There’s no doubt that there are many trainees out there that want to know how to get a six-pack as fast as possible. Guys, we hear you – we know that everyone wants results right now – you don’t want to spend months on end trying to get it. We have some good news and some bad ones.
We’ll start with the latter. You might think that it’s an absolutely ridiculous idea to think that one can actually get a six-pack in just a few weeks. If we’re being completely honest, if you do have a bit of excess fat around your waist it’s going to take some work to get rid of it.
Now on to the good news. Just because we said it will take some work to reach your goals, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t already many simple ways you can try that will help you achieve great results in just a few weeks. At the end of the day, it all comes down to having the proper knowledge.
And you know what the best part is? We’ll give you the simplest pointers that won’t require any significant research on your part and which are easy to follow. You’ll get a better physique for the beach in a short amount of time. As summer approaches you’ll want to meet that deadline fast. You have no time to waste, so let’s get reading and putting this stuff into action:
1. Increase your water intake
Do you want to know what the easiest way to get abs in just a few weeks is? To get rid of the bloat and get a flat waist all you need to do is simply increase your water intake. Now, the first question that might pop up in your mind is: Why would I want to increase my water intake, when I should be getting rid of the excess water?
A good percentage of the excess weight you are carrying is actually caused by excessive water retention. Sometimes the excess water can cause weight fluctuation by a couple of pounds and it will most likely dwell around the midsection area.
However, increasing your water intake ensures that you are totally hydrated and your kidneys will be able to flush out all the dangerous toxins including the ones which cause the bloat in the first place. And there’s more. Water is an excellent appetite suppressant, which translates into fewer calories consumed on a daily basis.
2. HIIT Cardio
If you want to get the six-pack you’ll need to burn more body fat. This involves having a good diet as well as following a specific routine which will give you results fast. Here’s the basic premise: burning fat means one needs to use cardio with a greatly increased tempo and do some really fast-paced movements. The most efficient method to achieve all of this is high-intensity interval training also known as HIIT.
It has already been proven in numerous studies that HIIT is an incredibly effective strategy when it comes to burning fat because you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time – up to 15% more fat burned than regular training. What’s more, the fat burning continues long after you’ve finished training, which results in more fat lost over time. And here’s the best part of it all. HIIT style of training can target abdominal fat a lot better than steady-pace cardio.
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3. High-protein, low-carb diet
Now that you know the type of training you need to employ, what can you do about your diet? You must have heard by now that “abs are made in the kitchen”. Taking that into consideration, we can conclude that the best results can come from a combination of proper training and proper nutrition. Now, let’s examine one of the three main macro-nutrients:
Carbohydrates:
Carbs are the body’s primary source of energy, however, they also retain water and that’s not good if your main goal is to get a visible six-pack. Consuming a low amount of carbs will force the body to switch to another energy source, so instead of burning carbs it will start burning fat and will reduce the bloat.
So what are the foods you should avoid? The ones that cause the greatest fat gain are pasta, bread, sugary drinks and foods, cereals, potato chips; basically all refined carb sources. But there are also some foods which are very healthy and nutritious that also have high contents of carbs: bananas, quinoa, oats, sweet potatoes etc.
Protein, on the other hand, is one of your best friends when it comes to losing fat. It is a very satiating nutrient which provides better control of food cravings and hunger and faster weight loss, which in turn translates to getting visible abs. What are the top foods rich in protein, you might ask? The healthiest choices are eggs, chicken/turkey breast, beef, any type of seafood, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.
If you’re a vegetarian, there’s no need to worry, there is still plenty of choices when it comes to consuming high amounts of protein and it’s mainly plant-based. The best choices are soybeans, tofu, kale, spirulina, spinach and many others. The bottom line is that you should cut the carbs and increase your protein intake if you want to get a six-pack as fast as possible.
4. Use fat burner supplements for increased fat burn
Fat burning supplements are a great tool in your fitness supplement arsenal that will increase your metabolism and force your body to burn fat a lot faster. Fat burners that contain natural ingredients are your best choice.
High-quality fat burners will also boost your energy levels, which will allow you to totally smash those brutal HIIT workout sessions. As we already mentioned, they can drastically increase your metabolic rate which will turn your body into a finely-tuned fat burning machine. Bottom line: fat burners work, use them!
5. Lift weights
As with any other muscle group, if you want to get visible and well-defined abdominal muscles, the best way to do it is by lifting weights and for a good reason. Training with increasingly bigger weights is one of the most optimal ways to reduce body fat and increase your lean muscle mass. How does having more muscle actually help you get a six-pack faster? The more lean mass you have, the higher the basal metabolic rate will become, sometimes up to 7% higher.
