How to Get Six Pack Abs
If you spend much time working out at the gym, you would probably agree that displaying a six pack is regarded by many as a pretty good indicator of fitness success. Of course I am not referring to the faint outline of abdominal muscles that shows up as a result of poor nutrition or just being skinny because of too much cardio training and not enough muscle building. I am referring to that smooth washboard look, accompanied by firm, lean, at least slightly bulging muscles proportionately distributed over your body.
Another very good indicator of being fit is a persons ability to lift a certain amount of weight relative to their own body weight. Muscle strength is important to developing a good level of fitness, no question about it.
But, lets say that you are at the gym, and you see a guy, about five foot ten and about two hundred sixty pounds. He is working out with free weights, and he is benching two or three hundred pounds, then he goes over to the squat rack and puts four or five plates on each end, does five or six squats, it is obvious that this guy is really STRONG. This is also a pretty good indicator of fitness success.
But...lets say that in the same gym, on the other side of the room, there is another guy about five foot ten. But this guy probably weighs about one eighty five. He is working hard too. But he is lifting his body weight via the pull up rack. He whips off about fifteen pullups. You know the kind I'm talking about. The kind of pull ups you're supposed to do. All the way down, and all the way up without jerking at the top or bottom, and he has an overhand grip. After that the guy goes straight over to the dumbell rack, grabs a fifty pound dumbell, and with about a minute of rest, does twelve to fifteen "bent over rows" on each side.
A few minutes later, you happen to see both of these guys standing close enough to each other for you to make a quick, but very revealing comparison of the two physiques. You notice that "Mr. Squat Rack" has a sizable pudge approximately belt high. You then shift your gaze over to the "Mr Pull up" and notice that you can actually see his abs right through his t-shirt. No midriff pudge here. Now, after everything that you saw these guys do, even though "Mr. Squat Rack" is obviously much stronger, who do you want to look like?
The fact that you are reading this article is a little bit of a give away. Like me, you would probably prefer to look like the "Mr. Pull up". Otherwise you would probably be reading something else, you know like "How To Build Mass And Get Huge In 90 Days Or Less", instead of "how to get a six pack". There is just something about sporting a nice six pack that makes a statement that nothing else can make for you.
By the way, the "Mr. Pull up" is pretty strong in his own right. Don't underestimate his ability to lift a good deal of weight. The difference is, his is a more balanced and efficient workout and he has burned off the excess fat so that his muscles are actually visible. Mr. "Squat Rack" has nice abdominal muscles too, but they are hidden under a certain amount of body fat. Now there is nothing wrong with that by the way, and I am not making fun of the guy. He just may not care as much about looking lean as he does about being stronger and, that's OK too.
But if you want to know how to get a six pack, you will want to spend some time learning about efficiently burning fat. Many people that spend a ton of time doing abdominal exercises, crunches, leg raises or whatever, may already have a pretty substantial "washboard" potential. But if fat is not efficiently burned off of your body, you will never "see" that six pack.
Here are a few good solid tips on how to get a six pack:
- First of all, watch your calorie intake and get on a good eating program that you can trust. One that has worked for others. You don't need to starve yourself, but you do have to eat sensibly. Remember, if you are not burning more calories than you are consuming you will never see your six pack.
- Do not give in to the false belief that to burn more fat you just need to do more cardio training. It is not the amount of time you spend doing cardio that matters as much as intensity level. Avoid long drawn out cardio routines. Intensity is the key. Remember, you want to burn fat, but not at the expense of losing valuable muscle tone. Don't over do the cardio! (How many marathon runners have you seen with firm well developed muscle?)
- Follow a well rounded, full body workout routine. Weights or body weight exercises. Either type. Once you learn proper form, you won't have to do many ab specific exercises to get a six pack.
- Follow the advice or workout program given or designed by someone who looks like you want to look...obviously. There are some good ones available online or at your local bookstore. Once you find one you can work with give it a full commitment for the specified time they recommend. (make sure it is a fat burning AND muscle building program). Apply total faith to the program and don't stop until you hit your goal.
If you will apply the tips above faithfully for a set period of time, I can guarantee you will get results. Everyone has a different starting point, that is true. But even if you have further to go than the average person, if you will get on a program that you are committed to...and stick to it...put your head down and do not stop moving forward until that set time period is past, you will be extremely pleased with the results. I guarantee it.
