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”.
I am having 27% body fat what to do.. Help..
You need to go on a low sugar diet and reduce calories, while also exercising. Read the MCD Weight Loss Plan for details on how to lose weight.
I’m 23 years old I used to be a real athletic guy when I was younger, over the years I haven’t been keeping up and gained some weight. I just really want to burn my stomach fat and build my chest to have definition. Some say jogging doesn’t help lose weight I think otherwise. How can I lose stomach and waist fat and build up my chest?
Hi Bryan. Jogging does help, but it is not the best way to get in shape. To burn fat you really need more intensive cardio workouts. To improve muscle definition you have to start lifting weights, for chest it is bench press, flyes, plus working the core, shoulders and back. Here is some more detailed advice on building a stronger chest.
Hi, I have a fat belly I been trying to lose but I just can’t seem to lose it I tried walking and push ups. Talked to friends but they all say go running but I broke my right foot just a few months ago and I can’t do a lot of walking on it because if I do it starts to hurt and get bigger.
Hi Tonya. You need to follow a weight loss plan. Diet is key to losing belly fat. Also you can still do many intensive upper body exercises, and you should be able to perform squats too which are excellent fat burners.
I am 14; 5 ft. And 90 pounds. I have been eating protein and vegetables and exercising squats, situps, crunches, bench and press but my stomach fat just wont go way.
Drake, do not worry about your belly. You cannot really have belly fat if you are 90 pounds, if anything you could be underweight. Keep up with the exercise and continue to eat a healthy diet, focus on being a fit and healthy person and in time your body will change naturally to look more athletic.
Hey. I’m 18 and slim, but I have unusual amounts of belly fat, and a large lower belly. Because I never put much weight on easily, I never worried about what I ate and looking back I think I may have over done it a little. Now I’m trying to get a flat stomach and eventually tone. Any advice on how to target my belly without becoming very thin in process? And ideas as to why my belly is large and not the rest of me? Thank you
Hi Hannah.
“why my belly is large and not the rest of me?” – simple, genetics.
“how to target my belly without becoming very thin in process” – eat a healthy diet with plenty of lean proteins and fresh salad vegetable and do some quality exercise. That is, high intensity and resistance training. You will then burn more fat off and build some muscle and curves without looking thin.
I’m 14 and I have a five pack. I’m not fat and I drink raw eggs for protein but cannot get my five pack to a six pack. What do you suggest?
Sounds like you need to work your lower abs more and focus on working then evenly. Perform weighted crunches, reverse crunches and bicycles, do them slowly to ensure you are working both sides equally. Here Vince Delmonte gives some advice on lower abs. We have reviewed his 6 pack program here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=penlfZ-PIaQ&ucbcb=1
hi I have abs but I wish to get them visible (pop out). I have been working them out quite a lot and when I do I can feel the burn. I used to work out every 2 days but lately everyday due to advice from a friend. I do standard sit ups 30 reps, 5 sets.
also i can clearly see my abs after working out
but the next day i don’t see them as well as i do after a workout
Start working them harder – add weight. Also perform more than just standard sit-ups – crunches, bicycle crunches, weighted crunches, hanging leg raises etc.
Lift weights too to increase total muscle mass to aid fat burning. Leg raises are good too as are front squats.
Sounds like you are almost there. You can see them when they are pumped after exercise, but this subsides overnight. Keep working hard, keep eating lean.
i tried the leg crunches just now i done 4 sets 25 reps and i feel the burn on the 25th rep or just before each time
it’s not a painful burn just a normal burn
would it be advisable for me to do more sets and reps?
also i’m 15 and a veggie, so could this affect me anyhow?
lastly i see a 4 packs of abs after a workout i see the middle and bottoms abs clearly, the top 2 aren;t as big as the middle or bottom…
Just keep doing what you are. Maybe add some weight. Nothing wrong with being a veggie, but you must ensure you eat healthy carbs (fruits, vegetables, pulses) and keep the starchy sources (bread, pastry, pasta) to a minimum. Eggs are your friend.
so even thought i don’t wake up with a pain in my stomach the next morning my workouts are still helping?
cos i thought if i don’t wake up with a pain then it hasn’t worked..