This means that you’ll burn more calories even when you’re resting which results in increased fat burning. And here’s another interesting point: resistance training is so effective it can literally skyrocket the metabolic rate in as little as 11 minutes. The metabolic rate will remain elevated long after you’ve finished training.
6. Eat more vegetables
If you want to know the most optimal way to get a six-pack, then you need a serious re-design of your nutrition plan. Getting a visible six-pack does not need to be complicated as some people claim it is. The same thing applies to meal planning and preparation.
Do you remember one thing your mom kept drumming into your ears at the dinner table? “Always eat your veggies.” Vegetables contain good amounts of valuable nutrients, such as essential minerals and vitamins. They not only contain nutrients which are beneficial to your health, but they are also a poor source of calories, which makes them an excellent food for people trying to lose weight.
There’s another great thing about vegetables: they help in maintaining a healthy bowel. That’s because vegetables are a rich fiber source, which helps food “run smoothly” through your intestines, for a lack of a better word. Consuming high amounts of fiber will keep you “regular” and help you avoid constipation, which is never a pleasant experience.
All this time we’ve been talking about vegetables. What about fruits, you might ask? That’s a perfectly valid question and yes eating fruits is healthy, but the thing is that fruits have a higher sugar content than vegetables. That means you should limit your fruit intake and consume fruits mainly around your workout.
7. Control your cheat meals
For some people when they’re on a diet, delicious food turns into a kind of obsession, which no matter how much they try, they cannot control. All the things that you’re now not allowed to eat, all of a sudden become so much more appealing. Does that sound familiar to you? Everyone knows that burger and fries are incredibly delicious and you might even get an energy boost and feel good for a while.
But with all that junk food digesting in your body you’ll soon experience a rapid energy crash and this time with the bloat to add to how miserable you’ll feel. And the worst part is that eating cheat meals usually causes a chain reaction. What starts as a “once a week” practice, soon turns into twice a week, until you find yourself completely going back to your old habits.
This has happened to lots of people and you really need to have the mental strength to fully commit to eating clean the majority of the time. In order to get visible abs, you need to be ruthless with your training and your nutrition plan. By all means, you can eat a cheat meal every now and then, but be sure you are in control. Don’t let the cheat meal you eat every 2 weeks become a 3-4 times a week habit.
8. Be consistent
If there’s anything that will trump any other personal characteristic when it comes to getting a six-pack or achieving meaningful fitness results overall, it’s consistency. If you’ve put your mind to achieving a specific goal, then keep at it, because being consistent is the main driving force behind getting that spectacular fit look you’re after.
This happens to a lot of beginners: they start off with a lot of enthusiasm and clearly defined goals, like getting lean and incredibly shredded. Then, after some initial progress, the enthusiasm quickly burns out. It’s usually a matter of months, weeks, sometimes days, before they start losing the drive and ultimately completely abandon their training and nutrition plans.
When it comes to training on a regular basis, some people simply aren’t ready to make the commitment and they don’t achieve their goals. This is why consistency is key. Being consistent and using a sound training plan that rests on proven training principles and then following it exactly as it is, will surely give you the desired results.
9. Get yourself a training partner
If you have trouble motivating yourself to go to the gym then one of the best ways to do that is by finding your own training partner. The reason why training with a training partner will help you achieve your goals faster is because you will motivate each other once one of you starts losing the will to train.
Another crucial thing is that you’ll get the added bonus of commitment and being accountable to another person. It’s very easy to bale out if there’s no one else to answer to but you. But now your partner also keeps you accountable and he might not be in the mood to let you go home yet. And you know what the best part is? Workout sessions won’t be as dull as before, because now you have a workout buddy beside you that will keep an eye on your form. Not to mention the post-workout talks as a social bonus.
10. Train the abs directly
We’re sure you’ve already heard about the spot reduction myth. It basically states that you can reduce specific fat spots by training them directly. It’s actually a complete lie. No matter how many crunches you do, if you still have a thick layer of fat surrounding your waist, the abs won’t be visible until you get rid of the fat.
Basically, it all comes down to the following: while you don’t really need to directly target an area of your body to eliminate the fat, there’s nothing wrong with training the abs in order to make them bigger once they start appearing. The great thing is that some exercises are great for getting your abs bigger. This can add greater definition to your abs, even when there’s a layer of fat surrounding them.
11. Be patient and remember to enjoy the journey
This last point is a bit of a summary. As you can see, there are lots of simple hacks that will help you get abs in just a week. But, if you really want to have an inhumanely strong core and spectacular abs then you need to make a real commitment and be prepared to go the distance. The main takeaway point is that neither worthwhile comes easy.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your abs. However, if you are already equipped with a strong work ethic, determination, discipline and patience, results will be guaranteed.