It will take dedication, time and patience to get a six pack. You need to do two things: lose fat and build muscle. You get this by dieting and exercising consistently. You can have the most toned and muscular abs, but it will not show if there is a layer of fat over them. This article will discuss ways in which you can accomplish both of these goals.
Proper Eating
Proper eating is a must if you want to get lean abdominals, there is no way around it. I am sure that you know the basics of proper eating. For example, you should eat approx. 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. For protein eat foods such as lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, milk, protein drinks, protein bars, etc. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables. Eat starchy carbohydrates such as brown rice, potatoes, yams, oatmeal, high fibre cereals, etc. Limit your fat intake and avoid eating “junk-foods”. Eat a small meal or snack every few hours. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. To satisfy your sweet tooth you can eat fresh fruits in moderation. Protein drinks and protein bars can help satisfy your cravings for sweets.
Drink Your Calories!
This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Liquid calories are so easy to consume, but they do not please you, nor your waistline. ALSO, many people don’t even figure in the calories from liquids when tallying up their kcals. They almost always forget about the 2 glasses of OJ (SUGAR) and the 1 can of soda they have each day.
Along with saying “no” to fruit juices and sodas, you should also try to eliminate all other liquid calories, such as milk, smoothies and alcohol. If you’re SERIOUS about attaining that six-pack, you’ll be able to say no to these items, at least for a few weeks or months. You don’t have to never drink beer again, but if you want to jump-start your six-pack development kiss it good-bye for now.
The only liquids you should be consuming is water, water and more water, as well as green tea and some other herbal teas are also OK to consume.
Just make sure you are getting the vast majority of your calories from actual foods that you need to place in your mouth and chew on.
Cardio
If you have excess bodyfat on your midsection, you will not see your abs no matter how developed they are. Doing hundreds of crunches / sit ups does not burn fat from your stomach. Cardiovascular exercise is the only exercise that will burn off any substantial amount of bodyfat. Weight training builds muscle and cardio burns fat. You should do cardio for at least 30 minutes 3 times per week and more if you are trying to lose bodyfat. I personally work up to doing two 30 minute cardio sessions per day when I am getting ready for a bodybuilding contest.
Train your abs 2-3 Times per Week
Some people believe that the fast way to six pack abs is to train the abs every day. This will not speed up the process because the muscles need time to recuperate and grow. Training causes damage to the muscles, and the muscles respond by getting bigger and stronger. Daily ab workouts will not allow enough time for the abdominals to rest and grow. However, the abdominals do recuperate faster than most other muscle groups. So you can train them up to 3 times per week (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
Use Athletic Abdominal Exercises and Routines For Better ABS!
I’ll admit it, I am just like everybody else and I love to train my abs. However, I fully understand that direct AB training IS NOT the key to developing great abs and I ALWAYS make sure I address the key components when looking to get my abs to show, which is nutrition and the metabolic type work I just discussed in tip number 5.
When I do train my abs, you won’t see me doing traditional abdominal exercises such as knee raises, side bends and numerous crunch variations.