I assume by pain you mean aching muscles? I will help yes. But you may want to add some resistance / weight to work the muscles harder, and reduce the number of reps. Also remember to work the whole body too, and work the core, do not just rely on crunches.
ok i understand
so would 25 foot to foot crunches,25 cross arm crunches,25 bicycles and 25 push through’s be enough? 30 second break inbetween every 2 workouts
also if the 3rd and 4th set don’t burn as much as the first 2 but are harder to perfrom, would that suggest what i am doing is correct or incorrect?
sorry arm reachin crunch not push through’s
i realise these are mostly crunches but they work the abs in a different way don’t they?
So long as you are working hard you should do well. Just do seem to be focussing a lot on the abs, which is important, but do not neglect everything else.
oh no i do press ups as well
it just that i wanted to get my abs visible
but if you say carry on as i am then it’ll be possible
thanks for your time
If I flex my stomach you could see my abs but when I relax it it kind of goes i have a little bit of fat left. How can i get that stomach that shows abs without flexing
Two ways to do that Alvin: 1. Build bigger abs. 2. Burn off more fat.
Shame to talk again but it’s another thing this time.The upper 2 abs when I tense I can feel them but they’re situated on my rib cage..
So in a normal,visual viewpoint you can only see a 4 pack but when you tense you see the 6
So how do i get it from my ribcage, if it makes sense
Just keep training them and ensure your diet is good to cut fat.
hi I’m 17 years old and I play soccer and have practice Monday – Saturday. I try and try to eat healthy but I have problems sticking to it. I have belly fat that I would like to lose but im unsure of what to do. help :/
Hi Brinn. You have to make sure that you are eating a healthy diet. Diet is the problem and therefore the solution. You are getting regular exercise, so the only option is to change the way you eat. Cut out junk food, sugar, reduce alcohol, eat smaller portions, eat healthier foods.
Hi, I am having a big stomach but structure is normal, what will I do to fating my stomach. Help me pls
Miriam, you need a healthy, low calorie diet and exercise. Read this article on how to lose belly fat, it provides several diet rules that you should try to follow, and also links to other relevant articles on the topic.
Hi…I am the correct weight for my height but I have a flabby belly and need to tone it up also fat round my lower back.Is it possible to get rid of it all and tone up in 11 weeks as I have wedding to attend and the dress is fitted.I have damaged both knees so running is out…Please help as I am feeling so depressed as I have never had a problem before.I enjoy swimming would that help?
Hi Nike, yes swimming would help. So would some resistance training. If you can walk this can help too, although takes more time. Really you may need to alter your diet too – take a look at the advice on healthy eating for some pointers.
I am 5 feet and 6 inches age 29 years and have 2 kids. My weight is 67 kgs. I have been doing plank exercise since last 2 months. I can do planks for 60 seconds for the first time after 1 minute rest for 35 seconds and 3 times more for about 20 to 30 seconds. I feel little improvement but not a lot. How long this exercise will make me feel a good improvement.
Hi Deep, what are your goals? You are not overweight, so I assume that you are just trying to get stronger? Do you do any other exercise? Circuit training or jogging? How is your diet? What improvements are you looking to achieve?
Thanks for your immeidate reply. Actually because of 2 deliveries (3 years and 1 year), i have big tummy (not very big but still its not small). So my goal is to have flat tummy. Thats why i am doing plank (plank gives my tummy a big challange).
Hi Deep, you probably need to do more cardio exercise too then if you are trying to flatten your tummy. The Plank is great for strengthening but it will not burn much fat off.
Hi I have the figure I want I just have excess belly flab and love handles as well as a little extra in the buttocks area.What do you recommend for me?I have an 8 year old and i believe that is where the belly flab comes from as I was in a size 1 before I had my son.Thanks so much!
Hi Ashley, you just need to get more active with 2-3 weekly workouts (ideally 45-60 minutes) and eat really health. Stop naughty snacks, stop junk food, reduce alcohol (if you drink) and generally be healthier. All mums struggle a bit, half the battle is just finding the energy to get up and tackle the problem head on.
Hi. This is a great website. I have recommended to many of my friends lately. I am 24 yrs weighing 75kgs, 5.7 feet height. I have excess fat in my belly area alone. My hands and legs are very much in shape. I am vegetarian. I want to lose my belly fat badly. I jog for 4-5 kilometers everyday and do not prefer to go to gym. Could you please suggest what I can do to reduce my belly? Also is there a way to reduce the fat on my cheek muscle on face or does it go away once I reduce my body fat? Thanks a lot.
