How To Get 6-Pack Abs – The Facts Nobody Tells You

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Part 1

An Introduction

Why aim for a six pack?

The most obvious answer is that six packs give you the look of a Greek god but apart from a chiseled and well defined appearance, a six pack is a great indicator of your fitness, health, the structural integrity of your body and the journey you took to achieve the great image you embody. The pursuit of a six pack will take you through an intense, challenging and rewarding panoply of movement and exercise and will enrich your lifestyle with great foods and habits that will undoubtedly bring benefits to all the other areas of your life as well.

Abs are made in the kitchen—or so the saying goes. Indeed, your body’s propensity to burn fat and therefore reveal the definitions of muscle mass, is largely dependent on what you eat—and how your body deals with what you put into it. Start by feeding yourself well and gradually increase the intensity and challenges of your workout as you progress. This book offers somewhat of a primer for those that seek to initiate their quest to a solid six pack. You will find brief descriptions of the muscle anatomy involved; a brief guide to selecting the right foods to help you on the quest and a section with carefully chosen exercises that will enrich your current routine, or help you to design a new one.

How To Learn From This Article

This article will be a kind of primer toward your own routine and style of workout. It offers a perspective among many perspectives of how to approach the goal of a built core and ultimately—a six pack. Understand your body—seek the information and knowledge you require—plan and prepare yourself for the journey ahead and feed your body accordingly as you apply what you learn in this article and from every other source that meets your needs. If in doubt, do not hesitate to seek advice from a qualified professional such as a trainer or licensed medical practitioner.

Part 2

What a Six Pack Is Made Of

The abdominal muscles are a group of muscles that typically make up what is referred to as the core of the body. The six pack—the most well known muscles of the core—are scientifically known as the Rectus Abdominis.

The Rectus Abdominis—the six pack—is flanked on either side by the obliques. Both are pictured below:

These muscles, together with the multifidus, the pelvic floor, the deep abdominal walls of the transverse abdominis and the diaphragm are commonly referred to as the core.

These muscles are engaged throughout almost every major movement and require special considerations in order to effectively train them for increased strength, stability and definition.

Explain the movement articulations of the abdominals

Rectus Abdominis

Rectus Abdominis enables flexion of the spine. It controls the pelvic tilt to improve the functioning of the erector spinae—three long muscle groups that are attached at the pelvis and extend throughout the spine to the base of the rear skull.

Transverse Abdominis

This muscle supports the abdominal cavity and spine and is found in the deep walls of the abdominal cavity. It is an important postural muscle that increases intra-abdominal pressure in order to support the spine throughout heavy lifts. It is also activated in anticipation of movement of virtually all of the other parts of the body including the extremities. Core training will benefit from deep knowledge of this muscle.

Obliques

The movement of these muscles extends across a range of flexion, rotation and lateral flexion. They work with the transverse abdominis to support the spine and are found at the sides of the rectus abdominis. These muscles are engaged in exercise during twisting and torquing motions.

Multifidus

Keeps the joints of the spine stable and reduces degeneration of the joints caused by friction from normal movements.

Diaphragm

Located below the lungs—this parachute-shaped thin layer of skeletal muscle contracts while the volume of the thoracic cavity increases as the lungs fill with air. The activity of this muscle associated strongly with core and spinal stability during movements and exercise.

Part 3

Why Train the Core Muscles?

What Are the Benefits of Increased Core Strength?

Train your core to increase strength and mobility as well as stability. As body fat lowers and muscle mass increases the six pack will reveal itself but apart from well chiseled abs, a strengthened and enhanced core is a massive improvement to your body that extends its power into any activity that demands the best of your physical fitness. You will be able to run faster, stride more powerfully, lift and carry more weight and breathe deeply with a stronger core that protects and supports your spine and shields vital, sensitive organs.

Avert Pain Associated With Aging

To build a six pack is to work very hard at strengthening and engaging the entire body. With this, there are lasting benefits. Train for the six pack and the risk of injury during other activities will be greatly reduced. Additionally, pains associated with aging can be reduced or avoided if the time and effort was expended to build a strong core. A strong core is associated with reduction or avoidance of back pain and other body pains that are incident to aging.

Increase Self Confidence

A stronger core with defined abs will enhance your self image. In addition to the appearance of strength, the improvements to your build and body will enable you to deal with the challenges of life and take on more challenges and experiences. Socially, you can expect to find more fulfillment as you interact with other confidently and proudly. You may even find that your relationship prospects or sex life, greatly improved as a result of the image that the six pack affords.

