As a personal trainer, the most common questions I get from people are “how do I get a six pack?” and “what is the best way to tone my abs?”  Achieving a flat stomach is not an easy feat and I can honestly tell you that the secrets to great abs do not involve any magic pills or a flashy infomercial gadgets.  Some gadgets can help to build the abdominal muscles, but they will not be the only ingredient in the recipe for an amazing 6-pack or a flatter stomach. It’s plain and simple; you will never see your 6-pack unless you find a way to burn off the layer of fat “insulating” them.  Follow these 2 secrets to change the way you eat and work out efficiently so you will finally begin to see the abs you have always dreamed of coming out in time for summer.

Are you ready for the 2 secrets? Here you go:

1.) Change your diet to decrease body fat

I’m sure you have all heard the term “great abs are made in the kitchen, not at the gym”.  This is a true statement because we all know it’s really easy to eat lots of calories, but it is much more difficulty and time consuming to burn them off.  The key to losing weight and decreasing body fat is eating fewer calories and increasing calorie burn each day; however, it’s not only important to decrease calorie intake, but to make sure you are eating the right calories.  Following a diet full of lean proteins, vegetables, fruit and good fats is a great start, while cutting down on processed foods with high levels of sodium and unnecessary additives.  Lastly, try to save carbohydrates for post-workout meals as this is when the body is best able to manage the increase in blood sugar and insulin levels associated with eating certain carbs.

2.) Skip crunches for compound movements & HIIT

Crunches and other abdominal exercises are great for building the muscles in your stomach, but as mentioned earlier, if you don’t burn off the fat layer on top of the abs they will never be seen.  During workouts try to focus on compound or hybrid movements that involve more than one muscle group and have the highest metabolic cost, meaning they burn more calories.  Examples of compound movements would be squats and dead lifts and hybrid movements would things like a squat and press or a lunge with biceps curl.  Performing these movements as well as high intensity interval training (HIIT) will burn more calories and get you that flat stomach faster than performing long steady state cardio and dozens of crunches.

Email Michelle@CORE-Condition.com for more information on how to finally achieve the 6-pack you have always wanted.

Michelle Roots BA Kin, CSCS, PES

www.CORE-Condition.com