I made 6 pack abs in 6 months, and this is how I did it.

Detailed you passed information with my own pictures to back it.

The amount of content available on the internet regarding achieving a dream physique astonishes me. Fortunately for me, I have been a sportsperson since my school days, and a fit regimen comes naturally to me. Most of the guys, including me, have a penchant for a ripped body and crowning it with a six or an eight-pack abs, and why not? After all, well-defined abs are almost synonymous with an ideal male physique.

Achieving your goal of a ripped body with great abs is surely no cakewalk not only it takes disciplined physical effort, but it tests your mental space as well. This is not all; after all this effort you did and earned yourself a six-pack or eight-pack ab, you are struck by the scary realization that maintaining those six-pack abs might actually be tougher than getting them in the first place.

Let me tell you this in a simpler way: when you have your eyes set on a goal (say achieving high grades) or the prize associated with it, you don’t mind pulling up your socks and working extra hard, and sacrificing other things to achieve your goal but once you achieve your goal you are faced with the reality of long term commitment required to sustain your results, and that’s when most of the people give up.

Through this article, I will share my personal experiences of how I am able to maintain a good physique and, to top that, how am I able to maintain my abs and believe me, it is not all about hitting 1k sit-ups per day.

To make sure that the six-pack abs you are craving do show up on your body, 2 things are indispensable:

• First, your abs must be big.
• Second, your body fat percentage should be low (ideally around 10 %)

For increasing the size of your abs, you will have to work out regularly, and to get well-defined ab; you will have to follow not only your workout routine but also keep a watch on what you put in your mouth, Which will help in regulating the body fat percentage which has a major say in helping your abs make an appearance.

Although it is easier said than done, let us now break down all the deciding factors and analyze them through the course of this article. I hope the things that have worked out for me also help you out in reaching your goal, and more importantly, once achieved, sustain it for longer periods.

The following 3 areas are your golden ticket to that dream body; if you can conquer these, then that rock hard stomach is not far:

1. Food and nutrition

Abs are made in the kitchen as much as in the gym.

• Whole foods
• Protein +Supplements
• Healthy fats
• Carbs
• Water

2. Training

Compound movements: the game-changer.

• Exercise 1: Chin Ups Reps (why ? and tip-off)
• Exercise 2: spider man planks Reps (why ? and tip-off)
• Exercise 3: Toes to Bar Reps (why ? and tip-off)
• Exercise 4: kettlebell/ Dumbbell Goblet squat Reps (why ? and tip-off)
• Exercise 5: Hanging windscreen wiper (why ? and tip-off)

3. Mental health and stress

FOOD & NUTRITION:

“ABS ARE MADE IN KITCHEN, NOT GYM”

Well, yes, the above saying, which I am pretty sure you must have come across, is indeed true. What you eat daily has a lasting impact on your physique. Although having a cheat meal once in a while is okay but keep in mind that incorporating seasonal unprocessed whole food in your diet will give you desired results.

WHOLE FOODS:

In layman's terms, whole foods are those food products that are closest to the natural form and are unprocessed. These are nutrient-rich, and it takes a longer time to get processed by our body than junk food, hence ensuring higher nutrient absorption. The whole food I rely on is green leafy vegetables (seasonal), whole grains, fresh fruits, nuts, farm eggs, and vegetables.

I am a sucker for sweets, and I am terrible at moderation. I either go all out or nothing. So whenever I used to satisfy the sweet tooth of mine, I used to work out extra intensely to ensure I had burnt all the extra calories I had taken in.

PROTEIN AND SUPPLEMENTS:

Protein and six-pack abs are synonymous with each other. The Intake of lean protein in each meal of yours is of absolute necessity. Most people, including me, rely on chicken, turkey, and beef for fulfilling their quota of lean protein but trying alternative sources is of no harm and may also provide you a break from having your go-to protein sources, which would have bored you by now. Low fat cottage cheese, Beans, Lentils, Tuna, Plain Greek yogurt, Frozen shrimp, Pork loin are some of the excellent alternate sources of protein. By switching your protein sources, not only will you have a diverse diet, but you will be feeding yourself a well-balanced diet as well.

