Six-Pack Abs: The thinking man’s guide to a flat, lean stomach

We are delighted to offer our readers another guest post from Kevin over at Strong And Fit.net. His last post with us proved to be an overwhelming favorite amongst our readers and as you can see on the right sidebar has been viewed over 1200 times and counting. Please take a minute and visit Kevin, where you can find all kinds of great subject matter in physical fitness. Thanks You Kevin.

There’s an epidemic in America that’s much more dangerous than H1N1. I’m talking about our weight–about 30% of Americans are considered obese, and the numbers just keep looking worse each year.

Here’s the irony: as our waistlines are expanding, so is our obsession with leanness. We’re getting fatter while the ideal physique in our collective psyche is getting leaner.

No wonder we are so miserable. No wonder we spend billions on products claiming to give us the ever-elusive flat stomach.

I want to quickly explain some factors that create the “washboard” or “six-pack” stomach. Please read this article before you waste your money on belts, abdominal machines, or diet pills:

6 pack

Factor 1: Low Body Fat

More than anything else, a low body fat level is what will give you that “six-pack” stomach. This is where so many people get it wrong; thinking sit-ups or abdominal training will give them the look. It won’t—visible abdominals are primarily the result of having no fat to cover up the abdominal muscles. A real strategy for this look involves dieting and exercise (of which abdominal training is a relatively small part).

Factor 2: Water Balance

Once one’s body fat is low, water/sodium intake can be manipulated to make the abdominal muscles even more visible. Bodybuilders usually do this before a competition, and models/actors also do the same before a photo shot or filming. Without going into all the details, it is a matter of manipulating the body’s hydration so that minimal fluid is present under the skin.

Factor 3: Genetics

We are all genetically programmed to carry fat in a certain way. Like most men, I have a hard time getting rid of the last little bit of fat around my stomach. Women usually have more trouble losing fat around their hips/thighs. There’s not much we can do about this—we simply have to get lean enough for our body to finally tap into those stubborn fat deposits.

Here’s a related article on my blog you guys may be interested in reading:

The Truth About Abs: Five Facts You Must Understand

Short URL: http://man-over-board.com/?p=3226

Posted by Kevin Sanders on Dec 3 2009 Filed under HEALTH, SELF HELP. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

alo

February 14, 2010 - 7:45 PM

my 6 pack is better

Kevin Sanders

February 9, 2010 - 10:26 PM

RT:@man-over-board Six-Pack Abs: The thinking man’s guide to a flat, lean stomach http://bit.ly/bQM6xd

Bar and Night Club Lover

December 21, 2009 - 6:21 AM

Another thing that is very important is to work the opposing muscles to the abdominals and obliques (being the lower back). This ensures that your abs don’t weaken your lower back, and subsequently prevent you from exercising…

Gregory Despain

December 19, 2009 - 5:43 PM

appreciate your hard work on gettin this info out to people who could use it

Kevin, Strength and Fitness Blog

December 4, 2009 - 10:52 AM

Hi DorothyL,

You should be able to comment over at Strong and Fit as long as you have a blogger ID or open ID.

jonyx

December 3, 2009 - 8:30 PM

I’m having trouble in the hips, thighs and jelly belly! I’m not large but there’s still some stuff there that just won’t behave! There it goes again, showing up where unwanted…here’s to hoping my increased routines send the extra fat off to bother someone else.

DorothyL

December 3, 2009 - 7:07 PM

That is one of my favorite subjects aside from self-esteem…I have always been into health and fitness. Throughout my years of body sculpting, running and cycling…fat has been a huge topic of interest.
I love the Strong and Fit site and I have always agreed with their advice. I wish they had a different comment situation as I cannot seem to connect with what they have. Hence their never hearing from this brain

Great choice for guest post by the way….love the abs up there also