Hi Robert, wrt to your cheeks, you are right, you cannot spot reduce that fat. If you continue to run 4-5 km a day and improve your diet you will lose that fat. Try to consume low GI vegetables, and do avoid bread as much as possible. Many vegetarians tend to take too much energy from the staple foods like bread, pasta and rice. Consume more vegetables, salads and make sure that your diet is still rich in protein – pulses, whey, tofu, nuts etc.
Thanks for the quick reply. I really appreciate it. I pretty much eat same things as u have mentioned, no bread, less rice and pasta. But could you please help me regarding the ‘types of exercises’ that I can follow at home to reduce my belly fat instead of going to the gym. Thanks.
Any type of exercise will help, so long as you are working hard. In my opinion the best exercises (assuming you do not have free weights at home) are circuit training exercises (bodyweight exercises) and kettlebells.
I have a question about how a six-pack of abs shows up on your body. For the longest time, my upper abs were the only real definition I had. Then I added kettlebells to my workout and my lower abs (nearest to my groin area) became a lot tighter and the oblique muscles really began to appear. Then with the recent addition of jogging, I noticed that I’m starting to see the very distinct ‘V’ shape along my lower torso (just above my thighs). I’m still working on seeing the midsection (directly below my navel) “pop”. This has all taken place over the course of the last year or so with me consistently exercising five times a week for 30 minutes and eating cleanly. Correct me if I’m worong but I was always under the impression that a six-pack appeared all at once not in dribs and drabs. I’m a woman in her late 30s – is it different for women than men? Just curious. Thanks.
I think that the only answer to that is, everyone is different. Small differences in the way people accumulate fat, burn fat, build muscle plus body shape, height etc. will all make a difference. Sounds like you are doing great though, just stick to the plan and keep doing a varied workout like you are.
Hi, im 18 years old and am enroled in to a sporting highschool and do allot of training. i train 6-7.30 4 – 5 mornings a week and have afternoon training sessions every arvo from 3.45 to around 5.15, most morning i do gym sessions and each week i do 5 routines on isolated muscle areas. (chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs)i do core most day, i try to do around 20min of good quality core a day. and for my cardio i play waterpolo, which is very hard and enduring cardio. my food however is pretty bad, the food they give us is not very nutritional. at the school they cook quantity not quality. so what iv been doing is harving my meals and training harder, i do all this and cant get rid of the last layers of fat to get a 6pack. i know that getting my goal is 30% training and 70% diet, but it hard with the food here they give us. do you have any advice you can give me?
Hi Christian, that is a tricky one. As the school is so sports and fitness orientated then maybe you should raise the issue of healthier school dinners with someone there?
Hi. I’m Santiago and I Am a 18 Year old Male.. I Don’t Exactly know how to Reduce my stomach fat and sides fat ( Hips ). I got a Good Height of 6 Feet But i got lots of over weight and i am not able to loose that belly and hip fat and i do diets but when those diets don’t work i loose my head and quit them. I Dream to get 6 packs whole day & night Contacted Gym Trainers but its of no use. Tried more than 2 Supplements they lowered my belly and side fat by some inches but never gave me abs… I got my own gym in my home and i do almost 1 hr 30 mins exercises without fail from the past 6 months + i jog in the morning for about 1 hour and i play football with my friends. No matter what i do i cant loose this Fat. Please Help me :|
Hi Santiago, well, if you are exercising for 90 minutes a day plus jogging and sometimes playing football, and you are not losing fat, then the problem must lie in your diet. Cut out ALL junk food, white bread, baked foods, crisps/chips/fries, sugary drinks etc. Eat only fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, lean meats, fish and eggs. Supplements do not remove fat.
Hi. I’m a 13 year old girl. I am pretty lazy and have a lot of spare time. When I’m bored, I eat. So that has given me a big belly. I would like to get rid if it if a couple months, or at least get it smaller before i go on vacation. What kind of excersices can I do at home? And how many? What should I eat? Oh and I’m a picky eater. I do not like vegetables. I have some problems! Please help!