When you think of the Army you think of extreme workouts, amazing fitness and grueling exercise sessions. You think of the fittest of the fittest. And their abs are no different. They are strong, powerful and usually very ripped.

An Army style abs workout

Although I have never been in the army myself, I have often drawn inspiration from the way they train. I love the way they workout. Every session is extreme and they give 100% at all times. Even on the days that they don’t feel like working out they get out of bed and do the work anyway. It is very tough work.

I am particularly interested in how they develop their abdominal muscles. I have talked to several current and ex army members who say that they abs workouts that they used to have to do were tougher than almost anything else. Core strength was considered very important.

Here I will take a look at some of the exercises and techniques used in the army to blast the abdominal muscles and develop soldier quality six packs.

1. Massive numbers of repetitions

One of the traditional ways that soldiers in the army are taught to train their abs is with massive number of repetitions. For example, a solider might train his abs by doing 100 crunches in a row without stopping. They might not all be done with perfect technique but they are done with intensity and energy. Continue Reading

Bruce Lee had some of the best abs of all time and when I do my abs workouts I often like to do them according to his advice. While I think some of Lee’s abs training is now a little out of date, he did have some really good ideas for sculpting that six pack. Here is a simple abs workout in the style of Bruce Lee.

What is a Bruce Lee style abs workout?

First of all I should probably clarify what a Bruce Lee style workout is. Basically, it is any abs workout that is explosive, difficult, beyond the norm. It also involves a lot of twisting as Lee himself used to do a lot of that.

The Bruce Lee style abs workout

Start with a warm up of some running, heavy bag work or a bit of skipping. Walk around tensing your abs so that you can get the “feel” for contracting those particular muscles.

After that it is time for the actual workout which should look something like this:

1. Lying Leg Raises - 4 sets of 25 reps

2. Weighted Abdominal Crunches - 3 sets of 25 reps

3. Decline Sit Up Twists - 5 sets of 25 reps

This is the type of workout Lee liked. He liked to hit all areas of the abs including his hip flexors which he considered very important for flinging his kicks out as fast as possible. Remember, Lee’s abs were also a product of some strict dieting and a lot of cardio. The man had no fat on him. However, if your goal is to have strong abs that can are ready for martial arts or the sporting field then this is the type of workout you should be doing.

Everyone wants to have nice and defined abs. The problem is, there is so much bad information on the net these days that people are confused and don’t know what to do. In this post I’ll look at 8 ways to get better and more defined abs when you feel like nothing is working for you.

8 ways to get better and more defined abs

Here are some things you can take on board that will certainly bring you some good abdominal results.

1. Scrap your old routine
If you have been doing the same routine for more than two months it is time to scrap it and try something new. You need to constantly be changing your routine so that your abs do not fall into a rut. This is very important.

2. Get more quality protein
If you think you are getting enough protein but still aren’t seeing result then maybe you need to better the QUALITY of that protein. Fresh raw milk, free range eggs, etc.

3. Re-learn the techniques
The RMO abs archives are full of articles showing you how to do abs exercises correctly. If you aren’t seeing any results the problem might be that you aren’t using the proper technique. Without correct technique you will be targetting the wrong muscles. Go back and make sure you are doing things right.

4. Slow down your reps
There is a common tendancy to pump out abs exercises like Rocky did in the movie - fast and furious. While this might be good for fitness and building up midsection muscles for fighting, it really won’t help you develop your abdominal muscles in isolation. Slow each rep right down and feel the burn, this is how abs should be trained.

5. Reduce man-made carbs
Eating bread, pasta, rice and other things that have been heavily processed and manipulated will add inches to your waist. Cut them out and replace them with fruits vegetables and fresh food.

6. Lose weight
If you have fat on your belly you will not be able to see your abs. This is simple.

7. Lift heavy weights
The people with the best abs are the people who put them under lots of stress. However, the abs exercises we all do are not the only way you should be stressing them. Big weights exercises like the military press and deadlift are important ways to build your abs. They increase testosterone in the body and force muscles to grow. This is an important secret.

8. Switch from low intensity to high intensity cardio
Low intensity cardio seems to burn up a lot of muscle when it is done for a long period of time. High intensity cardio, on the other hand, is very anabolic and creates an environment in your body perfect for building muscle and losing weight. Try sprinting instead of running for hours at a time and see how you go.