Two things are essential to get a six pack – diet to reduce total body fat and exercise to strengthen and develop the abdominal muscles. However, losing excess fat and getting a six pack is one of the hardest goals to achieve. We have already talked about how to lose weight, so here we shall mostly focus on the exercises that best develop your abdominal muscles.
Remember that there are no specific exercises to lose fat. Spot reduction, or targeting stomach fat, does not work. You may have been brainwashed by infomercials that abs toning devices will melt away your stomach fat and reveal 6 pack abs, but this is all just a clever bit of marketing. The adverts never show the fitness models drenched in sweat, gasping for breath after an intensive workout. The people that demonstrate ab toning devices do not actually use those devices to get the fit body they have, they really are all just fitness models.
The 10 Most Important Abdominal Exercises
As any bodybuilder knows, building muscle requires lifting increasingly more weight (progressive overload). The abdominals follow the same rules as any other muscle. Generally muscle growth (in terms of size, not functional strength) is most successful when lifting 10-12 rep sets. Therefore, maximum weight is not used, but also the weight should not be so light that you can easily perform more than 12 reps per set.
For this abs training routine you will require some free weights (discs and a dumbbell, plus ankle weights) and a bench that can be set at a slight incline. You can see instructional videos for some of these exercises on Abdominal Exercises to Tone and Strengthen Your Stomach. Here are the most important exercises to do to get six pack abs:
1. Bicycle Crunches
Considered by some trainers to be the most important abdominal exercise. Perform crunches with your hands lightly touching your forehead and as you raise your torso, twist so that your leading elbow meets the opposite knee. Alternate each side.
2. Incline Reverse Crunch
We start on the bench, which is set to its first incline position. Put on your ankle weights, lie back and grab the bench behind your head with both hands. Raise you knees so that they are above your waist, and then lift your hips off the bench, towards your head. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
3. Weighted Crunch
The crunch is the classic stomach exercise. Simply lie back and hold a weight disc to your chest. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, lift your shoulders off, hold, and lower. 3 sets of 10 reps.
4. Weighted Russian Twist
Sit upright on the floor with your legs out in front, but legs slightly bent. Lean back approximately 45 degrees while holding a dumbbell in both hands straight out in front of you. Then twist your torso to the left, keeping your back straight, hold for 2 seconds, then return to face forward. Repeat on the right side. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Adding weight should mean that you are working your abs harder, and result in better muscle growth. Do not try building abs with 200 sit-ups every day, do it the proper way with bodybuilders weight training exercises.
5. Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging leg raises target the “lower abs” and are much more effective than laying leg raises, which mostly target the hip flexors. You need good grip strength to perform them as you hang on a high pull up bar and then lift your legs up with knees bent as far as you can.
6. Front Squats
Front squats are performed like a standard back squat, but instead of supporting a barbell across your shoulders you hold a weight tight to your chest. This moves the focus of the squat to the core region, thus creating a good abdominal workout.
7. Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings are a great way to combine muscular endurance exercise with cardio. The dynamic swings increase heart rate while working the glutes, thighs and core. They are useful in developing the core region.
8. Side Bends
The classic dumbbell side bend is often neglected these days. However, it was one of the exercises that Bruce Lee performed to supplement his abs routines. The most important rule in side bends is to ensure that you keep your lower body solid and only move your torso. Also avoid leaning forward or backward. Start in an upright position, inhale as you lower the dumbbell along your thigh, then inhale as you lift.
9. The Plank and 10. Side Plank
The Plank and side plank are static exercises. You support your body on your forearms and toes while keeping your body straight and your abdominals engaged. If you are not feeling a burn in your abs then you are not performing the plank correctly. You can also support your weight on your hands and feet, in a classic press up position. Keep the back straight at all times. If the back starts to sag slightly, this is because you are tiring, so stop. Abdominals must be engaged and if you do not quickly feel your abdominals tiring then you are not doing the plank properly.
The side plank can be performed in either a half or full position. The side plant is performed by supporting the body on just one hand, with the feet close together. The other hand is held up vertically. To perform a half side plank, you support the body on one elbow with the forearm on the ground, with the feet together.
Abdominal Muscles Need Recovery
Remember that like your other muscles, the abdominals require adequate rest to ensure that the muscles recover after the exercise. Do not perform these stomach exercises daily. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked his abs everyday, and Bruce Lee’s abs were also training often. However, we do not all have the same genetic advantages, so do not over train. They also had the advantage of being able to take extra care to optimize their nutrition and rest to prevent overtraining problems.
