It’s a question that every trainer, every day, in every gym in the world, is probably asked. “How can I get ripped six pack abs?” It’s probably one that you’ve asked too, after pushing your way through months of training that have done wonders for your size. While your muscles have been growing, you can’t get that definition that shows on champion bodybuilders, athletes, gymnasts and even movie stars. Well, here are some simple steps to help you getting that ripped six pack abs. Remember, though, that the steps may be simple, but the actual process of doing it isn’t, and will need a lot of dedication and hard work.
Understand how your body works. Before you head into the gym, it’ll help if you know the science behind getting ripped. Getting ripped essentially involves cutting down your body fat. It actually doesn’t have much to do with the size of your muscles. You see a lot of skinny guys, who never work out, but you can see all their veins and abs. The recommended body fat percentage for healthy adults is between 8 and 14% for men, and around 20% for women. To get that shredded look, your fat percentage will have to be less than this. Keep in mind that this isn’t always healthy; your body does need some fat. So to bring down your body’s fat percentage, your body has to be in a slight calorific deficit. The difference doesn’t need to be too much. Also, you need to increase the intensity of your workouts.
Pay attention to nutrition. When it comes to getting abs, nutrition is probably more important than anything else. You can work out as hard as you can, and run for as long as you like, but if you’re wolfing down potato chips and bacon strips, you’re not going anywhere. Diet is the key to getting that shredded six pack. Get rid of all your junk food, and keep off the alcohol binges. Don’t consume any food that doesn’t have good nutritional value, as all you’re doing is giving yourself more fat.
Protein. As you tear down your muscles in the gym, you need protein to build them up again, stronger and bigger. Experts recommend 1 gram per pound of body mass for most people and 1.5 grams per pound of body mass for advanced bodybuilders. Remember that protein not only builds muscle, but also drives your metabolic rate up, helping you to cut faster.
Carbohydrates – remember good carbs – should be about 30 per cent of your diet. If you’re training your abs hard, you’ll need carbs for energy. Without carbs, your body will begin to burn muscle to keep itself from starving. Try to get complex carbs from foods like whole breads, brown rice, etc, and stay off white foods.
Fats can be good for that six pack abs. A lot of people try to cut out all fat from their diet when going for that ripped six pack
abs. Logically, it may seem to make sense, but that is not how the body works. You need at least 20 per cent of your food to be good fats. These include fish, flax oat, olive oil and nuts, all of which contain unsaturated fats. It’s the fat that comes from fries, hamburgers, pizzas and bacon strips which is bad for you. Research shows that men who consume some amount of fat build muscle much faster than those who don’t. That’s because good fats drive up your metabolism helping you to lose fat and gain muscle.
Water. As a fitness warrior, you’re going to need a lot more water than the average person. That’s because you’re losing a lot of water in your workouts. Water will flush out the toxins from your system, and keep you from dehydration. If your body is dehydrated, you’ll store a lot more fat as a survival mechanism. For most gym rats, three to four liters of water should be enough. Increase your water consumption if you’re training very intensely.
And finally the workout, Remember to keep your ab training session intense, with very little rest between sets. Try to throw in three to four intense cardio sessions every week as well. Each session can be from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your body, your level of fitness and your exercise routine. It’s great if you workout in the mornings, as this will keep your metabolism high throughout the day.
