What it Takes to Get that Six-Pack

The six-pack is the epitome of a person's dedication physical fitness. Desired by many and yet so few achieve this marvel of peak abdominal conditioning. What does it take to get six-pack abs? More work than you could ever imagine.

Most people believe that a six-pack comes from doing hundreds, maybe thousands, of sit-ups and crunches. While this helps, it is only a small part of what goes into developing abs of steel. To get the abs of a Greek god takes discipline in both the gym and the kitchen.

In the Gym

Exercises that focus on the abdominal muscles tend to build muscle in the area. While sit-ups, crunches, and ab rollouts are important components for getting six-pack abs, they lack one necessary attribute - the ability to burn fat.

Fat gathers in the stomach area and covers the abdominal muscles. In order to remove the fat, look to incorporate more cardiovascular exercises into your workout routine. Look to add 15-30 minutes on a treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical to your regular regimen and watch the fat around your mid-section melt away.

In the Kitchen

Sticking with the subject of fat, burning off the unwanted mass is only part of the plan. A person looking to get six-pack abs must be mindful of what and when they eat. Attempting to burn off fat is pointless if you continue to eat meals high in calories and fat content.

Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet along with other low fat and low-calorie foods. In addition, eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day helps to boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories while you rest. Not only will you be well on your way to seeing those six-pack abs you want, but you will also have more energy and shed pounds.

Meal preparation also helps to achieve your six-pack goal. To battle the desire to grab some fatty foods because of lack of time, prepare your meals for each day at the beginning of the week. Now, if you are running behind, you have a healthy meal ready to grab and go. It keeps your diet intact and saves you money as well.

Having a six-pack is a confidence booster. It is evidence that you work hard in the gym regularly as well as maintain a nutritionally balanced diet. Becoming dedicated in the gym and the kitchen takes work, but the results will amaze you once you have gained these disciplines. Get your workout clothes ready and prepare your shopping list. It is time to get that six-pack.

It's the Return of the Motherf... I Mean... I'm Back

Did ya miss me?

While my frequency of posting ceased, my workouts kept going.

This is what I do. I like to workout. I like to lift weights. I like to ride the stationary bike.

I HATE LUNGES!!! 

I pick stuff up. I put stuff down.

This isn't enough for me.

I'm working towards something, although I have yet to give it the full focus it deserves. Still, things are coming along nicely.

One of these days I get a hang of this whole nutrition thing. I just happen to love fried foods and sugar (I ate a funnel cake cover in chocolate syrup, peanut butter syrup, and Reese's cups yesterday).  But, as most of you know...

I try so hard.

Unfortunately,

I really do.

Now that I've bombarded you (BOMBARDMENT!!!) with random pictures that I found on Google, I'm making my dedication to improve my diet public. I got goals, dagnabit! And 40 is getting closer. 

So, stay tuned for updates, pictures (I'm really not as vain as I come across), babble, psycho-babble, and bro-science (I love this term).

WE WILL PROTECT THIS HOUSE!!! By "house," I mean body. And by "protect," I mean throat punch.

#letsgetstrong

REST DAY... to the EXTREME!!!

Today's rest day was just that in every way.

My Les Mills COMBAT session yesterday happened between my two jobs. I didn't get to sleep until 8:00 am this morning. And sleep I did. For nine hours.

My body needed all the rest I could allow it to have. I probably could have slept more if I didn't have to be at work tonight. Still, it felt good to get that much sleep in, especially after the challenging day I had yesterday.

Once again, rest day is also about what I put into my body. Unfortunately, I was too tired after work to do anything more than eat a microwavable meal. Right now, I'm enjoying a 1/2 cup of brown rice as I type this. I still have to figure out what I'll eat for dinner.

BLOG RELAUNCH

I'm glad I decided to relaunch my blog with an introduction to the Les Mills COMBAT program. I hope you've enjoyed the beginning of my journey with this DVD set as much as I've enjoyed doing the workouts. Please continue to follow along as I provide updates on my progress over the next 60 days.

Until then...

Let's get in shape, let's have fun, and #letsgetstrong.

UPDATE!!!

Ok, so I decided to go against the healthy diet thing tonight as I indulged myself in fried pickles, boneless chicken wings, and french fries at Hooters. Don't judge me.

REST DAY... is boring.

Day 4 of Les Mills COMBAT is rest day and so far, I don't like it. I need it, but I don't like it.

It's hard to not do anything when I constantly think of popping in the next DVD or pushing some iron. My sore body wants to relax, but my brain is motivated to workout. 

So let's change the subject. 

In yesterday's post, I mentioned my love for food. Recently, given my new found girth, I've been working to change my diet... or at the very least, improve it. 

I'll admit, my weight gain was done purposely. I ate anything and everything I could get my hands on to add a few pounds. Now I'm in the mood to trim the fat. 

I started by preparing my meals a few days in advance. For breakfast, I eat steel cut oatmeal with a bit of cinnamon and sugar and hard boiled egg whites. For lunch, just a couple of peanut butter sandwiches will do. Dinner, so far, has been brown rice, chicken burgers, and spinach. 

I've been trying to watch my portions. When I was eating to gain weight, my meals would probably feed two or three people. Now, I'm sticking to one serving for a meal and have snacks throughout the day. 

Watching my snacking has been a challenge. I like sugar and would frequently put away multiple sweets in one sitting. I did get in the habit of getting fruit, veggies, or nuts to snack on, but even those I would over indulge in on occasion. 

Getting a hold of my diet is definitely a work in progress. I have goals I'm trying to meet and to reach them, I must make better food choices. Until then, I'm going to eat this pasta with meatballs and tomato sauce. 

Let's get in shape, let's have fun, and #letsgetstrong.