3 Rules for a Six Pack

There are thousands of different tips and tricks out there that promise you a flat belly or six pack abs. Even I have to admit I've tried a lot of them and nothing really seemed to work. I would describe myself as athletic and someone that was always "in-shape", but I never had that muscle definition in the mid-section that I could be proud of. Only recently have I come across the few things that brought me my six pack and the crazy thing is, it's pretty simple. All you need is WILL POWER. You don't need to do a million sit ups or run 10 miles a week. All you have to do is follow these 3 rules to get the six pack you desire.

Rule 1: Eat Right

I know you've all heard this, but 95% of getting a six pack is to change what you eat. You probably eat 25-35 meals a week plus snacks, but you only need to be working your abs out three times per week. Listen to me when I say this, no matter how much you work out your abs, if you have a layer of fat over them they will NOT show up. I'm not going to sit here and give you a laundry list of what to eat and what not to, just use common sense. Should I snack on potato chips or some almonds? Should I have some fruit loops or egg whites? Eat smart and eat in proportion and you should be all right. The only thing I will say that I found to be the most important food group to cut out was dairy. I'm talking cheese, milk, ice cream, all of it. Now I completely cut this out of my diet (I do take supplements to make up for the nutrients I'm losing), but if you need it by all means have it, just in proportion. Dairy equals belly fat, please try and remember this, it is very important. I know how difficult it can be to change your entire eating lifestyle, but try it for just one week and see how you feel. I bet you'll want to do it again.

Rule 2: Drink Right

Weird, this sounds just like rule one. Well, if you want six pack abs nutrition is key. This time I will talk about what you should and shouldn't put into your system. Obviously water needs to be your #1 go to drink. Most people say drink 8 cups a day, this is not necessarily true. If you're working out daily you'll need much more, whereas days you aren't in the gym you may not need as much. Find the right balance for you, if you're running to the bathroom every 20 minutes then you're drinking too much. Another great drink is unsweetened tea. Yes, it must be unsweetened, check that label and make sure there is NO sugar. These two drinks are basically all I drink throughout the day.

Ok, water and tea seems easy enough, now let's look at some drinks to cut back on and eliminate. Say bye-bye to any and all soda, and yes, even diet. This is not healthy. I know it tastes good. If it tastes that good you should know it's not good for you. How about coffee and alcohol? Neither is good for your abs, but I understand these two things are necessary for many people. So what we're going to do is find the right way to drink these lovely beverages. With coffee we want to try and limit to 1 cup per day with a tablespoon of half and half and NO sugar. With alcohol it's all about limiting the intake. Also think about what you're mixing your drinks with, are they sugary? Of course light beer is better than regular. I personally do not drink wine, but from things I've heard, one glass of red wine is probably your best drinking option.

Rule 3: The Right Workout

Yes, you must work out to get a six pack, but you guys knew that already, right? Here are a few tips to take to the gym with you. Don't overwork you abs. I found 10-15 minutes without taking breaks, 3 times a week is plenty. I'm not going to give specific workouts, but mix it up. Just doing crunches won't give you the results you desire. Look around for a few different abs exercises that will work all the muscles. You also want to throw in some cardio. I personally hate running on a treadmill, so I found other ways to get my cardio in. I take a plyometrics and a kick boxing class once a week. This is what works for me; it's up to you to find the right cardio for you.

I know this sounds like a lot, but I want you to give it a shot for one week. You may not see immediate results, but you will feel better about yourself and that will push you to continue. I do have one piece of good news for all of you before I go and that's when you start losing weight; belly fat is the first thing to go. So please follow these three rules. It's amazing the impact they can have on your life.