The notorious mid-life spread is one of the less than desired things that comes with age and it’s the result of a changing metabolism and the fall of hormones. It creeps up on us right when we’re busiest in life, with children to look after and a career and house to maintain amongst other things. So what’s the best way to get right of it?
Don’t worry about joining a gym and attending the classes. Take the gym to your living room! In this article, we will be discussing the best ways to get abs fast at 50 by giving you helpful tips and advice along the way!
1. Do compound exercises
These are movements like deadlifts, squats and overhead presses, which engage every part of your core muscles. Don’t forget to include them in your training program. If you’re only doing isolation ab exercises, that’s a huge mistake.
2. Leave your ab exercises till the end!
Your abs are part of your core area, which helps stabilize your body. If you tire them out at the very beginning of your workout, then you will find it more difficult in doing other ab intensive exercises like squats, pulls ups and rows.
3. Don’t think you can trick/cheat your diet!
Getting abs is no secret at all. All you need to do is lower your fat intake and think about alternatives to unhealthy snacks when you are feeling a bit peckish. This is easier said than done at midlife and losing fat becomes somewhat of a battle, there are no shortcuts. You can train your abs all you want, but if your diet does not match up to it, you will never get to see that six pack!
4. Don’t have a full workout just for your abs!
All you need is 15 minutes. If you are already doing compound exercises like squats and deadlifts, then one or two ab exercises for 2-3 sets each at the end of your workout will be more than enough.
5. Don’t train them everyday
Yes, you might be right in saying that many athletes train their abs every day but they have a reputation to make! It’s their job and maintaining solid core strength which will aid their performance. Abs are just like any other muscle in your body and they need time to recover. So take it easy, two to three times a week is all you need.
6. Don’t just stick to crunches (or sit-ups)!
The traditional crunch ab exercise is, in fact, the least effective movement that you can do. There are many other more effective ab exercises that you can experiment with for example the plank, hanging leg raises or knee raises, the squat, exercise ball pike and much more.
7. Focus on form and make sure your abs engage in every rep
Don’t let your form get sloppy, it usually happens when you’re tired. If you’re fatigued after a full workout, then leave the abs for another day, ab exercises with poor form will do more harm than good.
8. Don’t forget about your lower back
The core has a front and a side but also has a back too. Many individuals neglect their lower back muscles, which are known as ‘erector spinae’. Neglecting this muscle causes an imbalance of the core which leads to bad posture and back pain, so make sure that you train them just as much as you would with every other muscle.
9. Don’t train at just one angle
Your abs are made up of multiple muscles with fibres running in all different directions. To work them all it’s important to have some diversity in your ab movements.
10. Try a two-minute self-abdominal massage
While exercising your core is a great way to strengthen your abdominal muscles, crunches, planks and leg lifts won’t get rid of belly fat that is covering your abs. According to Dr. Stephan Chang, who practices both Western and Chinese medicine, performing a two-minute massage technique can provide a type of internal exercise that cleanses and detoxifies to get rid of belly fat. It’s also been known to improve symptoms such as nausea and constipation.
Try the technique, follow the steps below:
- Lie on your back.
- Warm your hands by rubbing them together until hot.
- Place a hand flat on your belly button and begin rubbing small circles with a firm pressure around the area, gradually widening.
- Concentrate on building the heat in your abdominal region, perform the movement for 2 minutes.
11. Eat healthy and don’t avoid fats!
To get abs, it is essential that you follow a healthy diet that is rich in nutrients, low in calories, carbohydrates and fats with a generous amount of protein.
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