Getting abdominal muscle definition is one of the most coveted goals in
the bodybuilding and fitness world. Nothing looks more impressive than a
well built physique with a six pack of sharply defined abdominals in
front of it.
There are many myths regarding how to get abs. Some people are led to
believe that thousands of repetitions are required every day in order to
get them to show. Others believe that the secret must be some exercise
that successful bodybuilders keep to themselves. The truth of the
matter is that getting abdominals is a combination of the following:
- A Balanced Fat Burning Bodybuilding Diet. I have a saying
that "abs are built in the kitchen". The truth is that no matter how
many abdominal exercises you do, or for how many repetitions, if you do
not follow a bodybuilding diet that emphasizes fat burning you will
never get to see your abs. If you go to an anatomy class in college,
you'll see that even without exercise, everybody has a great set of abs.
However, they are covered by a layer of fat and water. In order for
you to be able to see your abs, you need to get your body fat to be low
enough for the abs to show. For men this comes out to be a body fat
level below 10% body fat and for women below 13%. Typically, guys that
have a well defined "six pack" hover at around 6-7% body fat and women
at 11-12%.
A great diet consisting of 40% carbs, 40% proteins, and 20% good fats works best for the purposes of losing body fat. Since you are focused on reducing body fat, dairy products and fruits need to be eliminated at this time; not because they are not healthy, but due to the fact that the type of simple carbs contained in these foods may slow down fat loss.
Carbs should come mainly from complex slow releasing sources such as oatmeal, grits, brown rice, sweat potatoes in combination with fibrous sources such as green beans and broccoli. Proteins should come from chicken, turkey, tuna, and lean red meats. Fats should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources. Canned extra virgin olive oil and flax seed oil should be the main sources of these.
- Enough Cardio built into the program to start the fat
loss process and burn some extra calories. 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week
at a challenging pace should start producing results. For those of us
with a slower metabolism, we may need up to 45 minutes 6-7 times a week.
- A Good Weight Training Routine that has you in the gym
for 45-60 minutes four to five times a week. After all, you do not want
to just have abs without a good physique to carry them, right?
- An Abdominal Training Program that is performed at least 3 times a week. A good abdominal training routine serves to strengthen and tone the ab muscles thus giving them a firm and hard look once you are able to see them.
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