In the current times, the term “Health is Wealth” could not have been more important than it is today. Every second person is seen grappling with one health issue or another these days. Fortunately, the new generation of the 21st century is more health conscious and obsessed with his/her body that they take care of themselves right from an early age. But with health also comes up the issue of looking fit and attractive which is the current generation’s obsession.
Today, bulging muscles, an enormous chest and massive forearms are considered the pinnacle of fitness, not to mention what can be considered the trendsetter of fashion and fitness in the 2000s: six-pack abs. Everyone wants them. Its quite difficult to get them at any age, becoming a monumental task by the time a person nears 30 years of age.
A strong, well toned and flat belly, is what you get, when you combine healthy eating, with a solid fitness routine that includes endurance, strength and specific exercises for your abs and core.
Here, we’re gonna see certain important facts with a combination of certain exercises and diet-related issues that have to be taken care of if you want to get six-pack abs. So lets analyze them one by one:
- A Healthy Diet:
The first step in this process is to improve upon your diet. If you want to gain abs, you need to reduce your overall body fat. Greatly reduce the consumption of junk food, sweets and processed carbs. Eat more fruits and vegetables, assorted berries nuts, organic proteins and healthy fats such like fish oil and avocados.
Also try having several small meals every day and completely give up late night snacks. For breakfast, eat some protein, along with vegetables and fiber items and drink water instead of having calorie-laden beverages. But it is strictly advised against cutting down calories drastically as that can lower your metabolism.
Another highly recommended food item is the sweet potato. Its common knowledge that carbs are verboten but wrong carbs, like french fries, have to be avoided and only the right carbs have to be taken, like the sweet potato, as they contain carotenoids, which prevent calories from turning into fat, alongwith fiber, which helps in staying sated, and ultimately eat less; the most important thing is Vitamin C, which will give you energy for working out.
- A High Intensity Training:
Another important point is to increase your training by adding High Intensity Training (HIT) to your workout a couple of times a week because as per the American College of Sports Medicine, you will be able to burn more calories in less time with short and high intensity exercise.
- Perform Cardiovascular Exercises Regularly:
One of the foolproof ways to burn a lot of calories over a longer period of time, while maintaining the tone muscles and health of heart at the same time is to perform regular aerobic exercises as a simple modification of diet and reducing calories with little exercise can result in weight loss, resulting in a likelier chance of losing muscles.
Certain exercises to look out for:
In addition, you have to also take care of your stomach while doing working outs as the abs are influenced in almost all exercises that are done and you will be able to speedily develop your gains with more concentration on the abs with all kinds of exercises. To do this, you have to focus on the belly button towards the spine and flex the abdominal muscles while working out
- Sit-ups:
A very popular work-out when it comes to abs are the sit-ups because they provide a positive effect on the abs . For this, you have to lie down with both feet touching the floor as also both knees should be up and the hands should be crossed on the chest. Go up while sitting, bring the shoulders to the knees while keeping the back straight. Then lower yourself very slowly and repeat the process around 20 times.
- Weight-lifting belts:
They are of great use as they help in boosting the big lifts and keep you safe from injury. The best weight lifting belts for men are the Hookgrip Russian as its leather stretches out to give you something to brace against while at the same time will not let you feel suffocated by it.
- Crunches:
It is done by lying down on the back, knees high up and feet lying down while slowly bringing the shoulders that should be facing the ceiling. The back should be touching the floor and neck has to be strong. Then, while rising, exhale air and the shoulders have to be held 8-10 inches up the floor and lower down the shoulders slowly but try to make sure that your head does not touch the floor. This should be repeated 20 times.
Next, work on the sides of the abs starting with the side crunches. After raising the shoulder, what you have to do is twist from the abs to the other side so that the elbow is now touching the floor. Now twist to the other side without returning to the floor. You have to touch each side 15-20 times.
Bicycle crunches are the ones that are harder to do: you have to raise the legs off the ground, bend your knees in such a manner that the lower legs are facing the ground parallely. Pump your legs in an alternate manner in such a way as though you are joyfully riding a bike along with your friends with every crunch being done.
