STEP 2 // STRIP AWAY THE EXCESS
No amount of abs work will get you a six-pack if your abs are
covered in a layer of fat but fortunately some simple dietary
shifts can make all the difference. Nutritionist Laura Street
([email protected]) takes you through the essentials.
Drink more water
“If you’re still knocking back soft drinks you’re undoing all your hard work,”
Street says. “Stick to water, which has zero calories and helps with recovery,
energy and metabolism.” Aim for a minimum of two litres a day.
Ditch beer, drink vodka
“Beer generates excess oestrogen, which can result in weight
gain. A good alternative is to drink clear spirits such as vodka
in moderation. And if you drink, don’t do it every day.”
Eat more protein
“Protein provides satiety, which means you’ll be satisfied for longer
and less likely to snack. Evidence suggests that eating protein at
breakfast leads to decreased food consumption throughout the
day. Include fish, meat, eggs, lentils or beans in every meal or snack.”
Eat good fats
“Trans fats are found in processed foods such as biscuits and are responsible for
the build-up of visceral fat around the abdomen. Replace them with good fats. The
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in avocados, nuts, olives and
seeds are all good fats, while mackerel is the king of the sea in terms of omega-3 content.”
Earn your carbs
“If you’re training hard you can afford to moderately increase your carbohydrate
intake. If you’re not training, taper your carbs accordingly. And avoid refined
carbs such as bread, which can give you sugar cravings and derail weight loss.”
STEP 3 // MASTER THE ULTIMATE ABS MOVE
The standing abs wheel rollout will give you a midsection that’s hard
as steel and also ranks among the greatest gym show-off moves ever.
Jim Bathurst, founder of the exercise website beastskills.com, shows
you how to nail it.
“First, master the knee rollout,” Bathurst
says. “Tense your abs and keep your upper
body tight before you roll out. Keep your head
down and chin tucked so your back stays flat.
If you can’t roll all the way, use a wall to limit
your range of motion until you’re stronger.”
1
“Going from the knees to the feet is
pretty tricky. To help with the transition,
try rolling up an incline bench. Move further
away from the bench as you improve. If
you find your legs bending, do hamstring
stretches to improve your flexibility.”
2
“Once you can do three sets of five
incline rollouts, try one standing. Keep
your lower back flat and tilt your pelvis
forward slightly. Don’t keep your arms
under your body — it feels easier, but will
cause you to lose form. When your chin is
almost touching the floor, roll back up.”
3
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STEP 4 // UPGRADE
THE PLANK
The standard plank is one of the
greatest abs moves in existence.
Here’s how to make it even better.
The Standard
First, make sure you’ve mastered the basic
plank. The form: elbows below your shoulders,
hands clasped in front and body in a straight
line. Once your hips start to sag, end the set.
Aim for three lots of 60 seconds.
The Upgrade
“The plank shoulder touch is one of the most
effective ways to make the plank harder,”
says strength and conditioning specialist
Joe DeFranco (defrancostraining.com).
“You increase the load and stability
requirements.” To do it, perform a standard
plank, then take one hand off the ground
at a time to touch the opposite shoulder.
Go for three sets of 10 reps each side.
The Variation
One of the simplest and best plank variations is
to keep both hands on a medicine ball as you’ll
be forced to brace your core to stay stable.
The Super-Plank
Once you can hit 90 seconds in the standard
plank, make it harder instead of just pushing
for more time. “Move your arms further out
and your elbows closer together,” Contreras
says. “Lock out your knees and contract your
glutes as hard as possible.” Aim to get to 30
seconds without relaxing.
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STEP 5 // DE-STRESS AND
LOSE THE BELLY
The stress hormone cortisol is the six-pack’s
natural enemy because it causes fat storage around
the abdomen and impairs your body’s ability to
burn it. Defeat it and watch the fat melt away.
Sleep better
The easiest way to reduce cortisol is to sleep more and better.
Aim for eight hours a night. “To sleep soundly, stay off the
computer for an hour before bed,” says trainer Sally Moss of
Ultimate Performance Fitness. “And keep your bedroom totally dark.”
Eat oranges
Stressed at work? Oranges can help. In a study published in
the journal Psychopharmacology, doses of up to 3000mg of
vitamin C were effective in reducing cortisol rises from
psychological stresses such as public speaking.
Eat salmon
In 2003, a French study determined that oily fish (an excellent
source of omega-3 fatty acids) can reduce cortisol release
caused by mental stress. As a bonus it’ll reduce
cardiovascular stress and help with a host of other health problems.
Meditate
Many studies suggest that meditation can lower cortisol
levels, even in the inexperienced. If you’re not sure how to
do it properly, apps such as Simply Being ($1 from iTunes)
can take you through the basics.
Chew gum
Chewing gum was linked to decreased cortisol levels by
research from Tokyo Medical and Dental University. It can also
temporarily stave off hunger, reducing your urge to snack.
STEP 6 // BLAST YOUR RESERVES
If you’ve followed all the steps, your six-pack
should be visible by now. Enhance your muscle
definition with these proven fat-burners.
