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Chances are you don’t have abs like Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia. But then, chances are you haven’t spent the last three months living on dry chicken breasts and prunes while doing three hours of weights twice a day, either.
Those totally ripped high definition movie star abs? Not really attainable, unless you are significantly genetically blessed and:
a) are 17 and surf all day,
b) have no work and a serious narcissism problem, or
c) exercise as part of your day job.
That said, all is not lost.
You just have to focus on the two main elements: honing muscle, whilst losing fat. A limp, scrawny waist doesn’t have much beach babe pulling power and neither does the tautest six-pack when it’s hidden under a layer of flab.
Try to incorporate the following easy changes into your life and while you might not end up being able to bounce bottles off your abs, you could well find yourself with a six-pack that’s worth peeling off your t-shirt for.
1. If there’s an option, go low fat. Pick the Diet Coke over the Coke. Drink whiskey instead of beer. Pick the Monkeygland steak sauce rather than the creamy mushroom. You know the rules... just start applying them. These little choices seriously add up.
2. Ab definition is all about core strength. And nothing beats subconscious, accidental core building like replacing your office chair with a stability ball. Not only that, but it’ll funk up your office space while you’re at it... trust me.
3. Crunch, crunch, crunch! Before your shower every morning – before you’ve even thought about it – crank out a set of 50 crunches, building up to 2 or 3 sets each morning. Remember the crunch basics: it’s not about getting your back off the floor, like an old fashioned sit-up, it’s about drawing on your abs when you get your shoulders off the floor. If you’re not sure you’ve got the motion right (i.e.: if you aren’t convinced you’ve targeted your abs without straining your back) check out our awesome video.
Hey six-packed guys out there, anyone got any other advice?
(Andrew Luyt, Health24, July 2010)
