Effective Training and Nutrition Principles for Building ABS Muscles and a Six Pack

What are the best abs workouts? How can I build six-pack abs? What’s the best diet for building abs muscle? Best diet and workout program to build six-pack abs? follow this article to find out the answers to these questions.

Having a nice, impressive six-pack needs to stay consistent with working out and burning your belly fat first and it seems to be everyone’s goal in bodybuilding these days. And truth be told, six-packs are beautiful and deserve to be praised. But what are the principles for building six packs? Continue reading this article to learn all the information you need for achieving an attractive 6-pack in a healthy way.

Understanding the Abs Muscles

So before we discuss principles for building six-pack, let’s gain a better understanding of the abs muscles we’re going to train. The first thing you should know is that abs are not just one particular muscle; they’re a group of muscles, each needing its exercise routine to develop. Let’s provide a brief introduction to these key muscles:

1. External Obliques: As the name suggests, these muscles are located outside of your belly. They slant down from the ribs to the hips. These muscles help stabilize your midsection, twist your body, and lean to the side.

2. Internal Obliques: These muscles are located right beneath the external obliques. They angle up your sides from the hips to the lower ribs. Similar to the external obliques, these muscles help you twist your body and lean to the side.

3. Rectus Abdominis: Rectus abdominis is a collection of long, straight muscles that exist in pairs. They are located right in the middle of the belly, running from the ribs to the pelvis. These are the muscles you use when you bend yourself forward. They’re also what most people think of as the “six-pack” muscles.

4. Transversus Abdominis: This is the deepest muscle that exists in your abs. It wraps around your waist to help support your spine. This muscle is active when you pull your belly button towards your spine. Transversus abdominis is especially important for keeping your core strong and protecting your lower back from injury.

You can read about these muscles in more detail on [1].

General Training Principles for Building Six Pack

First of all, I should tell you building a six-pack is not easy. It needs frequent exercising, healthy nutrition, patience, and more importantly the correct training routines. There are many “do”s and “don’t”s when it comes to building certain muscles that you want. So let’s talk about the principles for building six-pack:

1. Start your routine with the abs workout, if you’re a beginner

Obviously, your most energetic self shows itself at the beginning of your routine. For those who just started working on their abs, training them is going to take a lot of energy. So you better not do them at the end, when your energy has been drained. You can also include abs exercises between your sets of a larger body part. This method also works because training your abs is not dependent on your nervous system as much as other workout routines.

2. Building abs requires you to train heavily

Even though abs have more of the type of muscle fibers that work better with endurance, it’s still good to do 8-12 reps when training them. This helps get that defined six-pack look. To target the inner ab muscles that you can’t see, we suggest you do static holds for 30-60 seconds.

3. Have a clear plan and stick with it

It’s usually recommended to narrow down your ab workout routine to 5-6 exercises that consistently give you the best results. Some people think you should try everything to build the best muscles possible. But the key to successful training is always sticking to the right moves. If you combine one or two exercises that work for you with some resistance and static hold exercises, you’re most likely on the right path.

4. If you want maximum results, never forget resistance

Added resistance is one of the main principles for building six-pack. Resistance allows you to train with lower rep ranges, which in turn helps break down the muscle fibers effectively. The most common mistake that people make when training abs is doing too many reps without adding weight. They just rely on bodyweight exercises and wonder why they don’t get the right results. The answer is you need resistance to create that shadow effect on your midsection.

These are the fundamental principles of training and building a nice six-pack. For more tips, check out [2] on this topic. But training alone is not going to give you what you want, so make sure to continue reading the next sections.

General Nutrition Principles for Building Six Pack

Everyone who’s familiar with working out knows how much impact food has on exercising. And building abs is just the same. In this section, we’ll talk about the best foods to include in your diet, if you want to build a six-pack:

1. Protein and healthy fats: Protein is always the most important diet item when you’re thinking of muscle growth. Not only does it support building muscles, but it has direct effects on reducing hunger. Some of the best foods that include significant amounts of protein and healthy fats are chicken, turkey, meat, fatty fish, low-fat dairy products, and of course, eggs.

2. Fiber: Including a lot of fiber in your diet is another one of the principles for building six pack. Some of the best foods rich in fiber are fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains, beans, and legumes.

3. What to exclude from your diet: By now, you know that including vegetables, dairy, and fruits in your diet is considered healthy. But what should we not eat? Here’s a list:

• Foods and Drinks with added sugar
• Alcohol
• Foods rich in refined grains
• Fried foods and fast food
• Processed meats

4. Never Forget Water: Water is important for both training and nutrition. Dehydration can negatively impact your workout ability. Drinking enough water, on the other hand, helps you to reduce bloating in your abdominal area. It’s also very effective when it comes to easily burning more calories.

Nutrition is a sensitive and important topic when it comes to building a six-pack. Check out article [3] to read more about the topic.

Diet and workout programs that’ll help you build six pack abs!

Even if you’re new to the world of fitness, still one of your goals probably is to get defined six-pack abs. Well in that case you’ve come to the right place!

Before even getting started, you’d first need to understand that abs are built in the kitchen! Yes! You’ve heard that right. Your Diet is an important part of your workout program in order to get those six pack abs. In fact building abs is possible both inside and outside the gym. There are no shortcuts in this path. Determination is the only thing that will take you there.

With that being said, are you ready?

How long does it take to define your abs?

