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How to get a toned stomach and six pack
You’ve been working super hard, doing 200 sit-ups a day. However, you look in the mirror and spot the bulge, flab lines and 0 abs in sight. What is the issue? Toning an ultimate six-pack comes many obstacles and challenges. It’s not as simple as killing yourself over 200 crunches a day. In order to shrink that midsection and sculpt those abs, follow these tips to get that summer body ready!
1) Burn off the fat:
If your goal is to see sculpted and defined abs, you need to get rid of the fat in your mid-section. In fact, you don’t need to directly train your abs for this to happen! It’s all about burning fat around the area, which comes with creating a calorie deficit to burn overall body fat.
However, this doesn’t mean you should hop on the treadmill for hours of cardio. There are tons of ways to combat body fat, such as high-intensity- interval-training, and performing strength sets. By performing high-intensity workouts instead of steady cardio, you are more likely to rev-up your metabolism throughout the day and burn off that stubborn fat. Your heart rate stays elevated for longer, and those calories will be burned off much quicker. Aim to perform brief but strenuous workouts.
2) Eat right:
Ever heard of the term, abs are made in the kitchen? It’s absolutely true. No matter how many workouts you get in per week, they will do nothing for your abs without correct nutrition and healthy eating. This ties to the point above. If you consume more calories than you burn a day, you will begin packing on the pounds, which will affect your mid-section negatively.
It is essential to know exactly how many calories you should be consuming per day to reach your goals. There are tons of online calculators that allow you to easily get all your nutritional requirements with a touch of a button. Once you know how much you should be eating per day, it is now time to decide on what to eat!
Always focus on consuming lean protein sources, with minimal fat. This includes poultry, turkey, lean red meat and fish. Stay away from processed carbohydrates, and refined sugars found in white bread, pasta and cereals. Instead, focus on consuming fiber-rich carbs, which come from fruits and vegetables. Sugar is your enemy! Steer clear from sugary beverages, and opt for water instead. It is essential to remain hydrated! Aim for 9-13 glasses of water per day, depending on your gender and activity levels.
3) Engage More Muscles:
Instead of killing yourself over sit-ups or crunches, focus on movements that utilize different muscles all at once, such as squats. They will burn much more than a single-muscle movement, and target different muscles to shape them up. That way, you can target your abs ‘accidentally on purpose’, while also training other parts of your body. Some great movements that target multiple muscles include: lunges, squats, deadlifts, jump squats, pushups, pull-ups and burpees.
4) Intensify your Workout:
You have to activate your muscle fibers, in order to burn more energy. In order to activate these large fibers, you need to increase your load and lift heavier weights. Remember, falling into a routine will do nothing but slow down your progress. It is essential to constantly challenge your body, and increase the intensity to shock those muscle fibers and burn more energy.
5) Reach out of your Comfort Zone:
The more unfamiliar the workout is, the more energy you’ll burn! This is because you’re still not accustomed to the workout; your body will use extra energy to learn a certain movement. It is important to never stick to one movement. Always change up your routine, and learn new movements that you may not be familiar with. That way, you’ll burn much more energy, and your abs will slowly become more defined!
Therefore, in order to sculpt your dream abs, it is essential to never stick to a routine. Stay away from the mundane, ab workouts. Focus on total-body movements that secretly target your abs too. In order to have those abs shine through, it is essential to get that diet in check. Your fitness goals are 80% diet-focused and 20% exercise-focused! Once you begin burning off that fat and strengthening all your muscles, your abs will shine through!
