[TRAINING]

>> IMAGES BY Cindy Ellis

>> WORKOUT SUPPLIED AND PERFORMED BY
Gavin Perry, WBFF pro athlete

>> SHOT ON LOCATION AT CrossFit Proform

ur abdominal muscles perform multiple

functions and, accordingly, there are just as
many ways to train them. The functional roles
our various ab muscles play in stabilisation and
power generation have been covered extensively
in this magazine before, but theyre also a vital element in
creating the ultimate physique.
However, abdominal development for
aesthetics requires a slightly different approach
to core strength development, for instance.
As has been discussed on these pages before,
elevating your midsection to legendary status
is dependent on two key elements a strict

36 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014

diet to achieve a low body fat percentage, which

exposes the rectus abdominis, obliques and
serratus anterior muscles underneath, and
the right exercises to target these abdominal
muscles to create the ultimate midsection.
Having covered the exercises we can do to

develop a strong, functional core, and exercises

against resistance that build thicker, sicker
abs, here follows a bodyweight ab routine that
has sculpted the midsection of one of South
Africas most impressive physiques.
Gavin Perry won his division at the 2014
WBFF SA Spectacular earlier this year thanks
to his balance, symmetry, conditioning, and
his abs. That combination earned him the title
of Muscle Model champion and a WBFF pro
card, which entitled him to line up against the
best physiques on earth at the WBFF World
Championships. We caught Gavin just before
he left for Las Vegas to get the scoop on his
toughest, most effective ab workout.

12

MOVES
FOR A

MUSCLE MODEL
MIDSECTION
Perfecting the art of
ab development
for aesthetics

THE WORKOUT

12 moves to chiselled abs

EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

Hanging knee raises

20 to 25

Side plank raises

15 each side

Hanging twisted knee raises

15 each side

Alternating single leg plank holds

15 each side

Assisted V-ups

20 to 25

Straight spider planks

10 each side

Sky stab crunches

20 to 25

Side spider planks

15 each side

Twisted oblique crunches

15

Plank tricep press ups

20

Bicycle crunches

15

Core windmill twist

15 each side

*Swop the standard exercise with one

of the progressions (if available) when
your core strength has improved or
youre looking for a tougher ab session.
You can also include a few of these
moves after specific workouts every
other day if you dont want to perform a
dedicate ab workout each week.

www.fitnessHE.co.za FITNESS HIS EDITION 37

The key to this

move is keeping
your core tight
and removing
all momentum.
This is about
strength, not
hanging around!

HANGING
KNEE RAISES

Hang from a pull up bar with your arms

fully extended. Keep your core tight and
raise your knees to 90 degrees. Lower
them back down to the starting position
and repeat for the required reps.

2
PROGRESSION 1:
HANGING 90 DEGREE
LEG RAISES

HANGING TWISTED
KNEE RAISES

Hang from a pull up bar with your arms fully

extended. Keep your core tight as you raise your
knees to the left side while maintaining a 90-degree
bend in your legs. Lower your legs back to the
starting position and repeat the movement on the
right side. Repeat for the required reps.
A

Hang from a pull up bar with your arms

fully extended. Keep your core tight and
raise your legs to 90 degrees. Lower
them back down to the starting position
and repeat for the required reps.

PROGRESSION 1: HANGING
TWISTED 90 DEGREE LEG RAISES
Hang from a pull up bar with your arms fully extended.
Keep your core tight and raise your straight legs to
the left side, before lowering them back to the starting
position in a controlled manner. Next, raise straight
legs to 90 degrees to right side, before lowering them
back to starting position.

PROGRESSION 2:
HANGING LEG RAISES
Hang from a pull up bar with your arms
fully extended. Keep your core tight
and raise your legs through a full range
of motion until your toes touch the bar
between your hands. Lower your legs
back down to the starting position and
repeat for the required reps.

38 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014

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[TRAINING]

ASSISTED
V-UPS

Lie flat on the floor, on a gym mat

or towel. Raise your upper body off
the mat with assistance from both
hands. Keep your legs stretched out
and straight, and lean backwards
with your upper body as you
simultaneously raise your knees and
torso towards each other. Return to
the lower braced position and repeat
for the required reps.

PROGRESSION 1: V-UPS
Lie flat on the floor, on a gym mat or towel. With
your arms and legs stretched out, contract your abs
and raise your arms and legs simultaneously in to a
V-shaped position. Lower yourself back down to the
starting position and repeat for the required reps.

SKY STAB
CRUNCHES

Lie flat on the floor, on a gym mat.

