How To Get Flat 6 Pack Abs For Women

Stop crunching hundreds of times every day in pursuit of six-pack abs. Women must combine strategic exercise and a very clean diet to obtain a six-pack. For your abdominal muscles to appear ripped, you have to reduce body fat to an athlete's level of 14 to 16 percent, notes "Oxygen" magazine" in August 2010.

Step 1

Eat a "clean" diet consisting of whole, natural foods that contain no excess sodium, sugar, refined flours, preservatives or trans fats. Skip junk food and fast food, and order grilled entrees without extra sauces or seasonings in restaurants. Prepare food at home as often as possible so you can control the ingredients. Stick to lean meats, poultry, fish, whey protein powder and eggs for protein. Choose whole grains like brown rice and quinoa as starches. Emphasize green vegetables and fruits at most meals.

Step 2

Eat fewer calories than you burn in a day if you need to lose weight. Make your daily calorie target between 250 and 500 calories fewer than the amount you use to exercise and function--figure this calorie burn rate at a site like CaloriesPerHour.com. Go for this slow ½ to 1 lb. per week rate of weight loss to insure you lose fat, rather than a lot of lean muscle. Keep your calories equal to your calorie burn rate if you are not looking to lose weight. Control portions at every meal.

Step 3

Eat healthy fats found in plants, nuts, fish and seeds. Shun fatty cuts of meat, full-fat dairy and meal replacement products containing high amounts of saturated fat. Avoid commercially fried foods and processed snacks containing trans fats, as these can contribute to a fat belly, reports a study in the journal "Obesity" from 2007. In this study, Wake Forest researchers found that monkeys following a low-calorie diet that included trans fats still gained fat around their midsection.

Step 4

Go for several small meals daily, rather than two or three large meals. Avoid overstuffing yourself, as this can lead to abdominal distension and the storage of body fat. Divide your daily calorie target by six and strive to eat that amount at regular intervals during the day. Each meal should contain lean protein, healthy carbohydrates and a small amount of good fat.

Step 5

Perform intense, interval-based cardiovascular exercise three days per week. Improve your body's ability to oxidize fat with hour-long sessions that include a brief warm-up followed by 10 rounds of four minutes of high-intensity work followed by two minutes of light work. A study in the journal "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism," published in December 2008, found that after six weeks of this training plan, three times per week, participants' ability to metabolize fat increased by 60 percent.

Step 6

Train all three major muscles of the abdomen two or three times per week on nonconsecutive days. Choose exercises that fatigue your muscles in just 12 to 15 repetitions, recommends "Oxygen" magazine. Good choices are hanging leg raises, the bicycle maneuver, plank holds, Pilates-style roll-ups and cable crunches.

Tips and Warnings

Some women may not have the genetic capability to achieve anything more than a four-pack, which is still an impressive physique.
It is not recommended that women dip below 13 percent body fat--the essential amount to support hormone production and healthy tissue--notes Dr. Andrew Weil on his website.