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Lots of fitness enthusiasts around the world are trying to build a body similar to their favorite celebrity. None more so than Rocky Balboa himself. If your goal is to learn how to build muscle, the Sylvester Stallone abs workout is something you'll undoubtedly be very interested in.
While a lot of celebrity workout plans leave a lot to be desired and tend to incorporate the latest fitness fad, you probably won't be surprised to hear that this one sticks to the absolute basics. If you can combine this with the principles of a good muscle building diet, however, you will get very far indeed.
Don't let this fool you, however. The workout may stick the the old classic movements but it certainly isn't easy. Naturally, given that you want to train like Rocky you probably weren't looking for something simple.
There are a few exercises today which you'll already be familiar with but those which present a new challenge will be fully explained for you.
* Crunches on the floor or with an exercise ball.
* Twisting Crunches
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Rotary Oblique Twists.
* Abdominal wheel rolls.
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.
Attempt to perform three sets of thirty repetitions of the floor crunch. If you find this too difficult, you can start by aiming for fifteen and working your way up to the target figure at a later date. The key to crunches is maintaining a slow tempo, really focusing on the contraction of the upper abs each time you reach the top of a repetition.
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.
The hanging knee raise is an exercise which is performed incorrectly by most gym members. People tend to place too much emphasis on their legs and this results in a good workout for your hip flexor muscles but leave the abs relatively untrained. The golden rule for this particular exercise, which was adopted by Sly himself, is to bend at the knee to eliminate the temptation to swing. Contract the lower abdominal muscles to lift your knees up. Focus on rolling your abs back as you complete the move, making this a very tough exercise.
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.
Your final exercise is as old as the gym itself. The ab wheel was one of the first pieces of core stability equipment to be developed and it's so effective at it's job that the design hasn't changed very much over the last 50 years.
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.
Make no mistakes, the Sylvester Stallone abs workout is every bit as tough as you would expect it to be. However, if your primary goal is to learn how to build muscle with classic, old school moves then this workout definitely has some great benefits to it.
While a lot of celebrity workout plans leave a lot to be desired and tend to incorporate the latest fitness fad, you probably won't be surprised to hear that this one sticks to the absolute basics. If you can combine this with the principles of a good muscle building diet, however, you will get very far indeed.
Discover how to build muscle with 5 simple rules.
Don't let this fool you, however. The workout may stick the the old classic movements but it certainly isn't easy. Naturally, given that you want to train like Rocky you probably weren't looking for something simple.
There are a few exercises today which you'll already be familiar with but those which present a new challenge will be fully explained for you.
* Crunches on the floor or with an exercise ball.
* Twisting Crunches
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Rotary Oblique Twists.
* Abdominal wheel rolls.
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.
Attempt to perform three sets of thirty repetitions of the floor crunch. If you find this too difficult, you can start by aiming for fifteen and working your way up to the target figure at a later date. The key to crunches is maintaining a slow tempo, really focusing on the contraction of the upper abs each time you reach the top of a repetition.
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.
The hanging knee raise is an exercise which is performed incorrectly by most gym members. People tend to place too much emphasis on their legs and this results in a good workout for your hip flexor muscles but leave the abs relatively untrained. The golden rule for this particular exercise, which was adopted by Sly himself, is to bend at the knee to eliminate the temptation to swing. Contract the lower abdominal muscles to lift your knees up. Focus on rolling your abs back as you complete the move, making this a very tough exercise.
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.
Your final exercise is as old as the gym itself. The ab wheel was one of the first pieces of core stability equipment to be developed and it's so effective at it's job that the design hasn't changed very much over the last 50 years.
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.
Make no mistakes, the Sylvester Stallone abs workout is every bit as tough as you would expect it to be. However, if your primary goal is to learn how to build muscle with classic, old school moves then this workout definitely has some great benefits to it.
About the Author:
Author: Find out how to build muscle with personal trainer Russ Howe PTI's easy guide to the sylvester stallone abs workout today.
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