Who doesn’t want better abs? Nobody! Here are the simple rules you need to follow to get that six pack showing in just three short weeks!

 Who wouldn’t love to have rock hard six-pack abs? No one!

It seems like they’re a dime a dozen when you see them everywhere from the sunny beach to the silver screen. If so many others have achieved a tight, chiseled stomach, why can’t you? Good question. Guess what? You can! And, you’ll learn how to start on your six-pack journey in as little as 21 days. Imagine, in only three weeks, you could see and feel your abs are tighter, flatter and harder.

Some fitness gurus have even said that there is a significant difference between simply being in shape and being shredded. No matter where you are with your fitness level, just by adding a few key exercises and diet tweaks, you’ll be able to quickly achieve the abs of your dreams.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking it will be easy to define your stomach muscles. Abs are known by thousands in the fitness industry as one of the hardest muscles to conquer. Yes, there are dozens upon dozens of abs and core exercises that you can use. But, unless you pair it with proper nutrition, you’ll never see the visible success of your hard, sweaty workouts.

These Are The Top Six Moves to Target Your Abs

What follows are six powerful exercises. They specifically target your abs and core to help give you a flatter, tighter, defined stomach. To bring out all of the beautiful lines that make chiseled abs, it’s important to work all of your abs muscles at different angles. Why? Doing so will ensure proper strength, alignment and stability.

The stomach muscles consist of the rectus abdominus (front), internal and external obliques (sides) and the transverse abdominus (back). The rectus abdominus is where you’ll see your six-pack appear. The traverse abdominus helps stabilize your lower back and pelvis. The obliques are what help you whittle your waistline.

#1 BOSU Dead Bug 

This move is the elite of elite moves for the core. It utilizes your abs, obliques, lower back and glutes all at once. Lying on your back on the Bosu (dome side up), lift your arms over your chest and your knees above your hips. Slowly place one heel onto the floor – only touching slightly – while reaching your arms straight over your head (or you could go to the sides for another option). Then slowly bring your arms and legs back into starting position and repeat with the other leg. Work your way up to three sets of 10 reps (each leg).

#2 Planks

Planks are also terrific for your entire core, as well as stabilizing your abs muscles. Simply get into a push-up position, but with your forearms on the floor, and tighten your abs for 30 seconds straight. Repeat two more times. You can also do side planks to really hit your obliques, but that’s optional. The choice is yours!

#3 V-Ups

Lying on the floor and with your arms stretched overhead holding a medicine ball, you should bring the ball up as your legs come up and then lower again. Aim for three sets of 10.

#4 Medicine Ball Twists

Holding a medicine ball while in a sitting position on the floor, simply twist touching the ball to the ground on one side. From there, you should repeat on the other side. Try three sets of 10 to start. Note: A fast pace is best to really feel the burn!

#5 Mountain Climbers

In a plank or push-up position, bring one knee towards your chest and then the other. Again, a faster pace gives you better results. Do three sets of 20 (each side).

#6 Back Extension on Stability Ball

Lying on your stomach on a stability ball (holding a weight to your chest is optional) and with your feet on the floor, raise your upper body up and then drop back down. This targets the backside to help stabilize and strengthen your core muscles.

Try adding these powerful moves into your regular exercise regime two or three times per week. After 21 days, your abs may feel stronger, harder and flatter!

You Have To Blast Belly Fat Fast To Get Better Abs!

Doing effective core and abs exercises is essential to target that six-pack. But, if there’s a layer of fat on top of the muscle, who is going to see the fruits of your labor? In combination with these moves, it is suggested to add some fat-burning, metabolic-spiking exercises that can melt that stubborn fat and let your abs shine!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a type of training that is superior over other forms of aerobic exercises for burning stubborn belly fat as it causes your body to release fat-burning hormones. Simultaneously, you can also overcome plateaus in regards to weight loss and your body’s ability to adapt to exercises.

HIIT are small bursts of intense exercise meant to spike your metabolism and burn fat faster than regular exercise alone. They also boost your oxygen intake, increase lean body mass and they can turn a single workout into cross-training.

During your exercises, on abs days and upper body days, you should throw in 30 seconds of your choice of exercises between sets or you could add them into a circuit to really get your heart pumping and calories burning. The exercises you should be using include running in place, burpees, jump rope, jump squats, alternating lunges, sprinting, stationary bike and running stairs.

How Much Training Is Really Needed For A Six-Pack?

Don’t train your abs everyday if you want to get results! As you work other body parts, such as legs, butt, back and chest, your abs are being included and receiving a workout.

