Steps to a Six-Pack

A six-pack is not an instant gratification situation, but many infomercials would have you believe that. This aesthetic is possible, however, with hard work. Hard work, you say? Oh no! Well, nothing good every really comes with it, now does it?

That would depend on your starting point. Getting a six pack requires not only abdominal muscles, but also a low body fat percentage so the muscles can be visible. Men need a body fat percentage of less than 11%, and women less than 17% for the abdominals to have a chance to be visible. For the "extreme six pack" look, we're talking more like 8% for men and 14% for women. Women have more body fat naturally, so their numbers will be higher.

Remember, this is not necessarily a pounds issue, though you very well may lose some weight. In the picture on this page, I weigh 140 lbs and I am 5'9". People are often shocked that my weight is "high," but it is because I have a high percentage of muscle and a low percentage of fat. That is the goal when looking for six-pack abs.

The answers to these sorts of questions are always the same: diet and exercise. You have to burn more calories than you take in to begin losing fat. A pound of anything, fat or muscle, requires 3,500 calories. What this means is that in order to lose a pound, you need to burn off 3,500 more calories than you have consumed. Obviously, this also means that if you consume 3,500 more calories than you burn, and you are not exercising, you will gain fat and lose muscle. By exercising, you burn calories and begin to change your body composition (amount of fat and muscle), not to mention the other health benefits such as longer lifespan, lower blood pressure, decreased risk of heart disease and improved mood.

Eat more plants! That is the best diet advice out there. In general, if you add as many whole fruits and vegetables to your diet as possible, you will have a healthy diet. People often worry about protein. Beans and nuts are great protein-packed plants. While milk is not a plant, it also supplies protein and vital calcium.

Portion control is also important. A great way to manage the amount of food you consume is to use a smaller plate. Our instinct is to fill the plate we have, so if it's gigantic, guess what, we're going to eat a gigantic amount of food. If in a restaurant, ask for a to-go box up front. Put half in your box, and there's lunch for tomorrow!

Incorporate more cardiovascular and strength training into your life. I would recommend at least 3 days a week of at least 30 minutes of cardio training to start. You want your level of exertion to be at about a 4-6 out of 10 during this exercise, so that you would be able to say, "Hey! How ya doing?" to someone, and not be huffing and puffing. Breathing is key here!

Strength training should be at least 2 days a week for the entire body (biceps, triceps, legs, chest, back, shoulders and core). For all these exercises, you'll want to 1-3 sets of 15-20 reps. Listen to your body. If 1 set is like cake, do 2.

You're probably thinking, "But, I'm talking abs, here." Yes, true, but the more muscle you have, the more calories you can burn at any given moment. A pound of muscle burns more calories than fat. The jury is out on exactly how many, but more is better when going for the six pack.

Of course, you'll need to do, as I mentioned, some core strengthening exercises. The most effective exercise, and often the most challenging, is the bicycle. You'll want to lie on the floor with your hands behind your head, elbows extended. Alternate bringing your right elbow to your left knee, then your left knee to your right elbow while creating a pedaling motion with your legs. As you become more advanced, extend legs lower toward the floor. Longer limb=more work.

The plank is a good exercise. You'll want to hold this exercise for about 15-30 seconds (that's one rep) for 2-3 reps. Facing the floor, put your elbows beneath your shoulders, dig your toes into the ground and lift using your abdominals. Your head, neck and spine should be in a straight line. If this is too difficult at the start, a modified version works just as well to get you going, and you will see results! Just put your knees on the floor.

A classic sit-up is great, with your face toward the ceiling, and also sit-ups with one elbow toward the opposite knee, to define the waistline. Once you become advanced, after at least 2 months, add resistance. Resistance helps create hypertrophy, or bigger muscles. An easy way to add resistance is to extend your arms over your head for a longer limb. Remember, longer limb=more work. For the lower abs, a reverse crunch works well. Extend your feet in the air and lift them toward the ceiling. Your butt should come about 2 inches off the floor and only your lower abs should contract.Try not to rock or bounce.

Any questions? I'm an ACE-certified personal trainer, and I'm here!