To get six-pack abs you need discipline not only in the gym but also the kitchen. With thousands of ab crunches you can define the rectus abdominis muscle, which the layman calls the six-pack. Without the correct diet, however, abs won't be visible because of the layer of fat that covers the muscles. As with any area of your life, mental strength and hard work are the keys to success in the gym.
Food
Changing your diet is the first step on the path to six-pack abs. Throw out the junk food and build your diet around healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds. No more empty liquid calories either. Replace soda and coffee latte with water. The Institute of Medicine recommends the consumption of 3.7 and 2.7 liters of water respectively for men and women.
Diet Plan
Alter the times and amounts you eat. Instead of three large meals, eat five to six smaller meals which can be spaced two or three hours apart. Working out the total calories needed per day is easy if you use the MyPlate website. In order to lose that layer of fat, reduce your caloric intake by up to 1,000 calories each day, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gym
Utilize both cardio and weight training sessions in order to achieve the six-pack. On cardio days perform interval training with any form of cardio. Alternating between high and low intensity cardio is a very efficient fat burner, according to the Mayo Clinic. Weight training days should focus on squats, dead lifts and the other big compound lifts which are going to work out your core.
Abs Workout
Workout your abs after interval training sessions. Be sure to perform a variety of exercises which are going to work out all the rectus abdominis and the obliques. Some examples would be swiss-ball sits ups for upper abs, hanging leg raises for lower abs and crunch twists for the obliques. Ad resistance weights to ankles or hold weight plates or medicine balls when the exercises become too easy.
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