7 ways to a chiselled 6-pack
Incorporate these science-backed commandments every single day, and you’ll ultimately carve out your washboard middle
PHOTO: AFP
If your abs aren’t visible to the naked eye, don’t assume it’s because you’re missing out on a charmed abdominal exercise or a top-secret supplement. Let’s face it — losing belly flubber is a boring process — it necessitates time, effort and most essentially, commitment. As compiled from Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness magazines, incorporate these science-backed, 6-pack commandments every single day, and you’ll ultimately carve out your washboard middle.
Wake up to water
Imagine not hydrating all day at work — no chai, no water, no juice. At the end of an eight-hour shift, you’d be pretty dehydrated — which is exactly why you should start guzzling down water immediately after a full night’s sleep. If you want your abs popping, drink at least 16 ounces of chilled water as soon as you rise in the morning. German scientists recently found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24% for 90 minutes afterward. That’s not it — a previous study determined that muscle cells grow faster when they’re well hydrated. A general rule of thumb if you want those tummy tires burned: Gulp down at least a gallon of water over the course of a day.
7 ways to tell if your workout is on-point
Have a carbohydrate strategy
We’ve all battled with the recommendation that carbs are the enemy. Well, not really. Completely cutting your carbohydrate intake will undoubtedly help with dropping the pounds (and fast) but you’ll also be left feeling cranky, desperate for food and lethargic. “Carbs are essential for life as our brain and central nervous system requires them continuously to work properly. Restricting carbs completely will allow for any muscle mass to be metabolised to provide us with energy,” says Tim McComsey, a personal trainer, registered dietician and founder of TRymFitness. It all comes down to consuming them suitably, not slashing them completely. Think daal, oatmeal and brown rice. “To get lean, a balance of the right amount of carbs first thing in the morning and after workout is ideal,” he says.
Exercise right
Everyone has abs but if you can’t see them, it’s because they’re concealed under a deposit of flab. That signifies you don’t need to do infinite crunches to whittle out a six-pack. Instead, you should spend most of your gym time burning off that coating of fat. The most effective strategy is a one-two approach of weight-lifting and high-intensity interval training. According to a recent University of Southern Maine study, half an hour of pumping iron burns as many calories as running at a six-minute-per-mile pace for the same duration. According to research — unlike aerobics exercise, lifting has been shown to boost metabolism for as long as 39 hours after the last repetition. Similar findings have been noted for intervals, which are short, all-out sprints intermixed with periods of rest. For best results, do a total-body weight-training workout three days a week, resting at least a day between sessions. Then do an interval-training session on the days in between.
C the packs
People who consume 500mg of vitamin C daily — in the form of supplements or C-rich foods, burn 39% more fat during their exercise session, as compared to those who have less than 100mg, according to a study from Arizona State University. “Low levels of vitamin C may impede your body’s ability to use fat as energy,” says study author Professor Carol Johnston. Peppers and oranges are your best bet.
Pile it on
Your abs are some of your strongest muscles — they can take more than just your bodyweight. “Hold a 10kg disc or dumb-bell above your head when doing variations on crunches, or attach leg weights to your ankles during leg raises,” says Phil Learney, strength trainer at The Third Space (thethirdspace.com). “You need to load your core for the muscle fibres to grow for real definition.”
Brush up
Okay, this is no joke — along with as dazzling a smile as Bradley Cooper’s, brushing your teeth the right way will give you an A-list midriff. “Standing on one leg when you’re brushing works deep core muscles,” says Dr Tim Hutchful, of the British Chiropractic Association. “It’s a perfect short workout, creating a degree of instability that works smaller muscles essential for core strength.” It’s a small change in routine but chiropractors suggest it can really work those small core muscles that ab crunches don’t target.
Swap fruit for veggies
Fruit is terrific — it’s jam-packed with nutrients and antioxidants to help protect the body but the shortcoming is that they’re also full of sugars and carbs. The easy solution — choose fresh vegetables instead of fruit. This strategy allows you to keep the nutrients and antioxidants, but your sugar, carb and total calorie intake will be drastically reduced. For instance, one apple has 125 calories and 25 grammes of carbs and by contrast, one large red pepper has 40 calories and five grammes of carbs. You do the math. That doesn’t mean banish fruits altogether but keep servings to a minimum until your midriff shapes up.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2015.
