Do You Really Need To Do Specific Ab Exercises/Cardio To Get A Decent Looking Torso?

Got this question through my email from one of my blog friends.

"If I'm on the average lean bulk diet/workout, do i need to do specific ab exercises/cardio to get a decent looking torso or is it doable without?

Of course adding in abs work at the end of your workouts will help to make them stronger and will cross over well to your other lifts. Your core will be engaged and get work on all your compound lifts, and as long as your diet is good, you don’t “really” need any direct ab work to look good.

A clean diet obviously plays a big role, but you should do specific exercises to get a bigger core. The game changer for me in getting visible abs/obliques was treating them just like any other muscle group. I started to do resistance training instead of body weight exercises like crunches & incorporated rest days.

Running is generally a very good way to lean out abs. Combining ab exercise to strengthen the core and bring out the ab muscle whilst you lean out on cardio, will provide best of both worlds. Variable loading running is found to burn most, activating that deep fat burn. So sprints during a 5k run including paced walking to catch the breath and mostly jogging up and down hills. It's hard, but running is best. For better abs, do bicycle crunches, side to side weight on side, leg raises and holding, bridge do well to strengthen core. And doing one of them each day 3 sets will strengthen it quick.

As said before, diet can help have biggest affect on ab fat if you eat clean diet. That's why bulking and cutting don't mix. Do one or the other. But cut out sugar drinks, including beer and coffee. Full milk is fine. Lean breakfast, eggs, salads. Lunch salads and lean fish, no fried food, eat 6 small meals a day with supplementing fruits in-between for energy as needed. 

Drink only water, drink when thirsty, no need to over work kidneys for no reason, 1-2L a day is normal. Dinner salad with lean protein. Avoid sauces, i use hot sauces myself, but for flavor. Use spices not sauces for food. If salad, to blend - use vinegar. Balsamic vinegar or olive oil. Basically with running the diet will elan you out. Have cheat days and rewards a few times a week of sweet deserts to reward.

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