If you are working to get six pack abs then there are a few
things that will be absolutely vital to your success.
First, you need to understand the difference between
getting six pack abs and simply losing body fat. Getting
six pack abs is a all about having extremely low levels of
body fat. For men this is around 8% and for women around
15%. Training and eating to get body fat levels this low is
much different than someone who just starts a diet and
wants to lose 20-30lbs.
If you are just trying to lose a lot of weight, then making
small changes to your diet will help you make a lot of
progress very fast. For example, if you were to only drink
water, unsweetened iced tea, and green tea, then you will
not be consuming any calories from beverages. For someone
who just wants to lose weight, a small modification such as
this can make a big difference.
For someone who wants to get six pack abs, the process is
much more detailed. Here are two mistakes that most people
make when they try to develop six pack abs.
Six Pack Abs Mistake #1: They try to do too many crunches
and ab exercises.
While crunches and other ab exercises will help to build a
stronger core, they will not help you get down to a low
level of body fat. Trying to use endless reps of ab
exercises simply does not build enough muscle or work your
body hard enough to burn significant calories.
Also, the myth of "spot" reduction is where people get
caught up. The concept of spot reduction basically states
that if you want to lose fat in a certain part of the body
you should work the muscle underneath it. Our bodies do not
store fat in one specific place, therefore you cannot lose
fat in one specific place either.
I guarantee you will never see someone who has six pack abs
in the front and is flabby around the rest of their
midsection. If spot reduction actually worked this is what
would happen. In the real world however, you need to
concentrate on losing fat all over your body in order to
develop a toned and sexy six pack.
Six Pack Abs Mistake #2: Trying to use infomercial ab
gimmicks
When you see an advertisement for an "miracle" piece of ab
equipment, the people who are using them usually have great
bodies, low body fat, and a great six pack. However I can
guarantee you one thing, and that is they did not get that
way to using one single piece of abdominal exercise
equipment.
Like we just talked about with why lots of crunches do not
help you get six pack abs, the same holds true for any ab
crunch machine or anything else you see on an advertisement.
This all goes back to the false concept that working the
abs with lots of exercises will directly lead to a six
pack. All the people who have the best abs got them by
exercising their whole body and by adhering to a very
strict diet. Not by using some ab crunch gimmick for "two
easy payments of $29.95." Six Pack Abs Mistake #3: Eating
too many calories.
Sounds overly simplistic doesn't it?
This is one of the core concepts that is absolutely crucial
to understanding how to lose body fat and getting six pack
abs. So many people try to eat healthy and still have
trouble losing weight. Sometimes they think they have
something physiologically wrong with them and their bodies
simply cannot lose weight.
Before you fall into this trap and start seeking "miracle"
quick fixes, you need to know that not being able to lose
body fat is simply a matter of taking in too many calories.
If you try keeping a food log for a week and counting all
the calories that you take in you will be surprised by how
much it actually is.
Even if you eat 400 extra calories a day from little snacks
here and there (which is not difficult at all), you will be
taking in an extra 2,800 calories per week. For some
people, taking in an extra 500-1000 calories per day can
easily come from foods that are extremely calorie dense but
do not help you feel full. Such foods include bagels,
donuts, muffins, potato chips, soda, any kind of fast food,
and more.
So before you think that getting six pack abs or simply
losing body fat is impossible for you, try taking a few
days to really track what you are eating. You will be
surprised that losing weight can really be as simple as
cutting out small calories dense foods from your diet.
A wise man once said that having sexy six pack abs feels
better than the best tasting food in the world. Remember
this concept and start taking action today. Good luck!
----------------------------------------------------
Are you not getting the results you want with diet and
exercise? If so, there is good news for you. My name it Tom
Gifford, Certified Personal Trainer, and I would like to
extend to you a personal invitation to stop by my website
at http://www.TheGreatCardioMyth.com and check out the
first two chapters of my brand new book! You will get lots
of great tips you can start implementing immediately.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
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