One of the most common questions I get as a trainer is this: How Do I Get Abs? If it's not abs, it's wanting to know how someone can get really lean in a certain area like their arms, legs, but, or another trouble area. One of the biggest misconceptions in the fitness industry is that you can train your abs hard and they will start looking like you want them to. Or people simply think they can add extra cardio or weight training sessions to really get the definition.
When the truth is simple, if you are not eating properly to go along with your training and cardio, there is no amount of working out or targeting an area that will make it look better. And not only do you have to make sure your nutrition is correct, but you also have to consistently eat a solid plan.
What that means is if someone is eating 4 times a day, 7 days a week for a total of 28 meals, 26 or 27 of those meals need to be spot on. Most people will usually eat about 15 to 20 correct meals, and then the other 8 are things they shouldn't have had or alcohol. This brings me to my next point.
If you want to have low body fat and good ab definition, you may have to give up alcohol for a while. I have another blog on my site that goes into full detail about why drinking alcohol makes it next to impossible to have low body fat levels even if what you're eating is correct.
When you are looking for a perfectly shredded physique, exercise and lifestyle modifications work hand in hand. There is no one secret exercise or tool that can work for you, you have to put all your efforts together to reach your goals. Thousands of abdominal crunches won’t work for you if you are missing something with your diet. But if you are focusing on diet alone, that won’t help you either.
When we talk about getting abs it is 80% diet and 20% what we do at the gym and both of these should work together. Abs are abdominal muscles and to make them noticeable we need to build muscles to make them lean enough to show.
If you are doing crazy workouts but not getting enough protein you won’t build muscles, and if you are getting more carbs and working out less, you won’t get lean. So there should be a right balance among all of these efforts to get desired results.
Here in this article, we share some useful tips for exercise and diet on how you can get six-pack abs to achieve your body goals.
Exercises For Abs
Add Cardio To Every Workout: The best cardio workouts burn fat and achieve lean muscle mass. Studies have shown that cardio can be helpful for those who are trying to lose abdominal fat and helps abdominal muscles to get more visible. It is recommended to have 20 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise in your day including running, swimming, or biking.
Target Those Abs: The muscles in our abdomen are responsible for creating the appearance of six-packs. Exercising these muscles is important to building these muscles and burning fat from the abdomen. “Just know that exercise alone isn't enough to give your muscle definition because core workouts won't necessarily decrease belly fat necessarily, according to a small study that looked at 24 women who did abs exercises five times per week for six weeks; you also need to follow a healthy diet. You've probably heard it before, but a six-pack is really built in the kitchen.” [1]
Try (HIIT) High-Intensity Interval Training: High-intensity interval training exercises involve alternating between vigorous activities and short recovery periods. According to researchers, adding high-intensity interval training to your workout routine can boost fat loss quickly and help in getting your six-pack.
6 Ways To Get Ripped Six Pack Abs
Eat Enough Protein: Getting an adequate amount of protein is necessary to lose fat, build muscles, and prevent muscle loss. Exercising with proper intake of protein can help to lower fat percentage in the body and ultimately can help to get a lean and shredded body.
Stay Hydrated: Water is crucial for life and plays an important role in every aspect of life. According to a study drinking, 500 ml of water can help to increase energy expenditure. Drinking water before each meal reduces 44 percent more weight within 12 weeks compared with those who don’t. Staying hydrated and drinking enough water can help to boost metabolism, lose weight, and lose stubborn fat around the belly.
Avoid Processed Foods: Highly processed foods like chips, sodas, and cakes are also known as empty calories because they don’t provide any essential nutrients and are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats. To increase weight loss and reduce belly fat we need to replace these processed foods with healthy and nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, and whole grains. Consuming whole foods that are rich in protein and fibers can help you to stay full for longer, combat cravings, and helps you lose weight.
Cut Back on Refined Carbs: Just like other processed foods refined carbs are processed and are low in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fibers and high in calories. Eating more refined carbs can increase blood sugar levels, increase appetite and cravings for more sugars, and disturbs energy levels. People who eat refined carbs have more tendency to develop belly fat as compared to people who eat whole grains.
Fill Up On High-Fiber Foods: Fibers are important to improve digestion and help in weight loss. Soluble fibers help to increase satiety and make you feel full for a longer period so you don’t crave more food. The increase of only 10-grams of soluble fiber in the diet can help to lose belly fat by 3.7% over five years. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy grains are some healthy and nutritious sources of fibers and should be a part of your daily diet.
Choose Healthy Fats: Eating an adequate amount of healthy fats are important and to achieve body goals make sure you are including healthy sources of fats including nuts, seeds, eggs, butter, fish, and olive oil. Fats from these sources can help to stabilize insulin and provide energy to work out.
Abs Tips From The Man Who’s Been There, Done That
Dwight Wilson has trained hundreds of clients across the southern United States and trains as a competitive bodybuilder. “Now that we know nutrition and exercise is the key to a lean body and well-defined abs, here are some tips you can use to help you figure out what and how much to eat for you as an individual.”
Figure out the right calories to put you in a deficit. For most people, this means multiplying your body weight by 10. That is how many calories you should eat a day.
Once you know your calories per day, you then should focus on eating the correct amounts of protein, fat, and carbs. Generally, I have people eat 1g of protein per pound of body weight, about 40 to 50g of fat, and then depending on factors like age, sex, and body size I will determine how many carbs they need. The number can be as low as 120g all the way up to 250g. A good recommendation would be that if you are a woman start with about 150g a day, and if you are like me, start with about 200g a day.
Focus on lean meats like chicken breast, lean ground turkey, fish, shrimp, egg whites, protein powder, plain Greek yogurt, and lean red meat for your proteins.
For fats, stick to avocado or guacamole, coconut oil, whole eggs, almond/nuts, almond butter, or other nut butters.
Lastly for carbs go with the ones we all know and have been told are good for you. These include brown rice, sweet potato, quinoa, oatmeal, berries, and whole-grain bread.
There are several healthy options and ways to get a leaner body and six-pack abs. Adding these healthy habits to your lifestyle, focusing on your diet, and incorporating smart cardio, HIIT, and compound exercises into your routine can be a healthy way to achieve your six-pack abs goals.
Article Sources
[1] Women's Health. How To Get Six-Pack Abs, According To A Trainer.
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