Seeing photos of fitness trainers or artists showing off six pack abs on social media or advertisements makes many people jealous, especially young women whose stomachs are fat so they look less attractive. If you want to have a six pack stomach, start exercising regularly and stick to a diet consistently according to the instructions in this article. Even if it doesn't work, core muscle training has many benefits, such as improving posture and preventing injury.
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Part 1 of 4: Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1. Apart from dieting and exercising, is there any other way to have a six pack stomach?
There is! Get enough sleep at night and maintain mental health. Stress and lack of sleep cause the body to produce the hormone cortisol, which increases blood sugar levels and interferes with the digestive process. This condition triggers flatulence so that the formation of abdominal muscles is inhibited
Step 2. Why do I keep gaining weight, even though I've been eating right?
Don't just rely on the numbers on the scales. First, you will gain weight as your muscles grow, because muscle is heavier than fat if you have the same volume. Second, body weight fluctuates every day due to various factors, such as the volume of fluid intake, weighing the body in the morning or evening, and hormonal conditions in the body
Step 3. Can I drink alcohol while training to have six pack abs?
Don't drink alcohol. In addition to being high in calories, alcohol is not nutritious and hinders the achievement of the desired results. You'll regret it if you have a tendency to overeat when you can't think straight. Drink water to keep the body hydrated. Based on research, the body's metabolism increases by more than 20% for 10-40 minutes just by drinking liter of water
Step 4. Are abdominal muscle building exercises safe for young women?
Yes, as long as you still meet your nutritional needs and exercise in a balanced way. See your doctor for ways to prevent injury or follow a safe diet. Remember that a six pack can be formed if the body fat percentage is very low. However, body fat that is too low has a negative impact on the menstrual cycle, fertility, heart condition, and immunity
Step 5. How long do I need to train to have six pack abs?
The duration of training varies greatly depending on many factors, such as body shape, stress level, sleep pattern, fitness level, and diet. In addition, the genetic aspect is one of the determinants of whether someone can run this program. Typically, training takes 20-26 months, but it can be shorter or longer
Step 6. Can the abdominal muscles be formed more than 6 squares?
Some people have an eight-pack stomach because of the genetically engineered connective tissue. It's the same with people whose stomach muscles are only 4 squares, even though they've been training consistently. This condition cannot be changed by exercising
Step 7. Training the abdominal muscles to form a six pack is very challenging
Why?
In addition to dieting and exercising, you have to take care of your health and struggle with genetics. In general, the average female body fat percentage is 25-31%, whereas a six pack stomach is only seen when the body fat percentage drops to 15-20%. This target is very difficult to achieve if there is fat accumulation, for example in the hips, stomach, or buttocks. Some women may not achieve that body fat percentage, unless they are underweight
Part 2 of 4: Going on a Diet
Step 1. Know that the desire to have six pack abs is impossible if you only exercise
Six pack abs can be seen when the layer of fat under the skin of the abdomen is very thin so that the muscle forms are exposed. Very strong core muscles are often hidden because they are wrapped in fat. To achieve a low body fat percentage for a visible six pack, make sure you're meeting your energy needs from food, rather than just burning calories during exercise.
Step 2. Reduce calorie consumption
Fat tissue is formed when the body stores excess energy that has not been used. On the other hand, fat is reduced and weight is reduced if the body is in a calorie deficit and thus uses internal energy sources (i.e. body fat).
You can lose kg of body weight per week by reducing your consumption of 500 calories per day so that you have a deficit of 3,500 calories per week
Step 3. Make sure the amount of daily calorie intake is able to lose weight according to the basal metabolic rate (BMR)
Calculate the number of calories burned at rest according to your daily activity level using the Mifflin-St. Jeor (for women) = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age in years) - 161.
- Then, multiply your BMR by your activity level to calculate your daily calorie burn. The result of this multiplication is the amount of calorie intake that does not cause weight gain or loss.
