Remember, with any workout, you'll hit a plateu and you will eventually stop seeing results. It looks like you've just about hit your plateu. What to do now? Change it up.
There are so many theories regarding ab workouts through the years. One magazine will say one thing in January, then by December, they will totally contradict themselves.
With that said, my advice comes with a grain of salt. My genetics aren't the greatest, both parents are overweight and adhere to a strict diet of heavily pan fried asian foods. But, through a lot of reading and trial/error, I manage a nice 8 pack through this routine.
* Diet - 1650-1800 Calories a day. No more than 20 grams fat. Period.
I'm not too worried about carbs, sugars, protein. I've found if I control fat and calorie intake, the carbs, sugars, and protein take care of themselves. I'm not a big protein shake or egg whites guy anymore, I found that I get plenty of protein from the food I eat throughout the day.
Low carb diets - Forget about em. They're made for obese, lazy, never go to the gym house wives. Drop your carbs too low, and your workouts will suffer. I rarely count carbs, but, I try to stay away from pastas, rice, grains, and white breads.
If your diet sucks, you can do a million crunches a day, you'll end up with strong abs surrounded by an inner-tube of lard.
* I run 3 miles at 7 MPH - Usually 24-25 minutes. I do this to get the muscles warmed up and build a negative calorie defecit.
* After the run, here is the ab routine:
1) 4 sets 25 reps of regular crunches with no more than 45 seconds rest in between sets
2) Jack-knife oblique crunches 4 sets 25 reps per left and right side with no rest. Alternate 25 reps right, then 25 sets left...etc.
3) Hanging leg lifts - 3 sets 25 reps with no more than 45 seconds rest between sets.
Usually takes only 15 mintues to complete.
* I run another 3 miles at 6.2-7.0 MPH - Usually 28-29 minutes. While I run, I keep my abs tight by squeezing/flexing throughout the run.
Please note that I intentionally include cardio as necessary to the ab work out as any of the crunch exercises. Your mentality should automatically include cardio to reduce waistline. Running at least 20 minutes at a moderately high rate should be as important as one ab crunch. Your abs will work harder and stay tighter throughout the day if you add cardio before and after the crunch sets.
This is my ab "maintenance" workout which I do 4 times a week. I don't do weighted ab crunches because I am looking for a more lean "cut-up" waistline, rather, than being built and over muscular. Understand that this is my "maintenance" ab routine. It took me lots of hours in the gym to get to this point. Take it a step at a time. Once you hit another plateu, add another rep, run a little faster, change the order of the ab exercises.
The theory of my ab workout came from a trainer who said that abs should be treated like a piece of steak you are trying to sear. Work them hard, fast, and explosive - rather than through long hard heavy sets. The abs must stay tight throughout the workout.
My two-cents. Feel free to flame my workout - I had no problems taking my shirt off and walking around the beach during my last trip to Daytona Florida.
