Getting washboard abs is simple, but not easy. It's as simple as doing this one thing. No 'secrets', special diets, supplements, or truths 'revealed'. Just 5 simple, sensible principles anyone can follow.
Here's How...
The way to reveal your six pack abs is not by performing tons of ab exercises in the hopes of having them pop out over the skin but by reducing the amount of subcutaneous fat covering up your abs.
For you guys who really want it, you will start to 'see' your abs when you reduce your body fat percentage to about 10 percent.
You reduce one pound of body fat by creating a calorie deficit of 3500 calories below maintenance-- or 500 calories per day (3500 kcal / 7 days).
Calorie deficits are most effective when both nutrition and exercise are combined together.
Six pack abs are simple, but not easy. It's so simple in fact, all it takes is this one thing... a calorie deficit.
You simply cannot achieve your goals haphazardly. It's not enough to just drop your calories by 500 kcal. To lose a pound of body fat, you must create a caloric deficit below your daily caloric requirement. Knowing your DCR is a necessary first step. It also allows you to set your calorie goals and gives you a basis from which to 'tweak' your program as you progress.
2. Reduce your DCR by the appropriate number of calories.
If you're just starting out, begin slowly by reducing your daily calorie intake by 10 to 15 percent below maintenance. On average, if your DCR is between 2200 and 2800 kcal, this will mean reducing the amount of calories you eat by 220 to 420 kcal.
Never reduce your total daily calorie intake to below 1200 kcal without medical supervision.
One of the first steps you can take to decrease the calories you eat is not by eliminating any of your favourite foods but by reducing the quantity of your portion sizes.
Also, instead of eating the classic 3 large meals a day, take the same number of calories and split them up into 5 to 6 smaller meals spread out every 2 to 3 hours. This will help keep your blood sugar levels 'constant' throughout the day, and keep you from strong hunger sensations that tend to promote large food intakes.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. This will ensure you get sufficient fibre in your diet. Avoid refined, simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flour.
Stick to lean meats and fish. Try to include 1 serving of protein with every meal. Do not exclude dietary fats. Instead, choose healthy fats like fish fat, nuts, seeds, or flaxseed oil. Keep your fat intake to no less than 10 percent and no more than 30 percent of your total daily calories-- stay away from saturated fats and trans fats as much as you can.
Drink plenty of fluids.
3. Perform cardiovascular exercise regularly.
To facilitate and maintain body fat loss, it is generally agreed by health organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Weight Control Registry, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy Of Sciences, and other independent researchers-- that in conjunction with a reduced caloric intake, exercise that results in at least an energy expenditure level of approximately 2000 calories weekly works best.
Depending on your level of fitness, this may mean burning about 285 kcal a day, 665 kcal 3 days a week, or 400 kcal 5 days a week, for example.
4. Perform weight training on 2 to 3 non-consecutive days weekly.
Resistance training helps with mobilization and use of body fat as fuel. It may also assist in minimizing lean muscle loss during caloric deficits. Muscles burn calories and in turn, maintains your resting metabolic rate.
Perform full body workouts emphasizing multi-joint exercises that focus on large muscle groups such as squats, dead-lifts, step-ups, and rows-- to help optimize your body fat loss efforts.
Do not take risks or exert yourself beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness.
If you're a beginner, start slowly and progress gradually in small increments. Choose resistance training exercises more in line with your abilities and training experience.
5. Include abdominal work with your resistance training.
The way to achieve washboard abs is to build strong abdominals and then to reveal them. It's important to
train the stabilizer muscles of the core
region first.
As you progress, you'll want to include both
loaded and unloaded ab
exercises to optimally train the movement muscles of the core region.
Achieving washboard abs is simple, but not easy. It will require a concerted effort on your part to pay very close attention to your nutrition in terms of daily caloric intake and quality of foods you choose. But it will also require a serious commitment to regular cardiovascular and resistance training activities.