Now let us talk about supplementation, With the plethora of protein-based supplements available in the market, it is actually quite difficult to pin down on a single protein powder, but of my personal experience, I can tell you safely that to add lean muscles and to fuel your muscle recovery isolate whey protein powder and Branch chain amino acid (BCAAs) will definitely help you achieve your workout goals. I prefer whey isolate protein as it has more protein content, less fat, and lower carbohydrate content per serving than conventional whey protein. Also, it is a savior for those who are lactose intolerant. Intake of BCAAs in between training or after it will assist in protein synthesis, which will aid in muscle mass building.

So if you are aiming for six-pack abs or are sweating it out to maintain your abs then shakes with whey isolate protein and BCAAs will go a long way in reaching your protein goal.

HEALTHY FAT:

First of all, do not fall into the ‘low-fat trap.’ As long as you are binging on food items having monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats such as Nuts (cashew, almond, and walnuts), olive oil, canola oil, chia, and flax seeds, you can be absolutely assured that eating fat will help you get rid of fat. Maintaining healthy levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in your body will help burn fat, build muscles, reduce inflammation, and hence keep a check on raised cortisol levels, which are a major cause of storage of unyielding belly fat.

CARBS:

Most people think that intake of carbs is detrimental for six-pack abs. But same as is the case with fats, the intake of a good amount of complex carbs daily will actually help you maintain your abs. But hold on, this doesn’t mean that you gulp in pasta, pastries, donuts, and other junk food and count it in your complex carbs count. I rely heavily on fruits and leafy vegetables for my daily source of carbs. It would be best if you always kept in mind that carbs play an important role in supplying energy to your body. To continue a high-intensity workout and attain muscle definition, you will need energy, and by going low carb while performing rigorous training, you will coerce your body to exploit its protein reserves. Therefore it is always advisable to stack on to healthy levels of complex carbs to keep up with the intense workout required for reaching your goal.

WATER:

Besides hydrating your body and feeding your muscles, water helps in boosting up your metabolism by over 30 percent, which will keep you shredded as well. It will also keep those hunger cravings at bay by making you feel fuller. 6–8 liters of water intake daily is optimal, so if you are bad at remembering, always carry a bottle with you and sip it now and then. To remind yourself to drink water every few hours, you can also set alarms on your phone.

PS: This is the only alarm on my phone that doesn’t piss me off.

TRAINING:

Keeping up with the workout schedule:

At the peak of motivation to achieve your sick pack abs, you, in all likelihood, were hitting the gym six days a week. Now, if you factor in the various professional and other personal commitments, it is not always possible to sustain and keep up with such a rigorous regimen on a long-term basis. So you can make adjustments to your workout schedule since you may not require to work out as much as you did before. In my case, while working out to get my six-pack abs, I used to train 6 days a week, devoting 2hours of my day to the gym, whereas after achieving the six-packs to sustain them, I now work out every alternate day, sweating it out for an average of 90 minutes. From what I have experienced until now, I would advise you to work out at least four times a week. Going any lower than this, you may be able to retain your six-pack, but that too only if you are extremely cautious with your diet, but for sure, they won’t be as well defined as they once were.

Compound movements — The game-changer

To get that ultimate Baywatch six-pack resemblance, you must get those big compound movements going. Compound workouts make more sense than doing insane numbers of ab crunches per day, as all our core muscles are connected. They help target different muscle groups at once, so it is most likely to reap the results you aim for.

Here is the compound workout that I include in my regular weight training routine, which has yielded noticeable results for me:

THE SIX PACK SAVER LOOP:

For these core strengthening exercises, you will require a pull-up bar, a dumbbell, or a kettlebell. Take 20 seconds to break after each exercise and after completing all the exercises in the loop, take a 2-minute break and then start again. Target completing 3 such loops, three times a week, after or before you finish your regular weight training schedule.

Exercise 1: Chin Ups Reps: 6–8

Hold the chin-up bar with arms placed shoulder-width apart with an underhand grip. Pull yourself up from a dead hang position until your chin is over the bar. Pause and hold your position for few seconds and now slowly move back to the dead hang pose.

Why chin-ups? : See, by doing the chin-ups, you actually target your back muscles and arms, which aids in burning calories, and at the same time, by involving your core to allow your body to remain locked in a position, you also work up your abs.

Tip-off: The core allows your body to hold on to a nice, comfortable position and avoids those unnecessarily tiring swinging movements. Do not quit if you are finding it hard to completely get back to the top position of the move and lower yourself as slowly as possible.

