Little Things Preventing You from Getting Six Pack Abs

Little Things Preventing You from Getting Six Pack Abs

So, you want to have six pack abs because these look good and feel good, not to mention that you have lesser risks for chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes as well as heart attacks and strokes. This is because people with wider girths – 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women – have more visceral fat than those with trim waistlines.

So, aside from a good workout plan, you also follow a strict six pack abs diet. Yet, despite all your best efforts, you still have trouble getting the flat, toned and muscled abs you want. Well, you may be doing these seemingly little things that have a big impact on your goal.

Drinking Liquid Calories

Many individuals think of calories as coming exclusively from solid food but this is a misconception. Except for water, most beverages contain calories that add up to your gut and, hence, prevent your six pack abs from showing up, in a manner of speaking. We are talking about beer and other alcoholic beverages as well as carbonated drinks, coffee and even powdered juices.

Don’t even think about justifying your consumption of light beer – it is still beer, no matter what the label says. If you add the food that comes with drinking beer like peanuts, chips and dips, then you are already going outside the calorie restrictions of your six pack abs diet.

Cutting Out Carbs

Too many individuals think that carbs are the enemy of toned abdominal muscles but this is not so either. Carbohydrates are essential for the production of energy and you need energy to perform the exercises vital in the development of six pack abs.

Well, of course, not all carbohydrates are good – opt for complex carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains instead of simple carbohydrates in cakes, cookies and breads. Complex carbohydrates prevent hunger pangs for longer periods while simple carbohydrates tend to increase your cravings.

Instead, cut out the fats especially the saturated fats from animal sources like beef, pork and poultry – except for the lean parts, obviously. Coconut oil, butter and palm oil are also out the question.

Getting the Sides

Yet another of the seemingly little things that prevent your attainment of six pack abs is indulging on the side dishes. The scenario is all-too-familiar: You order the healthy option of grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread and topped by lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes. Then, in a moment of weakness, you order diet soda and French fries. Again, the pounds pile up on you belly and not in the form of muscles either.

It is not just your food consumption that keeps the muscles away from your abdominal area. You may also be burning the candle at both ends, which results in excessive physical and mental stress. Let’s not forget that stress affects your six pack abs too, so always try to get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.

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Contrast Saturated And Unsaturated Fats

Contrast Saturated And Unsaturated Fats

In the desire to gain six pack abs, many men and women will try to completely eliminate all kinds of fat from their diet. The rationale is that since belly fat must be removed, eating food with any amount of fat in it will contradict the purpose. But this is a misconception that you must free yourself from now!

Fats Are Essential Nutrients, Too

Before we discuss the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat in relation to a six pack abs diet, we must first discuss the importance of fats in any healthy diet. Fats are actually one of three macronutrients – the other two being carbohydrates and proteins – that the body requires for its healthy functioning. These are essential for the development of six pack abs.

These chemical compounds mainly provide for energy so that proteins and carbohydrates can do their work in the body. Fats can also be stored for future use while also helping in the formation of cellular material, the transportation of certain vitamins and the supply of essential fatty acids.

But not all fats are created equal in terms of good health in general and six pack abs in particular. We have to distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fats and, in the process, know which type of fat is a must-have in a six pack abs diet. Keep in mind that all fats are chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The main difference between unsaturated and saturated fats lies in the number of atoms for each element.

Saturated Fats Are Bad Fats

Saturated fats are so-called because these have a saturated number of hydrogen atoms in relation to their carbon atoms. In other words, these so-called bad fats have the maximum number of hydrogen atoms linked to every carbon atom with the latter being attached to each other only via single molecular bonds. Such a molecular structure means that saturated fats raise LDL cholesterol levels. This means that your risks for cardiovascular diseases also increase, LDL being bad cholesterol in the body.

Bad fats are found in processed foods like chips and pastries as well as in animal products like beef, veal, lamb, pork, poultry fat, cream, butter, cheese, milk and other whole dairy products. Plant products can also contain unsaturated fats including palm oil, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil. Obviously, saturated fats are not good for six pack abs.

Unsaturated Fats Are Good Fats

In contrast, unsaturated fats are good for the body and for the belly. In these kinds of fatty acids, a missing pair of hydrogen atoms creates a double bond between two carbon atoms. Unsaturated fats are found in foods like olives, avocados, nuts, sesame, safflower and sunflower seeds. These fatty acids have been found to lower LDL cholesterol levels and raise HDL cholesterol levels. In other words, eat foods rich in unsaturated fats and you are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases.
So, if you are gunning for six pack abs, then it is safe to go for unsaturated fats!

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Cool Down Exercises for Abdominal Muscles

Cool Down Exercises for Abdominal Muscles

Weekly exercises are always welcome for a healthier living and daily exercises are most certainly better if you have the time, energy and dedication. Normally, before you move on to your strenuous exercises, you would do some warm-up exercises to increase heart rate and prepare the muscles for action.

After you are finished with exercising, you will most probably follow up with a good rest or nap. This is actually not ideal and it may discourage you from further exercising once you find out that your muscles suddenly get sore. If you are aiming for six pack abs and you already have a nice six pack abs diet plan, muscle pains should never interfere with your progress.

The secret is to perform the same exercises that you normally do for warming up. Any light exercises that you perform after your strenuous exercises are considered cool down exercises and they can be good for your abdominal muscles. Here are some basic cool down exercises that you should try.

Walking

Walking is the one of the easiest exercises that you can do and is actually recommended to do right after you had a long run. Walking has a minimal impact for six pack abs compared to most other cool down exercises but what matters is that your muscles do not get very stiff. For every 6 minutes of running, walk for around a minute or until your heart rate lowers.

