Eight Pack Workout Why settle For six??

The Muscles that Deliver the Look our abs are actually one long sheet of muscle called the rectus abdominis. Running horizontally across that sheet of muscle are three tendons that hold the muscle in place over the intestines. Another tendon, called the linea alba, divides the rectus abdominis into two parts, creating four pairs of sections. This makes the abdomen an eight-pack--not a six-pack, as most people believe.

A Flat Midsection!
Most men challenge their midsections with moves that focus primarily on the upper portion of the rectus abdominis, leaving the lower portion overlooked and underdeveloped. My eight-pack plan gives equal attention to both segments.

More Speed!
The lower abdominals play a crucial role in hip flexion, which moves the knees up and forward. Training these abs helps you pump your knees higher for longer periods of time, which adds inches to your stride. You'll cover greater distances at faster speeds.

Better Skills!
When you swing or throw, you're channeling power up through your midsection and into your upper body. Weak abs can cause a break in this transfer of energy. Strong trunk stabilizers transfer the greatest amount of power every time.

Stamina & Balance!
Athletes with weak lower abdominals tend to sway at the waist as they run. This creates additional resistance and forces you to expend extra energy to correct your posture. Strong abs help you maintain the best position for efficiency and extra stamina.
Build Your Eight-Pack



The Workout
Shaping the rare eight-pack requires unique exercises. The smartest way to make your rectus abdominis grow is to perform a mixture of exercises that work your midsection through every possible direction, using as many forms of resistance as possible. These eight ab exercises incorporate a variety of equipment and partner-assisted moves you may not have tried before.

You'll start your 8-week program by choosing an exercise from each of the two sections. By the end of the program, you'll be doing all of them--in the order given--to bring out a level of muscular separation and growth you can't achieve using traditional, high-repetition ab exercises alone. (For the medicine-ball and pulley exercises, choose a weight that allows you to do the required number of repetitions with good form. Injuries are common among men who try to speed up results by using more weight than they're ready to handle.)
Weeks 1-2
Create your routine by . . . Picking one exercise from each section
Sets of each exercise: 2
Your total workout should be . . . 4 sets
Repetitions per set 8-12
Speed of each repetition: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down
Rest between sets: 45-60 seconds
Do this workout . . . 3 times a week

Weeks 3-4
Create your routine by . . . Picking one exercise from each section
Sets of each exercise: 3
Your total workout should be . . . 6 sets
Repetitions per set 8-12
Speed of each repetition: 3 seconds up, 3 seconds down
Rest between sets: 30-45 seconds
Do this workout . . . 3-4 times a week

Weeks 5-6
Create your routine by . . . Picking two exercises from each section
Sets of each exercise: 2
Your total workout should be . . . 8 sets
Repetitions per set 8-15
Speed of each repetition: 4 seconds up, 4 seconds down
Rest between sets: 15-30 seconds
Do this workout . . . 4 times a week

Weeks 7-8
Sets of each exercise: 1
Create your routine by . . . Doing all the exercises in both sections in the order shown
Your total workout should be . . . 8 sets
Repetitions per set 8-15
Speed of each repetition: 4 seconds up, 4 seconds down
Rest between sets: None
Do this workout . . . 5 times a week