Wake up to water
Imagine not hydrating all day at work — no chai, no water, no juice. At the end of an eight-hour shift, you’d be pretty dehydrated — which is exactly why you should start guzzling down water immediately after a full night’s sleep. If you want your abs popping, drink at least 16 ounces of chilled water as soon as you rise in the morning. German scientists recently found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24% for 90 minutes afterward. That’s not it — a previous study determined that muscle cells grow faster when they’re well hydrated. A general rule of thumb if you want those tummy tires burned: Gulp down at least a gallon of water over the course of a day.
7 ways to tell if your workout is on-point
Have a carbohydrate strategy
We’ve all battled with the recommendation that carbs are the enemy. Well, not really. Completely cutting your carbohydrate intake will undoubtedly help with dropping the pounds (and fast) but you’ll also be left feeling cranky, desperate for food and lethargic. “Carbs are essential for life as our brain and central nervous system requires them continuously to work properly. Restricting carbs completely will allow for any muscle mass to be metabolised to provide us with energy,” says Tim McComsey, a personal trainer, registered dietician and founder of TRymFitness. It all comes down to consuming them suitably, not slashing them completely. Think daal, oatmeal and brown rice. “To get lean, a balance of the right amount of carbs first thing in the morning and after workout is ideal,” he says.
Exercise right
Everyone has abs but if you can’t see them, it’s because they’re concealed under a deposit of flab. That signifies you don’t need to do infinite crunches to whittle out a six-pack. Instead, you should spend most of your gym time burning off that coating of fat. The most effective strategy is a one-two approach of weight-lifting and high-intensity interval training. According to a recent University of Southern Maine study, half an hour of pumping iron burns as many calories as running at a six-minute-per-mile pace for the same duration. According to research — unlike aerobics exercise, lifting has been shown to boost metabolism for as long as 39 hours after the last repetition. Similar findings have been noted for intervals, which are short, all-out sprints intermixed with periods of rest. For best results, do a total-body weight-training workout three days a week, resting at least a day between sessions. Then do an interval-training session on the days in between.
C the packs
People who consume 500mg of vitamin C daily — in the form of supplements or C-rich foods, burn 39% more fat during their exercise session, as compared to those who have less than 100mg, according to a study from Arizona State University. “Low levels of vitamin C may impede your body’s ability to use fat as energy,” says study author Professor Carol Johnston. Peppers and oranges are your best bet.
Pile it on
Your abs are some of your strongest muscles — they can take more than just your bodyweight. “Hold a 10kg disc or dumb-bell above your head when doing variations on crunches, or attach leg weights to your ankles during leg raises,” says Phil Learney, strength trainer at The Third Space (thethirdspace.com). “You need to load your core for the muscle fibres to grow for real definition.”
Brush up
Okay, this is no joke — along with as dazzling a smile as Bradley Cooper’s, brushing your teeth the right way will give you an A-list midriff. “Standing on one leg when you’re brushing works deep core muscles,” says Dr Tim Hutchful, of the British Chiropractic Association. “It’s a perfect short workout, creating a degree of instability that works smaller muscles essential for core strength.” It’s a small change in routine but chiropractors suggest it can really work those small core muscles that ab crunches don’t target.
Swap fruit for veggies
Fruit is terrific — it’s jam-packed with nutrients and antioxidants to help protect the body but the shortcoming is that they’re also full of sugars and carbs. The easy solution — choose fresh vegetables instead of fruit. This strategy allows you to keep the nutrients and antioxidants, but your sugar, carb and total calorie intake will be drastically reduced. For instance, one apple has 125 calories and 25 grammes of carbs and by contrast, one large red pepper has 40 calories and five grammes of carbs. You do the math. That doesn’t mean banish fruits altogether but keep servings to a minimum until your midriff shapes up.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2015.