4 Things That Always
Come Before 6-Pack
Abs
By David Grisaffi,
Author, Firm And Flatten Your
Abs
Sometimes all it takes to get
caught up in the hype of the latest ab machine or miracle pill
is a simple photograph of a stunning set of 6-pack abs. Just
about everyone wants six pack abs, or at least a trim
waistline, if not a muscular one, so all the glory these days
has gone to exercising the abdominal muscles. But this has
caused some serious problems, and falling for the latest
gimmick is not the least of them.
When you become so focused on abs and abdominal
exercises, you tend to completely forget that there?s much
more to seeing your abs than doing crunches and other
exercises for the rectus abdominis. By focusing only on the
6-pack muscles, not only do you fail to learn about the
complexity and importance of the entire core region and the
deeper muscles that aren?t so ?glamorous,? you also tend to
completely forget the other things that absolutely must come
before 6-pack abs ever arrive.
If you fail to do these other 4 things first, it
doesn?t matter how much abdominal exercise you do, you will
never see a six pack.
To See A set of Six Pack Abs, First, Your
Body Fat Must Be Low enough
The biggest reason most people can?t see their
abs is because most of the population is overweight or even
obese today. For your abdominals to show through, you need a
low enough body fat percentage.
For men to see a clearly defined set of six pack
abs, it usually requires getting down to about 10% body fat or
less, and for the women, it?s usually about 16% body fat or
less. It?s not possible to tell you exactly what body fat you
will have to reach to see your abs because it also depends on
your individual genetics. For example, one man can see a six
pack at 11% body fat, while other men say they don?t see their
abs until they?re 7% or 8% body fat.
Reduction of body fat is the first and most
important thing that must come before a 6-pack. And that leads
you to the question, ?what is the best way to reduce body
fat??
The first priority in reducing body fat is
nutrition, because the easiest way to create a caloric deficit
is with a reduction in food intake, but few people think about
the quality of the food they?re eating, only the quantity.
Proper hydration is also critical, but often forgotten.
Exercise is the final key, but ab and core exercises alone
just won?t do it. It takes a certain combination of exercise
for optimal results.
The Other 3 Things That Come Before A
6-Pack
1. Eat Organic I preach organic so often
that to my regular readers, I probably sound like a broken
record. However, it?s not without reason: if you want your
liver to process body fat efficiently, then you?d better have
this important organ working efficiently and kept in good
health. Refined foods and alcohol harm the liver and give it
no chance to process body fat the way it was designed to do
because it?s too busy dealing with all the toxins you?ve
consumed. So eat as organic as your budget will allow. If you
can?t afford organic, be sure to wash all of your food items
(produce) with a natural food cleaner. Eating organic, fibrous
foods will also increase improve the functioning of your
digestive system and create for regular movements. You should
have a bowel movement 2-3 times per day. If not, you are
putting a lot of unnecessary stress on your digestive system.
If this happens, then losing fat and keeping it off becomes
much more difficult.
2. Drink and Be Hydrated! I urge every
one of my clients and readers to drink more water. Many people
understand the importance of avoiding dehydration, but they
don?t realize how important water is in helping remove fat
from the body. Most of us are dehydrated and do not even know
it. Here?s a simple hydration test ? pinch the skin on the
back of your hand. Pull is up as high as it can go, then let
it go. Does it go back to normal immediately? If not, then
you?re dehydrated. The rule of thumb is to drink a minimum of
a half an ounce of water for every pound of body weight. So if
you weigh 200 lbs, you drink at least 100 ounces (Also, if
possible, avoid tap water or plastic bottled water as plastic
contributes to estrogen and that encourages stubborn fat)
3. Exercise right! If you give body fat a
reason to ?hang around? (pun intended), then it will. Give
body fat a reason to leave and it will do that just as easily.
Some kind of activity every single day is just what the doctor
ordered for fat loss. Rather than focusing on one type of
exercise like bodybuilding or aerobics or yoga or pilates, or
just strength or flexibility, I recommend a combination of
cardio training, strength training and specific core
conditioning exercises. While I recommend exercise such as
walking very highly, I also recommend at least some vigorous
and intense exercise such as interval training as well. It?s
this combination of strength and cardio training, plus an
active lifestyle in general, that will help you reduce your
body fat enough for your abs will show.
Before you jump the gun and go ballistic with
?abdominal exercises,? remember, that there is more to seeing
your abs than just crunches. Seeing ?6 pack abs? is first a
function of low body fat. Achieving low body fat is in turn a
function of what you eat, what you drink and how you move.
That makes 4 things that come before a 6-pack. You can ?ab
roller? and ?crunch? until the cows come home, but if you
haven?t done these four things first, then you?re approaching
it backwards and will be disappointed in the end.
Coach David Grisaffi,
Tacoma
Washington
http://www.flattenyourabs.net/
About the Author:
David Grisaffi majored in physical
education and holds multiple certifications including 3 from
the prestigious CHEK Institute: Level II high Performance
Exercise Kinesiologist, Golf Biomechanic, and health and
lifestyle counselor. He's also certified by the ISSA as a
personal trainer and specialist in performance nutrition.
David has been a high school wrestling and baseball coach and
is currently an independent trainer and strength coach. He has
been sought after by some of the top athletes in professional
sports including world champion boxer Greg Haugen and
professional golfer Michael Putnam. David?s ebook, Firm And Flatten Your
Abs is an online best seller which teaches you how
develop ?six pack abs" while improving strength, function and
athletic power at the same time. Find out more on the home
page at: http://www.flattenyourabs.net/