Other than the arms, the abs are the most desired muscle group.Everyone who trains would love to have greater definition in their abs. No matter how defined the abdomen may be, people always want more. Building strong, powerful legs and rear are often also at the top of the list of fitness goals. It is important to note that each muscle group should be treated as a major muscle group and should not be exercised on consecutive days.
The muscles
The abdominals are made up of three muscle groups that are combined to form the abdominal wall. The rectus abdominis is the primary group, forming two rows of four muscles in the middle of the abdomen. Outside of this are the external abdominal obliques. The final abdominal group is the serratus anterior, which lie over the rib cage. Four muscles combine to make up the quadriceps in the front of the leg. In the back of the leg the hamstring is three muscles, and the lower leg is formed by two separate muscles. The butt is formed by the large gluteus maximus, and the smaller gluteus minimus. The gluteus medius lies at the top of the butt to the outside.
Abdominal Routines
Abdominal exercises are common, and people have different ideas about which exercise gives them the best results. The truth is that it is not in the exercise, but rather the way you complete the exercise. By maintaining tight contraction of the muscles and focusing on moving your body using the abdominals and not supporting muscles, you will develop the flat abs that you want. You should complete no fewer than 15 repetitions, and no more than 50 depending on the speed of the movement. The faster the movement the more reps you should complete. Crunches, leg lifts and twisting movements should all be included and should be performed at a variety of angles.
Leg Routines
Lower body exercises are limited because of the lack of major muscle groups. With only the quads, hamstrings, and calves to exercise, the muscles do not take long to fatigue. Repetitions can vary depending on your goals, as will the weight that you lift. The major exercises are the squat, which can be modified in many ways to decrease risk of injury, lunges, leg curls and extensions, and calf raises. It is possible to do all of these movements in a single workout without overworking the muscles.
Butt Exercises
The gluteal muscles are stressed a great deal by squats and lunges, and typically these are enough, but if you want to isolate the muscles, hip raises, glute-ham machines, and balance ball leg curls can be added to the end of a workout with the same reps and sets as the abdominal workouts.
Frequency
A misconception, especially regarding the abdominals, is that the muscles can be worked a little bit each day to achieve the greatest results. This is simply not true. The abs are a muscle group like any other and should be targeted heavily two to three days out of each week depending on your routine, and should not be worked on consecutive days.
