Having a six-pack is the ultimate way to show that you're committed to yourfitness: You work out hard, eat clean....
Here are the top 5 reasons why your abs AREN'T growing.
1- You're not targeting the rectus abdominis:
One of the more damaging tenets of modern locker room lore is that you don't need to dedicate time to exercises that isolate your abs. It's true that squats, deadlifts and innumerable other compound moves do work your core, but research shows they elicit very little activation in the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle). To hone the beach body ready midriff you're after, do each of the below three 15-minute workouts once a week. You can tack them on to the end of a weights session or combine them with some high intensity interval training.15-minute complete core circuit15-minute compound move abs workout15-minute no-crunch six-pack session
2- body fat is too high:
You can hit your abs with laser-like precision and build a core that would put Olympians to shame, but unless you've scythed away all the flab from your stomach no one's going to know. "If your body fat isn't around the 10% mark your abs simply won't show," says sports scientist Ross Edgley. For a simple fat hack, accompany every meal with a mug of green tea. A study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found thanks to their metabolism-boosting polyphenols a single mug accelerates your body's break down of fat by a third. Here's 35 more ways to lose your love handles.
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3- You need to mix up your moves:
Your body is smarter than you. Unless you regularly change the methods you use to assault your core the muscles will adapt to the training and stop growing. There are just three different types of body movement that effectively work your abs: flexion and extension moves like crunches; rotation exercises like medicine ball twists; and static contraction moves like the plank or hanging leg lifts. The best abs workouts will incorporate exercises from every movement type. If your routine is getting tired, mix things up with thesefive innovative abs moves.
4- You haven't honed your diet:
That abs are built in the kitchen and not the gym may be a hackneyed phrase, but that doesn't make it any less true. In the quest to build a hardcore core, perfecting your diet is crucial. Follow these nutritional principles from personal trainer Ray Klerck and you won't go far wrong. To help you along, here's your six-pack shopping list and 12 quick-prep muscle-building meals. You're welcome.
5- You're not getting enough rest:
The oft-ignored third element in the six-pack equation is sleep. It's when you're wrestling with the sandman that most muscle is built: your growth hormone levels are elevated throughout the night. What's more, fail to get enough shuteye and the stress hormone cortisol floods your system, encouraging your body to store fat around your midriff and putting the brakes on your gains. If you're struggling to log your eight hours first perfect your sleep environment, then use these five steps to better sleep.
3- You need to mix up your moves:
Your body is smarter than you. Unless you regularly change the methods you use to assault your core the muscles will adapt to the training and stop growing. There are just three different types of body movement that effectively work your abs: flexion and extension moves like crunches; rotation exercises like medicine ball twists; and static contraction moves like the plank or hanging leg lifts. The best abs workouts will incorporate exercises from every movement type. If your routine is getting tired, mix things up with thesefive innovative abs moves.
4- You haven't honed your diet:
That abs are built in the kitchen and not the gym may be a hackneyed phrase, but that doesn't make it any less true. In the quest to build a hardcore core, perfecting your diet is crucial. Follow these nutritional principles from personal trainer Ray Klerck and you won't go far wrong. To help you along, here's your six-pack shopping list and 12 quick-prep muscle-building meals. You're welcome.
5- You're not getting enough rest:
The oft-ignored third element in the six-pack equation is sleep. It's when you're wrestling with the sandman that most muscle is built: your growth hormone levels are elevated throughout the night. What's more, fail to get enough shuteye and the stress hormone cortisol floods your system, encouraging your body to store fat around your midriff and putting the brakes on your gains. If you're struggling to log your eight hours first perfect your sleep environment, then use these five steps to better sleep.
