Changing Your Diet and Exercise Program to Get 6-Pack Abs
A lot of people have one wish when asked about their fitness goal: to have six-pack abs. Although it may seem plain and easy, it actually is not. You only have to do so many repetitive leg lifts, crunches, body-twisting exercises and sit-ups just like the infomercial models, and you expect the fat in your abdominal section to disappear. Right? This is so not true.
What you do not know is that crunches will not flatten your midsection. Period. If your belly has a layer of fats deposited on it, any amount of crunches would never ever give you a six-pack. This is because you could never force your body to burn fat in specific areas through physical workouts alone.
There are two vital tasks you ought to do to achieve a 6-pack. They are first, lose the layer of fat that is causing that bulge, and second, gain more muscle in your body. Here is how to do these:
First, examine your diet plan.
You have to change your diet. Nutrition and fitness professionals recommend consuming smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Dividing three heavy meals into six smaller meals each day will actually help you eat less because you do not get hungry. When you get hungry you do not realize how much you are eating. You will also make poor food choices when hungry.
Some experts believe that eating small meals may actually boost your metabolism, therefore, you burn more calories throughout the day even at rest!
Decrease your caloric intake. It may be difficult to do this for some of you. You can try filling up on foods high in fiber such as beans, vegetables, whole grain cereal and fruit. These foods keep you full longer and have fewer calories by weight.
Also, if you gradually decrease your caloric intake, say, about 200 a day, you can actually lose 20 pounds a year without changing anything else in your daily routine.
You can also decrease your calorie intake by increasing your daily physical activity instead. Park your car far away from the entrance, take the stairs, walk an additional mile everyday.
Eat a well-balanced diet.
It should be divided among carbohydrates (50-60%), protein (20-30%), and fat (20-30%). Have plenty of color on your plate. Your meal will be better balanced when it has a variety of foods in it. Cold, hot and room temperature foods also make for a more interesting meal.
Drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily will help eliminate wastes and contagion in your system. Sometimes your body is just thirsty and your mind mistakes it for hunger. Drink water first then wait 10 minutes to see if you are still hungry.
Second, Mark Your Exercise Patterns.
A lower calorie diet can reduce your weight and fat deposits on your belly. However, it would not preserve or build muscles. Hence, now is the time for you to concentrate on your workout routine.
Cardiovascular exercise.
This is NOT rocket science. When you take on any form of physical activity, you burn calories. Therefore, the more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. The easier it is to also keep your weight under control.
It can be anything from walking to running, from dancing to cycling, and simply anything you like having fun with and simultaneously sweating out of it. You can have cardiovascular exercises 30-45 minutes, 3-5 days a week or daily.
Strength training.
Although your purpose is to have a six-pack abs, that does not mean that you have to engage on abdominal-specific exercises only. It is important that you are working out all the muscle groups of your body and not just your abdominal muscles. Remember that your muscles always work in unison. For example, when you stand up from a sitting position, you engage your abdominal and leg muscles (from your calves to your buttocks).
Therefore, it is not a great idea to work on your abdominal area everyday and ignore the other muscles it depends on to function properly. Work on all your major muscle groups 2-3 times a week.
Stretching.
After each workout, it is helpful to stretch for flexibility and relaxation.
Do not overlook the fact that when you are building six-pack abs, it takes a lot of hard work on your part to see any results. Stop wasting your money on DVDs and abdominal crunching equipment that cost hundreds of dollars promising you 6-pack abs in no time. The only way to get results is to do it the right way. Do not rely on easy-quick-fix solutions. You have to put hard work and dedication on it.
Bear in mind that movie stars and models on magazine covers did not get those 6-packs by over crunching. They got there through tenacious hard work and eating appropriately. The same rules apply to you if you want to get the same results these models have. - 17268
What you do not know is that crunches will not flatten your midsection. Period. If your belly has a layer of fats deposited on it, any amount of crunches would never ever give you a six-pack. This is because you could never force your body to burn fat in specific areas through physical workouts alone.
There are two vital tasks you ought to do to achieve a 6-pack. They are first, lose the layer of fat that is causing that bulge, and second, gain more muscle in your body. Here is how to do these:
First, examine your diet plan.
You have to change your diet. Nutrition and fitness professionals recommend consuming smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Dividing three heavy meals into six smaller meals each day will actually help you eat less because you do not get hungry. When you get hungry you do not realize how much you are eating. You will also make poor food choices when hungry.
Some experts believe that eating small meals may actually boost your metabolism, therefore, you burn more calories throughout the day even at rest!
Decrease your caloric intake. It may be difficult to do this for some of you. You can try filling up on foods high in fiber such as beans, vegetables, whole grain cereal and fruit. These foods keep you full longer and have fewer calories by weight.
Also, if you gradually decrease your caloric intake, say, about 200 a day, you can actually lose 20 pounds a year without changing anything else in your daily routine.
You can also decrease your calorie intake by increasing your daily physical activity instead. Park your car far away from the entrance, take the stairs, walk an additional mile everyday.
Eat a well-balanced diet.
It should be divided among carbohydrates (50-60%), protein (20-30%), and fat (20-30%). Have plenty of color on your plate. Your meal will be better balanced when it has a variety of foods in it. Cold, hot and room temperature foods also make for a more interesting meal.
Drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily will help eliminate wastes and contagion in your system. Sometimes your body is just thirsty and your mind mistakes it for hunger. Drink water first then wait 10 minutes to see if you are still hungry.
Second, Mark Your Exercise Patterns.
A lower calorie diet can reduce your weight and fat deposits on your belly. However, it would not preserve or build muscles. Hence, now is the time for you to concentrate on your workout routine.
Cardiovascular exercise.
This is NOT rocket science. When you take on any form of physical activity, you burn calories. Therefore, the more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. The easier it is to also keep your weight under control.
It can be anything from walking to running, from dancing to cycling, and simply anything you like having fun with and simultaneously sweating out of it. You can have cardiovascular exercises 30-45 minutes, 3-5 days a week or daily.
Strength training.
Although your purpose is to have a six-pack abs, that does not mean that you have to engage on abdominal-specific exercises only. It is important that you are working out all the muscle groups of your body and not just your abdominal muscles. Remember that your muscles always work in unison. For example, when you stand up from a sitting position, you engage your abdominal and leg muscles (from your calves to your buttocks).
Therefore, it is not a great idea to work on your abdominal area everyday and ignore the other muscles it depends on to function properly. Work on all your major muscle groups 2-3 times a week.
Stretching.
After each workout, it is helpful to stretch for flexibility and relaxation.
Do not overlook the fact that when you are building six-pack abs, it takes a lot of hard work on your part to see any results. Stop wasting your money on DVDs and abdominal crunching equipment that cost hundreds of dollars promising you 6-pack abs in no time. The only way to get results is to do it the right way. Do not rely on easy-quick-fix solutions. You have to put hard work and dedication on it.
Bear in mind that movie stars and models on magazine covers did not get those 6-packs by over crunching. They got there through tenacious hard work and eating appropriately. The same rules apply to you if you want to get the same results these models have. - 17268
About the Author:
Rochester NY Health and Fitness Center, Certified Personal Trainers of Rochester NY and Athletic Clubs Rochester NY provide members quality service in fitness.
posted by X - Men at
11:06 AM
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