An effective abs workout will likely look very different from what you might think. If you are one of those candidates who have been doing crunches until they drop for months or even years, but still don’t have a defined six pack , it is even more advisable to read this article carefully.

What is important in six-pack training

Each of us has a six-pack . However, the attractive wax board belly is cleverly camouflaged under the painstakingly accumulated fat deposits. Many fitness beginners throw in the towel in frustration if no visible result is seen after a few weeks of abdominal muscle training. This is not a sign of incompetence, but only an indication of unprofessional training and insufficient patience! After all, the abdominal muscles are the most difficult muscle in the human body to train. You could write now that with the right training plan it is easy to train a defined abdominal muscles. But it is not. It’s damn hard work and requires a lot of ambition and discipline, a well-thought-out diet, and efficient abs workouts .

Three essential factors determine whether or not an abdominal muscle workout is successful.

1. The perfect nutrition plan for abdominal muscle training – “ Abs are made in the kitchen! ”

If you are new to this adage, now is the time to replace the supermodel or athlete poster that is still hanging over your bed. Black writing on a white background is particularly concise. But kidding aside. With proper abdominal training, you can quickly lose the fun if you don’t pay attention to your diet. A good six pack training plan is important, but without adequate nutrition it quickly leads to failure.

Unfortunately, nutrition plan = nutrition plan does not apply here. When defining the abdominal muscles, it is not a question of using as much protein and energy as possible for building muscle mass. Rather, a low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein diet is the basis for beautiful abdominal muscles. In contrast to a diet plan for mass building, a negative energy balance is primarily decisive here. Defined abdominal muscles are only possible if you supply less energy through food than your body, e.g. consumed by muscle training. If your body has an energy deficit, it mainly releases the energy stored in the fat deposits by burning fat.

Fatal mistakes can be made. If you cover your energy needs mainly with carbohydrates and fats, your body lacks primarily essential amino acids, which were originally absorbed through food and are required for the development of new muscle cells

With our nutrition plans specially designed for fat burning, you can usually not only cover your personal need for macro and micronutrients, but also achieve targeted muscle growth at the same time!

To compensate for this undersupply of amino acids, your body breaks down muscle cells in order to be able to use the essential amino acids in them to maintain important metabolic processes. This inevitably leads to a reduction in muscle mass and does not harmonize with the training goal. So avoid a diet that is too high in energy, provide your body with enough protein and implement your nutrition plan in a disciplined manner. Then you are well on the way to your dream six-pack!

How much protein, carbohydrates and fat are required for a six-pack workout every day?

Protein: You should consume at least 2-3g high-quality protein per kg of body weight to prevent muscle breakdown, build new muscle mass and to take advantage of the energetic effects of the proteins.

Carbohydrates: 3-4g per kg of body weight are a guideline. Carbohydrates are very high in energy, but your body needs them as a building block. Even in a definition phase or during fat loss, carbohydrates should not be completely avoided.

Fat: Your body needs an average of approx. 0.5-1.0 g of fat per kg of body weight. Fats are essential for many metabolic processes. The proportion of mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g. from fish, nuts or vegetable oils) should be around 60-70%.

The following articles are particularly recommended on the subject of fat loss, six pack abs, definition and nutrition:

2. The right abdominal muscle training

Even if nutrition is substantial for a washboard abs, solid abdominal training should not be neglected. By the way, “solid” doesn’t mean countless sit-ups! Not only are they ineffective, they also put a lot of strain on the spine and lower back. There are a number of efficient abdominal muscle exercises that make your six pack glow and are easy on the back. When doing six-pack training, you also have to make sure that the regeneration phases are adhered to. Only a fully regenerated muscle can be used intensively again in the next training session. If you’ve just entered 100 sit-ups daily, 7 days a week in your “washboard usage training plan for next summer” – please delete!

How many repetitions for abs training?

The number of repetitions plays a special role in six pack training. You do not achieve maximum training intensity through many repetitions, but through targeted tensioning of the abdominal muscles. If you can easily do 50 crunches, you are doing them fundamentally wrong.

When done correctly with a lot of muscle tension, even trained abdominal muscles cannot do more than 15-20 repetitions. The same goes for efficient leg raises. The motto here is: less is more! A clean and slow execution of 10-15 repetitions of leg raises of 3 sets is sufficient to compensate for the muscle stimulation of hundreds of sit-ups. Just take our free six-pack training plan at hand!

Which exercises for more abdominal muscles?

In our article series ” Sixpack training – the best exercises for more abdominal muscles ” we have put together suitable exercises for beginners, advanced and fitness professionals. When selecting the abdominal muscle exercises, we attached great importance to maximum effectiveness, back-friendliness and modifiable intensity. The result is an extensive and demanding six-pack training that includes the right washboard abs workout for every level of experience!
Despite abdominal muscles – please don’t forget: Regular back training!

3. Fat loss through muscle building and cardio training

Making the six pack visible is very hard work. If you combine a classic muscle building training with a lot of cardio training, this means similar training effort, but it increases efficiency! After all, the washboard usage should already make an impression in the next bathing season and not have to wait two more periods of frost!

Lower your body fat percentage! If your body fat percentage is above 11-12% , your six-pack is buried under fat pads. In order for the abdominal muscles to become visible, the belly fat has to go and your body fat percentage below 10% ! Through intensive strength and endurance training you burn a lot of energy not only during the training session. The energy throughput is significantly increased, especially when you are resting or after training. The “afterburn effect” after a approx. 40-50 minute endurance training lets the pounds melt away on the sofa.

Nevertheless, after cardio training you should not do without food entirely, because all of your body’s rapidly available energy reserves (e.g. glycogen stores) are depleted. This not only leads to exhaustion, but also prevents rapid regeneration through resynthesis of your “cell fuel ATP”. The catabolic metabolic state after prolonged physical exertion tries to compensate for the energy deficit by breaking down high-energy amino acids and other cell components … but at the expense of your muscle mass! Protein shakes such as whey protein or casein are not only suitable for building lean muscle mass, but also support fat burning.

A low-fat, low-carbohydrate and protein-rich snack after training sensibly prevents this effect. A fish fillet fried in vegetable oil (contains essential omega fatty acids) with blanched broccoli (contains a lot of vitamin C for the immune system and Potassium, which is needed for muscle contractions) or a bowl of low-fat quark with unsweetened strawberries or raspberries are not only tasty, they are real miracle cures on the way to six pack abs!

And now?

Don’t just focus on the abs workout! Take all factors into account when training six packs. With enough ambition, discipline and the necessary knowledge, every “one-pack” becomes a six-pack! Exclusive and free training and nutrition plans from profiteerfitness.com help you to achieve your goals!