7 Ways To Get A Six-Pack – The Comprehensive Approach:
Your
Journey Towards A Ripped 6-Pack
Everybody wants a six-pack, don’t
you? But do you really know how to get one? Many have tried, and
tried hard, just to get killer abs – either to show off to the other
bodybuilders in the gym, or to impress women with your lean
abdominal muscles.
Perhaps you have been working out for
what seems to be the longest time, and still seeing no results.
Maybe you have been doing more than a hundred crunches and sit-ups
per day, and still the flabby abs.
You may have undertaken a strict
diet, with fewer calories at that. You forego of most foods you
love, since you are afraid it keeps adding up to what you consider
to be an ugly sight of your abs peeking out of your waistline. You
may even feel starved after some days of going into this diet and
yet those ever-proud abs of yours still persist.
The 6-pack Solutions - Truths or
Myths?
Many are made to believe that doing
crunches alone will flatten your stomach – well, maybe it will, but
not after thousands of repetitions perhaps, and surely, not as soon
as you want them to. It may indeed give you strong abdominal
muscles, but no way will it show outside.
Some are also made to believe that
lifting weights alone and going into body building programs would
give you the ever-popular six-pack abs you’ve always dreamed of
having. So you went to the gym, and lifted weights. You then
proceeded as months go by with heavier weights, and found out you
have become stronger. So you proceeded with more weight, and then
you seemed to be caught up in a momentum that made you pump weights
like crazy. You feel good after each workout, and felt having made
a good session each time. So you proceeded on with your gym
workouts every month, pumping weights as usual and getting those
testosterone levels high after each exercise. But months and months
pass by, and yet you still carry some luggage on your waistline.
There must be something terribly wrong, if all you get after all
those heavy lifting are enlarged blood vessels on the neck, and
callus on your palms & fingers. Surely, you must have wanted more
results than these.
Then there are those proponents of an
all-aerobic workout to flatten the stomach. Studies and results by
many were positive for this one. Aerobic workouts burn calories
more during the exercise. High-intensity exercises burn even more.
But aerobic workouts do still have limitations. And while it may
give you a flat stomach, it ain’t killer abs.
Lastly, there are those believers of
the strict diet program. One proposes a low-carb diet, others
propose a low to no-fat diet, and there are those who go on a
starvation diet – which should be a big no-no! There are many
combinations of these diets, and each has strong followers – but let
us not follow. Let us discover what works for us best, and what is
safer for us.
The Grand Plan To Great Abs
One should first be realistic with
his expectations though. Don’t expect well-defined & ripped
abdominal muscles to be visible after just a few weeks of diet and
exercise. Depending on the current abdominal fat you have, the
results may not right away show. But at least, you will have a
strong abdominal core as a result of your exercise program – and
when the fat from your belly finally comes out, your 6-pack will be
ready to go.
There are 7 ways to get sculpted and
defined abdominal muscles. Each of the seven has a role to play in
the overall scheme of getting lean abs. Each is simple to do; the
hard thing perhaps would be the discipline that has to go with it.
The guiding principle of this grand
plan is to come up with a comprehensive approach towards getting the
abs that you want. Each important and critical aspect that would
contribute or affect your chances of getting those lean abs are
considered and given due weight.
One should understand that applying
only a mere aspect towards leaner abs will not work as effectively
as when one subscribes to the whole comprehensive approach. Getting
all things covered would increase your chances of getting the abs
you want. Depending on your drive, would also depend the results
that you get. So, if you want to see results, do it right.
The 7 Ways To Lose Your Gut – A
Journey Towards Leaner Abs
Ask For A Go Signal – Visit Your
Doctor
Before you start any exercise regimen
or any strenuous exercise program, and before you start on a new
diet or take any supplements, always get a clearance from your
doctor. After you are given the thumbs up, you may then ask
guidance from professional trainer to teach you the right techniques
of each exercise that you plan to do – and then, you can get right
on it.
1.
Take the necessary supplements.
You will need to take multivitamins
and minerals for supplementation purposes. You will need these
since you will be taking on an exercise regimen that will deplete
your body will essential nutrients. Supplementing will ensure that
you get at least the minimum daily requirements for proper
nutrition.
There are also known supplements out
there that have been suggested to aid in our goal. Such is
chromium. It controls sugar cravings and it helps enhance the
metabolism function of the body. Most multivitamin supplements
however have included this, but if not, it would do well to take
some.
For general health and conditioning,
take some vitamin C and E. Anti-oxidants will help you get rid of
the waste especially after an exercise program. It will also
enhance your immune system. Glutamine will help as well.
For your joints, one needs
glucosamine supplementation. With all the exercises you will do,
both aerobic and anaerobic, you will be putting some amount of
stress on those joints, so you would need this to make it a bit
stronger.
2.
Abs workout – Concentrated Exercises
There are many abdominal workouts you
can choose to do. The important thing here is that you hit the abs
at least thrice a week and at least 20 minutes per session. It is
critical that these exercises be done in proper form, and would be
best if done in cycle.
Quality is key and not quantity.
Perform these exercises in good form and with the right technique.
Don’t hurry up each repetition just so you get done with it right
away. It won’t be able to do you any good if you cheat yourself.
Do each set with 15 to 20 repetitions
each. As much as possible, do not rest between repetitions, and
minimize rest time between sets, in between exercises or in between
each cycle. This will increase the intensity of your workout, and
your abdominal muscles will respond accordingly.
And like all other muscles, do not
over-train your abdominals. It also needs to heal and build new
tissues as you hit it with your abdominal exercises. It is thus
advised to either hit it 3 times to 4 times a week. Allow it to
grow strong first, before you subject it to more stress with your
exercises.
