80% of the gym-going population goes to the gym with the aim of having abs one day. Forming abs is much more than doing crunches, which is a common misconception. It requires a holistic approach if you want your abs all 4 seasons of the year along with sufficient rest periods. But, How Do I Do It?
Here are some pointers to potentially develop visible abs:-
1. Lower Body Fat
We all have abs, they’re protected by a layer of fat which inhibits it from being visible externally. If you have too much fat covering your abdominal area, then no matter how many hours of crunches or leg raises you to do, there are low to no chances that you’ll see your six-packs. Fitness enthusiasts usually go through cutting & bulking phases because of which they have more visible abs during cutting compared to bulking due to the increased intake of calories.
2. Abs Are Made In The Kitchen
We all have heard this before and it’s 100% true. What you put in your body is going to show on the outside irrespective of how much time you’re spending in the gym doing exercises that won’t do you any good. The most effective way of achieving those abs is to eat clean. However, this does not mean restricting yourself and eating only “healthy” foods, balance is the key.
3. Incorporating Isolation Exercises
The muscle system is far more complex than we could imagine. Your abdominal wall is built of the rectus abdominus, internal, external obliques, and the transverse oblique. Isolating the upper abdomen will help these muscles get strong & tone faster. In order to utilize the hours, you’re putting in for those biscuits, inculcating a variety of exercises will give you the best results in a shorter time frame.
4. Doing Compound Lifts
A lot of people more often than not neglect their abs while training and split their routines 3-3 for the upper & lower body. But a lot of times, these people do have ripped abs. But how? Compound lifts.
Bench Press, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Low-Bar Squat, etc are some of the compound lifts that also work your abs. However, it’s not directed that this will give you the abs you’re longing for but will definitely contribute something. One should pair these lifts with isolation exercises for best results and perform them with good form to avoid lower back pain and injuries.
Developing abs varies from person to person, depending on their body fat percentage. It can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years for one to start seeing their abs. Therefore, one should skip the channel where they promote crunches and sweat waistbands as a way to see visible abs. Work smarter, not harder.
