. Roll your abs back as your knees come up, holding the tension briefly before completing each repetition.
The broomstick twist is an incredibly basic movement, yet it is the exercise credited with giving Sly his sculpted six pack for Rocky VI. To perform this move simply acquire a decline bench and place a broomstick or barbell across your shoulders. As you sit upright, twist to each side for ten repetitions. The combination of the twisting motion and the decline bench will present a fantastic opportunity for your to develop the midsection you have wanted to achieve for years.
Finally, we move onto the wheel. This piece of equipment has existed in gyms for many decades and remains one of the most underutilized pieces of kit. The reason this exercise is kept until last is because you won't want to work out any longer if you get this technique correct.
Come up onto your knees and simply push the wheel out in front of you as far as your balance will allow, the roll it back towards your body. Try to perform thirty repetitions without resting. As you progress here you will notice that you are able to wheel further away from your centre of gravity and provide yourself with an even tougher workout. To begin with, however, try to reach shoulder level with the wheel on each rep.
Despite being over 20 years old, the Sylvester Stallone abs workout remains a great workout session. If you want to know how to build muscle effectively in your midsection, this plan covers all the bases and leaves areas in doubt on your quest to a six pack.
Make no mistake about it, the sculpted six pack you see in the Rocky movies didn't come cheap. However, if you can combine this style of training with some of the proven muscle building principles towards your diet and rest you will see fantastic results with it.
This workout is quite brutal and you are going to be pushed very hard. However, there is something about training like Rocky Balboa that seems to warrant a brutal session like this. After all, if it was ridiculously easy you would probably complain, right?
There are a few exercises in today's workout which you may not have encountered before so we will walk you through each one.
* Crunches on the floor or with an exercise ball.
* Crunches with a twist.
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Broomstick Twist.
* Ab Wheel Roll-out.
The first exercise on today's schedule is the good old crunch. If you are able to perform this on the floor without any equipment then you should do that, however if you want to use an exercise ball to provide comfort for your back then this is a perfectly fine adaptation to make. In fact, Sly made this change himself in the late 1990's after injuring his lower back on a during a stunt on the disaster movie Daylight.
This move is all about tempo and technique. Have you ever met anyone who claims to do 1000 crunches per day? You'll notice that they tend to blast through the reps and don't actually feel any soreness or get any results from their mammoth workouts. Work up to 3 sets of 30 reps on this exercise, focusing on keeping a slow controlled pace and focusing on contracting your upper abs each time you roll forward into the finishing position.
Another of Sly's favorite exercises is crunches with an additional twist at the end of each rep. This allows you to place the emphasis of the move on the oblique muscles. Most of us know these as the tiny muscles which run down the outside of the six pack area.
Elevated knee raises are a move which you'll often seen performed wrong in gyms around the world. Instead of swinging your legs forward and putting stress on your hip flexor muscles, try doing this move with knees bent at a ninety degree angle and lift them by contracting your lower abdominal region. Roll your abs back as your knees come up, holding the tension briefly before completing each repetition.
The broomstick twist is an incredibly basic movement, yet it is the exercise credited with giving Sly his sculpted six pack for Rocky VI. To perform this move simply acquire a decline bench and place a broomstick or barbell across your shoulders. As you sit upright, twist to each side for ten repetitions. The combination of the twisting motion and the decline bench will present a fantastic opportunity for your to develop the midsection you have wanted to achieve for years.
Finally, we move onto the wheel. This piece of equipment has existed in gyms for many decades and remains one of the most underutilized pieces of kit. The reason this exercise is kept until last is because you won't want to work out any longer if you get this technique correct.
Come up onto your knees and simply push the wheel out in front of you as far as your balance will allow, the roll it back towards your body. Try to perform thirty repetitions without resting. As you progress here you will notice that you are able to wheel further away from your centre of gravity and provide yourself with an even tougher workout. To begin with, however, try to reach shoulder level with the wheel on each rep.
Despite being over 20 years old, the Sylvester Stallone abs workout remains a great workout session. If you want to know how to build muscle effectively in your midsection, this plan covers all the bases and leaves areas in doubt on your quest to a six pack.
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