Oleh Unknown

Thursday, February 21, 2013

5 Six Pack Abs Shortcuts to get Ripped Faster

If you’re like most lifters, having a ripped six pack is a goal you may have had for a long time. Most guys want great abs, and even lifters who focus on getting huge and strong still wants to look lean and fit. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about how to get those coveted abs.
Contrary to what most people believe, endless crunches and leg raises are NEVER going to transform a beer belly into a six pack. Abdominal exercises can help a little bit, but revealing your abs is about getting lean! You can’t spot-reduce the fat off of your stomach with sit-ups, either – you’ve got to lose fat from all over your body.
Here are five six pack abs shortcuts for getting lean and sporting that six pack you’ve always wanted.

Nutrition – Your Abs are Made in the Kitchen

Proper nutrition is even more important for fat loss than it is for gaining muscle. You can train your ass off in the gym, but a bad diet is going to kill your results every time. Getting ripped abs starts with a comprehensive diet plan that will allow you to efficiently lose body fat while retaining that muscle mass you’ve worked so hard for. No starvation diets!
Adjusting your carbohydrate intake is going to be the most important part of your fat loss diet. You should still be eating tons of protein to support your heavy training, but the carbs are going to have to come down if you want to get lean. Make sure you only eat sugars and starches in the meals just before and after your train – the times you need them most. Even if all of your carbs come from oats, potatoes, and other “clean” sources, eating them at other times of the day will jack up your insulin levels and prevent your body from ever burning fat.

Cardio – It’s When You Do It That Counts

If there’s one strategy that’s really a “quick fix” for fat loss, it’s got to be fasted morning cardio. You’re not going to go from fat to fit in a week doing this, but it’s one of the best strategies for quickly losing body fat without burning up your muscle mass. It takes some serious time and effort, though!
Upon waking, down a few grams of branched-chain amino acids or about five grams of protein powder. Then just get your ass on that treadmill for about forty-five minutes. You need to keep the pace brisk, but you should be walking – not running – the whole time. Since you don’t have any food in your stomach, your body will be forced to use its own fat stores for energy. Do this four to five times per week in combination with a proper diet, and you’ll start seeing daily results in your midsection.

High Intensity Intervals for Rapid Fat Loss

Is treadmill walking too boring for you? Do you not have the time to add in four to five hours of cardio per week? Are you too damn fat to avoid harder conditioning work? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may want to give some interval training a try.
Intervals simply involve alternating periods of all-out effort and active recovery. If you do these on a track, you would sprint for about fifteen seconds and then walk for one to two minutes. The same principle applies to stationary bikes and ellipticals. Do eight to ten rounds, and you’re done!
This kind of cardio is hell, and it’s going to take a toll on your recovery abilities if you do it too frequently. If you’re already weight training four to five times per week, then one or two interval sessions is plenty. Doing them on an empty stomach isn’t going to help you, either – high intensity activity burns carbs, not body fat. The fat-burning benefits come later, as your body expends more calories for hours after you’ve completed the workout.

Squats and Deads for a Strong Core

While getting lean is the key to a six pack, it’s true that your abs will poke through your skin a little more if you make them bigger. You’re not going to achieve any muscle growth with hundreds of crunches, though!
Heavy squats and deadlifts are the ticket to a thicker, stronger core. Supporting weight during these movements engages your lower back and abs like nothing else. These exercises should already be staples in your leg and back routines, so start doing them now if you’re not already. If you’re really looking to strengthen your abs, you might want to avoid using a belt.

How to Really Train Your Abs

Direct abdominal training comes last AND least in your quest for a six pack, but there are a few exercises which can still help you out. Instead of doing a bunch of bodyweight crunches, try decline sit-ups with a weight BEHIND your head. Don’t be one of those jackasses who piles 45s on his chest and bends about one inch at the waist. Use a long range of motion with a 10 or 25, and you’ll torch your abs in just a few sets. It’s incredible how much harder this movement is when you keep the weight behind your head.
Other good abs exercises are heavy weighted side bends, weighted leg raises, and cable crunches. In general, you should be training your abs like every other muscle – heavy and progressively. Aim to actually get stronger on sit-ups and crunches, and you’ll finally notice your abs getting more pronounced. Stronger abs will make help your squat and deadlift numbers, as well.