Getting perfect abs – the 4 key ingredients

Posted by Editor

October 17, 2009

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The majority of people typically think of exercises (mostly crunches and sit-ups) when they are considering going for that perfect set of abs ... possibly for the first time in their life.

Unfortunately, it's going to take 4 separate but related activities to get the type of abs you see showcased on TV and in the movies; there aren't any short cuts, sadly. These 4 activities are necessary and they're aimed at the crucial combination - lose the fat while building the muscle.

Your Diet

The major realization here is, you can spend 24 hours a day working out with crunches but if you're still wearing a fat suit, you'll never have six-pack abs.

So, one key thing is that your diet has to be one that creates fat loss. Meaning, first, think about calories -- you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. Second, you need a good balance of protein, carb, and healthy fat. You need the protein to build muscle and also to help muscle recover from the damage caused by exercise; and, protein can help with appetite control. You need carbohydrates for energy, of course. And healthy fat because the right types of fat - not those in a burger or ice cream, I might add - are an essential part of a balanced diet.

Cardio Exercise

So ... why cardio-vascular exercise, specifically?. The answer is simple mathematics ... because to eliminate 1 lb of fat you need to burn 3500 more calories than you take in, so if you want to get rid of that layer of fat that "hides" your abs, no matter how well developed, cardio is one step along the fastest path.

Strength exercises

People are often surprised to learn that strength training has the biggest impact on the metabolism ... meaning, if you perform strength training regularly, you'll literally put your body in a position where the metabolism speeds up and ... you've guessed it, your burn fat more quickly. Big muscle exercises - squats, bench presses, lunges, etc - performed regularly will have a bigger impact on metabolism even than cardio and certainly more than small muscle exercises (bicep curls, for example) although it all helps. The faster you burn the fat ... the faster you get those six-pack abs you're working so hard for.

Abs-specific exercises

And only now do we come to the exercises that most people have in mind from the outset - crunches, sit-ups, and leg-lifts in all their variety.

So, this is the path you need to take for great abs; but the biggest obstacle isn't actually associated with any of these. The biggest challenge is in your head, and it's this - are you willing to pay the price?

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