An Active and Energized Lifestyle

The journey to the six pack will test and build you on many levels—and the results will be accompanied by a greater appreciation for the body, for movement and for engagement with the world. You will find that you are more motivated to move more and to help others with the physical demands and chores of everyday life as you become stronger and healthier.

Part 4

The Six Pack Diet: Eat the Right Way

Why Diet Is Important

It is important that you eat right and eat clean in order to build muscle and burn fat. It is important that you stay healthy and feel good throughout your mission to the six pack. It’s well observed and documented that you consume more calories than you burn in order to build muscle and if you consume less, your body is going to cut into its fat reserves.

This doesn’t mean that you should undergo the extremes of each end of this strategy in order to achieve your goals. A balanced diet supports a healthy body, minimizes the risk of injury since it keeps your organs and muscles functioning adequately and helps you to feel good as you approach your goals.

Understand yourself and the way your body responds to different foods as well as the thresholds after which you experience weight gain and weight loss as your habits change. Ensure that you are adequately nourished with proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

What Foods Are Best

Proteins are vital to more functions than can be mentioned in this article. Get as much as you can from as many sources as your palate fancies. Adequate protein intake is often associated with noticeable changes in fat distribution and percentages and is undeniably crucial to muscle gain. Proteins can be sourced from meat and plant based foods alike and there are many supplements to choose from.

Carbohydrates come from almost everything we eat including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and breads. Carbohydrates are an organic compound comprised of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. The body uses carbohydrates for energy and other important functions and assimilates them before the other macro-nutrients are synthesized.

Fats are sourced from nuts, seeds, oils, meat and fish and are not to be overlooked, nor must their importance be undervalued. The correct apportionment of fat in a balanced diet is associated with numerous health benefits and increased muscle gain and weight loss.

Foods

The correct combination of these macro-nutrients, based on your own knowledge of your body and of the foods you eat, will contribute accordingly to any fitness goal. There are countless resources available everywhere on foods and their effects and uses—it will be worth your time to pursue the knowledge that is relevant to you and your goals.

Here is a non-exclusive list of foods and ingredients that you should consider when designing a diet in accordance with your journey to the six pack:

Breakfast

Eggs

Chicken Breast

Fruit—Apple

Fruit—Banana

Sweet Potato

Oatmeal

Lunch

Turkey Breast

Brown Rice

Broccoli

Fruit—Grapefruit

Dinner

Shrimp

Fish

Quinoa

Chicken

Brown Rice

Snacks

Almonds

Blueberries

Whey Protein Isolate or Organic Protein Powder (before bed)

Organic Peanut Butter

Coconut Bites

Fruit—Avocado

Part 5

The Workout

Here are the stages of an effective core workout journey. Keep this structure in mind as you choose exercises to design and build your own routines. For the best results and safe recovery after work, keep workout sessions at 30-45 minutes.

Make a Plan

Preparatory

In the image above is presented a simple body map for quick reference and visualization of the muscles of the human body. Use the map to visualize the complexity of the muscle-structure and to think about the engagements that each exercise will entail. Your knowledge of this can only improve if you seek more information about the complex subject of muscle anatomy.

Precautions

You will find that there will be imbalances and inconsistencies in the movement of your body during warm-up that need to be addressed before you move on to more intense engagements of the muscles. Use this section of the article to build an understanding and appreciation of the importance of the core muscles and how they work so that you can introduce more complex and challenging exercises into your routine as you progress.

The exercises included in this article are mainly provided as a quick reference/primer on the subject of core strengthening and the six pack and by no means are a true scientific representation of the functions of the muscular system. It is advised that qualified instructors and physicians be consulted before you undertake any exercise program in order to assess your specific needs and your current state of health to determine the appropriateness of any exercise program.

If you attempt these exercises and experience any pain or discomfort, stop and seek guidance from a trainer or physician before you resume training. The exercises presented in this article are separated into three sections: Preparatory, Intermediate and Advanced—they can be referred to individually in the design of your own program or they can be incorporated into your own sessions as a routine with three stages with the inclusion of a warm-down at the end.

The Warm-up

Warm-up before any form of challenging physical activity in order to reduce the risk of injury and to ensure that your body functions well throughout movements. Correctly and consistently warming up before each routine will help you to reach new limits in the long run.

Warm-ups also offer to some, a kind of preparation mentally, for the intensity that usually follows.

