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6 Pack Abs: Fact vs. Fiction
With all of the infomercials and advertisements promoting quick and easy ways to get 6 pack abs, why
do so few people actually have them?
The truth is that there are no quick and easy ways to get 6 pack abs. The only way to get them is
by having well trained abs AND a very low percentage of body fat, usually 10% or less. This low a percentage of
body fat can be difficult to attain.
The first step to getting 6 pack abs, or just stronger, more defined abs, is to make sure that you
train your abs the correct way. But with so much misinformation surrounding ab training, it's no wonder that many
people train their abs incorrectly. The proper way to train your abs is to train them like any other muscle group.
The muscle tissue in your abs is the same as the muscle tissue in your other body parts.
Ab Training Guidelines
Frequency - Train your abs two or three times per week. Your abs need time to recover from a
training session just like any other muscle group, so never train your abs two days in a row.
Sets and Repetitions - Perform three or four sets each training session, 10 to 20 repetetions
each set. Don't waste time performing countless sets and repetitions trying to "burn off" fat from your abdominal
region. Exercising a specific area of the body will build and strengthen the underlying muscle, but it will have
no direct effect on fat loss.
Form and Technique - Use the muscle power of the abs to complete each repetition. Concentrate
on contracting the abs using a steady and controlled manner. Do not perform your repetitions at a fast speed using
momentum.
Specific Exercises - There are a lot of good ab exercises to choose from. Skip the sit-ups as
they can be hard on the lower back and don't work the abs as effectively as other types of exercises. Most gyms
have ab machines that enable you to use added weight to train your abs. If you do decide to use ab machines, use
light or moderate weight. Using heavy weight can sometimes build up your abs too much, making your waist appear
somewhat thick. Visit the Strength Training Videos
page for video demonstrations of several good ab exercises.
No matter how good your ab training program is, if your body fat is too high you'll never be able
to see your abs. Aerobic exercise and healthy eating are necessary to keep your body fat low enough so that your
abs are visible. The amount of aerobic exercise you would need to do and the type of eating plan you would need
to implement would be based on factors such as how much body fat you had to lose, what body type
you are, and what your metabolism is like.
In conclusion, getting 6 pack abs, or just stronger, more defined abs, is not complicated. Anyone
can get the type of abs they want by following the right guidelines.
Recommended Resources
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