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.
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.
This workout is quite brutal and you are going to be pushed very hard. However, there is something about training like Rocky Balboa that seems to warrant a brutal session like this. After all, if it was ridiculously easy you would probably complain, right?
There are a few exercises in today's workout which you may not have encountered before so we will walk you through each one.
* Crunches on the floor or with an exercise ball.
* Twisting Crunches
* Hanging Knee Raise.
* Rotary Oblique 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.
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.
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.
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.
This workout is quite brutal and you are going to be pushed very hard. However, there is something about training like Rocky Balboa that seems to warrant a brutal session like this. After all, if it was ridiculously easy you would probably complain, right?
There are a few exercises in today's workout which you may not have encountered before so we will walk you through each one.
* Crunches on the floor or with an exercise ball.
* Twisting Crunches
* Hanging Knee Raise.
* Rotary Oblique 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.
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.
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.
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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What to do next: Grab the sylvester stallone abs workout right now from top gym coach Russ Howe PTI's blog. Discover how to build muscle with the UK's most followed personal trainer right now.
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