Prepare the Core

Activate the Transversus Abdominis

Training of the deep muscles of the abdominal wall is a crucial step toward any increases in strength and improvement to the dexterity of the entire body. The Transversus Abdominis activates to stabilize the spine before any movement of the limbs or any other group of the body. It is therefore useful to mindfully initiate the Transversus Abdominis before any other activity in order to train the muscle—thereby engaging the nervous system correctly and creating the best possible conditions for additional movement. It is therefore of utmost importance that you master the activation of this muscle intentionally, as no muscle that is not engaged by the brain and nervous system will be trained or strengthened effectively.

Your goal should be to train this important muscle by first learning to contract it in isolation then by co-contracting it with the other muscles of the abdominal structure and to use the connection of all the muscles of the core in functional activities such as core strengthening exercises. It is advised that you seek more information on the Transversus Abdominis in order to enrich your routines and the effectiveness of your movement.

A simple outline of TrA activation is as follows:

Lie flat on your back and imagine that there is a line across your body that connects the frontal bones of the pelvis.

Attempt to contract this line so that the muscles in this area seem to fold in on themselves in a way similar to the closing of a article

You should not allow your spine, hips or pelvis to move as you breathe out and contract tightly. Your pelvic floor will lift as you contract.

Hold this position for 3-5 seconds as you hold your breath

Breathe out deeply as you expand from the contracted position

Do this 3-4 times each day—If you move it you won’t lose it.

Work Out

It is useful to perform the exercises in such a way as to thoroughly challenge you throughout the entire activity. With safety in mind—ensure that you complete all of the repetitions fully and correctly with proper form—correct breathing and not to rush anything or to power through intense pain or discomfort.

The core muscles are primarily made up of fast-twitch muscle fibers which are dense and benefit from heavy and explosive movements that take lots of power. With this in mind, when working on the abs, keep the rep-range moderate at around 8-15 reps and attempt power moves vigorously and with full force.

The Warm-down

Warming down is as important to a session as the warm-up. This should be more appropriately referred to as the cool down since the goal is to gradually and safely allow your body to return to normal breathing, temperature and heart rate.

Additionally, the cool down enables your body to address the disposal waste products that are created as a result of vigorous activity of the muscles. Cooling down also reduces the risk of dizziness and fainting—which are higher when vigorous activity is stopped suddenly.

The best way to warm down is simply walk at a moderate to easy-going pace after a vigorous work out. You can incorporate a breathing technique with the cool down walk for added benefit.

Part 6

Preparation and Warm-up

Warm-up 1

Stand with feet shoulder width apart—ensure that feet are firmly planted on the floor and you are comfortable in your stance

Place one hand on each hip and rotate at the hips clockwise while keeping your knees and back neutral

When the rotation is completed—do another rotation of the hips in a counter-clockwise direction.

Warm-up 2

Stand upright with your arms either on your hips or at your side

Place one foot in front of you as you keep your body upright

Bend the knee until you feel a stretch in the back leg then hold for 20 seconds

Return to original stance and perform the hold with the other foot

Warm-up 3

Move into a push-up position and keep your body rigid

Place one foot on the heel of the other foot

Slowly push the heel of the standing foot down as though you are extending the standing leg out and down into the floor

Warm-up 4

Get on all fours with palms flat and spine neutral, face the floor

Tilt head and upper body inward as if trying to look at the navel

Hold for 15 to 30 seconds

Warm-up 5

Sit with both legs extended in front of you

Bring one foot inward to touch the inner thigh of the other leg

Keep the back straight and extended towards the toes of the extended leg

Hold for 15-30 seconds

Part 7

Fundamental Core Strength Activity

Crunch

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps. Master this exercise before any other.

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and bend your legs at the knees feet flat on the floor

Keep your feet flat on the floor and activate the transverse abdominis

Bring your hands up to the sides of your head

Slowly lift your shoulders off of the floor—exhale as you crunch

Allow your chest to curl or “fold” into your abdomen

You should begin to feel the rectus abdominis compress and tension build

Hold this position for a second then slowly lower as you inhale

If you tremble or wobble during this movement, it is clear sign that you need to build more core strength

Bicycle Kick

Start with 3 sets of 15-20 seconds each

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and place your arms at your sides palms flat on the floor

Keep your core tight and the small of your back flat against the floor

Ensure that your core does not wobble or shift—bring both knees up so that your legs are at a right angle in the air

