Why you should give up crunches to get six pack abs
When it comes to fitness, there are several benchmarks for success. Numbers shrinking in size. The size of your biceps. Beat your personal record on the deadlift or bench press. But a universal marker of fitness — the pinnacle of physical achievement — is six-pack abs. Nothing conveys dedication and fitness expertise like a six-pack. We appreciate it on Instagram fitness celebrities with millions of followers. We adore Hollywood’s A-list men who are always looking their best. But in our own lives, six-pack abs are elusive. No matter how hard we work out, how many diets we try, or how many crunches we do, this washboard will never become a reality. It turns out that all these celebrities are doing something. They work smarter, not harder. It’s time for you to give up crunches once and for all to gain six pack abs.
your six-pack diet
Before you walk into your nearest gym, it’s important to know that abs are made in the kitchen. You may have seen this phrase on your social media feeds. While it’s a catchy viral phrase, it’s not folklore. The only real way to cut your belly is to eat properly.
If your abs aren’t defined, it’s because they’re hidden beneath a vital layer of fat. You have to burn excess fat to make them shine. In order to do this, you have to start your metabolism. You can do this by calculating your required calorie and macronutrient intake. You know about calories, but you may not be familiar with macronutrients.
These are the amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates you need each day to achieve your goals. Manual calculations can be dizzying, but luckily there are dozens of free calculators online. All you have to do is enter your stats (i.e. height, weight, activity level) and the calculator does the rest. It calculates your TDEE, also known as total daily energy expenditure. This is the number of calories you burn per day.
To burn fat, you need to consume less than your TDEE. You usually need to cut calories by 10-15% to have a real impact.
Once you know how many calories and macronutrients you need to get a six-pack, you’ll need a meal plan. Preparation is key. You can’t ride it without any guidance and expect to look like a Hollywood action star. You have to prepare for success.
Fill the refrigerator with lean meats like chicken breast, ground turkey, and fish. Eat more fruits, salads and vegetables. And be sure to fuel your afternoon with complex carbohydrates like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. After your shopping trip, download a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal. And be prepared to be honest.
Every piece of food that flows over your lips needs to be counted in the app. The great thing about MFPs and other similar apps is that they can track not only calories but also macros. Over time, you can see how you’re progressing towards your goals and where you need to scale down to stay on track. This may sound exhaustive, but it gets easier over time. Plus, if achieving six-pack abs is easy, everyone already has it.
Your Six Pack Workout
One of the most common misconceptions about six-pack abs is that they are achieved through hundreds of crunches and old-fashioned crunches. Of course, if you want to go this route, you can. It will work out eventually. But what if there was an easier way? An approach that emphasizes quality over quantity?
guess what? There’s a better way, and it’s to focus on your core. Your core isn’t just your abs. It involves dozens of muscles that help you stabilize your body during workouts and daily movements. This includes but is not limited to your hip and lower back muscles. To define your abs, you must actively engage your core. There are two ways to do this: through targeted practice and in all other practice you complete.
Let’s start with the latter. Assuming today is your leg training day, you’ll start your hard workout with a few sets of squats. Squats are designed to work your legs, but they also provide a great core workout. Every time you squat, the bar is pressed against your shoulders, and it’s your core that pushes you against gravity. Keep your core engaged in this exercise. Engagement helps you avoid breaking form and causing injury. It also burns fat around your torso.
The same goes for other compound exercises like the bench press, or even isolation exercises like the bicep curl. Create stability for these exercises by keeping your core engaged.
If you don’t believe your entire workout will help your six-pack abs, dive into a challenging core routine. The most important core target exercise is the plank. The plank involves getting your body into a push-up position, but resting on your elbows instead of your hands. Keep your hips down and your core engaged. Your body should look like a straight line. Then, hold this position for anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. It may seem easy at first, but over time you’ll find your abs are calling for help.
The plank is the ultimate core exercise because it forces you to hold your abs for long periods of time. This is a direct attack on belly fat.
Other popular core exercises include bird dog and dead bug. Bird dogs force you to be on all fours. With your back straight, extend your left arm and right leg at the same time. You have to stabilize yourself with your core. Then, switch sides. One of them is easy. 20 reps get brutal. Dead bugs involve lying on your back and using the same alternating motions as bird dogs, except you’re lying down. Extend your right leg forward while pushing your left arm back. Keep your back fixed to the floor as you switch sides. In multiple repetitions, you’ll feel your abs work doubling.
Achieving six-pack abs is all about working smarter. No need for a thousand crunches or a crash diet. With a little dedication and some understanding of new health principles, you can get the core you’ve always wanted.
