Can You Achieve a 6-Pack if You Have Never Had Abs Before?
Aug 5, 2024 mindpumpYES!
Huh, imagine how easy this blog would have been if the answer was no. Maybe the next topic Mind Pump assigns me will be “Should you put a fork in an electrical outlet,” — I’ll type two letters and enjoy the rest of the day off. But until that time comes, let’s check out this simple, actionable guide to get a six pack.
You Need to Be Lean Enough to See Them
The first step to achieving visible abs is reducing your body fat percentage. This requires being in a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn. While a combination of diet and exercise will help you reach this level of leanness, the dieting aspect will be most important.
Why?
No matter how hard or frequent you train, it’s incredibly inefficient to try to get into an energy deficit simply by burning calories. If you were to eat a single Oreo every 20 minutes on the treadmill, you’d likely finish your workout in a caloric surplus. Simply put, cardio is good for heart health, but it’s not a standalone method for weight loss.
You Need to Build Your Abs
Abs are muscles like any other; they respond to progressive overload. This means you need to train them effectively, focusing on full range of motion exercises that involve deep stretches and strong contractions. Avoid doing countless reps; instead, aim to progressively increase the resistance or difficulty of your ab exercises.
Additionally, you don’t need to train them every day. Again, they are not an anatomical outlier. They need rest just like the rest of your body needs rest.
Don’t Neglect Core Stability Exercises
Core stability is essential for overall health and fitness. While stability exercises might not directly build the six-pack you’re after, they will help keep your spine healthy and prevent injuries, enabling you to continue training consistently. The McGill Big 3 (curl-up, side plank, and bird-dog) are excellent exercises for core stability.
These movements won’t be progressively overloaded, however. Stability is about sufficient strength, not maximum strength. Once your core is strong enough to support daily activities and exercise, there likely isn’t too much benefit in getting it stronger (unless you have specific reasons to). So, do your core exercises until you’ve built a strong base, and then cut back the volume and effort simply to maintain it.
Train Abs Through Thoracic and Lumbar Flexion
To effectively train your abs, focus on exercises that involve thoracic flexion (such as the crunch machine) and lumbar flexion (such as leg raises). These movements target different parts of your abdominal muscles and keep your routine balanced.
Train Hard and Make Abs a Priority
If achieving a six-pack is your main goal, you need to treat it as a priority. Many people do ab exercises as an afterthought at the end of a workout session. However, if you want to make significant progress, dedicate specific time and effort to your ab training. Approach your ab workouts with the same intensity and focus you would apply to any other major muscle group.
Follow these steps, and soon enough you’ll have a six pack for the first time in your life. Good luck!
