Six-pack abs are one of the hardest feats of fitness strength, and you need to be as dedicated to this achievement as you would be to remodeling a house. Dietary adjustments have to be made and stuck with, fat needs to be burned and all three regions of the abs need to be targeted with exercises. Use added resistance to help promote muscle recruitment and give your abs more definition.
Step 1
Consume nothing but nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy, beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Eliminate empty-calorie food like french fries, potato chips, candy bars, white bread, burgers, ice cream and hot dogs.
Step 2
Eat more often, but consume smaller helpings. This can help boost your metabolism and prevent you from overeating. Create meals that are balanced with protein and complex carbs. A bowl of beans and rice is a simple meal example. Eat a little bit every two to three hours throughout the day.
Step 3
Drink plenty of water and skip any high-calorie beverages you currently drink. Give up the lattes, soft drinks, sweetened teas, fruit punch, slushies and alcoholic beverages. Hydrate your body and keep your calories under control by drinking 10 or more cups of water a day.
Step 4
Perform interval training to burn the fat in your stomach. Start with a light five-minute warm-up. Go all out for 20 seconds, then go at a moderate level for 40 seconds. Alternate back and forth for 30 minutes and finish with a light five-minute cool-down. Do interval training with any form of cardio that you enjoy, such as running, biking, swimming, jumping rope, stair climbing or elliptical training.
Step 5
Lift weights to build muscle, which can raise your resting metabolism. Do exercises that focus on all your major muscle groups, like bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, dips, barbell curls and lunges. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, three to four sets, and work out three times a week on the alternating days of your interval training.
Step 6
Fasten a pair of ankle weights to your lower legs to do straight leg raises. Reach up and grab a chin-up bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Lift your legs in front of your body until they are parallel to the floor or higher. Squeeze your abs forcefully, lower your legs down and repeat.
Step 7
Execute a set of bicycle crunches while wearing the ankle weights. Lie on your back with your legs lifted, knees bent 90 degrees and shins parallel to the floor. Place your hands on the sides of your head and curl your upper body off the floor. Bring your left elbow and right knee toward each other as you extend your left leg out straight. Reverse the move and bring your left knee and right elbow toward each other as you extend your right leg. Keep going back and forth in a smooth, cycling fashion.
Step 8
Grab a barbell to do decline push crunches. Lie on a decline bench with your lower legs pinned under the padded support brace. Have a training partner hand you a weighted barbell and hold it straight above your head with a shoulder-width grip. Curl your body up and push the bar toward the ceiling. Squeeze your abs forcefully, lower yourself back down and repeat.
Step 9
Lie face-up on the floor to do pullover double crunches while wearing the ankle weights. Straighten your legs and hold a medicine ball behind your head with your arms fully extended. Lift the ball and your legs off the floor simultaneously as you bring your knees in toward your chest. Move the ball forward so it is right above your knees in the air. Hold for a second, reverse the movement and repeat.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform 15 to 20 reps and three to four sets of your ab exercises. Do them immediately following your interval training workouts.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell
- Weights
- Chin-up bar
- Ankle weights
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