What is the one fitness goal you wish you could achieve? If you’re like most people, you want six-pack abs. It seems easy; do hundreds of crunches a day and wait for your abs to magically appear. But, after a few months of that you might be wondering: where’s my six-pack?
It Takes More Than Ab Exercises
As you may have found, crunches aren’t enough to flatten your abs. Ab exercises will build strength, especially if you focus on core strength but, if there’s a layer of fat there, you’ll never see them. You’ve probably heard that spot reducing is about is effective as spitting in the wind, but when you work your abs in an effort to reduce the belly flab, spot reducing is exactly what you’re trying to do. The body can’t be forced to lose fat in a particular area by exercising the muscles directly under that area. What you should be focusing on is losing body fat and gaining a little muscle.
Start with Your Diet
The first step to losing body fat is changing your diet.
- Eat Fewer Calories. Create a mild caloric deficit by monitoring your portion sizes and making sure you’re eating less than you’re burning. It’s easier to eat less calories if you fill up on high fiber foods and make sure your meals are balanced between carbs (about 50-60%), protein (about 20-30%) and fat (about 20-30%).
- Drink More Water. Sometimes hunger pangs are actually your body’s plea for water.
Once you’ve reduced your calorie intake, its time to start working out. Diet without exercise will lead to some weight loss, but at some point you’ll reach a plateau. Exercise can get you past plateaus while preserving your muscle mass. Your program should include:
- 3-5 days of cardio a week for 30 to 45 minutes in your THR zone. Any cardio will do–doing what you like will make workouts more fun
- Weight training that targets ALL of your muscle groups 2-3 non-consecutive days a week, abs included (don’t work them everyday!)
- Stretching after your workouts for flexibility and relaxation
- Warm ups before each workout, cool-downs after and plenty of water in between