Patriot Health Digest
A six pack is one of the best fitness goals you can have. But it’s also one of the hardest. In this five step guide, we will reveal the tricks to stair-stepping your way to getting a six pack – even if you’re a beginner.
1 – Get Lean
Many people have abs but their muscles are obscured by a pesky fat layer. The only way to let your abs show through is to get lean. That means getting to a body fat of 10% or below for men. This is done using a reduced calorie diet and regular cardio plus weight lifting.
2 – Pack On Muscle (As Much As You Can)
Instead of targeting your abs with direct exercises like sit ups, you should develop all muscles by doing normal strength training. Your abs connect your arms and your legs so it is no surprise that when your arms or legs get stronger, so too will your midsection. It’s not called “your core” for nothing! Some ab work is okay but try to focus on overhead presses, deadlifts and squats. These will put more load on your abs than any sit up ever could.
3 – Fix Your Posture
Good posture can make a difference between having abs and a belly. When you lean forwards, your abs have a tendency to bow outwards and even if do have a visible six pack, it will look ugly. Fix your posture, lift your chest and pull your shoulders back. This will keep your abs flat and make them look far better.
4 – Start Bracing
Bracing means tensing your abs without moving your spine. Imagine you are going to get punched in the gut and you tighten up to guard yourself – that’s what I mean by bracing! Do this whenever you do any weight lifting. Bracing is the core equivalent of flexing your biceps! Practice it whenever you can – it will help harden your abs and also guard your back when you lift heavy weights.
5 – Forget High Volume
Many people do a high volume of repetitions in the hopes of burning fat from their stomachs. And even worse, this is sometimes done daily. Your abs are just another muscle and you shouldn’t train them every day. As a rule, limit your repetitions to under 20 and do 2 to 3 sets of 2 to 3 exercises twice per week. This, plus staying lean plus bracing your abs is all you need to create a sexy six pack
