5 Critical Ways to Six Pack Abs

The warmer months are approaching and you looked in the mirror and you think you need get rid of that spare tire around your waist. You and I both know, abs is one of the sexiest features on a person. How many magazines do you see with a person with a beer belly instead of a six pack? None to my knowledge but I do see the results of hard work people put in to look their best. The best indication of an ideal physique is your abs. Everyone wants washboard abs but how do you get them?

Do I Even Have Abs?

You may look in the mirror, take a look at your stomach and ask yourself do you even have abs? Yes you do but they are often covered with body fat, and this is one reason many feel they can never develop this area. The abdominal muscles, though, are always there, just waiting to be uncovered. Revealing them requires a diligent approach to a successful strategy that takes a little work and dedication. Here’s 5 critical ways to help strip away the fat to reveal those abs of yours. 

1. Reduce Carbs

Carbohydrates reduction helps you lose water weight. By doing a reduction you will almost immediately see a small difference in your belly. Your best bet is to eat some form of carbs in the morning for breakfast or after your workouts. Avoiding eating carbs at least a couple of hours before bed because while you getting your Z’s, you body is not in an active state. Because of this the carbs in your body instead of helping you with energy will be stored as fat.

Instead consume carbs in the morning for breakfast (oatmeal for example) and also as part of your post workout meal. Natural grain or starchy carbs such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oatmeal are actually quite beneficial in your mission for a six pack, especially when consumed post-workout. When you eat carbs post-workout, they have the smallest chance of turning into body fat.

But do not completely eliminate carbs from your diet. You’ll definitely lose weight by restricting your carbs, but not only will you feel weaker and look softer; you’ll also sacrifice your precious muscle in the process. Consuming your veggies and varieties of fruits are the way to go. You can eat them throughout the day also and you will take advantage of the other benefits of eating your fruits and vegetables.

2. Drink More Water

Most people do not drink enough water and I know it doesn’t taste as good as other beverages. What people sometimes do not realize is water but water helps flush out toxins that build up in your body. I know I just told you in the carbs section carbs help you lose water weight. Ironically water also helps too. According to Bodybuilding.com, drinking water cuts hunger and creates a feeling of fullness. Furthermore, consuming water also has the benefit of increasing metabolic rate and burning more calories.

What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout your body in those places you do not want anything stored. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your hips, thighs and around your belly.

One more benefit of nature’s beverage is water helps out in the looks department. With all the toxins flushing out of your body with drinking water, it flushes out the impurities in your skin making your complexion glow and clear. Ever notice people with great skin drinking soda all the time? Me neither but I do notice a bottle of water in their hands. You are pretty much hydrating yourself from the inside out. Get at least eight glasses in a day.

3. Work Out on an Empty Stomach (Fasted Cardio)

This excerpt from an article from Notyouraveragefitnesstips.com says it best below: 

The main argument for performing morning cardio is that your body has reduced glycogen (carb) levels meaning that you will burn fat faster.  If you’ve ever heard trainers say that you need to perform 20 minutes of cardio before you start burning fat, this is the implicit reason why.  If you eat first thing before exercising, your body’s glycogen stores will be full and you will have to burn through those before beginning fat burning.  Of course, this theory doesn’t just apply to morning cardio.  Performing either cardio or weight training in a fasted state, say 3-4 hours without eating, can offer similar fat burning benefits.  In theory, mornings work best because your body has had all night to deplete glycogen.

I have tried this myself and it does work. Matter of fact, I think I consumed more water after a morning workout than during my regular afternoon one which is a good thing. Since it was a shock to my body, it needed more nutrients after the fasted cardio session. Not only that, it really helped increase my energy level for the entire day. Give it a try and see how you respond.

4. Consume Detoxifying Foods

Foods such as leafy green veggies, fruits, garlic, nuts, and olive oil are some of the foods that you should consume. Green tea, water, and even water with lemon and cayenne pepper are excellent beverages to drink. These foods will surely get the motor running if you know what I mean. Eating and drinking from the suggestions listed will help remove toxins and impurities from your body naturally and also will help you burn fat. At the same time these foods have multiple health benefits. Detoxifying is an important factor for maintaining optimal health therefore eating these foods regularly will help shed off the weight while cleansing you body of toxins making you more energetic. 

 5. Less Crunches and More Weight Training

Sit-ups and crunches are important when it comes to getting your abs to ”pop” but it will not help strip away the body fat that’s covering those abs. Compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses. Try a weight that you can crank out 10 reps with the 10th rep being a struggle. Also try to rest very little in between sets. 90-120 seconds is ideal. Shorter rests keeps your heart rate up and in fat burning mode.  

With at least two days a week of weight training and cardio you enjoy, you can significantly change your physique and your life by adding this into your regimen. With lean body mass you will tighten up your body and at the same time reduce body fat leaving you abs out for everyone to see. I’m not saying rid of crunches and the other various abs exercises as they are important, but you are not doing yourself a favor if you think those are the only reason you will have a six pack.

Through dietary manipulation and exercise, you can decrease your body fat and increase your lean muscle mass, which will lead to those six pack abs look everybody wants. The question is what will you do to get them. Hopefully I have set a foundation for your success.