Keep one leg in this position and extend the other out—keep both legs in the air as you do this

Return your leg to the 90 degree position and extend the other leg out as you do this

Repeat this cyclical movement powerfully and in proper form

Keep the core tight and free of wobble

Increase the speed and power as you progress

Elbow To Knee Cross

Start with 3 sets of 15-20 seconds each

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and extend your legs straight out

Bring your hands up to the sides of your head

Slowly lift your shoulders off of the floor—exhale as you crunch

As you raise your upper body, bring your left knee toward your chest

Twist your upper body so that your right elbow meets your left knee

Lower and return to starting position

Repeat the same movement with the opposite limbs

Try to do this series of movements as fluidly as possible

Keep your core tight throughout the movement and coordinate inhalation and exhalation according to the movements to keep your spine supported with safe abdominal pressure

V-ups

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and extend your legs straight out

Raise both of your arms and extend them above your head

Lift your upper body off of the floor keeping your core tight and arms extended—as if you were performing the crunch

Keeping your legs extended straight out, lift them off the ground

Crunch with power and force as you send your legs up

Your outstretched hands should point straight toward your feet

Inhale as you return to the lying position

Slowly lower your legs and upper body as you keep your core steady and free from wobble—It is best to use explosive force with this exercise

Reverse Crunch

Start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and place your arms at your sides palms flat on the floor

Keep your core tight and the small of your back flat against the floor

Ensure that your core does not wobble or shift—bring both knees up so that your legs are at a right angle in the air

Bring your knees toward your chest so that they almost touch your chest

Allow your lower back to stretch as your hips rotate inward

Slowly return to start position, keeping the core tight

Ensure that the legs and core do not wobble or sway from side to side as you perform the movement

Flutter Kicks

Start with 3 sets at 15-20 seconds

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and place your arms at your sides palms flat on the floor

Keep the core tight and stable

Lift both legs a few inches off of the floor

“Paddle” both feet as though you are swimming

Keep the core engaged and breathe accordingly

Russian Twist

Start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and bring your knees up so that your feet are flat on the floor and firmly anchored under a bar or a partner’s weight.

Raise your upper body off of the floor so that your torso is at an angle with your knees

With your arms extended and hands clasped together, twist your upper body to the left until your arms are parallel to the floor.

The wider the angle between the torso and knees, the more your core will become engaged.

You can also perform the twist explosively to increase the work and the challenge of maintaining stability and form

Lying Leg Raise

Start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and place your arms at your sides palms flat on the floor or beneath your glutes

With your legs as straight as possible, raise them until they are perpendicular to the floor

Hold this position for a few seconds and lower your legs slowly

If you find that the top of your thighs begin to hurt as you lift your legs, moderately bend your legs and the knees to complete the lift

Increase the range of mobility by performing this exercise on a bench with your lower body hanging off of the bench

Add weight or attach cables or resistance bands to your feet at the extreme end to increase the challenge

Bird Dog

Start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Equipment: none

Get on all fours with a neutral back—your back should not be curved or arched, but parallel to the floor

Your neck should also be in line with your back and not tilted toward your chest or raised to look ahead of you, but down toward the floor

Extend your right leg behind you as you reach your left arm forward

Keep your hips square as you hold this position for a few seconds then lower slowly

Perform the movement with the other side of the body

Part 8

Exercises That Test and Build

Plank

Start with 3 sets at 15 seconds each

Equipment: none

Get into a press up position—pronated with your upper body elevated and the base of your toes on the floor

Rest your weight unto your forearms

Keep the spine neutral from shoulders to ankles, you can look to the floor or straight ahead

Engage your core and hold this position

Plank Jack

Equipment: none

Get into a press up position—pronated with your upper body elevated and the base of your toes on the floor

Rest your weight unto your forearms

Keep the spine neutral from shoulders to ankles, you can look to the floor or straight ahead

Engage your core and quickly jump your legs apart as you would during a jumping jack

Perform this exercise as quickly as you can in good form

Make the legs go wider for increased challenges

Plank With Leg Raise

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps

Equipment: none

Get into a press up position—pronated with your upper body elevated and the base of your toes on the floor

Rest your weight unto your forearms

Keep the spine neutral from shoulders to ankles, you can look to the floor or straight ahead

Engage the core and with square hips, raise the right leg, keeping it extended

Hold for a few seconds, return to plank, then repeat with the other leg

Supine Med-Ball Toss

Start with 3 sets at 20 seconds each

Equipment: wall and med ball (should be small enough to handle with one hand)

