How To Get A Six Pack

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"How can I get a six-pack quickly?" How long will it take me to get abs?" "How long until I see the results?"

These are probably the most common questions that I'm asked on social media. I believe people like the fact that in comparison to other fitness influencers and trainers, I'm straight to the point. I believe we all have a similar philosophy in regard to health and fitness, but there are so many misconceptions that it's easy for people to get confused or discouraged when they don't see the results quickly. When it pertains to the abdominal area, everyone has abs. Yes, I said it! If you don't believe me, then go back and review your anatomy. Everyone has abs but we carry different amounts of body fat. So if you struggle in the midsection, chances are you have a higher percentage of body fat.

"What exercises can I do for my abs to show?"

I honestly hate this question because it has a "quick fix" or microwavable connotation to it. I don't believe in focusing on the exercise portion of health and fitness. The focus should be on your health behaviors. In order to decrease your body fat percentage, you need to be in a caloric deficit, simply meaning you need to burn more calories than you consume. This does not mean starving yourself or skipping meals. We'll go further into nutrition in a future post. Your weight also is regulated through hormones. These hormones are often optimized through quality rest and recovery. If you're not getting between 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, chances are you're going to experience some weight gain or issues with losing weight. Though exercise is important, the other elements of your health and wellness play a much more important part in your weight management. Put your focus there first!

"What supplements can I take to help me lose weight?"

I don't like to recommend supplements because I'm not an expert or qualified in that area. This is for you to speak with a nutritionist and your physician based on your current health status. What I will tell you is that supplements are called that for a reason. They are meant to help add to areas of your wellness where you're lacking through nutrition. The primary source of your nutrients should come from quality whole foods (unprocessed). These are going to be your raw fruits and vegetables, lean meats, nuts, etc. Utilize macronutrient calculators and visit myplate.gov for additional resources to help determine your specific needs.

Learn your body! Understand how it's supposed to function and the purpose of each muscle group. This was one thing that help me when I began to build my physique. The core muscle group is designed for protecting the spine from excessive loads and injury. It also stabilizes the upper and lower part of your body. Believe it or not, you don't have to do direct ab exercises like sit-ups or crunches. In fact, heavier-loaded exercises such as squats, and presses (bench, overhead, pushups) indirectly work your core muscles through proper engagement when performing these types of lifts.

I recommend focusing on your total body fitness through these exercises, improving your diet, and your sleep hygiene to get the best results for your six-pack.

But since everyone likes a good core workout, here's one you can follow along with.