In order to build six-pack abs you need to reduce your body fat to somewhat around 6%. This is a process and it’s not something to achieve in a day or two. In fact, trying to get there fast will harm your body and affect your health. Rushing the process can put a strain on the body’s system, leading to a drop in testosterone levels and decrease in immune system’s performance. It can even turn your skin loose and affect the way your brain performs.

But how long does it take to build six-pack pack abs?

Fitness experts report that 1 percent of body fat loss is both attainable and safe. Given this number, getting six-pack abs might take 15 to 21 months for an average man and about 20 to 26 months for an average woman.

The best diet for building six pack abs

To get a diet planned out for building six pack abs first we need to understand what a good diet consists of. These are the most important characteristics of a good diet:

• Variety:

Variety is an essential part of every successful diet. It provides everything your body needs and helps you resist cravings as well as assisting your body in maintaining its metabolism.

• Rich in protein:

You need a protein-based diet in order to both maintain and build up your muscle mass. Protein helps your body recover from tough workouts. It also has the highest thermogenic property of the various food categories (carbs, fat and etc.), meaning pound per pound it requires more energy to burn, helping you lose weight faster so it’s one of the most essential parts of a diet to build six pack abs.

• Slow and steady:

A good diet doesn’t rush in reaching important milestones. In order to get to your optimal body fat mass you need to reduce your calorie intake steadily and step by step.

• Reach in fruits and vegetables:

Fruits and vegetables are very nutrient-dense, meaning that they’re low in calories but high in antioxidants, fiber, and an assortment of vitamins and minerals. That’s why your daily intake of them should be a crucial part of your diet.

• Hydration:

You need to prevent your body from dehydration since it can cause a serious damage. You need to aim to consume around 1 gallon (16 cups) of water a day and you can also use other fluids like tea to help you reach that goal.

• Reach in grains:

Whole grains like oats, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa can be a great addition to your diet if you’re looking to get six pack abs. In addition to being high in fiber, which can enhance weight loss, digestion, and blood sugar levels, whole grains are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

A sample diet for building six pack muscle

This diet is programed for 8 weeks and it consists of 4 different phases.

• Phase 1: (first and second weeks)

In this phase we are going to focus on establishing calorie intake to support muscle growth. You should aim for a balanced diet with a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% healthy fats. The best source of protein is lean proteins like chicken, turkey, fish and low-fat dairy. You should also include complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your diet. You can incorporate healthy fats from sources like avocado, nuts and seeds and olive or sesame oil.

Also don’t forget to drink a lot of water to prevent you from dehydration and support muscle recovery.

• Phase 2: (third and fourth weeks):

In this phase you need to increase your protein intake in order to support muscle growth. Include more high-quality sources of protein such as eggs, Greek yogurt and lean beef in your diet. You could also consider adding protein shakes or protein bars to your diet, once or twice a day to boost your protein intake. Maintain your overall calorie intake and don’t forget to stay hydrated. Eliminate or reduce processed foods and added sugars from your diet.

• Phase 3: (fifth and sixth weeks)

Adjust your calorie intake based on your energy levels and progress. Consider increasing protein sizes and adding healthy snacks to your diet in order to meet your energy demands. In this phase you mostly need to listen to your own body and meet your own needs.

• Phase 4: (seventh and eighth weeks)

In this phase you should mainly focus on maintaining your muscle mass while reducing fat gain as much as possible. As a good diet should vary, consider adding new meals to your diet to prevent boredom and ensure adequate nutrient intake. Keep an eye on your total calorie intake to prevent excessive weight gain. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.

The ultimate workout guideline to build six-pack abs

Don’t forget that the plans in this essay are a general guideline and each individual might need a different plan based on their own conditions and needs so in order to reach your goals as soon as possible without damaging your health, you should consult a trainer or specialist however here’s a general plan for you to follow in order to get those defined six pack abs!

A Sample Workout Program For Building Six Pack Muscle

You should complete three circuits of the six exercises below, four times a week for four weeks. Each of your workout sessions should last 45 minutes. On two of your non-workout days, complete 45 minutes of uphill treadmill walking and rest one day a week.

• Overhead squats:
  • Sets: 3-4 sets
  • Reps: 20-30
  • Rest: 30 seconds

• Prone knee to opposite elbow:
  • Sets: 3 to 4 sets
  • Reps: 10 to 15
  • Rest: 30 seconds

• Elbow to knee crunches
  • Sets: 3-4 sets
  • Reps:10-15
  • Rest: 30 seconds

• Press ups:
  • Sets: 3-4 sets
  • Reps: 15
  • Rest: 30 seconds

• Swiss ball hamstring curls:
  • Sets: 3-4 sets
  • Reps: 10- 15
  • Rest: 30 seconds

• Split lunge:
  • Sets: 3-4 sets
  • Reps: 10 – 15
  • Rest: 30 seconds

Final Words: Don’t Believe Everything That You Read

If you’ve searched about principles for building six pack, you’ve probably encountered many ads and commercials that claim they can help you get a ripped six-pack in just a few weeks. But the truth is no reward is given to you for minimal work. Building abs and six packs requires focused, consistent training, coupled with the right diet.

In this article, we discussed the impact of training and healthy diets on building a well-defined six-pack. We hope you found it helpful.

References

1. Complete Guide to Abs Anatomy and Exercises That Work Your Abs and Core
2. 18 Laws Of Ab Training
3. Foods to avoid when trying to define the abs
4. Truths & Myths About Six-Pack Abs: Discover What Works To Avoid Disappointment!