Summer is coming again! And that is why we often get the question: How do you get a six pack? Training a six pack, aka, cube belly or washboard requires a lot of discipline, motivation and time. But of course nothing is impossible!
When does your six pack become visible?
Your six pack will become visible if you are on a low body fat percentage. To get there, the following three things are important: nutrition, training and rest. In men, the six-pack becomes visible at a fat percentage of 10% and in women it is 18%. Your physique has a big influence on how your abs look. So don’t be surprised if you suddenly see an 8-pack! It can also happen that you see a four-pack instead of a six-pack. Fortunately, no person is the same and that also applies to abs!
We often get the question: How fast can you train a six pack? This depends on the level you start at. If you as a man start with a fat percentage of 22%, it will take a while before you have reached 10%. Is your starting point around 15%? Then you will be able to train a six pack relatively quickly. Of course you have to have the right motivation! In any case, make sure that your nutrition, training and rest are on point!
Nutrition
Getting a six pack starts with the right diet. This means that you should avoid unnecessary and non-nutritive calories as much as possible, such as soda, cookies, chips and candy. Instead, eat as many homemade meals as possible with plenty of vegetables and protein. In addition, you should get a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals to stay fit. If you want to lower your fat percentage, you will have to eat less than you consume. But certainly not too little, because then you will cause muscle breakdown! If you want to get a six pack and thus maintain as much muscle mass as possible, it is best to eat 200 to a maximum of 500 calories below your calorie requirement.
A 28-year-old man, 180 centimeters tall and 80 kilos in weight, who sports about 3 to 5 times a week, needs about 2900 calories not to gain weight and not to lose weight. When you sit slightly below this, your weight will decrease in a healthy way.
Calculate this for your age, height and weight easily using a calorie calculator online!
Training
Of course you will not get a six pack from a 30 day six pack challenge. You can also not burn any local fat, but if you want visible abs you will have to lose weight completely. You can, however, add abs exercises to your training schedule to get stronger abs! In addition, preferably plan a strength training 3 to 4 times a week where you focus on preserving your muscle mass. As you know by now, your fat percentage will drop when you lose weight. To burn calories extra fast, you can add a cardio session to your training schedule 2 to 3 times a week.
Rest
If you want to get a six pack, you should definitely not underestimate ‘rest’! The body needs time to recover. This applies to training days as well as normal days. Your abs can recover when you get enough rest. This creates new muscle tissue. Try to get 8 hours of sleep every night to give your body the rest it deserves!
Six pack exercises
Abs do not have to be trained every day. In addition, they have only a limited growth capacity. If you are going to train your abs, make sure you target all four abdominal muscle groups: transverse abs, inner oblique abdominal, outer oblique and rectus. When you get started with your ‘normal’ training schedule, you will engage your abs in many exercises. This also trains your abs when you perform a squat or deadlift. If you train your abs once or twice a week, this is enough. Training abs improves your posture, balance and stability. In addition, it reduces back pain and increases flexibility. We have listed a number of six-pack exercises (abs exercises) for you below:
Six pack training 1:
Repeat this round 2 to 3 times!
- 50 sit ups
- 40 Mountain climbers
- 30 Bicycle Crunches
- 20 leg raisers
- 10 V ups
Six pack training 2 (on time):
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. Repeat the round 2 to 3 times.
- Single leg raises
- penguin tabs
- toe touchers
- flutter kicks
- crunches
- V sit hold
- Oblique abs crunch Left
- Oblique Abdominal Crunch Right
- Russian twists
- Shelf
Conclusion: How do I get a six pack?
Most already have a six pack, only then hidden under a layer of fat. In order to create a visible six pack, you will have to decrease in fat percentage. You do this with the right nutrition, training and rest. Eat slightly fewer calories than your calorie requirement, challenge your muscles with strength training and do cardio to burn extra calories and train your fitness. In addition, do not overestimate the added value of rest! Resting your muscles will eventually allow them to grow.
Set realistic goals! If you have a high fat percentage, it will take longer to achieve a six pack than people with a lower fat percentage.
