As we get more conscious about out health and fitness, more and more people are trying to learn how to build muscle effectively. One of the biggest areas of interest is celebrity workouts and today we are going to delve into the Sylvester Stallone abs workout to explain how "Rocky" achieved his physique.
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.
Despite sticking to the old classic moves, this workout delivers a very intense session. However, if you are trying to copy the style of The Italian Stallion you were probably expecting this much.
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.
* Floor Crunch.
* Oblique crunches.
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Torso twists.
* Abdominal wheel rolls.
We'll start with the first exercise on today's shortlist, which is the crunch. This is probably the most popular abdominal exercise in existence today but many people unwittingly get the technique wrong, causing themselves to lose many of the benefits. Those with back issues can substitute the floor for an exercise ball if they wish, something which Sly himself now does.
The aim here is to perform three sets of 30 reps. If you can't manage this at first you should start with fifteen and increase the reps as your strength improves. The technique here is very simple. Simply focus your attention on tensing the upper stomach muscles as you reach the peak of each repetition, resulting in a brief pause before returning to the starting position.
By adding a twist to the end of each crunch you'll be able to perform the second exercise in Sly's routine. Again, this can be performed on an exercise ball if you wish. This targets the muscles which you'll notice on the outside of your stomach, called the obliques. To further advance this move when you feel ready, try bicycle crunches.
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.
In the gym, Sly has stated on many occasions that if he could only take one core strength exercise with him to desert island it would be the next one. Rotary oblique twists, also known as broomstick twists, are a fantastic move for toning and strengthening your obliques. By performing this move on a decline bench you'll also be able to strengthen your entire core section, including your lower back.
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.
This move targets your entire midsection and is one of the 'go to exercises' for people looking to build functional fitness. As you roll the wheel out in front of you, focus on contracting your midsection much in the same way you would during a plank exercise. This really challenges every part of your core due to the lack of balance. As you improve you will notice an increase in your range of motion during each rep you perform.
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.
Despite sticking to the old classic moves, this workout delivers a very intense session. However, if you are trying to copy the style of The Italian Stallion you were probably expecting this much.
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.
* Floor Crunch.
* Oblique crunches.
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Torso twists.
* Abdominal wheel rolls.
We'll start with the first exercise on today's shortlist, which is the crunch. This is probably the most popular abdominal exercise in existence today but many people unwittingly get the technique wrong, causing themselves to lose many of the benefits. Those with back issues can substitute the floor for an exercise ball if they wish, something which Sly himself now does.
The aim here is to perform three sets of 30 reps. If you can't manage this at first you should start with fifteen and increase the reps as your strength improves. The technique here is very simple. Simply focus your attention on tensing the upper stomach muscles as you reach the peak of each repetition, resulting in a brief pause before returning to the starting position.
By adding a twist to the end of each crunch you'll be able to perform the second exercise in Sly's routine. Again, this can be performed on an exercise ball if you wish. This targets the muscles which you'll notice on the outside of your stomach, called the obliques. To further advance this move when you feel ready, try bicycle crunches.
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.
In the gym, Sly has stated on many occasions that if he could only take one core strength exercise with him to desert island it would be the next one. Rotary oblique twists, also known as broomstick twists, are a fantastic move for toning and strengthening your obliques. By performing this move on a decline bench you'll also be able to strengthen your entire core section, including your lower back.
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.
This move targets your entire midsection and is one of the 'go to exercises' for people looking to build functional fitness. As you roll the wheel out in front of you, focus on contracting your midsection much in the same way you would during a plank exercise. This really challenges every part of your core due to the lack of balance. As you improve you will notice an increase in your range of motion during each rep you perform.
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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Author: Find out how to build muscle with personal trainer Russ Howe PTI's easy guide to the sylvester stallone abs workout next.