Place your feet on the floor and raise
your knees to a 90 degree angle. Stretch
your arms upward and keep them
straight. Perform an upward crunch as
if to try touch the roof with your hands.
Return to the starting position and
repeat for the required reps.
B

40 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014

5CRUNCHES

[TRAINING
]
TWISTED
OBLIQUE

Lie flat on the floor, on a gym mat or towel. Bring

your knees to 90 degrees and then lean to the side.
Position your hands behind your ears, exhale and
crunch your torso towards your knees. Return to
the starting position and complete the required
reps on one side before switching your knees to
the other side.

7SIDE PLANK RAISES

While lying on your side, on a mat, raise your torso

and shift your elbow under your body at a 90 degree
angle. Keep your other arm straight and pointed directly
upwards. Start with your hip lowered on the mat, then
raise it up, as far away from the mat as possible. Return
to the starting position and repeat for the required reps.
Swop sides and repeat.

A
B

BICYCLE
CRUNCHES

Lie flat on the floor, on a gym mat or towel. Place

your hands behind your ears. Raise one knee
towards your head while simultaneously crunching
your torso off the mat. Attempt to touch your knee
to the opposite elbow. Immediately repeat on the
opposite side.

PROGRESSION 1: ADVANCED SIDE PLANKS

While lying on your side, on a mat, raise your torso and shift your elbow under your body at a
90 degree angle. Keep your other arm straight and pointed directly upwards. Raise your free
leg up to a 30 degree angle away from your lower, supporting leg while keeping it straight.
Start with your hip on the mat, then raise it up as far away from the mat as possible. Return
to the starting position and repeat for the required reps. Swop sides and repeat.

A
B

Note how he pulls his naval in and towards his spine.

The key with doing planks is keeping the core tight
throughout. Do not let your hips sag down.

STRAIGHT SPIDER PLANKS

In the plank position, with your core and abs braced, raise one
knee inwards under your body towards your elbow. Return to the starting
position and change to the other leg. Alternate legs with each rep.

SIDE SPIDER PLANKS

In the plank position, with your core and abs braced, raise one knee
out to side of your body towards your elbow. Return to the starting position
and then change to the other leg. Alternate legs with each rep.

10

ALTERNATING SINGLE LEG

PLANK HOLDS

From a push-up position with the mat below you, drop your forearms down
onto the mat so that they create a 90 degree angle at the elbow joint. This is
the starting plank position. Keep your core and abs tight at all times. Hold
this position for 20 seconds, then raise one leg off the floor and to the side.
Hold this position for 20 seconds. Change legs and hold the opposite side
for another 20 seconds.

www.fitnessHE.co.za FITNESS HIS EDITION 43

[TRAINING]

11

PLANK TRICEP
PRESS UPS

In the plank position, with your core and abs braced, raise your upper
body into a push-up position by pressing up with one arm at a time. Lower
yourself back down, one arm at a time, into the plank position again.
Thats one rep. Alternate the arm you use to push up first with on each
subsequent rep.

PROGRESSION 1: ADVANCED PLANK

TRICEP PRESS UPS
In the plank position, with your core and abs braced, raise one leg off the
ground. Keep it straight as you hold it in the air and out to the side. Raise
your upper body into the push-up position by pressing up with one arm at
a time, then lower yourself back down, one arm at a time, back into the
plank position. Thats one rep. Alternate the arm you use to push up first
with on each subsequent rep.

PERFECTING THE ABDOMINAL BRACE

When executing any ab exercise, be it core stabilisation work, trunk
exion or rotation, or any compound or functional movement for
that matter, you need to learn to engage your core stabilisers.

This is achieved through ab bracing - a

sustained mild contraction of the abdominal
wall, glutes and erector muscles that helps to
create spinal stability. This reduces the likelihood

of injury and ensures that you are targeting

the right muscles during the exercise, not the
weaker accessory muscles or the ones your body
may be using to compensate for a weak core.

LEARN TO BRACE:
1. Stand upright and place one hand on the small of your back and one
hand on your abdomen.
2. Cough or exhale forcefully. This will activate and contract your
abs, lower back, and glutes.
This is what braced abs should feel like, something you
should aim to activate every time you engage in abdominal
or core stabilisation work, or any compound or
functional exercise.

12

CORE WINDMILL TWIST

From a push-up position, with your abs and core

braced, shift your weight onto one straightened arm as you lift the
other arm and rotate your torso outwards. Rotate until your arm is
fully extended and pointing directly upwards. Return to the starting
position and then rotate to the opposite side.

44 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014