How to Get David Beckham's Abs

David Beckham has a hot bod and chiseled abdominal muscles. Just look at the shirtless photos of him on the soccer field or on the beach with his wife Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice. You, too, could have a flat-licious stomach like the Galaxy star if you adhere to a regular training schedule and watch your diet. A common misconception is that if you do a million sit-ups you’ll eventually get a toned stomach like Becks. But, that’s not the case. In addition to working your abs, you have to include some cardiovascular exercise and general weight training in your workout routine to burn off the fat. So, follow the workout routine here and don’t be surprised if you have Spice Girls chatting you up!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Exercise ball, aka Swissball
• Treadmill

To Get Toned Abs Like Beckham

1. Building your abdominal or core muscles will help maintain flat abs. The exercise ball or Swissball will help you build your abdominal or core muscles and help you maintain your flat abs for longer. The exercise ball is better than traditional ab machines because it does not just tone the outer abdominal muscles; it also helps you build muscles from the inside out. Choose the appropriate ball size by sitting on top of the balls and checking if your legs form a 90-degree angle.
2. Familiarize yourself with the exercise ball by sitting on it and lifting one leg. Gauge how you are going to balance on the ball.
3. Sit upright on the stability ball with your feet flat on floor.
4. Place your hands by your ears and slowly lower your upper body. The ball will roll underneath your body until it is positioned on the lower mid-back region. Raise hips slightly to create a "table top" with your stomach, parallel to the floor.
   
   The exercise ball will force you to balance yourself while you are lowering and raising your upper body.
5. Complete 10 sit-ups on the exercise ball. Repeat and execute five sets of 10 sit-ups.
6. Work your side abdominal muscles (external obliques) by twisting your body to one side and another when bringing your upper body up during a sit-up.
7. After you’ve worked on your core, continue with the cardio workout below.

To Get it Flat Like Beckham--Cardio Workout to Burn Fat

8. Using a treadmill is one of most effective ways to burn fat because you can vary the speed and inclination. Interval training on a treadmill is an excellent time-saving method of burning fat and maintaining a healthy heart. The theory behind interval training is that by mixing bursts of high-intensity work (running) with low-intensity periods of recovery speed walking), you are simultaneously overloading the aerobic and anaerobic systems, getting the benefits of both aspects of training at one time. You can have a complete interval training workout in 30 minutes.
9. Before you get on the treadmill, calculate your target heart rate. Your target heart rate will help you figure out the intensity of your workouts so you are not tempted to be too easy or too hard on yourself. You can figure out your target heart rate by taking your pulse or by investing in a heart rate monitor (available at most sporting goods stores).
10. Once you’re ready, step onto the platform of the treadmill. Place your feet on safety banks located on either side of the conveyor belt(running path).
11. Each treadmill is different but turn on the machine and select the duration of your workout, inclination and speed.
12. Warm up for about 10 minutes by walking or lightly jogging to warm up your leg muscles and to reduce the risk of injuring your knees and ankles. The warm up should target lower end of your target heart rate range (50 percent to 60 percent of maximum heart rate).
13. Run at high intensity for 5 to 10 minutes while targeting 70 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. If you are not keeping track of your heart rate, during the high intensity periods, you are decreasing your body's ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. You begin to feel the "burn" as your body eliminates lactic acid (a toxic byproduct) and your muscles begin to lose their ability to contract (not to mention it will get harder to breathe). This “burn” will help you gauge if you are running at an appropriate intensity.
14. Once the “burning” becomes too intense, or if you reach your maximum heart rate, turn down the speed and power walk or lightly jog for up to 2 minutes or until you reach the lower end of your target heart range. Do not let your heart rate dip lower than 50 percent to 60 percent of your maxim heart rate. For those not measuring heart rate, walk or lightly jog until you catch your breath.
15. Repeat the interval process for 30 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your exercise ball is properly inflated. A flat ball will not give you a thorough workout.
• Remember to lower and raise your upper body slowly. This will properly engage your abdominal muscles.
• Remember to keep your head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexing of either may cause injury.
• Make sure you clear your workout area of dangerous object in case you loose your balance on the ball.
• Treadmill does not have to equal running. Once you have figured out your target heart rate you can choose an alternative to running such as hiking (increase inclination) or power walking (increase speed).
• Don’t over do it. A good cardiovascular exercise should last for about 30 minutes.
• Vary the inclination from high to low, or increase or decrease the intensity of your cardio workout.
• Contact your doctor and discuss your exercise routine before starting any type of workout regime.