By Mark Wood, Training and Education Manager at British Military Fitness
Although most people would be satisfied with a six-pack, for some it is simply not enough. Those seeking physical perfection may long for the V shaped abdominal cut, seen on the likes of David Gandy and Channing Tatum. Achieving even the slightest V shape on the abs is by no means an easy feat but here are a few exercises that will help you on the way to physical prowess. It is also worth noting that diet will play a key role in this so you must make sure this is finely tuned.
The Corkscrew
- Lie face up with your arms by your sides and palms down
- Lift up your legs entwined together so they are perpendicular to the floor, toes pointing to the ceiling
- Brace your abs in tight and trace a circle with your legs in a clockwise motion, pressing your arms into the floor
- Begin with your hips on the floor and then gradually lift your hips further and further from the floor as you circle your legs
- Slowly lower your hips and legs to the starting position and repeat moving your legs in an anticlockwise direction
- Complete three sets of 15 repetitions (circles)
Leg raises
- Lie on the floor face up and place your hands under your glutes (bottom) with your palms facing down
- Keep your legs as straight as possible and then slowly raise them until they are perpendicular to the floor
- Hold the position at the top for a couple of seconds before slowly lowering your legs to the start position
- To make this more difficult, you can hold a small weight between your feet whilst you lift the legs
- Complete three sets of 10 repetitions
Floor wipers
- Lie face up with your legs together and your arms outstretched to the side pressing your hands, palm down, on the floor
- Lift your legs until they are a few inches from the floor, keeping your abs tight
- Move your legs so your toes are as near as you can be to your right hand, rotating the hips slightly to allow the legs to move up
- Return your legs to a straight position but make sure they do not touch the floor
- Repeat, moving your leg up to left hand and return to centre
- Complete 10-15 repetitions
Knee-to-elbow plank
- Start in the press up position, with your arms outstretched and palms on the floor
- Tighten your abs as you bring your knee up to your chest, bending your leg. Hold for a second before slowly straightening your leg back toward the starting position without letting your leg or toes touch the floor.
- Repeat on the same leg then lower your leg back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg
- Complete three sets of 10 repetitions per leg.
