Where’s my Six Pack?

Abdominals are the holy grail for the fitness enthusiast. They are the cherry on top of a hard-earned physique, oh and they look pretty hot on the beach too!

So, the question is, why are they so demanded hard to achieve?

Here are the three fastest ways to find your Six Pack. 

1. Include isolation work

If you love to train full body exercises like squats, bench press or deadlifts, then your core strength is certainly going to get challenged. The problem for visible abs, however, is you need to be doing some isolation exercises for the rectus abdominous and oblique muscles (six pack muscles).

Exercises that target the abdominals such as crunches, atomic TRX crunches, Russian twists and reverse crunches are all ideal. A targeted core routine should be performed for around 15 minutes, three times per week for meaningful results.

2. Your Body Fat is too high

A common problem when it comes to unlocking your abb’s lies with your body fat percentage. You can be training your core multiple times per week and be performing to a very high standard. However visible abdominals require a low body fat percentage. This is typically 7-10% for men and 16-19% for women.

You could well have a steely sexy and defined six pack, the trouble is nobody can see it if its hidden under a layer of winter insulation. Cleaning up your diet by reducing alcohol, sugar, and processed foods is a great start. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake and make sure your getting 1.5-2L of water each day.

The old cliché is very true, six pack abs are indeed made in the kitchen.

3. Mix up your routine

The body is much smarter than you think and sticking with the same tired and stale routine just won’t cut it. If your serious about challenging your core and creating some definition to be proud of, then it’s time to mix things up. Keep the body guessing by mixing up your routine regularly.

For example, If you are doing Russian twists for your obliques (side of the six pack) with a 5kg medicine ball after months of training, then your body simply won’t be challenged anymore and that means no more fitness gains. Make your core work more challenging by increasing the weight used, slowing down the exercise or by adding in some instability (stability ball or TRX). If you have been doing the same exercises for more than six weeks, then it’s time for a change and to take it up a notch.

*Always see a coach for correct technique and smarter, safer training*

Summary

You can have a strong functional core stability but that does not mean you can always see it. To find your abdominals this summer it all starts in the kitchen by cleaning up your diet and lowering your body fat percentage. Next challenge the abdominals in isolation at least three times per week for 15-20 minutes. Finally, don’t get stale and make sure you keep the body guessing. Mix up your routine every 4-6 weeks.

Andy Strong

Fundamentally FIT Ltd