written by Christopher-Poirier
As I’m about to start a 30-Day Ab Challenge with my friend Mohammed Tejan (@muscleboundmo), here are 10 tips that are guaranteed to help you get the six pack abs you’ve always wanted. Join us for the month of July for the challenge and let’s get ripped!
The 10 Commandments for Six Pack Abs:
1. Eat for the future, not the moment
– It’s easy to give in to temptations, but everything is a habit. If you teach yourself to eat healthy, it will become a habit, and easier to maintain.
2. Be Different
– Don’t always do the same ab exercises. To consistently get a good burn in your core, switch up the exercises, intensity, speed, and duration of the time you’re working it.
3. Use your Body
– Ab machines sound fun and can be effective, but start/focus with body weight ab exercises first. If these become easier after some time, add a weight for resistance and to increase core strength.
4. Cardio is your friend
– It may not be our favorite, but our abs can’t be shown to the world if they can’t be seen. Maintaining cardio sessions weekly will help burn fat and keep a slimmer, less box-like frame.
5. Eyes on the Prize
– Keep an image of a picture that motivates you close. We all have a different body, but visualizing your ideal body is half the battle to making it a reality.\
6. Don’t Compare
– Your body is unique, it won’t look exactly like another persons. It’s good to have a role model type of body to aspire to have, but be careful not to compare yourself and downplay your own progress. Love yourself and the body you have.
7. Stay Consistent
– One week of workouts and eating clean is great as a foundation to build on but it takes time. Doing some sit-ups and planks a few times won’t give you a six pack either. The best relationships take time to build, same thing for abs.
8. Feel the Burn
– The old saying “No Pain, No Gain” applies here. Quality over quantity.
9. Rest Easy
– Just like every other muscle, your core can’t be over-worked. 3-4 times a week is sufficient enough to work your abs. Enjoy each day off.
10. Train Everything
– The burning feeling in our abs from core exercises is great, but to maximize the fat burning potential, it’s important to also work the entire body, especially using exercises that require the core for stabilizing (ex: squats, deadlifts, lower back).