Abs are a very important part of the body. I guess everyone out there strives to get the 6-pack just for the look, but most people don't have the work-ethic to get it. Strong abs give you better mobility in the air and will help you play defense. When defending, you can't reach in and keep your balance without strong legs and nice abs. Following this program for 10 weeks will give you nice, cut abdominal muscles. Feel free to start over and increase the reps when you are done. Good Luck!
Weeks 1-3: Do only 50 reps on each exercise on the first 3 weeks.
Crunch
Lying on the floor, concentrate on pulling your rib cage and pelvis toward each other as you slowly curl your head and shoulders off the floor. Keep your head and neck in line by imagining that you're holding a softball between your chin and chest. When your hands are by your ears, don't pull on your head.
Knees bent, feet on
floor, arms on chest
Straight Crunches
Same as the crunch. Lay on the ground with your backs and legs straight. Your legs should not be bent like a normal crunch!
Leg Lifts
Lay on your back identical to the straight crunches exercise. Lift your legs 6 inches off the ground, hold for 20 seconds, lift them to 12 inches, hold for 15 seconds, lift them to 18 inches, and hold them for 10 seconds. Do all of this without dropping your legs to the floor. This will be hard.
Twisting Crunches
Same as the crunch. But as you twist your upper body, concentrate on pulling your shoulder, not your elbow, toward the opposite knee.
Weeks 4-7: You should go to failure on every single exercise.
Side Bends: Hold a dumbell in each hand, in a balanced position. Bend your body to the left side as far as you can go staying while staying balanced, and then return your body to the original position. Finish one rep by doing the same in the left direction. You should be doing the exercise with only your abdominal muscles.
Wall Crunches: Put both feet on a wall with your butt approximately one foot away. Do a crunch.
Bicycle Crunch: Start in a normal crunch position. Lift your feet off the ground and start "pedaling" like you were riding a bike. Now do twisting crunches with your legs moving in that manner.
Two-Second Holds: Do a crunch and hold the crunch in the up position for two seconds.
Weeks 7-10: In the final stage of the abdominal muscle workout, you will be doing every exercise with weights. Go to failure on every exercise.
Crunch: Normal Crunch with weights.
Medicine Ball Crunch: Do a normal crunch but hold a medicine ball behind your head. If you do not have a medicine ball, you can simply use a basketball.
Side Bends: Same as the second stage exercise, use more weight.
Wall Crunches: Same as the second stage exercise, hold a weighted plate above your head.
