If you want to have six-pack abs, plan on devoting 12 months to toning your body, shaping your abdominal area and eating a high-quality diet. When you see a man with six-pack abs, you know he is serious about his body-fat composition and most likely spends many hours working out. According to the University of Alabama-Birmingham, you cannot spot reduce abdominal fat, but you can tone the muscles underneath while losing excess body fat. When your body-fat percentage is lower, your abdominal muscles will be well-defined.
Shed Excess Weight
Step 1
Eat healthy foods in the right quantity to shed excess body weight. Focus on high-protein foods like poultry, lean beef and pork, low-fat dairy and nuts. Use an online calorie calculator to determine how many calories you should eat each day. Drink six to eight glasses of water per day to stay hydrated. Keep a daily food diary to monitor your caloric intake throughout the year.
Step 2
Regular cardiovascular exercise will burn excess calories and tone your muscles. Try different forms of exercise until you find one you enjoy. Work out five days a week to lose weight. Run, walk, swim, bike or use the elliptical machine for 30 minutes at a time. The Mayo Clinic recommends adding interval training to your cardiovascular exercise.
Step 3
Lifting weights builds lean muscle mass, which enables your body to burn calories at a faster rate. While you are targeting your abdominal area, incorporate weight-lifting exercises that target your other muscle groups. For your legs, do squats and lunges. Work your chest, arms and back with push-ups, bicep curls and shoulder presses.
Work Your Abs
Step 1
Perform a variety of stability ball crunches to work the three sections of your abdominal muscles. The rectus muscle is what gives you the six-pack, the obliques are located on your sides and the transverse muscle supports your spine. Do regular, oblique and reverse crunches to target all three muscle groups. Throughout the year, increase the number of repetitions you perform.
Step 2
Use a weight bench to perform the incline sit-up. Add a weight plate for increased difficulty as you get stronger. The incline sit-up targets your rectus abdominal muscle. Place your feet under the support bar, hold the plate behind your head and perform the sit-up. Increase the incline percentage on a regular basis.
Step 3
The Russian twist targets your rectus, transverse and oblique muscles. The twisting motion strengthens your obliques, and holding your body in a "V" shape strengthens the other abdominal muscles. Sit on the floor with your feet under a heavy object. Lean back so your body is in a "V" shape and twist your body from side to side, keeping your arms outstretched. Add weights for increased difficulty.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat five to six small meals throughout the day to keep from getting hungry. Vary your cardiovascular routine to avoid boredom. Meet with a personal trainer to help define your weight-lifting routine. Add new abdominal exercises every month.
- Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Do not hold your breath as you lift weights. Avoid back strain by paying attention to your form.
Things You'll Need
- Food diary
- Stability ball
- Inclined weight bench
- Weight plates
- Hand weights
References
- UAB Medicine: Stomach Muscles-Crunches
- Mayo Clinic: Interval Training: Can It Boost Your Calorie-Burning Power?
- Columbia University: Go Ask Alice: Wants to Build Muscle Mass Through Weight Lifting and a Healthy Diet
- University of New Mexico: SuperAbs Resource Manual
- ExRx: Weighted Incline Sit-Up--Advanced
Member Comments