Do you have a six Pack ?

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Ahh? the coveted "six pack". Sought after by millions across the country, six pack abs are a symbol of fitness that many people desire. They are also just downright sexy. There are many myths surrounding obtaining the elusive six-pack. Here I am going to break down myth from fact and tell you exactly what you need to do to get that six pack you?re looking for - and in good time. Myth - spot reducing One of the biggest myths that circulates around gyms is the myth of spot reducing. This is the one that says doing hundreds of crunches will "burn away fat" on your stomach, making the abdominal muscles visible. First of all, your body is not capable of losing fat from one area or another. When you lose fat, it happens when your body removes fat (from all areas of the body at once) and uses it for energy, much like if you ate a sandwich. If anything, the illusion created by doing hundreds of crunches is that the abdominal muscles will be "pumped" - that is the hundreds of reps will force blood to surge into the muscles, causing them to appear bigger and harder, seemingly "poking through" your stomach fat. The truth is, everyone has a six-pack, it is just usually hidden under a layer of body fat on the stomach. How then, do you get rid of this bodyfat? 1. Start drinking more water Not only is water essential for your body to optimally burn fat, it can also help your body burn more calories. Every 8 oz. glass of ice-cold water you drink burns around 30 calories. Also, drinking more water will help you feel healthier by eliminating headaches created by dehydration. Your skin will also look a lot more healthy and clear with increased water intake. 2. Cut out simple sugars If you can't cut out simple sugars, you are going to have a very hard time getting a six-pack. The key to fat-loss is controlling insulin. Insulin is a storage hormone responsible for storing nutrients in fat cells. Eating a meal high in simple carbs (like sugar) causes your body to release a lot of insulin, spiking the levels of insulin in your blood stream. 3. Eat 4-6 small meals per day The idea behind eating 4-6 small meals per day instead of the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner?is all about insulin control. As we discussed earlier, insulin control is vital to fat loss. Three big insulin spikes throughout the day is very detrimental to fat loss. Eating four to six small meals creates four to six small insulin releases and keeps fat storage to a minimum. 4. Start lifting weights The more muscle your body has, the higher the capacity it has to burn fat. Also, the more muscle mass you add to your body, the less fat you have to lose to see your six pack. For example, say a 200-lb man has 10% bodyfat. This means that he has 180lbs of lean mass and 20lbs of fat. If the man adds 20 lbs of lean muscle, he now weighs 220lbs, but still has 20 lbs of fat. 20/220 X 100% = 9.09% bodyfat. Without losing any actual fat, the man brought his body fat percentage down one percentage, which can mean the difference between visible abs or not. You should use compound, multi-joint exercises such as squats, deadlifts, dips, chin/pull-ups, overhead presses, bench presses, heavy barbell curls, and dips as the core of your regimen. 5. Eat more protein Just like eating multiple meals, eating more protein has a thermogenic effect- it is harder for your body to break down so it takes energy. Protein also spares muscle tissue when you are losing fat. This is essential because while we want to burn calories, we want to make sure the calories that we burn are from fat and not from precious muscle tissue. Try to eat lean sources of protein such as chicken and turkey breast, egg whites, and fresh fish. (Tuna is awesome too by the way). You should shoot for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you should eat 150 grams of protein per day. Spread out over 6 meals per day that is roughly 30 grams of protein per meal. You would cover this with a good sized chicken breast and a helping of rice. Another favorite of mine is the classic tuna salad sandwich on whole-wheat bread. If you are interested In fitness Follow me