It’s important that they receive proper post-recovery time so that they are ready for the next session.

With all that said, you may be doing the exercises and adding in the calorie-burning HIIT, but there’s still one piece of the puzzle that you need to include before you’ll see the drastic results you desire. You may have heard but abs exercises, alone, will not reduce belly fat! So, after all that hard work and sweat, you still won’t be able to see your stomach muscles? That’s right.

Even if you focus on your nutrition and caloric intake, you can’t specifically reduce only your belly fat. But, you will be able to bring down your total body fat. And, with that, your stomach will become leaner. Unfortunately, stomach fat is known to be quite stubborn. Because of that, you’ll have to keep consistent with your workouts and nutrition as the visible results won’t be unveiled overnight. But, don’t worry! Your results will come.

Nutrition Is 90% Of A Lean, Sculpted Body.

A single workout may run you an hour, but you have the opportunity to eat all day long. And with each meal comes the challenge of ensuring you are consuming proper nutrition that will aid your efforts at the gym. Watching calories can definitely help, but you should also pay attention to what type of calories you are putting into your body. You also need to pay attention to see if they are getting burned off through exercise.

A sample daily plan that can help reduce excess fat could look like this:

MEAL 1: Proteins, fats and veggies

MEAL 2: Protein, carbs and veggies

MEAL 3: Protein and veggies

WORKOUT

MEAL 4: Protein, carb and veggies

MEAL 5: Protein, fats and veggies

Boosting proteins, fats and veggies while reducing carbs has been proven by many studies for quicker weight loss. And, with beach season just around the corner, the quicker the results, the better!

This Is What You Need To Know About Proteins

It is important to have a serving of protein at each meal and snack. Protein is vital in building and seeing six-pack abs.

Why?

It supports your higher metabolism as you build more muscle and burn fat.

Since your body doesn’t store protein like it does with carbs, you need to include it at each meal and snack. And by increasing your protein intake, you’ll be able to feel fuller longer. Needless to say, this is great news if you are reducing overall calories. Some of the best sources of complete protein are lean beef, white fish, chicken breast, organic cheese, eggs, egg white, light flaky tuna and salmon.

This Is What You Need To Know About Fats

You’ve probably heard all the hype about healthy fats. Guess what? There’s a lot of truth to it. By consuming good fats, research has shown that they can prevent belly fat while helping your body absorb proper vitamins and nutrition.

It’s a fact that you do need to eat some fat to stay healthier, so why not choose the best fats that can make you leaner? Top fat choices are mixed nuts, avocado, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flax seeds and fish oil.

This Is What You Need To Know About Carbs

Whole-food carbohydrates are best, specifically at certain times of the day. Directly after an intense workout is optimum to load up on carbs when you need to refuel your body.

The best carb choices include brown rice, whole oats, mixed beans, quinoa, sweet potatoes, sprout grains and legumes.

Consuming two servings of veggies at each meal and snack is another great way to fill you up. Adding fruit in your carb choices is an option, but just be careful that you don’t consume too much fruit throughout the day.

Why?

Those carbs, while still healthy, can hinder your slimming results. Also ensure you drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before, during and after your workout. This helps keep your body hydrated while flushing out toxins.

Eliminate Back Pain With Stronger Abs

Beautiful tummy muscles are not only good for looking ripped or even thinner, they are also extremely important for core strength, posture and balance. These are things that make our everyday lives easier when our muscles are supporting us.

Millions of Americans suffer from back pain. One of the best ways to prevent back pain is to strengthen your stomach muscles. The exercises we mentioned will certainly achieve that. A strong core will also protect your organs and central nervous system, prevent injuries and, of course, ensure you look spectacular on the beach!

Conclusion

Who doesn’t have 21 days?

And, who doesn’t want better abs?

We all do so you might as well set a goal for getting those ripped abs! After three weeks, you might just find you’ve gone from having a two-pack to a four-pack or even a full six-pack. 

If you already eat healthy, then you might find it’s simply a matter of tweaking your nutritional components. That could be all you need to help you lean down while defining your abs. But, if a salad is something you rarely consume, then you may want to start by changing just one or two aspects of your diet. Once you’ve adjusted to those, add a couple more. Day-by-day, you will begin to feel more energy and vitality while your pants become looser.

Implementing small changes into your diet can help you have the most success with achieving a healthy lifestyle. But, doing too much too soon can lead to failure. In other words, you may run the risk of gaining back any weight you lost because you’re starving on your current diet! Follow these tips and you should be able to avoid fall into that trap.

– By Amy Munshaw