Excessive abdominal fat is not only unsightly, it is also very harmful to health and well-being. Fortunately, there are plenty of options when it comes to exercise and diet modifications to help you burn fat and achieve a flat stomach or even rock 6-pack abs.
For most people, having a flat stomach is pretty good: they’re not looking to go overboard with extreme exercise and nutrition regimens, but simply want to reduce body fat to a healthier level. A certain level of fat is required to protect joints and cushion internal organs, and these people simply want to get closer to that healthy level of being overweight or obese.
Some will stop at that point, but others will decide they like how much better they feel, how much more energy they have, and how much more attention and positive reinforcement they receive as they achieve noticeable weight loss, and will decide to go the extra mile and build six-pack abs. 6 packs. If you’re new to the term, ripped abs refers to building your abdominal muscles and reducing the abdominal fat that covers them to reveal the 2 vertical rows of muscles across your midsection. Physiology differs from person to person, and it’s possible for the area to be divided into 4, 6, or 8 horizontal ‘bumps’, but since 6 is the most common occurrence, your abdominal display is generically known as your 6-pack.
You’ve probably seen the saying that ‘6-packs are built in the kitchen’; this is an oversimplification and not really accurate. Like any other muscle, your abdominal muscles are built in the gym, using progressively higher resistance and/or additional repetitions. However, no matter how well you build them, they won’t be visible unless you’re following a healthy nutrition program that reduces belly fat to reveal the muscles you’ve built.
For most people, the most difficult thing is to adhere to the strict dietary program, not the exercise. This is because it is simply not possible to reduce staining when burning fat. Instead, the reduction in body fat occurs proportionally throughout the body, and since the tummy is likely to contain the most fat, you’ll need to reduce fat levels fairly to remove the bulk of the section half. Most people will notice that the muscles in their other body parts look ripped before their abs look shredded. Use that extra definition in your other muscles as motivation to continue your quest for a 6-pack!
If you are just starting your weight loss journey, decide to aim for a flat stomach first. As you get closer to that goal, you’ll have a much better understanding of what it takes to build and reveal your ripped abs and can decide at that point whether to continue or just keep the flat stomach you’ve achieved.
Aiming to go from being overweight or obese to a 6 pack may prove to be too far of an end goal to keep you on track and motivated, so break your quest into 2-3 parts and focus on one at a time, knowing everything. how long you will continue as long as you find it worthwhile to continue. If you are overweight or obese and have led a sedentary lifestyle, make an appointment with your doctor and hire a personal trainer – getting started and changing your mindset and activity level is actually the hardest step to take. But once you’re on the road to a flat stomach or ripped abs, you’ll love how much better you feel every day as you lose weight, flatten your belly, increase energy, and boost your confidence: welcome to your new healthier lifestyle of success!