Fat Reduction Diet
As we have covered diet already in the article “how to start losing weight” we do not need to go into detail here. The number one rule is CUT OUT SUGAR. Sugar is the reason why most people are overweight. Ignore all those people that tell you the problem is too much fat. Saturated fat is unhealthy, it clogs your arteries and leads to coronary heart disease. There is no dispute about that. But did you know that sugar also does this? And excess sugar is converted to fat very quickly.
To make changes as quickly as possible adopt a sugar free diet for 2 weeks. It is extreme, but essential. Sugar is everywhere, especially in “healthy” breakfast cereals, white bread and junk food. Are you planning to eat low fat yogurt? Don’t! Low fat yogurt contains additional sugar to make it taste nice.
The second rule is to eat more protein and more healthy fat. These food groups help build muscle and boost your metabolism. Just make sure you are eating healthy forms in all cases. No processed meats, limit red meat and other forms of saturated fat. It is also important to remember that you need to reduce your total calories as well to help weight loss.
Ultimately to lose fat requires a daily calorie deficit by combining a healthy and balanced diet with regular exercise.
Increase Your Metabolism
There are two ways to increase your metabolism: diet and exercise. The longer you go without eating, the more your metabolism slows down. So to counter this effect, eat more often, but obviously eat less. Many professional athletes eat 6 to 8 times a day, with each meal being a small portion of protein, fat and carbohydrate (low GI diet) in a perfect balance to keep fat content minimal while building muscle tissue.
The other way to increase your metabolism is through exercise. Whenever you exercise you start burning calories quicker. Also as you build more muscle, your metabolism also increases. So exercise is essential.
Exercise Like Your Life Depends On It – Because It Does!
Finally, the exercise component. Exercise is essential, and you need to learn to exercise properly to lose weight in the most efficient way. OK, ab exercises will help you get a six pack in the long run, so do not abandon them. But while you have a layer of fat over your stomach you will never see your abs or reduce that fat by just doing ab exercises.
Several years ago someone came up with the idea of the “fat burning zone” which involves working out at a relatively easy pace for a long time. It turns out that this idea was incorrect. However, fitness machines all over the world are still plagued with this “fat burning zone” scale. You need to workout more intensively to effectively lose weight and get fit.
This does not mean that you have to try to exercise like an athlete though, as this is also not going to be possible. Just push yourself as hard as you can for 30-45 minutes every day. 45 minutes is best as 45 Minutes of Intensive Exercise Raises Metabolism for 14 Hours. In short, if you can do 45 minutes of exercise at a reasonably intensive level (more than just walking or a slow jog) then your body will continue to burn extra energy for 14 hours. This is often called the afterburn effect.
So why do we say that your life depends on it? Well, simply, it does. Excess stomach fat is a sign that visceral fat is building up around your internal organs. This fat actively harms you and leads to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Being overweight is also fast becoming one of the leading causes of cancer. Fat reduction is not just about aesthetics, it is about your health and longevity. Learn more about the Health Benefits of Losing Weight here.
The Best Forms of Exercise to Burn Fat
So what workouts should you do? There are really no best exercises for burning fat, the key is to work as hard as you can to increase your calorie deficit so that you start breaking down fat stores. These exercises are all good options:
- Running
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Walking
- Dance workouts
- Martial arts
- Intensive Interval Training
- Compound Weight Training
- Full Body Workouts
- Plus many more!
Note that burning fat is the first step. The key to any exercise session is that you absolutely must work yourself hard. You should be sweating well and also panting during the intense intervals. If you are not, then you are simply not working yourself hard enough.
Many of the old school approaches to exercise are very effective, especially the circuit training exercises and compound weight training sessions. This is why military style boot camps and martial arts classes are so good at helping people get fit and lose weight – they use tried and tested methods that strengthen the body, improve muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
However, as good as a particular method of exercise or a new diet designed to aid weight loss is, the real ingredient that is required for success is you. You need to want it, and you need to work hard to get it.
The Science of Burning Fat and Building Muscle
Effect of a 1-Week Diet and Exercise Program on Weight and Limb Girth, by Jerrold S. Petrofsky et al – The Journal of Applied Research • Vol. 4, No. 2, 2004.
This research paper confirms that daily exercise will reduce stomach fat effectively, when combined with a diet plan, and therefore eventually reveal a 6 pack.
