Tuesday, 17 September 2013

The Sylvester Stallone Abdominal Workout Explained

By Russ Howe


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.

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.

* Crunches on the floor.

* Twisting Crunches

* Upright knee raise.

* Broomstick Twist.

* 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.

Twisting crunches offer a good variation on the standard method and will target the oblique muscles, which run down the side of the six pack. They have the same principles as a regular crunch, but by aiming your elbow at it's opposing knee you will be able to target the small oblique muscles on each side of your stomach.

Upright knee raises are another move which is often performed incorrectly in the gym. Many fitness enthusiasts unknowingly remove the stress from their stomach and place it on the hips by swinging their legs forward. Instead, perform this move with knees bent at 90 degrees and focus on pulling your knees through a contraction of the lower abdominal area, removing momentum from the equation altogether.

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.

The last exercise in the session is the abdominal wheel roll-out. Another extremely old movement, this simple piece of equipment has been an ever-present in gyms for many decades and continues to be one of the hardest exercises despite the numerous advances we have made over the years.

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.

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.




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