Sculpting your abdominal area is something that's tough to do because it takes dedication, patience and willpower to make it happen. It takes exercise and the right diet to achieve a six-pack look, and it doesn't happen overnight. Following a few simple tips can have you start seeing the inches melt away from your waistline within about month.
Eat Right
Diet is the most important part of getting rock hard abs because it affects body fat and muscle growth. Eating foods and drinks high in sugar can lead to abdominal weight gain, so eliminate soda and sugary foods from your diet. Instead, consume nutritious calories from vegetables, fat-free dairy, fruit, lean cuts of meat and whole grains. These foods are high in fiber and protein, both of which help to curb cravings and promote weight loss. The Department of Health and Human Services says adult women can consume as little as 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day to lose weight and men 1,200 to 1,600 each day.
Exercise
Abdominal exercises promote muscle growth, which will give you the rock hard abs you crave. The key is doing the right exercises. The American Council on Exercise tested 13 popular abdominal exercises to determine which were the most effective at strengthening the abs. The top five exercises in order of effectiveness include the bicycle maneuver, captain's chair, exercise ball crunches, vertical leg crunch and torso track --- similar to the ab wheel exercise. Use two or three of these exercises per workout; exercise your abs up to 3 times per week for about 10 to 15 minutes per session.
Rest
Getting enough rest is critical when trying to sculpt your abs, or any muscle for that matter. Muscle tissue actually grows and repairs itself while you're asleep, so aim for a minimum of 6 hours per night --- 8 hours is even better. Additionally, it's important to have at least one day off between ab workouts. This gives your abdominal muscles ample time to recover and it reduces the risk of overtraining. Overtraining your abs can lead to muscle atrophy --- loss of muscle --- if you're not careful. So, don't overlook the importance of rest.
Change It Up
Doing the same two or three ab exercises every workout can get boring. Even more importantly, it can lead to getting stuck at a so-called fitness plateau where your progress toward rock hard abs seems to stop. That's why it's important to change up your workouts every month or two. You can do this by trying new abdominal exercises or completing them in a different order than you normally would. By keeping your workouts fresh and new, it should help you stick with it longer. As you know, the longer you stick with it, the better your results will be.
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