Regardless of your age or current health goals, a flatter, more muscular stomach is a good thing to have. Not only does it improve your current appearance but working that particular set of muscles builds core strength and confidence.
To make sure you are on the right path to good health and a great physical shape, read these 8 tips for a 6 pack abs below —
1. Cardio is Key
In order to get well-defined stomach muscles, you must burn the fat that already exists. Muscle can exist under under fat but you won’t be able to see them well or at all. You need to create what is called a caloric deficit, in which more calories are being burned than are being stored. This is done with cardio exercise and diet.
2. HIIT
Cardio is effective because it gets the heart rate up quickly. Try a simple routine to get proven results. HIIT is a great way to get the heart rate up and keep it up: run for 30 seconds, then jog for 30 seconds, run for 30 seconds. Keep this up as long as you can for up to 15 minutes. Your strength and stamina will improve dramatically.
3. The Diet is Important
You need to make a few changes to provide your body with healthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These will help build stronger muscle faster, helping produce quicker results. Try to maintain the suggested 2000 calorie a day diet.
4. One Step at a Time
If a complete diet overhaul seems like too much of a change, there are a few small steps you can take, such as cutting soda out of your diet. Soda is full of sugar and caffeine, two ingredients that can work against your goal. You can also eat five to six small meals a day. These meals should include as much spinach, kale and/or other vegetables as possible.
Eating more frequently can help boost your metabolism to burn through excess calories while the vegetables will help reduce your caloric intake. If you have to work your way up to vegetables, try fruit first instead. Fruit still provides vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and you can feel good that you made positive changes for your health.
5. Have Patience
Building a six-pack is a full body experience. Your body doesn’t burn fat from just one specific location, such as the stomach. It burns fat and you can see the results on your entire body, including your stomach.
6. Have a Variety of Exercise
Sit-ups have a limited range of motion and produce a limited benefit. Find exercises that really work your core for faster, stronger results. Instead, try crunches, crunches with weights and hanging leg raises to consider. Check out 5 six pack exercises and abdominal exercises for beginning bodybuilder.
7. Stay Hydrated
The more water you drink while exercising, the better your body will heal and build muscle. Increasing your daily water intake will help wash away the lactic acid that builds up in your muscles when they are used. It is what makes them sore and creates pain the day after a workout.
This pain can discourage you from continuing with your exercise. Water will reduce the amount of lactic acid buildup in your muscles so you can continue with your fitness goals on an uninterrupted timeline.
8. Don’t Give Up
Your health is important and your goals can be met. Don’t get discouraged. Your six-pack and increased self-confidence are just around the corner!
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