·
Crunches –
Lie on your back, with knees bent and your lower legs supported on a
flat bench. Place your hands behind your head, then curl your torso
forward so that your shoulders will leave the floor. Keep your head
level all throughout the motion. Hold the top position for a while,
then lower your shoulders back to the floor. Then repeat.
·
Lying Bicycles
– Still lying supine on the floor with your legs raised at the hips,
place your hands beside your head. Bend your right leg at the knee
while you pull your right thigh up at the hip while curling your
spine up to the right - your left elbow should then approach your
right knee. Upon completion of the movement, pull your left leg up
while you extend your right leg & curling your spine towards the
left. Continue to do this in an alternate manner, with each pair of
left & right curling counted as one repetition.
·
Twisting Crunches
– Lie on your back with your left knee bent and foot flat on the
floor. Cross your right leg over your left thigh, just like when
sitting with your legs crossed. Position your left hand behind your
head. Keep your right arm extended beside you on the floor. Then
perform the exercise by curling your spine forward and then rotating
to the right so your left shoulder leaves the floor. Keep your head
level throughout. Hold the top position for a moment, then lower
your shoulder slowly back down. Do the next repetition immediately
once your back touches the floor. Do not rest between reps. After
which, move on to the opposite side in the reverse position, and in
the opposite direction.
·
Seated Jackknife
– Sit on a flat bench. With your legs extended in front of you,
angle your upper body back at 45 degrees in relation to the bench.
Fold your body by bringing your legs in while curling your spine
forward. Bend your knees as you raise your legs inwards. Hold the
contraction for a moment before going back to starting position.
Then repeat.
·
Dumbbell Side Bends
– In standing position, hold a dumbbell in each hand straight on the
sides. Start by bending from your waist all the way to the right,
then straighten back up. Then move to the left. Do not swivel your
hips during the execution. Continue to alternate, with each pair of
left & right motion counted as one repetition.
3.
Weight Training – More Repetitions per
Set
Lifting weights will enable one to
develop muscles. Muscles require more calories for maintenance. The
more muscles you have all over your body, the more calories you
burn, and the more it will be capable to feed on the fat around your
middle.
Weight training for the main purpose
of getting nice abs require that one increase the number of
repetitions of an exercise per set. Unlike when your purpose is to
gain muscle weight and density, that you increase the weight that
you lift - our case requires one to take on a moderate weight or a
light weight even, and then increase intensity by way of increasing
the number of repetitions. In this way, you get a somewhat aerobic
effect to this exercise, which adds to your calorie burning process.
Unlike aerobic exercises that are
known to slow down its calorie burning effect after the actual
exercise, weight training will be able to stretch your calorie
burning process a little bit more.
4.
Aerobic Exercises – Do it Just Long
Enough!
Aerobic exercises are those that one
will be able to do for a longer period of time. Such would include
brisk walking, jogging, skipping rope, swimming and many more. Some
use treadmills, but for those who want to put little stress on their
knees and joints may opt for a stationary bike.
The important thing with aerobic
exercise is that you get to have a session wherein you are mainly
burning calories and fat. At the duration of the exercise, you are
concentrating mainly on taking off the unnecessary pounds. That is
why such aerobic exercises should be incorporated in one’s exercise
plan in order to get the benefits it provides.
Doing aerobic workouts for around 20
minutes, 4 times a week would be good enough. Just make sure that,
that 20 minutes are straight. One may do longer periods, but it all
depends on your current conditioning. Doing it too long may also do
more harm than good – remember you are also subjecting your joints
to increasing stress as time progresses.
5.
Sleep Well.
This should not be taken lightly.
Even if you do all the other things right, without enough sleep, you
are headed to your own destruction. Your body needs rest to
recuperate from your workouts. It is on these rest periods, when
the body heals itself and rejuvenates it so that when you wake up ,
you will be refreshed and ready to take on another day towards your
journey of sexier abs.
6.
Eat Healthy.
This is probably one of the most
important of all. Eating healthy. It sounds pretty easy to do.
But when it comes to really doing it, many have fallen short.
Eating right requires discipline. One
needs to understand that what he puts into his body, will eventually
show outside. It may not instantly show, but gradually, all those
junk foods that one eats will pile up, and thus the bulging belly
you see when you look down.
The best foods are those that come as
natural as they get. Fruits and vegetables have always been
considered the best foods to eat. They are rich in nutrients that
will give nourishment to your body, and they are rich in fiber that
helps you cleanse your digestive system.
Processed foods, as much as possible,
should be avoided. One should go natural, and stick with brown rice
and brown sugar. If such processed food couldn’t be avoided, then
take them in moderation.
7.
Drink plenty of water.
Nothing substitutes drinking a glass
of water. Our body needs water as much as it needs air. Not only
does it satisfy our thirst, it does our body well in a number of
ways.
It helps our system stay cool and
within the right temperature. One should drink plenty of water
throughout the day. It keeps one from being dehydrated. Water helps
in making sure that one’s body will continue to function properly.
And it greatly helps in getting the toxic out of your body.
Stop Reading and Start The
Journey!
You don’t get the perfect abs you
want by just reading this, or by continuously reading muscle workout
magazines or by looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger pictures. So get
up and start your journey!
Be persistent and have the patience.
Continue on with your program even if the results you want don’t
right away show. Remember that you did not gain that abdominal fat
in just months, so don’t expect to take it out overnight.
Stick with the program. Have the
discipline and live a healthier lifestyle. If not killer-abs yet,
be content with leaner abs. With determination and an all-out drive
to train hard, you will soon reap the benefits – a ripped 6-pack
abs!
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