While there are many ways in which you can sculpt a gorgeous stomach, the best way to get a six pack is to combine all of these ways into a complex, efficient program that will give you the perfect abs. The principle behind six pack abs is the strengthening of the abdominal core muscles and loss of body fat. In order to lose fat and build muscles you will have to diet and exercise.
Best Way to Get a Six Pack – Diet Tips
While you may have toned and muscular abs, they will not look like this if there is a layer of fat over them. This is why you have to manage what you eat, in order to get rid of fat and look stunning.
The number one tip is to eat breakfast. If you do not eat breakfast, your metabolism becomes lazy and you will likely also eat copious lunches, which result in you feeling drowsy and with no will to exercise. Keeping your stomach empty for 12 hours or more comes with many disadvantages, and will make it impossible for you to get six pack abs.
If you are in a hurry in the morning or you are simply not accustomed to eating breakfast, eat foods that are light and easy to prepare, such as cereals, yogurt, apples, or a smoothie. In time, try to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, by eating light dinners and modest lunches.
It is also important to leave a couple of hours between having dinner and going to bed. Also, do not eat too much at dinner. If you feel hungry at the end of the day, you can fight this by drinking a glass of water before sitting at the table or having a healthy snack an hour or so before dinner. The best way to get a six pack is to balance your meals. When you feel hungry between meals, embrace healthy choices, such as fresh fruits, vegetables or a handful of nuts.
Grains are known to be particularly beneficial for the stomach, so the best way to get a six pack might be replacing refined grains with whole grains. There have been several studies in this direction, which have shown the huge potential of grains and the important role they play in losing belly fat. A diet rich in whole grains can actually change your body’s way of producing glucose and insulin, leading to a fast burn of fat, including visceral fat (i.e. fat located inside your abdominal cavity).
In order to lose fat, you should start a cardio workout routine. This will help burn that layer of fat that is covering your abs. Good examples of cardio workouts are running, dancing, rowing or riding the bike. You should also include weight lifting in your exercise program, to help your body gain more muscle, and, therefore, burn more calories. Cardio workouts alone may result in your body losing muscle mass, including muscles from your abs. This is why it is very important to add weight lifting to your program designed to build six pack abs.
Best Way to Get a Six Pack – Building Muscles
A six pack is all about well-defined muscles. In order to strengthen your muscles and define them, you must perform several types of exercises.
It is not rarely that crunches are considered to be the best way to get a six pack. The truth is that they are efficient, but you will have to combine them with various other exercises, and you will have to perform them correctly in order to achieve results. Start by lying on the floor (on a mat) and bending your knees. You can place your hands either in front of your chest or near your temples. Do not place your hands on the back of your head, as this position is wrong. Slowly raise your upper torso towards your knees. Use your abdominal muscles to perform the movement; feel them tensed and working. Do not lift your entire back off the floor, because you may strain your back; plus, extended movement is not the best way to get a six pack.
The essential part of the crunch is when you flex your abs, while lifting your upper torso off the floor. Exhale during the movement, and gasp once your shoulders are off the floor. When at the top of your crunch, maintain the position for a moment and exhale, while flexing your abs. Inhale through your nose while gently lowering your back until your shoulders touch the ground. Do not touch the ground with your head. This is how you should perform a crunch correctly.
In addition, you must perform other types of exercises, such as sit ups, leg lifts or static holds. Static holds are when you place your body in a push-up position, but keep the elbows on the ground, while keeping your whole body flat. The key is to try to hold this position for as long as possible. For beginners, 45 seconds should be enough, while pros can maintain a correct position up to 5 minutes. You can then roll onto one side of your body and keep only one hand on the ground and the other pointed straight in the air. The leg that is not currently in use should rest on top of your bottom leg. These exercises should all be part of a personalized program; they should all be seen together as the best way to get a six pack.
There are many other exercises that you can try, but you may find them difficult at the beginning. Barbells and dumbbells are great to work with when you are trying to build nice abs. Kettlebells can help you build challenging workouts, and they are the best way to build a six pack for people who are in shape and can handle working with them.
The best way to build a six pack is to figure out what types of exercises suit you best and combine them in a program that you will follow daily; after a while, change the exercises you are doing with others, to get diversity and efficiency.