“How to get a six pack” is one of the most searched questions on the internet, and in an attempt to draw in more traffic, many uninformed people have tried their hand at trying to advise people on how to get a six pack.
This is exactly why there are so many articles out there like “how to get a 6 pack fast” or “5 ways to get abs quick” – misinformation out there is rampant.
Fortunately, getting a six pack is quite easy when you know what to do, and we will be giving you a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know to get a six pack here in this article.
The Problem With Most Answers to How to Get a Six Pack
The main problem with the answers that most people give to how to get a six pack is that they often do not talk about the real solutions in order to drive traffic and make their readers feel happy.
Everyone wants an easy solution – nobody wants to work incredibly hard for months or even years.
This is especially the case when there are so many “alternative” solutions out there that can allow you to get results in days or weeks.
However, as you probably know deep down, it is just not possible to get a six pack in a matter of days or weeks.
The only exception to this is if you are already extremely close to having a six pack in the first place, in which case you probably don’t need this article.
Because of the fact that every writer wants to maximise views, almost all of the realistic answers to how to get a six pack are hidden beneath heaps of junk.
This can make it incredibly difficult to find accurate information, and when you do, you will be much more likely to go with the bad advice that claims you can get a six pack in a matter of weeks, only to give up when you realise it is not working.
Keeping this in mind; everything we tell you in this article is the plain truth. There will be no sugar-coating – if it is going to take you years for you to get a six pack, we will tell you.
However, we will also tell you everything you need know in order to actually get a six pack, so if you are willing to put in the work, this article will be the last thing you need to read in order to get your dream body.
Without further ado; here’s how to get a six pack.
Lower Your Bodyfat Percentage
The best way to get a six pack and the only way to get a six pack is to lower your body fat percentage.
You can do as many crunches as you want, or you could even follow an effective ab building routine, but if you are not lean enough to see your abs, nothing is going to help you.
For men, this means being around 10-12%, while women can get away with being around 15% to see their abs.
Factoring in that the average man weighs around 180lbs and is roughly 18% body fat, this means you are going to have to diet for at least a couple of months in order to see your abs.
Moreover, the more body fat you are currently carrying, the longer you are going to have to slim down to see your abs.
Since this article aims to tell you everything you need to know to get a six pack, we will tell you exactly how you can lose body fat to reveal your six pack.
In order to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit. This means that you consume less calories than you burn off in a day.
This is all you need to lose weight. Forget what you may have heard about carbs or fat – the only thing that matters if you want to lose weight is being in a calorie deficit.
So, how do we know how many calories we need to eat to be in a deficit? Well, it’s pretty simple.
All you need to do is go onto an online calorie calculator and input your details and you will be given a rough guideline of how many calories you need to eat to maintain your body weight based on the info you give.
From here, simply reduce the number of calories you consume by 500. This will make you lose 1lb a week or 4lbs a month.
We know; dieting sucks. In all likelihood, you have probably tried to go on diets before and failed.
However, this time is going to be different.
The secret to dieting is to make sure you like what you are eating everyday.
Do not make the mistake that most do and switch to a super healthy diet of salad and chicken only to quit a week later.
No, as long as you stay under your calorie limit, you can eat what you want. This can mean pizzas, burgers, cakes – whatever you want.
The common notion that you need to eat healthy foods to lose weight is just not true.
Try it – diet for a month by eating your favourite foods while still staying under your calorie budget and watch the pounds drop off.
Getting a six pack doesn’t have to be hard.
While it might take a while, eventually you will just get used to being in a calorie deficit and get accustomed to the process.
Build Up Your Abs
Now that we have got your diet in check, it’s time to start building up your abs.
While working out isn’t essential for abs (getting a low enough body fat will reveal your abs whether you work out or not), it can make them a lot more defined, prominent and impressive.
Plus, you don’t just want to be that skinny guy with abs. Having strong and defined abs is likely the aesthetic that you are going for.
So, how do we build up our abs? Fortunately, it’s pretty simple.
Hanging leg raises target all areas of the abs and have scored the highest in EMG (electromyography) studies in muscle activation, making them the best bang for ab exercise there is.
Planks are also great for abs as they build overall stabilisation and strength, making them perfect for pairing up with hanging leg raises.
