The Truth About 6 Pack Abs

Here's the truth about 6 pack abs that will separate fact from fiction.

There are no hidden secrets to getting 6 pack abs, and getting a 6 pack is not complicated. 6 pack abs are the result of two things: well trained abs and low body fat.

The first step to getting 6 pack abs is to make sure that you train your abs the correct way. The correct way to train your abs is to train them like any other muscle group. The muscle tissue in your abs is no different than the muscle tissue in your other body parts.

But because there's so much misinformation and hype surrounding ab training, the abdominal muscles are the muscle group that's probably the most incorrectly trained on a regular basis.

Here are four guidelines for how to train your abs properly:

1. Frequency

For some reason, a lot of people think they need to train their abs every day, even though they would never consider training any other muscle group every day. Your abs need time to recover from a training session just like any other muscle group, so never train your abs every day. Instead, train them two or three times per week on nonconsecutive days.

2. Sets and Reps

Perform three to five sets each training session, 10 to 20 reps each set. Don't waste time performing countless sets and reps trying to "burn off" fat from your abdominal region. It's not possible to burn off fat from a specific area of your body by selectively exercising that area. Exercising a specific area of your body will build and strengthen the underlying muscle, but it will have no direct effect on fat loss in that area.

3. Form and Technique

Many people train their abs like they're in a contest to see how fast they can complete each rep. If you perform your reps at a fast speed using momentum, you're not working your abs very effectively. Use the muscle power of your abs to complete each rep, not momentum. Concentrate on fully contracting your abs each rep using a controlled manner.

4. Specific Exercises

There are a lot of good ab exercises to choose from, so try a variety of different exercises in order to determine which ones your abs respond best to. But skip the sit-ups. Sit-ups work the hip flexor muscles more than the ab muscles, and they can be hard on the lower back. In addition to doing bodyweight exercises, try using added weight on some of your ab exercises.

The second step to getting 6 pack abs is to get your body fat low enough so that your 6 pack is visible. A lot of people train their abs properly, but they never get lean enough to see a 6 pack. Proper nutrition and aerobic exercise are necessary to get your body fat low enough so that your 6 pack is visible.

The type of nutrition plan you would need to follow and the amount of aerobic exercise you would need to do would be based on factors such as your body type and how much body fat you had to lose.

In conclusion, now that you know the truth about 6 pack abs, you're one step closer to developing a great set of abs.