How to Get That 6-Pack Abs !
If you have been watching the ‘Jersey Shore’ on TV, you must have seen this guy ‘the Situation’ and his killer abs! If you want to have the same rock hard look on your abs, just follow these basic tips.
- The first thing to remember is to watch what you eat. Your ideal target is 10% body fat or less. The reason for that is simple – the less fat you have in your abs area, the easier it is to see muscle development. Your diet must include quality protein as well as mono and unsaturated fats like fish oil, seeds, nuts and anything you can think of that is high in omega-3 fatty acids(i.e. salmon, tuna, etc.) The protein will feed your muscle growth and the unsaturated fats will stabilize your insulin levels to keep your body burning the fat all day long.
- You need carbs that your body can use for repairing the muscle tissue after you do your work outs. A good method is to eat a cup or so of raw vegetables after each workout. Eat different types of veggies to avoid boredom! These vegetables will give you the vitamins and minerals, in addition to fiber and antioxidants that you will need to burn the fat and repair your muscle tissues as you work out.
- Go for whole wheat bread, stay away from wonder whites! No sodas, no candies, reduce your sugar intake, and eat a lot of fruit. Don’t forget to drink lots of water following that 8-glasses a day rule.
- Now for the hard part – you need to exercise! If you are currently doing a lot of aerobic exercises like jogging, bike riding, running, and so on, you can still continue to do so. Just remember that aerobics is not the best way to go when it comes to getting your 6-pack-abs. So the trick is to reduce the aerobics and focus on what is best for abs muscle development.
So which method is best for your abs?
Forget the sit-ups and the crunches – go for resistance weight training! Specialized resistance weight training is the most efficient form of exercise for developing all muscles, the abs included. Not only does weight training provide quicker results for muscle development, but it causes your body to burn fat for at least 24 hours beyond the exercise period. The best part about weight training is you can do these exercises at home.
Resistance weight training can be done using only your own body weight such as when you use these exercise balls, swiss balls or pilates balls. You can also use dumbbells starting with the 5 to 10 pounders and slowly working your way up. You can always upgrade and add a barbell and bench later. The exercises can be done every other day during the week at an hour each day, then take breaks on the weekends to allow your muscles to recover.
Keep the intensity and volume up during the exercise routine. This will give you the aerobic type cardio work out that is also good for you. Keep it intense but short, ideally less than a minute, and no resting between sets, while doing short rests between exercises. This approach will keep the exercise periods to less that an hour per session but maximizes the impact to your abs.
That’s it! It’s a simple, easy and inexpensive method. And last but not least, it is also the fastest way to get those great looking abs!