Here are some ‘facts’ on how to get ripped abs that you may have heard. Heck, you might even be following these guidelines.
But they won’t get you close to that ripped six pack. At least not as close as a smart training regimen will get you.
So, here are bits of “common sense” you should ignore to get ripped abs…
1. Do tons of sit-ups
Yeah, crunches until the cows come home and you’re dead tired. And then more abs!
Getting a six pack means having well-developed abs, but crunches are definitely NOT the only exercise, or the only thing you should do. There are reverse crunches, leg raises, hanging knee raises, ab vacuums… Tons of exercises to use on your abs.
And I’m sorry, but crunches aren’t the only thing to do. You need to lower your body fat percentage so that when you have ripped abs you can see them. And they won’t hide under layers of fat.
2. Jog for hours every day to lose fat
Cardio is good. It can help you lose fat and get that ‘ripped’ look. But light cards for long periods of time, like jogging or aerobics, really aren’t the best ways to go.
Pragmatically, you probably want to spend as little time as necessary exercising. You have other things in your life.
And when you exercise, it must be intense. Hit Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), sprinting, and other exercises that are really intense for a short amount of time will do wonders for your body for a lot more reasons than just losing fat. But they will help you lose fat like nobody’s business 😉
Let us decide to say that this intense letter is road more effective than moderate effort.
3. Just work your abs
Your abs need to be built. But your other muscles also need to develop.
When was the last time you saw someone with really ripped abs, but no other defined muscles? Can’t you remember? Hmm…..
As you work your abs, lift weights to work the rest of your body. This will (1) burn calories when you’re working out, (2) your bigger muscles will burn fat just sitting there, and (3) regular workouts will do wonders for increasing your metabolism.
All of this contributes to you getting your body ripped. They work together.
4. Just eat less
Eat less = less food = less fat = more muscle cut. Right? Right?
Well, not always. You need to eat the right things and the right amounts.
If you go on a ‘crash’ diet or anything else that drastically reduces your calorie intake, your body will interpret the sudden lack of food as a sign that it’s starving. And he will do anything to keep you alive. Which means turning any extra calories you have into fat, just in case things get worse.
This is why ‘crash’ diets give some immediate results and then fail when you give in to one or two meals. The sudden increase in calories is converted directly to fat and you are back to square one.
5. Train hard every day
Dedication is a noble character trait, but it doesn’t need to be at this level. In fact, doing this often can do you a lot of harm.
Lifting weights and doing ab exercises 2-3 days a week is fine, unless you’re already in great shape and looking to grate cheese on your abs. Otherwise, it will hurt unnecessarily and you could hurt yourself.
Train hard when you’re at the gym, but you don’t have to go every day. Recovery gives your body time to build those bigger muscles.
So what exercises should you be doing for those bigger muscles? And how exactly should your diet be? Good…