How To Get A Six-Pack: Five Crucial Things To Remember
The six-pack is the Holy Grail for every person who dreams of crafting a better body for themselves. Forget about thick thighs or bulging biceps, the immediate go-to for most people who think about getting in shape is losing some of that extra inch pinch around the abdominal region.
But there is far more to getting a six-pack then waking up and doing a few sit-ups every morning. It requires a delicate approach to both your diet, and your daily exercise, as well as what form of exercise you choose to partake in.
For those wondering how to get a six pack in a month, look no further than this simple guide.
1. Your Diet Is Crucial In Helping You Get Six Pack Faster
How do I get a Six-pack faster? A question that many an impatient soul asks when they find their usual workout routine isn’t giving them the result they want after a couple of weeks, and looking at your diet is the key.
Naturally, avoid processed foods, and look to chuck any foodstuffs that are high in fat or sugar in the bin as well. There are those who will advise the best way to get a six-pack as quickly as possible is to eat six times a day but obviously, that just isn’t possible for everyone! You can get around this by building yourself better meals, and also supplementing your daily calorie intake by eating some choice snacks in-between your meals. Eat protein powerful dishes with eggs, fish, and chicken as a base at your regular meal slots, then snack on nuts, olives, and other little pieces of highly nutritional goodness to keep you going throughout the day.
Protein really is the difference-maker here. If you’re pushing to get a six-pack as quickly as possible then you will need to exercise more frequently, and require a greater calorie intake in order to do so. But you need to keep an eye on the calories you are ingesting as without balancing your diet, you will likely end up ingesting a lot more empty calories which will not help.
Finally, remember to stay hydrated. You need to drink as much water as possible to keep yourself hydrated appropriately during all this extra exercise. If you aren’t sure how much water that is, the average human is supposed to consume 2 litres of water a day so if you’re not doing that already, start to!
2) It’s Not All About Stomach Crunches
If I do, 100 stomach crunches each day I’ll get a six-pack, right? Well, no, it’s a bit more technical then that.
One of the most important things to remember about training your core is that lengthening and contracting it is the way to build muscle. With every movement that’s aimed at working out your abs, you need to be looking to extend your stomach muscles as far as possible, then contract them as much as possible. Exercises like crunches do not allow you to do much more then work the muscles that extend down towards your lower spine. There are far greater exercises such as the plank (but we will cover more on that later), that do much more to help strengthen your abs. Also, doing 100 crunches a day won’t help with burning off the fat around your belly.
To that end, it’s important to remember you need to work out your entire body if you want to get abs. You need to burn fat, and exercising your entire body is the most sure-fire way to go about that. Walking, running, squats, push-ups, anything that exercises your legs will exercise the rest of your body as well as strengthening your core and it’s that, which burns fat.
3) The Plank Will Be Your New Best Friend
We mentioned the need to focus on core workouts that do much more for strengthening your stomach muscles, and it’s hard to beat the plank.
The plank is one of those great exercises that help you to maximise on extending and contracting your stomach muscles. When performing the exercise, focus on keeping your spine aligned, squeezing your core and glutes to activate all of your muscles. Build up your core strength by holding the position for longer and longer periods and you’ll be well on your way to getting that six-pack.
But the plank isn’t your only new friend you should be making on your six-pack quest. Hollow rocks, ab-wheel rollouts, mountain climbers, all should be making their way into your workout regime to help build your six-pack.
4) Form And Correct Movement is Crucial
If it hadn’t been made clear by now, form and movement are absolutely crucial for getting your six-pack faster. Your core needs to extend and contract to maximum effect, and following the correct movement and form for every plank, every hollow rock, and every form of exercise you incorporate into your workout.
Minimising momentum is of the utmost importance. To do this, keep the tempo of your workout at a steady pace, the faster you go the more your momentum will carry you through the exercise. If you’re looking to build rock hard abs, then your muscles should be the ones taking the strain, not getting a lift from your body’s momentum.
5) HIIT Is A Great Way To Get Six Pack Faster
High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT to save the mouthful, is a workout format designed to switch between short periods of intense exercise and a short recovery period in order to keep your heart rate up to maximise fat burning. HIIT is a great way to start losing weight consistently and quickly. A minimum of three sessions a week of 20 minutes at a time can yield significant results, but you can combine it into your daily workout program quite easily.
You don’t have to try anything dramatic to start HIIT training. Something as simple as alternating between running and walking every 30 seconds counts as HIIT training. But you can easily incorporate that into your workout program by completing more sets with lower reps, and cutting your break in-between each set.
The Ultimate How To Get A Six Pack Fast Workout Plan:
- Train Monday – Thursday with an extra day on either Friday/Saturday and a rest day on Sunday for four weeks
- One 45 minute workout per day of three circuits incorporating six different exercises
- Remember to stay hydrated and follow the necessary diet advice.
Overhead Squats
Sets: 3-4.
Reps: 20-30.
Rest Period: 30 second rest between sets.
Tip: Keep your arms straight and avoid arching your back.
Hollow Rocks
Sets: 3-4.
Reps: 20-30.
Rest: 30 second rest between sets.
Tip: Keep your shoulders elevated and avoid tucking your chin in when performing each rep.
Push-Ups
Sets: 3-4.
Reps: 15.
Rest: 30 Seconds rest between each set.
Tip: If you struggle to complete a set of “full” push-ups, then switch to box push-ups by dropping your knees to the floor until you build up enough strength.
Split Lunge/Overhead Press
Sets: 3-4.
Reps: 10-15 seconds.
Rest: 30 Seconds between each set.
Tip: Remember to press above your head before you complete each lunge.
Plank
Sets: 2-3.
Reps: 45-60 seconds.
Rest: 60-90 seconds between each set.
Tip: Mix up your plank workout by trying the elevated side plank and/or plank walk-ups.
Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls
Sets: 3-4.
Reps: 10-15.
Rest: Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
Tip: Your legs must be kept straight and your hips have to stay raised off the floor.
Post Workout
If you complete your 45-minutes workout early, then try to run up a steep incline for the remaining minutes of your workout. Use a treadmill for the best results, but make sure you do not go over the 45-minute mark to preserve as much muscle tissue as possible. Any longer and your body may start to convert that to fuel instead.
