It’s that time of the year again. Summer is fast approaching and that dream of spending your weekends relaxing by the pool or beach is quickly becoming a reality.
There’s just one problem. Do you want to be the star of Baywatch or Whalewatch?
In all seriousness though, most of us aspire to have that perfect beach body. Whether it is because we want to impress the summer hotties, realise we’ve really let ourselves go over winter, or just want to look good and feel good.
Regardless of the motive, rock-hard abs and a tight mid-section are the ultimate symbol of being fit and lean.
So we’re sharing with you below some valuable tips on how you can fast-track your chiseled six-pack.
If you’d like to know a little more about how rock-hard abs become such a idealised goal, see here.
Focus on your diet
1) Spread your meals out throughout the day and eat more frequently to increase your metabolic rate. This will help you burn more calories every day and also put less stress on your digestive system.
2.) Consume more protein to boost your metabolic rate as protein has a greater thermogenic (calorie-burning effect) than fats and carbohydrates. Some good sources of protein include fish, chicken, beef, eggs, soy, and yoghurt.
3.) Eat more vegetables throughout the day as they will satisfy your hunger and stop you from binging on junk food. They are also jam-packed full of important vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
4.) Try adding essential omega-3 fatty acids into your diet. These fats actually help your body burn through fats more easily and enhance weight loss. Omega-3s can be efficiently sourced from cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines.
5.) Start drinking more water as cold water has actually been proven to increase metabolism and as a result burn more calories. A more hydrated body is a more active body.
Work hard on your fitness
1.) Instead of selectively targeting your rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles), work on your entire core body. This will help you burn fat faster and trim down even more, whilst having far better health benefits. Remember that rock-hard abs are part of a fit overall body.
2.) Don’t rush through exercise to get it over and done with. It’s very easy to lose proper form when you speed things up, especially when you’re getting fatigued.
Don’t let momentum carry you along or your other parts of your body do the hard work.
Measured, controlled movements make all the difference. If you can’t continue exercising in proper form, the best thing to do is have a short break and try again with another set of reps.
3.) Make sure you don’t get carried away and overdo it. It’s perfectly natural to push yourself to the limit if you are really determined but when it comes to exercise, too much too soon can be detrimental to your health.
You need to give your muscles ample time to recover between workouts and you should build your muscles up over time. Rome wasn’t built in a day – so how can you build your gladiator abs in a day? Be sure to cut back if you’re increasing reps or sets but not seeing any improvement.
4.) In order to fast-track your quest for abs you must not neglect the rest of your body. You have to understand that any full-body or compound movement calls upon your abs for assistance.
Full-body exercises are far more effective at burning calories than localised exercises and will work to increase your metabolism.
5.) The secret to getting amazing abs is to lose body fat. No matter how much you strengthen your abdominal muscles, if you don’t stick to a proper diet then you’re basically setting yourself up for failure.
Remember not to cheat yourself by wondering off your diet regime. It’s more about self-discipline than anything and calorie intake should be closely monitored.
If you combine an effective full-body workout with a proper diet, you can get those awesome abs you’ve always wanted. Focus on progress rather than perfection.
It ain’t going to be easy (and Rome wasn’t built in a day just as rock-hard abs aren’t formed overnight), but you’ve got this.
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