Getting a six pack is a strange concept in that the actualy science behind getting ripped abs is actually pretty simple. All you need to do is to burn off fat so that you have very little over your stomach muscles. You then need to bulk up your stomach muscles so you have plenty to see.
However while the concept is pretty simple, the actual process can be a lot harder. Possibly the most difficult aspect is actually figuring out which exercises you should be doing – and how – so that you can get ripped abs.
So in this article I’d like to talk about how to get a six pack with crunches.
For the uninitiated, a crunch is a type of exercise – like a sit-up on steroids really.
There are a number of ways to do a crunch but here is the basic concept. You lie on your back. Bend your knees so the soles of your feet are on the floor with your knees in the air. You then place your hands by the sides of your head. So far, so easy.
At this point you want to tense your stomach muscles as hard as possible. Imagine someone is about to stand on your stomach and tense as much as possible. While stating tense, slowly raise up your head and neck off the floor, hold for a second, then drop back down.
It sounds easy but if you really hold your muscles tense and perform the action slowly, you should find your stomach burning after 5-10 of these.
For best results using crunches for six packs would recommend carrying out 10 crunches followed by a break. Then flip your legs over sideways so you are twisted and do another 10. After a final break, flip your legs the other way for 10 more.
Doing this will allow you to exercise the sides of your abs as well as the front for the perfect six pack. Carry out this routine 2-3 times a week.
It’s human nature to want fast results no matter what we are doing. Who wants to wait for anything any more? Weight loss is a perfect example and is the reason for a multi-million dollar diet supplement industry that promises to help you get into the shape that you want quicker and easier. It’s also the reason for liposuction, plastic surgery and all the other “quick fixes” available now if you have plenty of money but very little patience.
And the same goes for if you want to get sixpack abs. It’s natural to wonder how long the process is going to take. After all, the end result is a very exciting one and you’re well within your rights to want to achieve that goal as soon as possible.
However there are a few warnings if you are straining at the leash. Firstly, rapid weight loss – the sort that can take you from a jelly-belly to sixpack in a very short space of time – isn’t always healthy. Doctors and dieticians generally recommend smaller rates of weight loss of around 1-2lbs of fat lost per week. Whilst I have managed to lose up to 7lbs in a week myself in the past most doctors frown on this so be aware of it.
Secondly, many professional weight lifters with eviable sixpacks of their own have told me that the faster you burn the fat off your sixpack, the sooner you will generally put it back on again. The person who works hard and slowly cuts down bit by bit is far more likely to keep their washboard abs once they attain them than someone who has gone for broke, burned themselves out, got bored and got ill in the process.
With that said, the best way to get an ideal of how long it will take to get sixpack abs is to measure your bodyfat percebtage using fat calipers or courtesy of your doctor. To see abs your fat content will normally need to be below 10%. When you work out the difference between what you are now and that 10% goal, with this weight lost at about 2lbs per week you will easily be able to work out a rough time-span of how long the process should take you.
In theory getting sixpack abs is reasonably simple. Just eat fewer calories than you do now and get more exercise. But of course this is greatly over-simplifying the situation. When you actually get down to it there are almost limitless combinations of workouts, exercises and foods that can be eaten. So actually figuring out not just what will work – but actually what will work *best* is the challenge to enable you to get the very fastest results possible with as little effort as possible.
After all, who wants to wait longer than necessary to get sixpack abs, or work harder than necessary? Only a madman, right?!
Fortunately whilst you *can* rely on simple and trial and error if you want, there is a much better way. Quite simply use the experiences of other people who have tried and tested out all sorts of things themselves to find the easiest route to where you want to go. Watch the feedback, comments and advice of others and then follow the routine that seems to help the most people to get the quickest results.
Makes sense, right? So where do you start? Possibly the best way is to take a look at some of the online training programs that are currently available. Many of these have thousands of satisfied customers and plenty of testimonials and feedback to help you make a decision based on the real-life results of other people who have tried these systems.