Few fitness goals are as sought after and elusive as tight, well-defined abdominal muscles, the so-called '6 pack abs.' Even men without similar aspirations for huge arms, broad lats or massive pectorals will lift up their shirts in front of a mirror and survey their midriffs. They are one of the few ambitions pursued with equal fervour by both men and women and once achieved are worn as badge of pride by both sexes; and rightfully so for it is not easy to develop a nice 6 pack. Here are a few tips that could prove useful.
## Change your diet.
The single biggest mistake that people make in their pursuit of 6 pack abs is not to adequately change their diet. Unlike biceps and pectorals (just to name two) the abdominals are nestled deeper in the body and are therefore more naturally shrouded in body fat. This has absolutely no bearing, of course, on your ability to develop the muscle group BUT even well-developed, rock hard abs aren't a 6 pack unless they are seen. This is what makes the goal of a 6 pack so elusive; it's a product not just of the muscle group itself but also of overall body fat index.
## Eat differently but not necessarily less.
If you are trying to build any muscle group it is far better to lose weight by watching what it is you are eating rather than focussing too much on how much you are eating. Now clearly, if you are drastically overeating that needs to be brought under control but that aside it is more beneficial to eat smarter rather than eat less. Muscle development requires calories and so dramatically choking off your caloric intake will only hamper your efforts. Also if you are running too high a daily caloric deficit your metabolism will shift so as to reduce weight loss; this is a perfectly natural mechanism by the way, designed to fend off starvation. Eat healthier, less processed food. Avoid refined sugars and flour. Eat whole grains in the place of refined grains. And, if you are serious about shedding that body fat, cut out alcohol entirely.
## Prepare to exercise a great deal..
There are lots of good ab workouts (and fat burning workouts for that matter) circulating in gyms and online where, you could no doubt find a different abs exercise video for every day of the year. Most workouts will feature crunches, sit ups, leg lifts and static holds. Here are a few pieces of advice:
- ensure you know how to do ANY exercise properly before you start as it is easy to strain your back or neck or even your abs if you recklessly throw yourself into an exercise without the correct form
- for effective muscle growth you need to give muscles a chance to rebuild this means you cannot be doing killer workouts every day alternate your workout days with cardio days
- drink lots of water
- if you're aggressively developing your abs be sure to develop your back muscles and the rest of your core at the same time
## Have patience.
Don't get frustrated if you do not have a tidy little 6 pack after a couple of weeks. Don't give up. More importantly don't get impatient and attempt to force the issue either by starving yourself or hurting yourself it at the gym.
There is a reason why 6 pack abs are so sought after. Apart from the sheer aesthetics of a nice set of abdominals, a good 6 pack, by virtue of how hard they are to achieve, shows that you have really put in the work and are serious about your body, your health and the way you look.
## Change your diet.
The single biggest mistake that people make in their pursuit of 6 pack abs is not to adequately change their diet. Unlike biceps and pectorals (just to name two) the abdominals are nestled deeper in the body and are therefore more naturally shrouded in body fat. This has absolutely no bearing, of course, on your ability to develop the muscle group BUT even well-developed, rock hard abs aren't a 6 pack unless they are seen. This is what makes the goal of a 6 pack so elusive; it's a product not just of the muscle group itself but also of overall body fat index.
## Eat differently but not necessarily less.
If you are trying to build any muscle group it is far better to lose weight by watching what it is you are eating rather than focussing too much on how much you are eating. Now clearly, if you are drastically overeating that needs to be brought under control but that aside it is more beneficial to eat smarter rather than eat less. Muscle development requires calories and so dramatically choking off your caloric intake will only hamper your efforts. Also if you are running too high a daily caloric deficit your metabolism will shift so as to reduce weight loss; this is a perfectly natural mechanism by the way, designed to fend off starvation. Eat healthier, less processed food. Avoid refined sugars and flour. Eat whole grains in the place of refined grains. And, if you are serious about shedding that body fat, cut out alcohol entirely.
## Prepare to exercise a great deal..
There are lots of good ab workouts (and fat burning workouts for that matter) circulating in gyms and online where, you could no doubt find a different abs exercise video for every day of the year. Most workouts will feature crunches, sit ups, leg lifts and static holds. Here are a few pieces of advice:
- ensure you know how to do ANY exercise properly before you start as it is easy to strain your back or neck or even your abs if you recklessly throw yourself into an exercise without the correct form
- for effective muscle growth you need to give muscles a chance to rebuild this means you cannot be doing killer workouts every day alternate your workout days with cardio days
- drink lots of water
- if you're aggressively developing your abs be sure to develop your back muscles and the rest of your core at the same time
## Have patience.
Don't get frustrated if you do not have a tidy little 6 pack after a couple of weeks. Don't give up. More importantly don't get impatient and attempt to force the issue either by starving yourself or hurting yourself it at the gym.
There is a reason why 6 pack abs are so sought after. Apart from the sheer aesthetics of a nice set of abdominals, a good 6 pack, by virtue of how hard they are to achieve, shows that you have really put in the work and are serious about your body, your health and the way you look.
About the Author:
If you want to get some detailed information about six pack exercise from Peter Carvell check this out: Sixpackfactory.com
1 comments:
It's really hard to get those 6-pack abs. You have to be on a fat loss diet so you can get the body that you want. Thanks for that information.
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