By Do you have what it takes to get those lean abs?
To get an abdominal definition, we must work on our nutritional plan more than anything else.
Leaner and defined abs aren’t made in the gym, although certain exercises will strengthen them a lot more, so they look muscular and shapely.
Nevertheless, it’s always nice to have a bit of definition — or to enhance it at a level that suits your personality.
I love the well-defined six-pack because, to me, it screams our discipline and strength.
Here’s the lowdown of how simple (but not easy) it is to get your abs showing.
One: Crash diets should not exist in your world
I think we’ve all been in a position to follow crash diets hoping they might end the constant struggle for flatter abs.
Unfortunately, anything that requires rapid changes to your diet and lifestyle is a set-up for long-term failure.
When it comes to defined abs, consistency with diet is the key.
In addition, eating the right amount of macros for your activity levels and metabolism also plays a strong role.
For those who exercise, our leverage will be slightly more efficient than sedentary people.
Online calculators can give you a rough estimate of your caloric needs — but this is also something you must experiment with and tweak along the way.
Personal trainers and nutritionists can give you some great tips, but your body steers the six-pack abdominal boat.
Take your time to discover what works, and then keep changing it when things slow down.
It’s worth every minute of your time — once you know what to do, that skill is yours for life!
So don’t allow the chatter of crash diets to sidetrack your action plan. You can’t achieve abs without hard work and lots of experimentation.
Two: Eat — don’t take food out of your diet plan
I think this is where many people fail and don’t understand the quality versus quantity aspect of food.
You can follow an ‘it’s in my caloric range’ theory if you like, but think about this concept logically.
Salmon, for instance, is very high in calories — but rich in nutrients, is thermogenic (helps boost your metabolism) and caters to a human being’s need for satiety.
The more satisfied you are and the more energy you have — the more activity you can do and stay consistent with legit caloric reduction.
Perhaps a Hungry Jacks burger is the same in caloric levels- but on a nutritional scale, it’s very poor, leads to blood sugar crashes, lack of energy and worse — eating an overabundance of calories because your body is crying out for nutrients!
These two compare when considering caloric reduction and nutrition as a long-term strategy.
Don’t compare healthy and unhealthy foods. It doesn’t work.
You will get more leverage from good quality food — which may be high in calories but give your metabolism a boost.
Three: Honesty is always the best policy
Now, I know everyone wants to or likes to cheat occasionally. However, some people justify this by going to the gym.
But, we can’t out-train a bad diet — ever.
We all must exercise self-control and complete honesty about the foods we eat.
Constantly drinking, eating terrible food and then expecting the gym to make up for it is a recipe for constant failure. If you want abs — the work must be done.
That may mean putting a lid on chocolates and ice cream and starting bucks frappucinos from your diet.
But that also doesn’t mean eliminating the things you love.
You MUST have self-control. Abs are made in the kitchen alone, and you must always look for ab-busting food culprits.
As you know, I don’t need to tell you what they are.
This tip is to reassure you that we’re all on the same path, and a level of honesty and self-control is necessary if you want to achieve any goal.
Four: It takes time
Anybody re-shaping a goal takes time.
We may be doing the right things for long periods, but our bodies will eventually catch up.
That might take a few months or years.
Along the way, we might have to tweak a few things, or perhaps we let our diet slide due to holidays or late nights working.
That’s all ok because life is not one perfect straight line. Therefore, we have to consider these too!
Sometimes, you may not wake up with washboard abs because you’re bloated from hormones.
Just accept that it will never be perfect, and that’s ok. But, again, be honest with yourself — take it on the chin and start again.
Key take away
I wish there were some clear-cut way of getting your abs to show — but there isn’t. It’s not my intention to bullshit anyone here.
It’s hard work, but it’s not that bad. You feel great along the journey because you eat the right foods and exercise.
There are no shortcuts, and it takes a lot of work to determine how your body responds to food and exercise.
But, once you accumulate this skill — it’s yours for life. You can take this knowledge and apply it indefinitely.
Isn’t that worth a little bit of ab hacking on your part to find out?
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