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Six-Pack ABS (Matt Roberts)
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| Price: |
4 new or used available from £14.95
Average customer review:
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #325351 in Books
- Published on: 2003-05
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 96 pages
Customer Reviews
Great Book, perfect size, and it really works!
This books is simply great. I've been using it for about 8 weeks and the six pack is definately there. The book has three workouts, each of about 8 exercises, and each taking about 15-20 mins. For it to work I guess you have to exercise 3 or 4 times a week (as I have). The book does have some hard and unusual exercises in it, such as the ball-pike and bench reverse crunch. The exercises may all seem familiar and very similar to each other, but the book succeeds in three key areas: Firstly it helps you focus your workout on your abs (rather than just doing a few crunches before you leave the gym.) Secondly, the pictures and explanations help you get your technique right, and technique is everything. Thirdly each workout is designed as a set of exercises that complement each other and when performed together in a workout have a greater effect than when performed in isolation.
In summary this is a great book, and because it's small you can take it in to the gym and keep it by your side while you exercise. Also, it is suitable for just about anyone - if you're an absolute beginner, or a hardened athlete, or somewhere in the middle like me, you can find your own level and work on from there.
May require some adaptations for beginners
This little book offers a fantastic selection of different exercises for abs, including a couple I'd never seen before. They are illustrated quite clearly by photographs (two or three per exercise). The only fairly well-known one Roberts does not show is the V-up.
He unfairly seems to assume that only men want to get good abs. From the colour-coding of this series - pink for Bums & Tums and Thin Thighs and blue for this book and Muscle Up - to the actual content, this seems a rather old-fashioned attitude. The introduction is clearly aimed at men, and the illustrations only show men (they look good though!). More importantly, though, the workout directions seem orientated to male capabilities: 140 strides per minute on the cross trainer isn't a warm-up, it's pretty near a sprint for a reasonably fit woman such as meself.
The exercises are organised into three workout sessions, which you are advised to do in the order shown, with the standard at least 48 hours rest between. The beginner or less fit person is advised to do 20 reps (15 for some exercises), the more advanced 40 reps (or 30) of each move in the workout. There are seven or eight exercises per workout. I find ab sections of most gym classes (e.g. bodypump) pretty easy, but I couldn't finish the workout at 20 reps per exercise, and have to do 15 instead.
Benchmarks such as those set in the book are potentially offputting for a beginner: Roberts should have perhaps given suggestions for a greater variety of fitness levels, e.g. fewer exercises and/or fewer reps per session for a real beginner to exercise.
One of the workout sessions does have all the exercises being done on a Swiss ball - a relatively inexpensive and versatile piece of eqipment, but not everyone has one around the house. In one single exercise, a medicine ball is also used. Maybe he sees his main market as gym members. Otherwise, all you need is a mat (or even just the carpet).
However, for the sheer variety of ab work in one small volume, and clear descriptions of how to do the exercises, I'm still giving this book a good rating.
brilliant book in perfect small shape
the guy above said all i needed to - thanks for that!
In short- this book is great and has done more than any other I've bought--i have a few on my shelf on how to get the elusive 6 pack - stick with this one and for sure after a few weeks you'll be there - thanks Matt!
