Getting a six-pack might seem like a daunting process, but with the
right diet and workout routine, you may be able to get one in a month.
The key is doing exercises that work out your abs and core, as well as
reducing the amount of body fat you carry around your core as much as
possible.
Number 1 Six-Pack Rule: Create Calorie Deficits!!!
Despite all the diet voodoo you read and hear about, losing fat comes down to one tried and true simple fact. You need to burn more calories than you take in. That is how you get rid of fat sitting on your belly and covering up the abs that are living under there.
So how do we create calorie deficits?
1. Cardio AND Weights!
There are basically two schools of thought in the fitness world regarding cardio for fat loss. There are the high intensity cardio folks and the steady state cardio folks. High intensity cardio will get you a faster burn quicker, but it is a lot harder. Steady state cardio will take you longer to burn the same calories, but it is more sustainable. Pick whichever one you want and remember that all that matters is the calories you burn.
Just hitting cardio will do nice things for your body. It will lean you up, but it better be combined with weights, otherwise you will be plenty skinny without an ab in sight. When I want to get my stomach ready for taking off my shirt, I never stop hitting the weight room. I just add my cardio on to the time I train. I may lift lighter than usual with less rest in between sets, in order to balance the stress and strain of the added cardio, but I keep lifting, because the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn, as I said above, we are all about burning those calories!
Changing Your Diet
1 Eat more protein-rich foods. Protein is an important building block for muscles. To get a six pack in a month, you’ll want to eat around 0.38-0.77 gram of protein per 1 pound (0.45 kg) of bodyweight every day to help your abdominal muscles grow bigger and stronger.[7] Some healthy, protein-rich foods you can eat are:[8]
Fish
Beans
Reduced fat Greek yogurt
Reduced fat cottage cheese
Nuts
Eggs
2 Include more complex carbs in your diet. Carbs will help fuel your body during your workouts so you’re able to exercise more. You'll want carbs to make up about 50% of your total daily calories.[9] Stick with complex carbs, like fibers and starches, which are healthier than simple carbs. Some foods you can eat that have complex carbs are:[10]
Whole grains
Fruits and vegetables
Legumes
3 Eat more foods that have healthy fats in them. Not all fats are bad for you, and some fats can actually help you get a six pack. Healthy fats, like unsaturated fats, can improve your metabolism and help your body absorb nutrients.[11] Aim to have healthy fats make up around 15-20% of your total daily calories.[12] You can find healthy fats in foods like:
Avocados
Walnuts
Olive oil
Almond butter
4 Avoid eating unhealthy processed foods. Many processed foods, like chips, cookies, fast foods, and processed meats, are high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium. Eating too many processed foods can cause you to put on fat. Too much body fat will conceal a six pack, so you'll want to stay away from processed foods.
5 Drink more water every day. Since you'll be working out almost every day, you'll need to start drinking more water so you don't get dehydrated. Drinking plenty of water will also prevent bloating, which can conceal a six pack.[14] On top of drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day, you should be drinking:[15]
15–20 fluid ounces (440–590 mL) of water 1-2 hours before your workout.
8–10 fluid ounces (240–300 mL) of water 15 minutes before your workout.
8 fluid ounces (240 mL) of water every 15 minutes during your workout.
Stick to water and avoid drinking sugary sodas and energy drinks
6 Keep track a food journal. To get a six pack in a month, you’ll want to make sure you’re sticking to a healthy diet. Logging what you’re eating each day can help you stay on track. It’s also a good way to monitor how many calories you’re eating if you’re trying to lose weight.
You can also keep track of what you’re eating through a fitness app like MyFitnessPal or Calorific.
Exercises to do for your six-pack
We have addressed some of the simple advice for getting your six pack, it’s time to look at some of the exercises you can do to make you’re abs pop. The key here is not to constantly train abs, as we discussed above about the myth of spot training, but you should be throwing in some ab work at the end of your workouts 3-4 times a week in order to bring them out.
Below I list a few of the best exercises that you can fold into any workout. I suggest you pick two of these exercises and hit about 3 sets of 30 reps for each every other workout.
Cable Crunch
Bicycle Crunch
Hanging Leg Raise
Spiderman Plank
Lower Ab Leg Lift
Conclusion
Bringing out your six-pack requires hard work, discipline, structure and some physical and mental pain. If anyone tells you any different, they are lying to you. There is no secret, mystical fast track way to make your abs pop. So put in the work, create caloric deficits, exercise regularly with weights and cardio, eat clean and healthy, stay hydrated and skip all the magical promises that are out there. If you do all this, you can get your six-pack showing in a month and you can keep it for as long as you continue to put in the work!