Everyone has a six Pack, but for most it is hidden under a layer of fat. This article helps you find yours!
My Name is Nathan and I am the owner of Friction CrossFit. I have been battling my stomach for my entire life. They come, they go and the cycle never ends. A six-pack is top of the list when it comes to desirable body parts for me and most men, yet the abs muscles often cause confusion when it comes to training and steps to take to get washboard, eye catching abs. Here, we outline the science behind the six-pack and the best exercises for building yours.
Forget Crunches and Gimmicky Ab Devices
Leave the “As Seen on TV” ab workout devices on your television screen, and forget the old advice of doing endless sit-ups or crunches. An American Council on Exercise-sponsored study, conducted by the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University, reviewed some of the most common ab exercises. Researchers concluded that the bicycle maneuver was the most effective at working your abs, helping you to focus your exercise strictly on your rectus abdominis muscles so you get the fastest results. To do the bicycle maneuver, lie down on your back. Put your hands behind your head and raise your legs into the air so your thighs are perpendicular to your torso. Contract your abs, then bend your right knee up while simultaneously bringing your left elbow forward. Your knee and elbow should meet together above your body. Pause for one or two seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat with your left knee and right elbow. Another great exercise we us at the gym are Glute Ham Developer sit ups. This piece of equipment is usually in a crossfit gym and does wonders for your entire core.
Get Highly Intense
An American College of Sports Medicine study published in the “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise” research journal found that high-intensity exercise was the fastest way to change body composition. In fact, it found that high-intensity exercise helped people to quickly lose fat from around their abdomen. By reducing your stomach fat, you reveal the ab muscles you’ve been working on strengthening. There is no right or wrong way workout, but in my opinion crossfit is the best way to achieve your stomach goals. One of the main reasons is because you are always doing something new. You do not get bored, so it is easier to stick with it and stay consistent.
Use the Secret Recipe for a Six Pack
Abs are actually made in the kitchen, not just the gym. When paired with ab-strengthening exercise and fat-burning exercise, a good diet can get you the results you want as quickly as possible. Boost your protein intake, since a study in the “Obesity” journal reported that making protein 30 percent of your calorie intake improved your fat-burning metabolism and specifically lowered fat deposits from your ab region. Carbohydrate percentage should be 40 percent, since this is your first source of energy. The remaining 30 percent belongs to fat. We get most of our fat through natural animal fat but there are alternatives as well. Just make sure you stay consistent and eat 4 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day. I have found the best way to log your food is an App called my fitness pal.
Get Shredded in Your Sleep
Get adequate rest. Research in “Sleep,” a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Sleep Research Society and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, noted that not getting enough sleep was linked to greater fat accumulation around the stomach region. That’s because when you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol. This boosts your appetite, often leading you to overeat and gain more fat. However, cortisol also causes you to retain more fat and lose more muscle mass. Thus, aiming to get enough shut-eye every night, try to sleep for seven or eight hours, can help you keep fat at bay and maintain a trim, toned torso.
Get shredded today at Friction CrossFit!