Comparison Between an Abdominal Curl with Timed Curls on a Portable Abdominal Machine by Petrofsky et al, The Journal of Applied Research Vol. 3, No. 4, Fall 2003
This paper concluded that abdominal exercise equipment can help increase muscle gain by encouraging subjects to exercise harder – “subjects are forced to work hard with this machine as they fatigue whereas with crunches, as fatigue approaches, people work faster and at less of an angle of flexion“
Core Strength Training by Skip Allen et al, Sports Science Exchange Roundtable 47, VOLUME 13 (2002) NUMBER 1
“Keys to successful core strengthening programs include selecting sport-specific
exercises that overload both anterior and posterior muscles of the trunk and pelvis
and emphasize repeated explosive movement”.
Hello, I am very irritated to my body. I am slim but has a big stomach and has a flabby arms,and I do not have the hips that gives a body shape. Please help me and give informations on how to solve my problems out. Thank u and more power
Hi May, the best thing you can start doing is some full body workouts – a combination of circuit training and weight training would be ideal, as this will tone the muscles in the arms, back, legs and core region. Squats and lunges will give your thighs more shape.
Hi there, i have a bit of a belly from drinking beer,but the rest of me is okay.How could i lose this and tone up.
If your diagnosis is correct, then the answer is simply drink less beer! Also eat less empty carbs, ie. white bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes. Try not to snack after drinking beer. Other than that, follow our belly fat rules and do regular exercise. Lift weights, build muscle, and eat healthy. But remember, beer can be good for you!
Russian twists are one of my favorite exercises to really target the obliques. I like to use a medicine ball for the added resistance. Also performing a weighted crunch on a Swiss ball creates constant instability so your entire core and stabilizer muscles have to really work to maintain balance.
All my mom buys is junk food and I’m just gaining. What am I supposed to do if I can’t get a hold of some real food. Please please help!!!!
Hi Moranda, you really need to find a way to persuade your mum that junk food is not healthy. Insist on eating vegetables and fruits, say it is for your health and happiness!
Hi I’m sorta young to start doing all these ab workouts but I still do them I’m not really getting any results and I really want a flatbelly and 4pack.I try not to eat rice and bread because they make me gain a lot of belly fat but I don’t know what to eat.and I don’t know what excersises to do and what to eat to loose my belly fat I really don’t have a lot but I’m tired of it. Please help me!!!!
Hi, I have alot of belly fat and sides but other than that i dont have a problem with any other part of my body. I dont know what excersices i should be doing. I dance almost everyday but i feel it doesnt work. What should i be doing?
Hi Brooke, if you are dancing a lot, then the problem is most likely to be diet. Reduce your daily consumption, eliminate refined sugars and processed foods for a while. Eat more protein and less carbohydrates too. See how you get on. Also more intensive exercise will help burn more, and compound weight training. Lunges and squats may also help to compliment your dance.
umm hi..i have a six pack…but how can i keep it there…and not to gain belly fat..i mean my mom like to cook lots of things…even tho i only 17 year old..i work out every day or just play footbal and stuff like that…but how can i make my abs stronger ?
Hi Johnathan, if you already have a 6 pack then your job should be easy! To keep it just work the muscles on a regular basis, do weighted crunches and side bends etc. Plus, most importantly, keep your diet lean. Over the next few years you may find that your appetite increases faster than your ability to burn the calories off (I speak from experience!) so just keep a close eye on what you eat. Keep it clean to keep it lean.
but how many crunches should i do each day…? and do joging help u at all ?
hi, i do crunches sit ups and jog,i also watch what i eat to…but it’s just not coming off.what do i do now? i can feel my abs,their just under a layer of fat…HELP PLEASE!!!! thanks…
Hi Christi. You need to burn more fat and eat a very lean diet. A 6 pack is really as much about diet as working out. Do some compound weight training to increase metabolism, and make you diet very lean – remove all sugars etc. Stop drinking fruit juices, high GI foods etc. You need to behave like a bodybuilder for a while. Also, add weight to your crunches (hold a weight plate to your chest). When jogging, do sprint intervals too, as raising your heart rate more helps to burn more fat.
i run thirty minutes everyday, do crunches, sit-ups, etc…. work out a lot and i also have a lean diet it’s sort of coming of, but I want to know what else I can do. please help… :)
I’m not sure if I’m allowed to ask more then one question…so this is my allowed/not allowed second question. are fruit juices bad? because i was researching for other foods that i should remove from my diet and this one site said fruit juices… and another one is pasta??
thanks again!