To do hanging leg raises, all you need to do is get a pull-up bar or anything that you can hang off of and raise your legs as high up as you can without swinging.
This can be a pretty difficult exercise, so you might want to do lying leg raises first to build your strength up.
As for the plank; simply get into a push-up position, engage your core, and hold for a certain length of time.
The only thing left to address is sets and repetitions.
Repetitions are the number of times you perform a certain exercise, while a set is how many times you perform a certain number of reps before having a rest.
For general muscle building, you will want to do around 4-5 sets and build your way up to doing 10-12 repetitions per set. You will also want to rest for around 3 minutes between each set.
To give you an idea of what this looks like in practice, we will create a simple ab workout that you can follow to build your abs.
A basic ab workout would look like this;
Hanging leg raises: AMRAP (as many reps as possible) x 5
Plank: hold for 2 minutes x 4
You should repeat this workout every other day for optimal results while also staying in a calorie surplus (eating more calories than you need to maintain your body weight) and eating a lot of protein.
If you are unsure of how many calories you should consume to build ab muscle simply go to an online calorie calculator and input your details.
Once you find out your maintenance calories, simply increase this by 250 to build muscle.
This should be done once you are already at a pretty low body fat, so it would be a good idea to stay in a calorie deficit first to reveal your abs before you try to bulk them up (you should still perform ab exercises no matter if you are cutting or bulking).
This is everything you need to get a six pack.
It may sound a little complex if you are completely new to the world of fitness, but it is all pretty simple stuff.
Once you get into the routine of working out and watching your calories, everything we have just said will become second nature.
Stay Dedicated
The last point we would like to make might just be the most important advice in this article.
Everyone can get a six pack, but not everyone who wants a six pack will stick it through long enough to actually get one.
Getting abs can be a challenge, especially if you are new to working out and fitness. This is why only a small percentage of people who want abs ever end up getting them.
There is a pretty simple explanation for why this is the case.
At the start of your journey, you are more motivated than ever. You can’t wait to get your six pack and you feel unstoppable. You are willing to do whatever it takes.
However, after just a few days or weeks of dieting and working out, this motivation begins to fade.
All of a sudden you start missing workouts or slacking on your diet, and before you know it, you scrap the ordeal entirely.
So, what separates these people from the people who actually end up getting six-packs? Easy; discipline.
There are inevitably going to be those days when you just feel like skipping a workout or going over your calorie budget, but these are the days that are most important.
It’s going to feel bad, and you will undoubtedly come up with every excuse in the book as to why getting a six pack is just not for you.
If you are able to persevere in spite of these thoughts, this is when you will achieve true progress.
Once you get past those first few weeks and build the discipline to work out and eat right even when you don’t want to, you will go on autopilot.
No longer does working out seem like a horrible chore – it’s just something you do without thinking.
If you are able to make it past the month mark, you will have instilled the habits you need in order to actually get a six pack. After this, everything will go much more smoothly.
This is the secret that sets the people who have six packs apart from those who don’t.
How To Get a Six Pack – FAQs
What Are The Best Ways To Get Abs?
The best ways to get abs are exercising, eating in a calorie deficit, and staying committed.
These are the only ways to get abs, and if someone tells you differently, they are probably trying to sell you something.
How to Get Abs Fast?
To get abs fast, you need to diet and exercise.
The time it takes for you to get abs will vary depending on your current body fat percentage.
How Do I Get a 6 Pack?
To get a six pack, you need to be in a caloric deficit and do ab workouts.
It’s simple to do, but it’s going to take a lot of work.
Is Getting a 6 Pack Possible For Anyone?
Yes, getting a 6 pack is possible for anyone.
With diet and exercise, everyone can reduce their body fat enough so they can see their abs.
We hope we have been able to give you a better insight into how to get 6 pack abs.
While learning how to get abs is simple, following through on your plans will be anything but.
There is a reason why only a small percentage of people actually have a six pack – it takes months of hard work and effort in order to get anywhere close.
However, if you truly do want to get a six pack and are willing to follow a workout routine and stick to a diet for at least a couple of months, it is going to be more than possible.
The best way to get 6 pack abs is just to stay dedicated and trust the process.
If you would like to find out more information about how to get a six pack or are just interested in more self-improvement content in general, you might want to have a look around MovingForwards to see if we have any other articles that can help you.
