THE SCIENCE
Everyone wants six pack abs BUT most people do NOT think it's possible. The truth is, with a little hard work, you CAN get a flatter stomach. This article dives into the science of losing that belly fat. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it!
The Muscles
As you can see from the image below, everyone is born with six pack abs. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to find a way to uncover those abs. The six pack shaped muscle below is called the rectus abdominis. Once you burn off some of that belly fat, the six pack abs will start shining through.
Diet
No one likes to diet, but, to reach your goal of six pack abs, you need to be more mindful of your caloric intake. Think of your fat as stored energy. Every time you eat, you add more energy to your body. So in order to lose weight around your belly area, you must burn more energy than you consume each day. Creating a negative caloric balance will start to melt away the fat that has been hiding your six pack abs all these years.
If you need help with an exercise or diet plan, click the image below to contact a PFTA certified personal trainer.
Macros
Speaking of diet, I'd me remiss if we didn't mention macros on your journey to six pack abs. It's important to be purposeful with your macros so that you can maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss. Most people are probably NOT eating enough protein and probably consuming too many fat grams and carb grams.
There are several methods for calculating your macros, but we've created a video for one of the easiest methods on the internet. Click the image below to start counting your macros today!
Crunches
Great news...If you don't like crunches, then you'll be happy to hear you don't have to do 1,000 crunches before bedtime every night. Crunches don't burn many calories and will therefore not burn up your belly fat. In fact, there is no such thing as "spot reduction" so crunches won't flatten your belly that much. As stated above, creating a negative caloric balance will flatten that belly.
But, crunches will give you a strong core. So I would recommend crunches and other core exercises to build a strong core, but I definitely wouldn't recommend 1,000 crunches every night. Instead, creating a balanced routine of strength training, cardio exercise, and counting your macros (most of the time), is the best option for developing your six pack abs.
Want to learn more about exercise and nutrition? We've created classes online and in the gym to help you learn more. Click the image below for more info.
Cardio
Again, your belly fat is just stored energy. You need to burn up that stored energy, and the science has proven that nothing burns more energy than cardiovascular exercise. The key to cardio is choosing something you like so you'll keep coming back. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends cardio 3 to 5 times per week, 20 to 60 minutes per session. Start off small, maybe 3 walks for 20 minutes each week. Later, you can add more activity, but keep progressing so you'll keep seeing results. If you really want to turn up the heat, more people are turning to high intensity interval training. Click the image below to read more about HIIT.
Strength Training
Cardio is king but you should also lift weights because strength training is great for bones, muscles, tendons, metabolism, and more. And if you really want to burn up calories, the key is big movements. Exercises like squats, push ups, and pulldowns are great at burning calories, building muscles, and boosting your metabolism.
Speaking of big movements and squats, you can burn lots of calories by doing hip extension exercises. We've created a video of the most common hip extension exercises. Click the image below for the exercise demos.
Core Exercises
Like we said before, ab exercises don't burn up many calories, but they are important. In fact, some ab exercises are more important than others. Escamilla et all (2006) used electromyography to show that the Power Wheel, inclined reverse crunches, and hanging knee-ups were the top 3 exercises for core activation. If you are a beginner or don’t have the necessary equipment, you can start out with floor crunches or stability ball crunches (pictured below). Eventually, you’ll lose enough weight and develop a strong enough core to perform advanced movements.
Furthermore, using a stability ball in your routine will also improve your balance and coordination. You can use various equipment and multiple movements to improve your balance. Want to learn more about instability training? Click the image below for more info.
Upper Abs v Lower Abs
Do you try to isolate the lower abs to get rid of that spare tire and/or love handles? Does it seem to work for you? Probably not. Most studies have shown that all ab exercises target both the upper abs and lower abs equally. Clark (2003) et al showed no significant difference in the activation of upper abs and lower abs in six different but common core exercises. But, if you want to play it safe, doing different types of ab exercises will ensure your entire ab wall is strong and mobile. I personally try 2 to 3 different ab exercises on my core day.
Obliques
When most people hear the word obliques, they think of love handles. And for some reason, people at the gym grab dumbbells and start performing side bends to get rid of the love handles. As previously mentioned, it takes more than side bends and crunches to develop six pack abs. To burn fat, you need to add diet and cardio to your fitness plan! Plus, there are other exercises for your obliques besides side bends. Round out your ab day with exercises such as cable rotations, Russians twists (pictured below), and bike crunches. As stated above, pick out a few exercises for your abs, a few exercises for your upper body, a few for your lower body, and soon you'll be on your way to a 2-, 4-, and maybe 6-pack abs.
Sets and Reps
The best thing to do to burn fat and flatten that belly is endurance training. This means most of your exercises should be targeted for 2 to 3 sets, at 15 to 20 reps per set. Because these are endurance sets, rest between sets should only be 30 to 45 seconds. We've also written an article on optimal rest time between sets. Your goals will dictate your rep count and your rest time.
Summary
There is no secret formula. Everyone is born with a rectus abdominis that looks like six pack abs; but, some people choose to cover them up with a layer of fat. That layer of fat is just stored energy. It’s time to burn up that energy and show your natural six pack. Count your calories, add more cardio, and start a strength training program. If you want more tips on boosting your metabolism, click the image below.
If you have questions or comments on this article, or on the personal trainer school, please use the form below. Happy health and happy training!
