The Truth About 6-Pack Abs
HOW DO I GET ABS NOW?!?!
Everybody wants abs.
Chicks dig em, and they’re a sign that you’re in really great shape. There are literally thousands of exercise machines out there that promise all you have to do is work out with it three times a week and your abs will magically appear. Who cares if you eat that Twinkie and drink your Mountain Dew, right!? Just use the magic ab roller and BAM! you’ll have abs…and girls will be hurtling themselves at you. Sounds great, right?
Wrong. Epic fail. You can do crunches all day long, all night long, and you’ll never see your abs. I promise you that. Why? Because it truly comes down to your diet and your body fat percentage. Guys, unless you have a body fat percentage around 10% (girls, 12-14%), you won’t see any abs; once you get down below 8% they’ll start to pop, and at 6% you’ll be able to grate cheese on them…which is weird.
Remember how I said that your diet is 80% of getting into shape? Well, for your abs it’s more like 90%; if you do crunches all day you’ll certainly develop abs, they’ll just be hidden underneath all that baby fat. You’ll see guys in a gym doing 6 different ab exercises and try to spot train each individual ab. What’s the effing point? Honestly, until you have a body fat percentage below 10%, you won’t see your abs, so some crunches on an exercise ball to increase the strength of your core is more than enough.
Analyze your diet, and find out where you can cut calories and lose weight. (Remember 500 less calories a day = 1 lb of body fat loss per week). You can’t target specific areas of fat on your body; as you exercise more and eat healthier you’ll lose body fat all over. Once that body fat percentage drops into the single digits, you’ll start to see that washboard look.
Okay so lets review what you need to do if you want to see your abs:
- Eat less. Seriously. As they say “Abs aren’t made in the gym, they’re made in the kitchen.” Which is a really dumb phrase, but 100% true. If you want to see those abs, you need to drop your body fat below 10%, so start by eating healthier! This is 90% of the battle. Eat 6 small meals throughout the day. DON’T FORGET BREAKFAST.
- Sweat more. So you want to impress chicks on the beach huh? Put down the ab-shocker, the “perfect abs” machine, and RUN. Better yet, SPRINT. Have you ever seen an olympic sprinter without abs popping out of their shirt? Interval training for the win!
- Ab Workouts – Twice a week, no more. You know how they say you need to lift heavier weights at lower reps to build muscle mass? Abs are no different. Instead of doing 100 crunches, why not do 25 crunches with a 45 lb plate on your chest. Even better, sit on an exercise ball and do crunches holding onto a weight. This works out your abs, and lower back…strengthening your core and pumping your abs. Never do abs two days in a row.
There you have it. Eat less, run more, do heavier weights with your crunches. Body fat < 10% = Abs.
Some of you have asked how to calculate your body fat percentage to see if you can your abs. Here is the best way to do it: look in a freaking mirror! If you don’t see your abs you’re not there yet. If you DO see your abs, you did it. +1 for you.
It’s science.
-Steve
Now, your other option is to use the Hawaii Chair – just watch this product in use on the Ellen show and then go buy 10 (I can’t believe I just referenced Ellen. Shoot me now):
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“Here is the best way to do it: look in a freaking mirror! If you don’t see your abs you’re not there yet. If you DO see your abs, you did it. +1 for you.”
Oh man, I was laughing so hard my abs started to hurt. Nice.
Ha, thanks Don. That’s really the best way to figure it out.
-Steve
very, very informative points raised here. i agree that they key to achieving that elusive six-pack really depends on all of us!
very, very informative points raised here. i agree that they key to achieving that elusive six-pack really depends on all of us!