The Secret to Flat Abs (It has nothing to do with Crunches)
Plenty of people are searching for the secret to flat abs: the magic exercise, supplement, training programme or dietary regime that will blast away the fat from their midsection and leave behind a set of washboard abdominals. Yet despite the grandiose claims made by advertisements for the latest ab toning aids, the formula for success does not lie in throwing money at another useless product or service.
The secret to flat abs is that you must modify your diet to boost your metabolism and control blood sugar levels whilst undertaking an appropriate exercise programme. Highly unoriginal, I know – but this is the only guaranteed method of ensuring that you will shed the fat that covers your abdominals.
Diet
Nutrition is the half the battle when it comes to getting a great set of abs. Ignore the latest fads and instead construct a diet that you can stick to for a long period of time. You should eat 5 or 6 small meals per day, ensuring that you consume a lean source of protein (such as poultry or fish) and a serving of fruit or vegetables with each. Also consume healthy fats from the likes of extra virgin olive oil, flax seeds and fish oil, and limit your consumption of starchy carbohydrates to breakfast and immediately after training sessions.
Water and green tea will be the beverages of choice – fizzy drinks will destabilise your progress very quickly and should not be consumed.
All of these measures will ensure that your metabolism remains elevated, so your body will burn calories at a faster rate. Additionally, avoiding carb-rich foods for most of the day will prevent insulin spikes – one of the prime causes of fat storage.
Strength Training
What?! The secret to flat abs is to get stronger? Yes and no. Whilst getting stronger per se won’t do much for your midsection, it is true that strength training builds muscle, and muscle burns calories at a faster rate than fat. If you need convincing, take a look at the physiques of gymnasts – they all perform some form of strength training alongside skills practice, and they have magnificent, lean physiques.
For fat loss purposes, perform at least two (but preferably three) strength training sessions per week using free weight compound exercises that involve movement across multiple joints – squats are far superior to leg extensions, for example.
Cardio Training
The final piece of the puzzle is cardiovascular training. This can be performed immediately after strength training sessions, as muscle glycogen stores will have been depleted and the body will burn fat stores as a source of fuel instead.
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is the most useful form of cardio for fast results, but it is important to gradually increase the intensity over the course of several sessions. Jumping straight in and performing 20 hill sprints with only a 30 second rest period between each effort is a recipe for injury – so choose an activity and increase the number of intervals and/or decrease the rest periods with each session.
Finally, remember that temporary changes to your diet or exercise programme are likely to deliver temporary results. Don’t stop once you have reached your goal – continue to apply the principles discussed above and you will be fitter and leaner in the long run.
Russell Willers
