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How to make a Six-Pack Abs?

Losing belly fat and having a toned and flat six-pack abs is on top of the list for most people hitting the gym. Strong abs can do wonders to one's looks, confidence, health and wellbeing.

Six Pack Abs, Six Pack
Photo: Shutterstock
Anurag Khare
Last Updated : Nov 10 2017 | 2:45 PM IST
Losing belly fat and having a toned and flat six-pack abs is on top of the list for most people hitting the gym. Strong abs can do wonders to one’s looks, confidence, health and wellbeing. There are many programs, diet plans and exercise machines available in the market that promise flat abs almost miraculously but unfortunately near all of them just don’t work. As such there is no secret to develop six-pack abs, an individual already have abs in his body what is required is the focus on getting rid of the fat above them. Proper workout plan along with suitable diet are the two primary requirements to develop flat and ripped abs. Achieving six-pack abs is all about losing every inch of stomach fat and building muscles of the abdominal area namely abdominis rectustransverse, abdominis internal and the external obliques.

Six-Pack Abs Diet
It is often stated that abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym. Appropriate diet is the primary requirement to build six-pack abs. Experts believes that chiselled six-pack abs are achieved 70 per cent because of proper diet and 30 per cent because of the workout. For the toned and rugged six-pack abs to be visible one has to first burn even the last layer of fat above them. One has to not only burn off excess fat but also ensure that it stays away. For this to happen, an individual has to consume low-fat and high-fibre food items. To aid metabolism one should consume 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones. Food products to include in diet should be rich in protein, thus one may include chicken, fish and eggs in his or her diet. Good fats or mono-saturated fats can be gained from avocados, nuts, nut butter, olive oil and coconut. A strict low carb diet mostly of green vegetables is essential for reduction of calorie intake.

Six-Pack Abs Workout at Home and Gym
It is a myth that to develop six-pack abs expensive gym equipment and machines are a must. Although desirable, still if one doesn’t have gym equipment he still can work and accomplish his goal of six-pack abs. An individual can work out on his abs from the comfort of his home without visiting gym and without any equipment too. The topmost exercise to achieve a firm, toned and ripped six-pack abs are abdominal crunches, sit-ups, plank exercises like abs plank, bicycle exercise, squats, dumbbell lunges, bench-press, push ups, pull ups, Swiss ball pull in and others. Also there are also many pills and supplements available in the market that claim to assist one’s workout regime but it’s best to avoid them.

Best Abs Exercise Tips
Weight training burns fats and boosts metabolism both of which are required to build abs. Limit cardio exercises as too much of cardio will make your body burn lean muscle mass which is required for burning body fat. There are over a dozen abdominal exercises that help build abs, it is recommended that an individual should use a combination of some of these top exercises. Building ripped abs is not about working on abs only but requires working on the body entirely. There are many exercise machines that work specifically on the abs please note that these won’t work in isolation and will have to combined with other exercise regimes as well. Just like in case of other muscle groups, one should work on abs 2 to 3 times per week giving ample rest through rest day in between. One can maintain a record of abs workouts just to keep track.

Other Tips to build Six-Pack Abs
The biggest myth around building flat six-pack abs is that doing hundreds of crunches gives one a six-pack abs. On the contrary an effective total body workout is required to build ripped abs. As stated diet is most important factor, eating fat burning food items such as almonds, oats, green tea, fat-free protein and dairy intake and avoiding things like alcohol will help one in his endeavour. Drinking plenty of water will keep oneself hydrated and full, it will also help improve metabolism thus helping in the cause. Building a ripped six-pack abs is one of the most challenging, tough and time consuming tasks in the gym. Thus it is of immense important that an individual stays motivated and perseverant to achieve his or her goal of that flat and ripped six-pack abs.

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