Abs are not only about the washboard stomachs we have grown accustomed to seeing on the professional bodybuilding stage. There’s a lot more to it then meets the eye. The actual anatomical make up includes the rectus abdonomis, the external abdominal oblique muscles, serratus anterior and the internal abdominal oblique. Most of us tend to train our abs as a finishing touch on our overall appearance but we forget the main function of the abdominals.

The abdominals are responsible for permitting our bodies to bend forward and back as well as to the side. Their main function is keeping our posture but they also aid in keeping our body stable when participating in different activities and of course in both upper body and lower body lifts while bodybuilding. By fully understanding the functions of our abdominals we can then implement effective ways of training them.

As you read earlier, our abdominals allow us to bend forward. The best way to effectively train them is to replicate this movement while in the gym. The reason most bodybuilders train their abs is definitely to increase the overall definition of the abs. There are a number of ways to go about obtaining this.

One way is to get rid of the fat that covers the abs. This can be done through both dieting and cardiovascular activity. Another way to help define your abs is to do abdominal exercises intensely with very high repetitions. The reason for this is that you don’t want to add any unwanted mass to your abs. Cardiovascular conditioning is easily the most important aspect used to help a bodybuilder achieve defined abdominals.

Bodybuilders use cardio as a tool to help shed unwanted fat. The most misunderstood and underutilised tool for bodybuilders looking to obtain shredded abs is dieting. Some would argue that dieting alone is responsible for over 80% of a bodybuilder’s overall physique. As stated before, your body needs to have 4-6 small meals that are high in protein, spaced out over a 2-3 hour span to keep your metabolism high and prevent fat storage.