Drink… green tea
Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which
causes your nervous system to run more quickly, burning
calories. Research indicates three cups a day is the perfect dose
— add lemon for a tasty kick that also helps control blood sugar.
Cook… chilli peppers
Season with… black pepper
Piperine, the substance that gives black pepper its taste, can
block the formation of new fat cells, according to research
published in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry.
Apply liberally to your protein-rich steak or poached eggs.
Add… cinnamon
Cinnamon has thermogenic properties, which means it’ll help
you burn fat. Studies show it lowers the glycaemic response
to meals, making you less prone to storing fat. The easiest
way to get the benefit? Add it to black coffee.
78 | MF | DECEMBER
PHOTOGRAPHY DANNY BIRD, SHUTTERSTOCK
MODEL RICHARD PEARCE@WATHLETIC
Studies have found that capsaicin, the compound that gives
chillies their heat, can increase energy expenditure and burn
calories, though the effects are stronger in people less used
to spicy food. Make that curry a hot one.
STEP 7 // ACCELERATE THE PROCESS
With your diet under control, it’s time to hit the fattorching afterburners. Here’s how it’s done.
Snatch
Kettlebell snatches
provide a similar calorieburning hit to “running
six-minute miles… or
cross-country skiing uphill
at a fast pace”, according
to a study from the
American Council on
Exercise. They’re actually
better, in that they have
less impact and more
strength benefit.
Swing
“The metabolic hit of
kettlebell swings is
incredible,” says strength
coach and author Dan
John. “If all you have is
10 minutes, a set of
kettlebell swings will
work wonders.” Try
the 30/30 format:
30 seconds of swings,
30 seconds of rest for
the entire time.
Sprint
In a recent study, two
groups of athletes
sprinted for two minutes
and jogged for 30, and
their overall oxygen
consumption, a key
indicator of metabolism
speed, was nearly
identical, according to
results published in the
International Journal Of
Sport Nutrition. The
lesson? If you’re short on
time, add short, intense
sprints to your workout
for a fat-burning boost.
STEP 8 // TAKE THE DIRECT APPROACH
As well as hitting the abs muscles directly, these moves will improve your
all-round lifting ability and should be part of every abs workout, says
Ultimate Performance’s Justin Maguire.
TRX rollout
Perform rollouts grasping the
TRX rings instead of a barbell
or dumbbells. “This is a great
abs strength builder and the
instability it adds brings other
benefits,” Maguire says. “It
boosts strength and flexibility
in your glutes, hips and
shoulder/pec girdle, which
will help you lift heavy in
a huge array of other
abs-building exercises.”
Toes to bar
Grip a pull-up bar and slowly
lift your feet as high as you
can, bending at the hips and
doing your best not to swing.
“Keeping a slow tempo
engages the hard-to-hit lower
abdominals,” Maguire says. “It
also helps improve your
posture, which translates into
an ability to lift big in other
moves for greater gains.”
Decline crunch
Place your feet on a bench
and crunch. For maximum
benefits, do the move while
holding a dumbbell in front
of your chest. “Dumbbell
decline crunches will
strengthen your core
stabilisers, which apart from
helping you carve out your abs
will stabilise your spine and
stop you injuring yourself with
other moves,” Maguire says.
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STEP 9 // FILL
IN THE GAPS
Having a strong core
means more than just
a six-pack. Balance
out your midsection
with these key moves.
Best for the
internal obliques:
Pallof press
This move (pictured) is an
anti-rotation exercise, which
means you’re stabilising
yourself against resistance
coming from the side. Stand
side-on to a cable machine
with your feet shoulderwidth apart, chest out and
shoulders back, and hold
the cable with both hands in
front. Press out so that you
feel the weight pull you to the
side, then pull back in.
Best for the
external obliques:
Bodysaw
Assume the plank position
with your feet on a small
towel. Keeping tension
throughout your body, push
yourself backwards using
your forearms. Pull yourself
forward again and continue
in a sawing motion.
Best for the
erector spinae:
Kneeling cable lift
This is an advanced version
of the cable chop. To do it,
kneel on one knee — the knee
furthest from your cable
station should be raised. Hold
the cable in both hands and
chop it upwards across your
chest. Pause, lower, repeat.
STEP 10 // THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Put the finishing touches on your six-pack with some advice from expert trainers.
Train heavy
“Because the abdominal fibres
are predominantly fast-twitch,
they respond to intense overload
and lower reps,” says MF muscle guru
Charles Poliquin. “Sure, you’ll strengthen
your abs by doing thousands of reps, but it
won’t be as effective as training hard and
heavy, then cutting fat by sprinting, eating
right and minimising stress.”
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Start with salad
“One of the simplest ways to
control your hunger is to eat
a salad before your meals,” says
strength and conditioning coach Chad
Waterbury. “This is especially effective at
night when you want to pig out. It takes time
to chew, and allows your brain to process
feedback on how full you are.”
Carry things
“Include loaded carries in your
workout,” says lifting coach Dan
John. “They’ll force your core to
work to stabilise the rest of your body and
burn fat at the same time. For a hit on the
obliques, use the suitcase carry — carry a
heavy dumbbell in one hand up to 40m,
then switch hands for the walk back.”