Six Pack Abs Are Made In The Kitchen

Those two phrases are probably the biggest truths you’ll ever hear from the mainstream fitness media:

Let’s face it, a six pack is what 99% of gym goers want. Even if you don’t desire a completely ripped mid section, with veins popping out around your hip flexors and obliques, or a serratus anterior so shredded it looks like you could grate cheese on it, a six pack is the gym’s holy grail.

It would make sense that to get your abs to look great, you’d do exactly what you would if you wanted big biceps, muscular legs or a thicker, wider chest.

Going by this theory, your gym time should be devoted to numerous ab exercises. While the most common ab moves everyone knows are sit ups and crunches, there are hundreds, if not thousands of others to choose from.

You have rotational exercises such as Russian twists or cable wood chops, anti-rotation moves like the side plank or Pallof presses on a cable machine or with a resistance band as well as anti-flexion exercises such as rollouts. That’s before you get to your standard flexion moves too – cable crunches, the ab crunch machine, leg raises, or knee raises and so on. When you rack your brains, you can probably think of 50 or 60 different ab moves.

The trouble is, ab training isn’t like training your other muscles.

When you hit your arms, back or lower-body with a hard weights session, your intention is to break down the muscle fibers, so they rebuild bigger and stronger. Over several months and years, the muscles get visibly bigger and your physique improves.

When it comes to ab training though, there are two issues. Firstly, the abs will only grow so much – you’re never going to get to the stage where the muscles bulge out 10 inches over the waist of your pants. Secondly, most people don’t want big abs, they want ab definition, and this is the key to a six pack.

“Okay” you may say, “but when I work my abs hard, I really feel the burn. I know I’m burning calories so I must be burning fat from my abs. Therefore ab training = six pack.”

It doesn’t quite work like that though. You are indeed burning calories by working your abs, but your body decides where you’ll lose the fat from.

The other main issue with abdominal training as a form of exercise for a six pack is that it doesn’t really burn that many calories.

Big, compound moves that work your whole body tend to be best for six pack fat loss, as they burn more calories and give your metabolism a far bigger kick. Think squats, lunges, clean and presses, deadlifts and pullups – these will do far more for your six pack than a few medicine ball twists ever will.

Why You Need To Spend More Time In The Kitchen

Training certainly isn’t useless in your quest for a six pack – you need to burn off excess calories somehow, but crunches, sit ups and direct ab training are very overrated for shedding fat.

Fat loss was mentioned earlier, and this is key.

To burn fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. This forces your body to turn to its fat stores for energy, rather than relying on the food you eat.

To make things simple, let’s look at an example of a moderately active man who wants a six pack.

His maintenance calorie level is 3,000 calories per day. To lose one pound of fat, you need a deficit of around 3,500 calories, or 500 calories per day to lose a pound per week. This means each day he can either burn 500 calories from exercise, or consume 500 calories less than normal.

Our guy would probably like to lose more than a pound of fat per week, and also is unlikely to train every day. Plus, accounting for days when he doesn’t push himself as hard, you’re suddenly looking at some seriously long, grueling gym sessions to kick-start that fat loss.

Yet if he were to take a look at his diet, and create a calorie deficit that way, he’d start seeing progress much, much faster.

You’re probably seen or heard it yourself – your friend or colleague who goes to the gym for two hours every evening, perhaps goes running every night after work, or claims to train their butt off. You might even be guilty of doing it too.

Exercise is a fantastic way to burn calories, but it’s so much simpler and quicker to cut them from your diet too. The other main issue with abdominal training as a form of exercise for a six pack is that it doesn’t really burn that many calories.

Big, compound moves that work your whole body tend to be best for six pack fat loss, as they burn more calories and give your metabolism a far bigger kick. Think squats, lunges, clean and presses, deadlifts and pullups – these will do far more for your six pack than a few medicine ball twists ever will.

Stuck? Here are some simple kitchen rules for your six pack beach body

• Count your calories and aim for 1 to 2 pounds of fat loss each week. If you don’t hit this, reduce them by 100 per day next week.
• Weigh everything. You can’t just guess amounts and quantities of food. This is especially crucial when eating grains, nuts and full-fat dairy products.
• Have protein at every meal, from meat, fish, eggs or dairy.
• Include at least two servings or dark green vegetables at each meal.
• If you’re eating fruit, stick to berries or apples.
• Limit grains (pasta, rice, bread, cereals) to just a small serving at each sitting.
• Keep a food log – if you eat it, write it down.

Nutrient-rich recipes for a toned and healthy physique

1. Grilled Chicken Salad with Quinoa and Avocado

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 4 cups mixed salad greens (e.g., spinach, arugula, kale)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs (like basil or parsley), chopped

Instructions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and a touch of olive oil.
2. Grill the chicken on a preheated grill or stovetop pan until fully cooked. Allow them to rest for a few minutes, then slice them.
3. In a large bowl, combine the salad greens, quinoa, avocados, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs to create a dressing.
5. Toss the salad with the dressing.
6. Plate the salad and top with sliced grilled chicken.

2. Protein-Packed Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of protein powder (whey or plant-based like pea protein)
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or any other milk of choice)
• 1/2 a banana
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp natural almond or peanut butter
• A handful of spinach or kale
• A pinch of cinnamon
• Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a blender, combine all the ingredients.
2. Blend until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, you can add a little water or more milk to adjust.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately!

These recipes should be a part of a balanced diet and combined with regular cardiovascular and strength training exercises, especially focusing on the core muscles.