The new year is already a month old, and now it’s time to work on that summer body – because before you know it, August will be upon us. If you finally want abs that pop, you need to build up the muscle while shredding fat. You can do this with the right combination of training, nutrition, and supplements.
Here are 6 tips to build abs that pop by summer.
1 – Change your workoutChances are, if you don’t have a six-pack right now, your current workout is probably packed with boring and ineffective exercises. If you want to achieve a set of lean and sculpted abs, you’ll need to revamp your workout to build muscle while burning fat. The latter is arguably more important since the layer of fat is like a curtain covering up the muscle.
I recommend focusing on full-body workouts with compound movements. This type of exercise recruits several large muscles including your core. This will promote muscle building and fat burning simultaneously.
To achieve muscle growth, the ideal acute variables include three to five sets of 8 to 12 repetitions using 65% to 75% of your one-repetition maximum. When lifting the weight, be sure to use a tempo or lifting speed of two seconds up, no pause, and two seconds down.
Use this full-body weightlifting workout three days per week (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday):
Full-body muscle building workout
- Barbell back squats: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
· Romanian deadlifts: 3 x 8 – 12
· Incline barbell bench press: 4 x 8 – 12
· Seated row: 3 x 8 – 12
· Overhead press: 3 x 8 – 12
2 – Get intense with your cardio The other part of this equation is cardio. Remember, you need to get rid of that belly fat if you want to see your abs. That means you need to burn more calories than you consume each day. High-intensity cardiovascular workouts have been shown to promote insane fat burning in a fraction of the time of a traditional (and boring) cardio workout.
Two days per week, use this cardio workout (e.g., Tuesday and Thursday). Perform all the repetitions for each exercise before taking a break. Once you complete the list, rest for a couple of minutes, then begin again. Do this list at least three times.
HIIT Cardio
- Jump squats: 15
- Push-ups: 10
- Jumping alternating lunges: 15
- Pull-ups: 10
- Burpees: 5
- Sprint: 10 seconds
3- Use the best ab exercises
You didn’t think I forgot about ab exercises, did you? I want you to target your core three times per week. When you decide to do that is up to you. Personally, I like to combine my core workout with my cardio. Using the example above, you could target your abs on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Not all core exercises are created equal. If you want to turn heads at the beach, you’ll want to use the core exercises that give you the most bang for your buck as far as muscle activation. Try this core workout to build a six-pack:
Core workout
- Hanging leg lifts(Ass to the sky): 3 x 15 – 20
- Woodchopper (Top to bottom cable twist): 2 x 15 – 20
- Cable crunch: 3 x 8 – 12 (heavy weight)
- Reverse wood-chopper (Bottom to top cable twist): 2 x 15 – 20
- Seated vacuum: 3 x 30 – 60 seconds
4 – Follow a fat loss dietArmed with your new workout, half the battle is done, but abs aren’t made in the gym…they’re made in the kitchen. You can train all you want but if you’re eating junk food all the time then you won’t see anything except a bigger set of pants. If you want a six-pack by summer, you must focus on fat loss.
I recommend calculating your current calorie needs with an online calculator. Most are equipped to provide you with the number of calories to eat based on your goal, which should be fat loss while preserving muscle mass.
Your diet should be packed with protein to protect muscle mass, complex carbohydrates for fuel, and healthy fats to boost fat burning (yes, fat that burns fat).
5 – Thermo supplements While the bulk of your results should come from diet and exercise, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of natural supplements for that extra fat-burning edge. Thermogenic supplements have been shown to kickstart your metabolism, burn more calories, and promote safe and natural fat loss while sparing that hard-earned muscle.
Three of the most studied and proven ingredients in thermogenic supplements that I recommend are the following:
Garcinia Cambogia: Shown to be safe and effective at targeting belly fat with no side effects.
Bitter orange extract: Also known as p-synephrine, this ingredient has been shown to increase metabolic response with no adverse effects.
Guarana extract: Found in yerba mate, a famous tea from the Amazon, guarana extract has been shown to safely increase energy and promote fat burning.
How to get all of these in one supplement There’s no need to buy several bottles when you can find all these ingredients in Clenbutrol. This steroid alternative is all-natural, safe, and contains the three fat burners mentioned above.
6 – Go to a sauna
While you’re working hard, be sure to treat yourself and go to a sauna. Not only will it help you relax, but it will also support your fat burning and protect your muscles from breakdown.
When you enter a sauna, two things happen: your body releases heat shock proteins that are anti-catabolic. In other words, they protect your muscle tissue. The second thing is you’ll crank up your metabolism. You’ll lose water weight in the short term, but you’ll also promote long-term fat loss.
Winter is the perfect time to build and sculpt six-pack abs that surprise everyone on opening day at the pool. Don’t be that guy in the tank top at the beach; get your ass off the couch and let’s get to work. Change up your workout, eat well to burn fat, supplement, and hit up the sauna – You’ll be turning heads in no time.
What challenges are you facing while building your abs? Are you having trouble with diet? Not sure how to perform some of the exercises mentioned? Do you have any tricks for building abs? Let me know in the comments below.
