Five secrets on how to get six pack ABS

For many of us, depending on where in the world you happen to be reading this from, summer is now finally upon us, which means we can lock away our bulky winter clothing and can strip down and make the most of the warm weather for the next few months before the air turns chilly once more. When we think of summer, we think of sunshine, pool parties, beaches, sunbathing, BBQs, garden parties, and various other social events. When the time comes to hit the beaches, or even simply soak up some rays in your backyard, would you rather strip off and flaunt a flabby, pasty, and out of shape body to the world, or would you rather reveal a lean, ripped, muscular physique complete with a set of six pack ABS you could grate cheese on? Of course the majority of you would rather go with the abs and we wouldn’t blame you in the slightest. When it comes to the matter of how to get six pack ABS, however, that’s where things become tricky. Building yourself an aesthetic body that would make a Greek God green with envy is a long winded and drawn out process that requires skill, knowledge, dedication, and hard work. If you’re serious, however, it is easily attainable and to help emphasize this point, here are five secrets on how to get six pack ABS before the end of summer.

Consume enough protein – Protein is a micronutrient that is absolutely essential for the growth and repair of muscle tissue, as well as a number of other crucial processes and functions within the human body. Because of this, bodybuilders and people trying to increase their muscle mass will consume diets rich in healthy and clean sources of protein. When we think of eating and drinking protein for muscle growth, however, we think of bulging biceps, boulder shoulders, powerful chests, and various other muscle groups. We don’t, however, think of it when it comes to our abdominal muscles. Remember, the clue is in the name ‘abdominal MUSCLES’ and as they are muscles, they need to be trained just like other muscles, and fed just like other muscles. Not only does adequate protein help to increase lean muscle mass, it also increases the metabolism and helps to burn body fat. Aim for around 1.5 – 2 grams of protein for every pound that you weigh, and only consume protein from healthy sources.

Step up your cardio game – Even if you regularly perform cardio every week, if you want to really obtain a set of six pack ABS, you’re going to need to step up your game and shock your body into responding well to the training you’re doing. In order for our abdominal muscles to become visible, we need to drop our body fat percentages down to around 12% or below. This is not easy because the average healthy body fat percentage is around 25% or so. The lower our body fat percentages drop, the harder it becomes to lose those last few pounds of stubborn body fat and so we really need to step up our game. You will need to work harder during cardio than you’re used to, with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) proving especially popular.

Clean up your diet – Again, in order for the ABS to become visible, we need to drop our body fat percentages as low as we can, because otherwise the abs will simply be hidden under a layer of stubborn belly fat. To lose fat, not only do we need to perform cardio to burn calories, but we also need to create a calorie deficit where we’re consuming less calories than we’re burning. To lose body fat effectively, we should consume only fresh, wholesome, balanced, and natural foods that come in below our daily calorie requirements. That means we need to steer clear of processed junk food, sugary drinks, alcohol, candy, ice cream, cakes, biscuits, and anything else that could be deemed unhealthy. Consume healthy meals and aim to eat small and balanced meals every three hours to keep your metabolism burning at its full capacity.

Train your abs – Another great secret on how to get six pack ABS, and one that many people actually tend to get wrong, is abdominal and core training. The ABS are still muscles and so when you train them, they will respond to the training and they will grow. Even if your body fat percentages are too high and you can’t see your ABS, you should still train them regularly because they will be being worked, they just won’t be visible until you get your fat low enough. Forget about doing 1000 sit-ups or crunches a day because that sort of volume is simply not needed. In fact, training your ABS is really quite simple. Many fitness and physique models with arguably some of the best ABS in the entire world will train their ABS 2 or 3 times a week, performing 3 exercises per workout, consisting of 3 sets of 20 – 30 reps on average per workout. Also, remember to switch things up and remember that there are many other exercises that work the ABS, other than crunches and sit ups.

Tense your abs during the day – When you perform abdominal exercises such as stomach crunches, when you perform the exercise your ABS tense up and contract. What many people don’t realise, however, is that they can train their ABS during the day, when they’re at work, or out and about at the shops maybe. When you can, simply tense your ABS as hard as you can, hold for a few seconds, and then repeat for a further say, 30 – 40 times. You’re probably tensing them now as you read this and you’re also probably notice that it does actually feel beneficial. Doing this during the day on a regular basis will help strengthen and develop the ABS, which is why many experts consider it one of the most underrated secrets on how to get six pack ABS, so try it and see for yourself.