Last But Not Least

Regardless of how big you want your arms, or how strong you want your bench press, you still want a ripped set of abs.

I don't think that I've ever met a man or woman who wouldn't prefer to have an impressive six pack. Despite that fact, ab training and cardio are the most likely things to get skipped when time is running short. That is not the best way to get a ripped set of abs.

There are many trainers out there who recommend training abs and cardio first for those who tend to skip them.

Yet while this may be good for those who have a problem with their time management skills, it is not good for those who what to build muscle size and strength.

You NEVER want to do cardio first when you work out.

Yes, doing 5-10 minutes of light cardio makes a good warm-up, but doing a full cardio workout before you lift weights will zap your energy levels and your muscle strength. So be sure to wait to do cardio till after the weight workout. Not only is this best for muscle strength and size gains, but research shows that it can also enhance fat burning.

There are numerous reasons why you NEVER want to train abs first when you work out.

The first is strength: or lack there of.

Core strength is critical on most exercises you do, but is especially critical on exercises like squats, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, and even curls and the bench press. Greater core strength translates into greater strength on these exercises. If you train abs before you train the major muscle groups, then you will fatigue your core muscles, which will reduce your core strength, and reduce your strength on most other exercises. And this is not just hyperbole.

A study

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