Getting a flat stomach and abs is one of the great aspirations of everyone who does sports and, especially, fitness. The goal is to tone each area of the abdomen, burn the fat accumulated in this area and be able to show off the much desired six-pack.
Sculpting the lower abs to achieve a true “six pack” takes a lot of work, but with help, sacrifice and common sense, it can be done. It's not just about doing reps, sets and crunches, climbs and leg lifts. It all starts in the kitchen with a good diet, because if the fat that covers the muscles doesn't disappear, the abs will never show.
Therefore, to get beautiful abs, the most important thing is to reduce the percentage of body fat as much as possible. In men, it should be less than 10% and in women, 20%. The lower it is, the more marked it will be, logically.
The keys of the abdo in six pack
Anyway, everything affects how to display perfect abs. That's why, before anything else, you need to understand that the main keys to getting abs are the following four points.
- A high-protein diet tailored to the caloric needs of each person, although it is also possible to train with a sustainable and healthy caloric deficit.
- Do not work the core and abs every day. Leave at least one or two days between ab workouts.
- Give priority to strength training.
- Do cardio on an empty stomach.
Regarding the diet to follow, the objective is to increase the metabolic rate to stimulate the abdominal muscles. To do this, it is advisable to eat six meals a day, three hours apart. At each of these meals, you should incorporate a portion of protein as a base, whether it is eggs, fish, chicken or other lean meats.
To achieve good muscle, reduce your body fat percentage as much as possible.
For breakfast and the second meal, eat starchy foods (oatmeal, rye bread or sprouted bread) and a piece of fruit. For lunch, sweet or regular potatoes, brown rice and quinoa are very good choices, while for dinner, it is advisable to eat vegetables, avoiding root vegetables and starchy carbs. Of course, drink plenty of water.
As much as possible, avoid refined and processed foods. You can replace them with nuts, seeds, avocados or olives. It's also helpful to drink a post-workout shake containing 40-50 grams of carbohydrates and 20-30 grams of protein. And since it's not all about sacrifice, you can eat something every 10 days that you really like. Anything you like.
The Ultimate Workout
With these nutritional tips in place, the next step is to set up a precise and balanced exercise program. The great thing is that you can do them anywhere, whether it's at home, in the garden, at the park or at the beach.
This workout involves performing three circuits consisting of the six exercises listed below four times a week for four weeks. This routine should last about 45 minutes. On the two days when there is no training, it is recommended that you do an additional 45 minutes of uphill walking on the treadmill. Remember to set aside one day a week to rest. It is best to focus on technique rather than speed.
- Overhead squats: 3 or 4 sets of 20 to 30 reps with 30 seconds rest.
- Overhead knee squats: 3 or 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with 30 seconds rest.
- Knee down on outside of same elbow: 3 or 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with 30 seconds rest.
- Elbow flexion: 3 or 4 sets of 15 repetitions with 30 seconds rest.
- Hamstring curl with Swiss ball: 3 or 4 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with 30 seconds rest.
- Split Lunge/Overhead Press: 3 or 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with 30 seconds rest.
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