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.
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.
While some of the movements today will seem very familiar there are also a few old classics that most fitness enthusiasts have forgotten about so we'll provide you with a guide to each one.
* Floor Crunch.
* Oblique crunches.
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Torso twists.
* The wheel.
The first stop in today's workout is a regular crunch. The trouble with crunches is most people perform them slightly wrong and put unnecessary stress on their neck by pulling from behind the head. For those who feel back discomfort while doing floor crunches, feel free to use an exercise ball instead. Sly himself made this change during the late nineties.
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.
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.
Perhaps the most surprising move in today's session is the next exercise, which Sly credits with building his best ever midsection during the mid-to-late 1980's. The torso twist is an often overlooked exercise which targets your obliques. However, by performing this move on a decline bench you will be able to switch the target to your entire core, incorporating every single muscle in your stomach and lower back. This is a great move for building core strength.
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.
The trick is all in the technique. Get this wrong and you won't feel it where you are supposed to, or you will end up falling flat onto your face! Slowly roll the wheel away from your knees until you reach a point where you cannot roll any further forward without compromising your balance. As you become stronger and more familiar with the move you'll be able to generate a bigger range of movement.
There you have it, folks. The Sylvester Stallone abs workout is a brutal affair but you probably wouldn't want it any other way. After all, if you want to learn how to build muscle the same way The Italian Stallion did you should be prepared for some of the most brutal workouts you have performed in your life.
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.
While some of the movements today will seem very familiar there are also a few old classics that most fitness enthusiasts have forgotten about so we'll provide you with a guide to each one.
* Floor Crunch.
* Oblique crunches.
* Elevated Knee Raise.
* Torso twists.
* The wheel.
The first stop in today's workout is a regular crunch. The trouble with crunches is most people perform them slightly wrong and put unnecessary stress on their neck by pulling from behind the head. For those who feel back discomfort while doing floor crunches, feel free to use an exercise ball instead. Sly himself made this change during the late nineties.
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.
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.
Perhaps the most surprising move in today's session is the next exercise, which Sly credits with building his best ever midsection during the mid-to-late 1980's. The torso twist is an often overlooked exercise which targets your obliques. However, by performing this move on a decline bench you will be able to switch the target to your entire core, incorporating every single muscle in your stomach and lower back. This is a great move for building core strength.
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.
The trick is all in the technique. Get this wrong and you won't feel it where you are supposed to, or you will end up falling flat onto your face! Slowly roll the wheel away from your knees until you reach a point where you cannot roll any further forward without compromising your balance. As you become stronger and more familiar with the move you'll be able to generate a bigger range of movement.
There you have it, folks. The Sylvester Stallone abs workout is a brutal affair but you probably wouldn't want it any other way. After all, if you want to learn how to build muscle the same way The Italian Stallion did you should be prepared for some of the most brutal workouts you have performed in your life.
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About the author: Find out how to build muscle with top gym coach Russ Howe PTI's easy guide to the sylvester stallone abs workout next.
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