- Less moving = BMR x 1.2
- Light intensity exercise 1-3 days a week = BMR x 1,375
- Moderate-intensity exercise 3-5 days a week = BMR x 1.55
- High-intensity exercise 6-7 days a week = BMR x 1,725
- Exercising 2 times a day = BMR x 1.9
Step 4. Eat complex carbohydrates instead of refined carbohydrates
Although it is considered bad for the body, make sure you eat carbohydrates to stay energized during exercise, not bloated, and the digestive process is smooth. However, avoid refined carbohydrates because they increase blood sugar levels so you eat more than you should.
- Avoid: bread made from wheat flour, white rice, pasta, and cake
- Consume: oats, brown rice, barley, whole grains
Step 5. Adopt a healthy diet by eating a balanced nutritious diet
You don't have to refuse delicious food while struggling to have a six pack stomach. There are so many foodstuffs that can be eaten so that you feel relieved because you don't want to eat sweets. Vegetables, nuts, fruits, fat-free protein and healthy fats keep the body healthy and fit.
- Healthy fat: olive oil, fish oil, avocado, cheese, nuts, and sugar-free chocolate
- Fat free protein: grilled chicken, grilled chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds
- High-fiber foods: lentils, green beans, broccoli, pears, quinoa, black beans
Step 6. Don't eat processed foods
To survive, the body will recover when the fat percentage is below normal by storing energy to maintain the body's immunity and forming fat tissue if food consumption exceeds daily needs. Consumption of sugary or high-calorie foods accelerates the process of body fat formation.
- Avoid: soda, candy, biscuit, cake, pie, ice cream, chips
- Consume: carrots and hummus, orange juice, greek yogurt and berries
Step 7. Take time to eat a carbohydrate source before exercising and a protein source after exercising
Carbohydrates are a source of energy so you can exercise optimally without running out of energy. After exercising, protein intake is useful for restoring muscle tissue that was damaged during exercise.
- Consumption of high-protein foods is useful for launching metabolism and maintaining muscle tissue when weight loss is due to reduced fat. So, don't put off eating until you're starving.
- Foods high in protein and high in fiber make you less hungry so that it is beneficial to reduce fat in the long run.
Step 8. Be patient when changing your diet
Usually, women manage to have a six pack stomach in 2 years by reducing body fat little by little to maintain health. So don't feel guilty if you indulge in an occasional cake or ice cream to indulge yourself. Remember that the most important thing is to keep your body healthy and strong while enjoying what you love!!
The surefire tip to form a new diet is to apply the 80/20 rule. Fill 4/5 of the plate with plant and animal sources of food. You can eat other food ingredients 1/5 plate
Part 3 of 4: Regular Exercise
Step 1. Perform physical exercise carefully
Many people ignore this, especially if the results of the exercise are not visible in a short time. Don't give up if you've been exercising regularly, but don't seem to be making any progress! It's the same when you try to achieve other targets, you have to practice consistently in order to have a six pack stomach.
- Women who have six pack abs look attractive because this cannot be achieved with shortcuts.
- Make a systematic plan, instead of practicing at will, but want to get satisfactory results.
Step 2. Make sure you work all muscle groups, not just your abs
Maybe you want to do as many crunches as you can until your stomach feels hot to reassure yourself that you're progressing! However, you have to train your body thoroughly by eliminating fat and building muscle in order to have a six pack stomach.
- If only the abdominal area is trained, the muscles are out of balance so they can easily get injured.
- The combination of cardio training and weightlifting is useful in accelerating the heart rate while building muscle. This exercise increases calorie burn if done consistently.https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a22026385/how-to-get-six-pack-abs/
Step 3. Get used to practicing with the concept of sets and repetitions
Each set consists of several of the same movements (eg sit ups and each movement is called a rep.
- For example, doing 2 sets of crunches, 30 reps per set means doing 30 crunches, resting for a while, then doing another 30 crunches.
- Do 3-5 sets of movements for each exercise. Work on achieving the targeted number of reps of the movement, but don't push yourself so that you practice the wrong technique.
- To build muscle, perform 12-20 repetitions of the movement using light weights and then rest for 30-60 seconds.
- To build muscle, do 6-12 reps using heavy weights and then rest for 60-90 seconds.