Christi, there is no limit to the questions that you can ask! Fruit juice contains a lot of sugar, so drinking a few glasses of fruit juice a day can be the difference between losing fat and accumulating more. The same applies to pasta – high energy, low fiber, little nutrition which means it bloats then leave you feeling hungry later.
Alexis, do some weight training, big compound movements such as lunges, squats, deadlifts, bench press, barbell curls. This will help you burn more fat.
okie dokie! good to know. okay can you do me a favor? look at what ive eaten for dinner:
shrimp
french fries [baked no greese at all so pretty much patato wedges ha ha ]
corn [no butter]
with a nice glass of water
is this healthy? am i on the right track or do i need to change some stuff?
Christi, it is healthy. But that does not mean you are making it easy for yourself to lose weight. Ditch the potato wedges and have a green salad instead. How is the shrimp cooked? Fried in oil?
boiled with nothing but water and a little bit of salt :)
hi im 13 i have a six pack but its kinda covered with fat can someone tell me what to eat in my diet
Hi, read our article on losing belly fat. Basically you cut out all sugar, eat only lean meats, and do intensive interval training and weight training.
Hi guys! Just came across ur website! Very informative! Great advice! I’m a 35 year old male who was in good shape in his 20’s! Still in decent shape now but would prefer to be a lot more toned in the stomach area! Was off recently for 2 months with bad back & currently doing strengthening exercises! Back feels the best its been in about 2 years! R there exercises i could do that wouldn’t risk a relapse in my back?
Hi Keith, very tricky to say. For a stronger back you need to strengthen the core muscles. Here are some tips on exercising the back. The trick is to never over do it, and listen to your body. Perform slow and gentle exercises, even when lifting heavier weights.
Hi im 13 years old and im trying to figure out like what to eat and what excersises to do because i dont really have a lot of spare time on my hands………. (i get up at 6:45 and get home at 6:45 pm eat do homework and relax my brain for a bit and go to bed at about 10:00) so i was wondering what are some fun excersises i could do that i can do fast?
Hi Reid, that is one busy day for a 13 year old! I had loads of spare time when I was your age. Regarding diet, it is more what you do not eat at your age, i.e. soda, sugar, cakes etc. You can still eat that stuff, but in moderation. Activities? Really you should find the time twice a week to do a structure exercise class, such as martial arts. Saturday mornings and one night in the week should allow you to train well enough to get fit.
Hi, im a skinny fellow. My arms were skinny but my tummy is too big. How can i gain weight and at the same time lose my big belly fats. Ty and God bless.
Vince, start weight training. Follow a strict routine, use free weights, compund exercises. Once you have built some muscle we can look at your diet. Plenty of advice here though.
Hello, I am an 18 year old guy that is in pretty good shape. I work out about four to five days a week and understand and apply nutrition. I’m about 160 trying to gain 10+ pounds of muscle. I have a little stubborn lower ab fat, nothing major. But everything else is pretty good. I hear that excess aerobics can cause weight loss, but In my case I want to gain weight. Although I want to lose a tiny bit of that lower ab fat that’s not completely toned. Do you suggest switching off every other day from weights to aerobics, or what?
Hi Garrett, if you are weight training everyday, then you are probably not working out with enough intensity. Really you should split your routine up and workout 2-3 times per week. You can then do cardio on the other days. Cardio needs to be intensive also, interval training is the best way to burn more fat.
what if i doing handstand pressup everyday it will help me lose fat and delevop 6 packs?? thanks
I am 31 years old women and currently weigh 150 lbs. I am trying to lose weight for this get together in like a month and a half. I want to lose at least 10 pounds. I have lot of fat in my hips, thighs and upper arms. how much i eat good, i am not able to get down below 150. What can i do? I workout 3 times a week – cardio and strength combined. I only started this from 3 weeks.
I eat good during the week but in the weekend i may be eat rice or coffee with sugar etc. I am not very good during weekends. What can I change to lose 10 pounds and tone my arms?
A good diet will help you show a 6 pack. Best to work the abs to to build the muscles too.
Hi Nami. Firstly, your diet. It sounds like you know your main problem – your cheats at the weekend. Do not have the sugar or the high calorie meals. The weekend is 28% of the week, so actually a long time to drop the healthy eating. As for toning the arms – press ups, assisted dips, bicep curls – these will all tone the arms well.
