Getting a set of six-pack abs is not just about doing thousands of crunches. These exercises can help to shape the abdominal muscles, but without cleaning up your diet, you will never see them; they will be covered in a layer of fat. It takes self-discipline to see this goal through and achieve success.
Healthy Eating
Junk food must be banished from your kitchen. No more chips, burgers, cakes, cookies, and don't forget the liquid calories in the form of sodas and lattes. To achieve a six pack, your new diet must be fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and whole grain foods. Proper hydration by drinking plenty of water is key too, with men drinking 125 oz. per day and women 91 oz.
Plan
As important as the food itself is the frequency with which you eat it and the amount you consume. Use the calorie counter on MyPlate to work out your daily caloric intake. Reduce this by 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Scrap the standard three meals a day and instead eat five to six smaller meals spread two to three hours apart.
Weights and Cardio
Perform weights and cardio workouts on alternate days. On weight days, focus on the big compound exercises like squats, bent-over rows and dead lifts, which will work the abs as a bonus. Use interval training, also called HIIT, for cardio sessions. HIIT involves short bursts of high intensity followed by slightly longer periods of moderate training. It can be applied any form of cardio workout.
Abs
Work out your abs at the end of your interval training sessions. Examples of ab exercises include hanging leg raises, Swiss-ball crunch, bicycle kicks and crunch twists. Perform three to four sets of 15 to 20 reps. As your strength and muscles develop, you will find this becomes too easy, so add resistance to the exercise by holding medicine balls or weight plates.
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