- To strengthen a muscle without improving its shape, do 1-5 reps of the movement.
Part 4 of 4: Developing an Exercise Program
Step 1. Know that six pack abs are influenced by diet, but must be formed by training in the gym
For that, you have to lose fat all over the body because physiologically, it is impossible to lose fat only in certain body parts! You can have six pack abs if you exercise consistently with the right technique to get rid of the fat that coats the muscles. Run a physical exercise program that consists of a series of activities to keep you motivated to exercise and achieve your goals.
Step 2. Do intense cardio to increase fat burning
When you breathe shallowly and your heart beats faster, more fat is lost. All rhythmic movements that activate major muscle groups and increase heart rate include cardio. Remember that you have to lose weight by training all muscle groups in order to have six pack abs. Desire is impossible to come true if you only train one muscle group.
- Do cardio by running, cycling, rowing, swimming, kickboxing, and dancing a lot of jumping.
- Time to do cardio 150-300 minutes a week.
- Set aside time for cardio workouts 3-4 times a week for 40-50 minutes at a time.
Step 3. Get into the habit of practicing HIIT to speed up your metabolism
HIIT, which stands for high intensity interval training, is a high-intensity exercise that is performed for a short period of time and then takes a short break. When you practice HIIT, you use up a lot of calories to do breath-taking movements that burn fat. In addition to losing body fat, HIIT is useful for increasing calorie burning after exercise even though you are asleep.
- Do HIIT 3-4 times a week for 10-30 minutes each time you train.
- One easy way to practice HIIT is to alternate between sprints and walks for 20-30 seconds.
- Choose one of the following exercises: mountain climbers, burpees, or jumping jacks. Practice for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then do it again for 30 seconds. Do this exercise 3 times.
Step 4. Practice while holding weights to build muscle
Weight training is useful for strengthening bones and connective tissue, reducing the risk of injury, launching metabolism, and improving coordination and body balance. This plays an important role during the process of forming a six pack. When training to lift weights, perform each movement with the correct technique and posture to prevent injury. Don't train the same muscle group 2 days in a row. Also, stretch your muscles before and after training.
- All physical exercises can strengthen the core muscles if done while pulling the navel toward the spine.
- The combination of deadlift, squat, and clean exercises is useful for increasing core muscle stability and improving posture.
- Use a barbell when practicing squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, bench presses, and bent over rows.
Step 5. Work specific muscles using weights
Sometimes, compound exercises are boring or there are no barbells available at the gym. Maybe you want to work your legs today and your back tomorrow. The following exercises are very effective at training certain muscle groups.
- Chest: chest press, chest flies, [Doing Push Up| push ups, bench press
- Back: rows, lat pulldown, reverse flies, back extension
- Shoulder: sitting overhead press, shoulder shrug, lateral raise, front raise, upright rows
- Biceps: bicep curl, hammer curl, concentration curl, resistance band curl
- Triceps: tricep extension while lying or sitting, tricep dip, close-grip push up
Step 6. Try to train the abdominal muscles thoroughly to perfect the shape of the six pack
It's a relief to have a six pack stomach just by training your upper or lower abs, but this method is useless. The box-shaped muscle called the six pack is only a small part of the abdominal wall. You should work other abdominal muscles, such as the oblique and transversus abdominis muscles.
- Every time you practice, make it a habit to do sit ups, crunches, leg raises off incline bench, mountain climber, flutter kick, Russian twist, V-Up, heel touch, plank, bicycle crunch, and leg raise while hanging on.
- Choose 4 moves then do each move for 30-60 seconds and rest for 10 seconds before doing the next move to complete 1 set. Do this series of movements 3 sets. Take a break for 1 minute before doing the next set.
- For beginners, practice according to your ability by reducing the duration of the exercise or the repetition of the movement.
- For example, start practicing by doing planks while holding on for 10 seconds and then gradually increasing the duration to 30, 45, and 60 seconds.
- Core exercises are most effective when the torso is worked out simultaneously by contracting the front and back sides of the body simultaneously.
