6-Pack Abs
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The one thing that a lot of people will say they want when they refer to becoming fit is “6-pack abs”. You’ve all heard it and you have probably said it or at least thought it for yourself. So how do we get 6-pack abs? How do we get abs at all? We want to explain some very simple concepts that a lot of programs fail to project or tell you to do.
The first thing you should know if you want to “show your abs” is you do not need to do tons or sit ups, crunches, etc. (not saying you shouldn’t, we will come back to this). Everyone has ab muscles. If your alive and able to move and walk upright, you thus have abs. Your spine would not be able to support itself and therefore you must have muscles in your abdomen. So how do we show those abs without doing ab exercises? We show our abs by doing cardio/aerobic exercise that elevates our heart rate to 75-80% of its max rate for 30 minutes or more a day (paired with a nutritious diet of course). THIS is how you burn fat and since fat cannot be targeted (sorry folks, it can’t) this is the best way to show your abs. By doing this on a daily basis you will burn the belly fat that lies over your ab muscles and ultimately this will get them to show. Too many people spend hours on crunches and sit-ups thinking they are targeting belly fat and this is simply FALSE.
The good part about our workouts? We include cardio and strengthening exercises that will elevate your heart rate to the level necessary to burn that fat if done properly. But understand that getting a 6-pack is not an easy task and it takes hard work and dedication not only at the gym but at the dinner table as well (we will touch on nutrition in another section).
Okay, so now you think you don’t need to do ab exercises to show your abs. Technically, that can be true since simply losing the fat around your waste would show the muscle that is there. But in order to develop these muscles we must work out our core as if they are any other muscle group. By doing so we will increase the muscle mass of our abdominal muscles and increase the chances of showing off that 6-pack you have always wanted.
If you are looking to get BULKY ABS (deep ridges) then you should work your abs 1 session a week, for 30-45 minutes. If you are looking for FLAT ABS then you need to work your abs 3-7 times a week. But overall, you get abs via the dinner table, not the gym.
REMINDER: Ab exercises should not be used to burn fat off your abs. They are used to build your ab muscles.
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLE AB WORKOUTS:
Note that these are simple guidelines to help but you should be sure to switch in other ab workouts so that you are not always doing the same workout. We would recommend adding in some vertical exercises that get you off the ground such as “Side Wood Chops” and “Hanging Leg Lifts”.
For BULKY ABS:
Complete 5 – 6 rounds, resting 2-3 minutes between circuits. Do this exercise and take 5 – 7 days to recover before working the abs again:
Crunches 8 – 10 (w/ max amount of weight you can handle)
Crunches 8 – 10 (w/ 50% of the max weight)
Bicycle Crunches 10 – 15 (w/ 50% of the max weight)
Crunches x as many as possible (NO WEIGHT)
Bicycle Crunches x as many as possible (NO WEIGHT)
Plank 1min+ (on both left and right side)
For FLAT ABS:
Complete 3 – 4 rounds as a circuit 3 – 7 times a week:
Swiss ball crunches 30+
Plank 1min+ (either side)
Bicycle Crunches 50+ (count:1,2,3,4,etc.)
Plank 1min+ (opposite side)
(Note: The best way to see where you need to get in order to show your abs is by measuring body fat. Now, this can differ from individuals so we will give you a reference number of 7% body fat to reach the goal of showing your abs. Since individuals vary it could occur at 9%, 10%, or even 13%. But measuring and keeping track of losses and gains in your body fat percentage is a great way to track your fitness and a lot better than simply a scale)