Abs, Abs, Abs: Principles And Best Practices
Everybody wants abs. Those elusive Mark Wahlberg, ripped, toned, six pack abs. They’re not easy to come by, though. Chiseled abs require determination in the gym and dedication in the kitchen. You’re not going to achieve the results you want by slacking off in either department.
Want abs? Here’s what you’ve got to do.
Abs Are Revealed In The Kitchen
We’ve all heard the old adage that abs are made in the kitchen. That’s partially true. Every decision you make in the kitchen can impact how your abs reveal themselves. Your diet has the ability to make or break how well your abdominal muscles show through your skin. It comes down to body fat percentage.
A healthy man should have a body fat percentage somewhere between 18 and 24 percent, according to Men’s Fitness. However, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Health Fitness Instructor Jim White, R.D. told the site that this percentage isn’t low enough to allow those abs to peek through. According to White, you’ll need to dip down to around 15 percent to start seeing the upper two abs. At that percentage, the lower ones probably won’t be as visible.
Just a few percentages lower and you’ll start to see your six pack emerge. “If you’re anywhere from 6 to 13 percent body fat,” according to White, “you definitely have a six pack – in addition to being totally ripped.”
So how do you get your body fat percentage that low? It happens with the right diet. To start, Men’s Fitness suggests counting your calories. Even healthy foods, like avocado or a nice handful of nuts, can contribute to a calorie surplus. Keep a close eye on exactly how much you’re eating and where you can cut down. Ditching alcohol is a quick and easy way to do this. Plus, hitting the bottle can potentially interrupt the fat burning process and cause dehydration, which is going to impede your progress even more.
Abs Are Built In The Gym
First things first: you can’t spot reduce fat around your midsection. Ten thousand sit ups aren’t going to help you lose that spare tire and ultimately reveal abs that rival Gerard Butler in 300. That’s what you need your diet to do. The foundation for a killer six pack, however, does come from exercises that build up the muscles you’re trying to reveal. Don’t go for simple sit ups, though. Here are a few exercises that can help you hone a well-defined, well-rounded midsection.
Cross Crunch
The cross crunch, sometimes called the starfish, is a variation on the traditional crunch that’s going to work more muscles and pose a greater challenge than the sit ups you’re used to. To start, lie on your back with your arms and legs spread out diagonally so your body forms the shape of an “X.” Keep your arms and legs straight as you raise your right hand toward your left foot above you, lifting your head, neck and shoulders off the ground as you go. Repeat, raising your left hand to meet your right foot.
This move is simple, safe and supported. According to Men’s Fitness, you’re targeting your lower abs and, because you’re coming up off the floor at an angle, you’re hitting your obliques and your rectus abdominis as well.
Leg Raises
Leg raises are tough and effective for building abs, especially lower abs. Lie with your back flat on a bench and extend your legs in front of you off the end. (You can also do this move on the floor if a bench isn’t available to you.) Slide your hands under your glutes with your palms facing down or use them to hold the sides of the bench. Keep your legs straight out in front of you with a slight bend in your knees. Exhale as you raise your legs until they come to a 90 degree angle with the bench. Slowly lower your legs to the starting position as you inhale.
Plank
Planks are a great way to strengthen your entire core. A solid plank is going to target your whole midsection and improve your balance. To begin, get into a prone position on the floor with your weight balanced in your toes and your forearms. Think of this as a pushup position, but with your forearms on the floor. Your arms should be bent with upper arm directly under your shoulders. Keep your body in line from your head to your heels – no sagging and no arching the back. Hold this position for as long as you can, increasing the time as you increase your strength.
Abs Are Maintained With Hard Work
The road to six pack abs is a tough one, full of dedication and sacrifice. For that reason, keeping a toned and tight six pack requires hardcore maintenance. There are a few ways, however, that you can set yourself up for success. BodyBuilding.com suggests starting by evaluating every decision you make. Before you do anything – eat something, plan your workout, consider skipping the gym – ask yourself if that particular action is going to help or hurt in your quest for killer abs. If the answer is “hurt”, do not do that thing.
Or eliminate the decision-making process altogether. Set up your home to eliminate foods that would derail your hard-earned abdominal progress. Decision fatigue is real and the best way to protect yourself from a lapse in willpower is to remove temptation in the first place. Swap fattening foods for fibrous ones and make getting up and getting to the gym as simple as possible by preparing everything you need the night before.
Amazing abs can be yours, but you need to dedicate yourself to the process of building and revealing them. Scrap those excess calories and get your body fat percentage low by controlling yourself in the kitchen. Hit the gym and incorporate some high-quality ab exercises into your routine. And once you get those gleaming ab muscles, maintain them with the same deliberation as you crafted them.
Want more ab inspiration? It doesn’t get better than Mark Wahlberg. Check out Performance Inspired Nutrition’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to see Mark and our products in action.
