2019-08-01_Men_s_Health_South_Africa

110 MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019

THE WEIGHTS ROOM GRAFTER

SIX-PACK ABS, LIKE ALL MUSCLES, ARE BUILT ON REST DAYS. BUT IF YOU’RE NOT TAKING ANY, YOUR BODY
WILL BURN OUT FAST. AVOID HAVING TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING WITH REAY’S CHART.

THE BODYWORK PERFECTIONIST

EVEN THE MAN WHO’S ALREADY EARNED A SET OF VISIBLE ABS MIGHT BE AFTER, WELL... A LITTLE

EXTRA POLISH. THAT’S WHY BIRTWISTLE IS ON HAND TO ENSURE EVERY LAST SPOT GETS WORKED OUT.

Hideous

HOW

HARD

DID YOU

HIT IT

LAST

SESSION?

START

HERE

It

was

brutal.

Just

the

usual

Get moving. You’re in

good shape for training.

Grab a coffee and go.

See how you go.

Tackle your usual

session, but be mindful

of any niggles.

Keep it light. Make

gentle cardio and

mobility work your

only focus today.

Give it a rest. Hit the

couch. You can walk

home to it, if you want to.

HOW’S

WORK

THESE

DAYS?

HOW

DID YOU

SLEEP LAST

NIGHT?

DO YOU

WANT

TO

TRAIN?

ARE

YOU

TIRED?

HOW’S

THE

DOMS?

I t ’s

a slow

week.

I’m

always

wrecked.

“Good”

sore I’m

going

strong

I can

barely

read.

Hell

yeah!

Six

Hours

Erm, I

guess?

Like

a baby

2 / UPPER ABS

This is not your typical

crunch. Sit with your feet

against a wall, holding a

5-10kg plate to your chest.

Touch it to the wall, as high

as you can, then lie back

down, lifting it overhead,

and repeat. Not a fan? Try

barbell roll-outs instead.

4 / LOWER ABS

These are famously harder

to target. To hit them where

it (temporarily) hurts, hang

from a bar, bring your

knees up to 90 degrees,

then extend your legs out

and back again. Pull a gym

face. Not a fan? Try some

weighted bear crawls.

3 / OBLIQUES

These are the “side”

muscles, the ones that

frame your six-pack. If

they need work, hold two

dumbbells overhead, arms

locked and back straight,

then bend laterally from

side to side. Not a fan? Try

walking lunge-and-twists.

1 / S E RR ATU S

That’s the bit by your ribs.

Can’t see it? Try ring push-

ups. Gripping each ring,

squeeze your shoulder

blades as you lower, elbows

locked (no flailing). Push

up hard and round your

shoulders. Not a fan? Do

floor push-ups, rounding

your back at the top.