Hello, I’m 25 6’9″ and weigh 298 lbs. I’m getting in great shape but I’m wondering if I can be a 300 lb behemoth, or in order to be “ripped” if the weight will have to come down some. I’ve been hovering at 300 lbs but it seems that the fat weight is turning into muscle weight so I’m staying about the same weight. I cut the sweets, do my cardio, eat healthy and enough, take my vitamins, drink my protein, etc. What’s a healthy weight for my size? I feel great and am going to try to stay about 290-300 but what is a recommended weight I guess?
Hi Lee, that is a good question – what is a recommended weight. For anyone that does bodybuilding, the BMI (body mass index) is a waste of time, as it puts very muscular people into the overweight category. Really I think that you should focus less on weight and more or waist size. Are you carrying a lot of weight around the waist? If you get down to 24 inch waist, or less, then that would be a very good sign that you are of a good “weight”. Really it is fat levels that are important, both to health and how athletic we look.
I have been working out for a while now, when I started I weighed 300lbs! Now I am down to 250 and dropping the weight quicker than ever as my workouts have been getting more and more intense. However I worry about loose skin around my belly area, do you have any advice? Should I worry about it?
Hey, I am an 18 year old female and a vegetarian. I run about 5-6 times a week as well as various exercises. I focus on different bod parts each day to allow the muscle time to heal, and do abs approximately every other day. My legs and arms are thin for the most part (I would still like to see an improvement) but my stomach DISGUSTS ME. I box, and still no change. I have not been able to wear a bathing suit since I was really little. As I was scouring these previous questions, I noticed you responded with an increase in protein and lesser of carbs. How would you suggest I do this seeing that I am a vegetarian? Also, I eat a lot of all natural peanut butter (the ingredients are just peanuts) on whole wheat bread, is this good?
Thank you,
Shannon
Hi Shannon. Eggs, cottage cheese and whey are great protein sources, so you should have no problems eating more protein as a vegetarian. If you aim to strengthen your legs this should help you burn more fat. Do squats and lunges, but mostly squats, and aim to build up the weight lifted. Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps per weight training session, with a weight that means that the final reps are very hard to complete. This will build athletic/functional muscle that also boosts your metabolism. Natural peanut butter is popular in the bodybuilding community, and they are always looking for ways to cut the fat! As for the rest of your diet, limit refined sugars and eat more nutritious green salads, leaves such as spinach, rocket and lettuce are really good and have a “negative carb count” due to the high fiber content.
Am 19 years old, my hight is 5.8 and my waight is 75 kg. Am not so fat but my thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest and the sides of my stomach is very bulky.I want a well shaped body like Devid bekhum. I know thats too hard for me but i need that. I don’t eat so much, run up to 4 km every day(from 1 year) and go to gym. I do pushups, bench press, front press, back press, chest flys, pull over, biceps, triceps, abb crunches. I have been doing this since last two month but i am not getting that kind of shape. So please give me some suggestion and exercises( with the process to do it). Please help…
hi i a brandon, I am looking for a way to lose weight because i have a big stomach, i weight around 260 pounds, i am 6 foot 2 inches and only 17 i have been cutting back on sweets now i am down to about 2 snacks a week. What should i do???
Hi Brandon. Firstly, cut down to zero sweet snacks per week. Wean yourself off sugar. Avoid other refined carbs and sugars – bread, cakes, cookies, soda. Limit pasta and rice for a while. Get your calories through more nutritious food such as salads and fruits. Get exercising more. Lift weights and do intensive cardio sessions.
A recent study that compared many of the most common abs exercises concluded that the bicycle crunch was the most effective core exercise as it stimulated more core muscle fibres than any other exercise.
That is interesting. Do you know who conducted the research? Is there a report? Always like to see sports science research.
I lift in school everyday with the football team. but cant seem to get the belly gone. its just around my waist-ish area and will not come off how do I lose it?
Hi Kyle, why do you lift everyday? That is too often. Diet is the key, follow the rules, eat clean, workout hard.
Ii workout really hard and I still cant get my belly fat off. I do sit ups, crunches and jog. What do I do to lose the belly fat?
Hi Orlando. You need to do two things: 1. Avoid all junk food. 2. Do more intensive cardio exercises and bodyweight circuit training exercises.