There is a reason that having six pack abs is one of the primary selling points of the weight loss industry.
Big biceps are great, a nicely defined chest is awesome, and a gorilla back is amazing. But what most people want more than anything is a six pack abs that they can flaunt whenever they take their shirt off.
It is important to note that you COULD get strengthened abs and increased definition, but you are going to have to work hard for it.
You probably already know that, you probably already do ab exercises, and you probably already have a developed core.
Now, how do you bring out the last bit and get yourself to the point where you are able to attain that shredded look?
Localized Fat Loss Is Impossible
This might be a controversial opinion for some and not something that everyone wants to hear.
But when is the last time you saw a guy rocking six pack abs and flabby hips? Or when did you see someone who had well-defined abs who also had fat thighs?
It is important to understand that localized fat loss just does not happen. Unless you are going to go get liposuction, you are not going to decide where you can lose the weight. This is a given – it is a fact.
Your body is going to burn fat from wherever it can. Sometimes it starts in the place where you would like it. And other times you notice that your thighs are somewhat thinner – despite the fact that you would rather have a little less fat around your waistline.
So what can you do? You will need to get to an overall lower body fat level. This is attained through training, diet, cardio, and supplementation.
Before you start seeing more definition, you will need to be at a relatively low body fat percentage. Combine that with regular resistance training, and you have a winning formula.
See Also: How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Six Pack Abs Diet
Remember that any definition that you get is going to come from a combination of weight training, cardio, and the right nutrition.
Doing a million crunches is going to give you better endurance in doing crunches. But you are probably not on your way to those washboard abs.
Abs are made in the kitchen – we know that. No amount of exercise is going to be able to help you get rid of the fat that is covering your sought after six-pack if you are unwilling to cut down on your pizza intake.
If you want to get some quick tips, we have the following suggestions about your diet:
- Stay away from simple carbs such as refined sugar or white flour.
- Go for complex carbs such as whole grains, seeds, vegetables, sweet potato, oatmeal …
- You want around 50 percent of your calories to come from carbs at first, and reduce that number gradually if you notice that you are not getting the fat loss that you want.
- Have high protein foods with every meal (eggs, lean meat, fish)
- Eat 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level, you cannot shred fat if you are unwilling to leave a few calories behind.
- Drink plenty of water.
Six Pack Abs Exercise
One of the main problems with training abs is that people only do sit-ups and crunches.
These do target the six-pack muscle abs (the top of the rectus abdominus), but only focusing on these exercises cause your lower abs, your transverse abdominus and obliques to fall behind.
You need these other muscles to help with definition and a good aesthetic. That V-cut (the Apollo belt) that men crave so much cannot be attained through crunches and sit-ups. You need to target the obliques for that.
You need a wide variety of exercises, which is key in making sure that you get defined abs.
There are a wide variety of ab muscle exercises that you should try, including hanging leg raises and bicycle crunches. Go beyond the rectus, but focus on all parts of the core region.
See Also: Core Stability Exercises For Beginners
Another part of the problem is that people refuse to increase the difficulty. How can you expect your abs to move beyond the beginner level, unless you are willing to train them beyond the beginner level?
You probably know that progressive resistance is what causes our muscles to grow. For those who are confused or want a brief reminder, this means that we need to gradually increase the weight that we are pushing if we want to be able to see better results.
There is minimal stimulation when doing crunches and sit-ups, and these exercises are extremely basic for developing core musculature.
Instead of going high-rep for your exercises, try adding some weight (medicine ball, weight place, and dumbbell) instead.
Alternatively, you can move to more advanced exercises in the future that provide a bit more of a challenge. This is what is going to kick-start any new abdominal growth.
Se Also: Weightlifting For Beginners
Getting The Most Of Your Six Pack Abs Workout
One of the most amazing things about fitness is that (generally speaking) there is a direct correlation between results, effort, and time invested.
If you do cardio workouts for abs for 45 minutes, six days a week, you know that you are going to lose weight if you continue the same diet as you did before.
If you do the right exercises and add some more weight each time, you know that you are building a defined muscles over the course of successive workouts. This is just how training and exercise work.