Stretching

If you are working out in the gym in hopes of attaining those six pack abs one day and it is raining outside, you can actually stay in the gym and perform some static exercises like stretching. You can do this by lying down on the mat and pushing your legs back so your knees meet your chest. Curve your neck and head so your spine curves inward as a result. Then from that position, stand with your feet apart so you can feel your sides stretching.

Place your hands on your hips and lean slowly from one side and repeat with the other. Bend your knees slightly and slowly try to reach your feet with your hands. Walk towards the wall so you are about two feet away. Then with both hands against the wall, push your hips forward to the wall so you stretch deeper. Lift one foot up by grabbing your ankle and pull it up towards your buttocks to work on your quadriceps.

Finally, sit on the ground and place both of your soles together so you stretch your groin. While you keep your back straightened, draw your feet toward your groin slowly. Combined with your six pack abs diet plan, you should be on the right track in getting six pack abs without excessive fatigue.

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How To Remove Visceral Fat And Build Six Pack Abs

How To Remove Visceral Fat And Build Six Pack Abs

The first step to building six pack abs is to rid yourself of your abdominal fat. Not only will it hide any kind of development of your abdominal muscles, it can actually be very dangerous to your health as well.

While it is normal and to a degree, healthy to have a certain (and small) percentage of body fat, where that fat is located makes a great deal of difference. Visceral, or abdominal, fat, is far more dangerous than fat deposits located anywhere else in the human body.

Although the reasons for this are complex and are beyond the scope of this article, suffice it to say that abdominal fat has been linked in too many studies to mention that it is an important contributing factor to the development of heart disease, stroke and a variety of other conditions of the cardiovascular system.

Abdominal fat has also been linked time and again to diabetes, high blood pressure and certain forms of cancer – and of course, no one will ever see those six pack abs you’ve built when they’re covered by fat!

Because of the health risk associated with carrying fat around the midsection as well as the obvious aesthetic problem it creates, any six pack ab diet needs to emphasize getting rid of this fat as well as promoting better overall health.

Neither your health nor your abs are going to improve until you make healthy changes to your lifestyle, especially to your diet.

The first rule is to steer clear of any foods which are high in salt, sugar and fat. Refined starches and sugars are to be avoided completely, if at all possible (especially white bread, pasta and rice and white sugar).

While whole grains are fine, refined flours and sugars provide calories without imparting any nutritional value, fiber, or anything else you need when you’re trying to build six pack abs, for that matter.

As far as beverages are concerned, stay away from soda due to its high sugar content. Artificially sweetened fruit juices and other similarly sugar-laden beverages are also to be avoided.
Drink water, first and foremost. Other beverages are fine in moderation (other than soda and other unhealthy drinks), but make the majority of your fluid intake water. Not only is water calorie-free, but it also helps keep you hydrated and flushes toxins out of the body.

Choose lean proteins; fatty cuts of meat should not be part of anyone’s six pack abs diet. Lean meats, beans and other low-fat protein sources should make up the lion’s share of your protein intake.
If your goal is to develop six pack abs, supplement your diet with a regular regimen of exercise. Keep in mind that muscle helps you burn fat, so include some weight training into your routine.

As you build muscle and stick to your diet, you’ll find that you’ll both build your abdominal muscles more quickly and that you’ll start to notice them more quickly – so will everyone else.

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Lactic Acid and Abdominal Muscles

Lactic Acid and Abdominal Muscles

If you are serious about attaining the best six pack abs of your life, you must first learn about the myths and facts surrounding lactic acid buildup in the muscles. As you must know by now, myths have a way of getting in the way of adopting the right workout and diet program for a toned belly.

Two Myths Busted

In past years, lactic acid was seen as a chemical compound that impairs physical performance among bodybuilders and athletes. It was also said to cause the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) experienced a few days after the strenuous activity is finished. DOMS is characterized by loss of range of motion and strength in the affected area as well as severe muscle tenderness, symptoms of which reach their peak in 48-72 hours.

Although lactic acid buildup is still widely considered as the cause behind the muscles’ burning sensation during exercise, recent research now debunks these myths. Today, lactic acid is generally seen as another source of fuel for working muscles, which is an essential fact in the development of six pack abs. Also, DOMS comes from the microscopic tears, injuries and trauma including inflammation sustained by the muscles during exercise, not from lactic acid buildup.

Importance in Muscle Development

Why is lactic acid buildup of great concern to building an enviable set of six pack abs? You can partially control lactic acid buildup via your six pack abs diet. Keep in mind that what you eat before starting your abs exercises will affect your performance (i.e., how many sets and reps you can do for a certain movement).

If you can keep your lactic buildup to a healthy level, then you are more likely to perform more sets and reps. You will then be able to achieve six pack abs faster. By the way, when we say healthy level of lactic acid buildup, a balance is achieved such that you can still perform your abs exercises in the desired time, thanks to the extra fuel from the lactic acid, while still feeling a nice burn, so to speak.

Diet Tips to Lessen Lactic Acid Buildup

With that being said, here are the must-have foods in your six pack abs diet, said diet of which is designed to lessen lactic acid buildup:

• Eat magnesium-rich foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds and tofu. Lactic acid increases the feeling of exhaustion but magnesium counteracts its buildup, thus, improving your performance.
• Eat more cold water fishes like mackerel and salmon, both of which are rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs). These fatty acids help in improving the body’s usage of glucose that, in turn, aids in decreasing lactic acid buildup. Also, EFAs lessen muscle inflammation, thus, helping in faster muscle recovery after your workout.
• Eat foods rich in B vitamins like bananas, potatoes and avocadoes, which aid in glucose use as well as speed up recovery from physical stress and muscular tears.
And of course, you must drink plenty of water for great six pack abs.

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