Exercise 2: spider man planks Reps: 10 each side

Start in a push-up position; now, position your forearms flat on the floor directly below your shoulders, and rest your body weight on the toes. Keep your torso flat by involving your core –take care to keep your body in a straight line from shoulder to heels.

Now, slowly move one knee of yours to the elbow on the same side of your body, use the core to avoid your torso from twisting. Go back to the initial position and perform the same on the other side as well. Do you get the name now?

Spiderman planks: The variation that we achieve by performing the spiderman plank is a notch above compared to the standard planks. It also helps keep the heart rate up, which in turn enhances the fat-burning process, and it also targets the muscles on either side of your sick pack abs, famously called the obliques.

Tip-off: keep reminding yourself that it is not a race. Increase the tension in your core and involve more muscle by keeping the movement in control. The more the muscles are engaged, the more defined your six-pack will be. One of the primary reasons the plank is considered effective is due to the amount of progression that can be added to it. The level of progression is directly proportional to a stronger and fitter you. By performing spider man plank variation, you take the progression a notch higher and work up an amazing amount of core strength.

Exercise 3: Toes to Bar Reps: 5–8

Hold the bar firm in an overhand grip and hang it down. While keeping your arms straight, now lift your legs up until they touch the bar by involving your abs. Now, slowly and steadily, lower your legs back to the initial position.

Why Toes to Bar: This exercise engages your big back muscles, which are most helpful in burning the fat around your back and belly. That burning sensation in your lower abs will confirm the core muscles are being recruited to their best capacity.

Tip-off: Maintain the position of your legs as straight as possible throughout, as this is all about lever strength; it will give your core a proper burn. Do not swing on the bar, no matter how tempting it is. To achieve the best results, work yourself in a dead hang after each rep.

Exercise 4: kettlebell/ Dumbbell Goblet squat Reps: 10

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell by the handle with the elbows out to the sides, such that the weight rests on your chest. You could choose a dumbbell or kettlebell of any weight that feels okay to you and progress to a higher weight if it was easy for you.

Maintain your chest stretched out, squat down, and keep lowering down your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Now move back to your starting position.

Goblet squat works. This exercise targets every muscle group, resulting in a great amount of calorie and fat burn. Front-loading the weight will put your core through more compression, which will, in turn, produce extra effort to keep you upright and prevent you from falling over.

Tip-off: channel your body weight on heels while returning to the standing position to generate more power while maintaining a balanced and stable posture.

Exercise 5: Hanging windscreen wiper Rep: 5–8

Hold the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hang down, keep lifting your legs until they are just higher than the bar. Now keeping both your legs together, lower them down to one side by ninety degrees.

Return to the start position and repeat the same move on another side. Count it as two reps.

Why hanging windscreen wiper works: It subjects your core to tension throughout the move and engages multiple muscles in multiple directions. It also works up the body in a transverse motion. Since it is not a very common move therefore unless your core is strong, you will struggle to keep up with this exercise.

Tip-off: Finding it too difficult? Keeping your upper body in a forward-facing position, twist your hips to one side while hanging down from the pull-up bar. Now, bend your knees and raise them up to chest level.

MENTAL HEALTH & STRESS:

Apart from the workout and nutrition, it is essential to be in a good mental space as this will go a long way in propelling you towards your goal; as said earlier, maintain six-pack abs is far more challenging than getting them in the first place; therefore a relaxed and focused mind will give you that determination and will power to turn up regularly for your workout sessions and also help in keeping up with all the dietary routines as well. Yes, this mental health aspect might seem to pale when compared to diet and training, but excessive stress can be a major cause of accumulating belly fat.

When our body is subjected to stress, it produces cortisol hormone in the adrenal glands, which are our body’s chief respondent in fight or flight situations.

But the problem arises when chronic stress emanating from professional, personal, or other general mental conditions continuously raise our cortisol levels, which in turn results in the storage of excess visceral fat near the abdomen, which is generally very stiff and hard to get rid of.

Incorporating meditation and yoga into your daily life, going out for long walks, practicing mindfulness, and getting a decent night’s sleep are a few of the many stress management techniques that can come in handy for you.

So, yes that’s all from my end –Each and everything you can do to get yourself a six-pack and maintain it too. Although this journey you have undertaken may be a little time taking and tougher than you would have thought of as long you keep up with this advice, you should be just fine.