We all dream about honing the perfect body with strong, toned, Instagram worthy abs. Scrolling through your news feed you are force fed with tips and products guaranteeing six pack abs in under 15 minutes, however the pursuit of a perfect six pack is no simple matter. Melissa Weldon, Head Trainer at brand new London fitness boutique Sweat It, is here to help us untangle what works (and what doesn’t), and teach us new habits so we can keep them once we’ve got them.
Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash
Visible abs, a flat stomach and six packs are not built in 4 weeks. I’m sorry to burst your bubble. Unless you have been training consistently for a good six to twelve months and already have a fairly low body fat, it’s unlikely you will uncover your dream six pack in a short space of time. However, all is not lost, start the work now and you can not only look like a complete badass, but BE a complete badass by summer 2019… maybe even in time for some winter 2018 sun! Here are my 6 steps that will help get you get started on your journey to achieving a six pack.
Step 1
Build a strong foundation. You can lose all the body fat in the world; if you haven’t built a strong core, no six pack will be revealed. A workout which covers the fundamentals of fitness; strength, cardio and mobility will make you stronger and fitter with the bonus of improving your metabolism and physique. At Sweat it, our classes cover strength, cardio and a sprinkling of mobility. Our interval training on the treadmill will help you burn fat and the strength training on the Rig will build the muscles you are striving to reveal.
Step 2
Abs are built in the kitchen and the gym, so it’s essential your diet compliments your training. I’m not going to tell you to cut all joy from your diet, that is not the route to long term success but look at your weekly habits and where you can; improve. Your diet should be rich in protein, carbs and fats to both fuel you and aid recovery from your training. Add sprinkles of foods and drinks that you really enjoy, and you will be much less likely to “fall off the wagon” and have a binge. If you do have a blow out, the world will keep spinning; jump back on it, don’t wait for Monday.
Step 3
Change your mindset. Work towards fitness goals; run a 5k or an obstacle race, work towards lifting those bigger dumbbells, try out those intermediate speeds in the treadmill class you take. Always strive to be better than the person you were yesterday. The moment your focus shifts to getting better at fitness, you will find you start walking with a whole new swagger; you’ll be shocked at how getting fitter and stronger changes how you see yourself in the mirror. You might just start seeing the beginnings of that “beach body” in a matter of weeks.
Step 4
Train with a friend. It’s very easy to back out of a workout when they only person you are accountable to is yourself. Less easy to let a friend down for that 7am class.
Step 5
If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it. Find a routine that fits your lifestyle and makes you feel good. You don’t need to keep up with whatever is popular on social media. Run your own race.
Step 6
Be patient. There are no quick fixes. Focus on the long game, this will get you long term sustainable results. It is proven, that training consistently 3-5x per week over a longer period yields better and long-term results than extreme dieting and training.
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