Here were Kelly's tips for October 2011:
This week it's the turn of our guest expert Kirt, who is a personal trainer at Huddersfield Sports Centre.
Read his tips on getting a Six Pack below!
The Six Pack – The Holy Grail of Physiques
It's hard to get but is the focal point of any physique.
When will you see your 6 pack?
Everyone has a six pack, problem is not many people can see their six pack! This is because of the fat over it. So the real issue is getting rid of the fat in order to reveal you chiselled six pack. The questions that now arise will be –
- How much fat do I need to lose?
- How do I train my abs?
- What do I need to eat to get my six pack visible?
I will break down the various elements involved in your six pack quest below:
How To Get A Six Pack
In order to get six pack abs, you need to get to low body fat levels. For males this is typically around 8%. For females it is typically under 15%. These numbers are a guideline and will vary depending on the individual. Males tend to store more fat on their abdomen, so their body fat levels need to be lower to have a visible six pack. My six pack only became prominent around 6.5% body fat. So don’t go just by body fat readings, the mirror should be accurate enough for you to see whether or not you have a six pack.
Training To Get A Six Pack
There are various schools of thought about this. Some people will do a kazillion crunches and sit ups. Some people will focus on big compound movements in order to create a bigger caloric deficit and get their six pack that way. The approach I use is to get to 10% body fat, then train my abs to get bigger so they pop out more which makes the six pack more prominent.
Each way has its advantages and disadvantages. Just remember that ab training doesn't tend to burn that many calories and that your six pack will be visible when your body fat levels are low.
In my opinion you need to create the big calorie deficit without starving yourself, train your abs when you get to the last few pounds of fat. I don’t train my abs in the “off-season” because if my abs are bigger then it looks like I’m fat! That’s my excuse anyway ;)
Dieting To Get A Six Pack
The principals of dieting to get a six pack are as follows:
- Calorie deficit
- enough calories to prevent starvation mode
- enough protein
- nutrient timing (majority of calories around the workout)
- carb cycling
- calorie cycling
Enjoy your six pack!
Kelly :)
Email Kelly at: kelly.potts@kirklees.gov.uk