Lay on your back and bend your legs at the knees feet flat on the floor

Additionally you can press the bottoms of your feet against a wall

Take a ball in one hand and look up at the wall

With explosive force that activates your core, throw the ball against the wall

The point of this exercise is to engage the core as explosively as possible

Plank Step-Ups

Start with 3 Sets 8 reps

Equipment: none

Get into a press up position—pronated with your upper body elevated and the base of your toes on the floor

Rest your weight unto your forearms

Keep the spine neutral from shoulders to ankles, you can look to the floor or straight ahead

Engage your core, bring your right palm up to press up position with the palm flat on the floor

Allow the left hand to follow the same movement and bring your body to a press-up position

Reverse the order of this movement to return to the plank position—with one hand at a time

Lateral V Sit Up

Equipment: none

Lie flat on the floor and extend the left arm out to the side

Lean to the left and tilt your hips and legs to the left so that your left hand keeps you stable and at an angle with the floor throughout the length of your body

Place your right hand behind your head and crunch at the same angle as your body

As you crunch, lift your extended legs up so that your elbow almost

Touches your thighs

Slowly lower

Crunchy Frogs

Start with 3 sets at 15 Seconds each

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and bring your knees up so that your feet are flat on the floor and firmly anchored under a bar or a partner’s weight.

Raise your upper body off of the floor so that your torso is at an angle with your knees and bring your knees up toward your chest

Place one hand on the outside of each leg at the knee and keep your feet off the floor

Open your chest and your arms and lean backward as you extend your legs

Keep your legs off of the floor and return to Position 3.

Sprinter Sit-ups

Start with 3 sets at 15 seconds each

Equipment: none

Lay on your back and extend your legs straight out

Make a right angle with each arm so that your hands are bent at the elbow

Rapidly raise your torso and left leg so that your right elbow touches your knee

Do not twist—ensure to keep your hips square and body centered.

Lower and rapidly perform the movement to touch your left elbow to your right knee

Do this exercise as quickly and as explosively as you can

Avoid placing strain on the neck as you raise the torso—engage the core as best you can in order to avoid strains to your neck

Part 9

Increase the Challenge and the Intensity

Mountain Climbers

Start with 3 sets at 20 seconds each

Equipment: none

Get into a press up position

Keep the shoulders extended and avoid shrugging

With a neutral spine—engage the core and bring one knee up to the chest

Keep the foot off of the floor and bend the leg as you touch the knee to the chest

Rapidly return the leg to the extended position and immediately bring the other knee to the chest

Repeat this cyclical movement rapidly

Pull Up Bar Hanging Leg Raises

Start with 3 sets at 20 seconds each

Equipment: Pull-up bar or jungle gym

Grab onto the bar and allow your body to hang freely

Keep your legs together and thrust them explosively upward

Do not swing as you bring the legs up

Lower legs slowly and keep them together throughout the movement

Pull Up Bar Hanging Bicycles

Start with 3 sets at 20 seconds each

Equipment: Pull-up bar or jungle gym

Grab onto the bar and allow your body to hang freely

Engage the core and bring your knees toward your chest so that your legs are at a right angle

“Pedal” while maintaining a tightened core

Keep your hips square and extend each leg fully as you alternate

Pull Up Bar Windshield Wipers

Start with 3 sets at 20 seconds each

Equipment: Pull-up bar or jungle gym

Grab onto the bar and allow your body to hang freely

Engage the core and bring your knees toward your chest so that your legs are at a right angle, or lift and extend your legs so that your thighs are at an acute angle with your torso

With your legs together and core engaged and square on with the bar, send your legs slowly to the left, maintaining the angle with the torso

Center the legs and prepare to send them to the right

You can incorporate a hold at each end of the movement for added difficult

Squat Thrust

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps

Equipment: none

Stand tall with feet shoulder width apart

Perform a squat as you place your hands on the floor

With your arms stable and hands firmly planted, launch your legs out behind you to enter a press up position

Keep the legs and hips square throughout the thrust

Avoid any sway from side to side by planting the hands firmly and keeping the core engaged

Barbell Rollouts

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps

Equipment: Olympic Barbell

Load a barbell with 5-10 lb weights

Hold the barbell with both hands and kneel down, placing the bar in front of you while you are on all fours

From this starting position, slowly roll the bar out in front of you as you lengthen the body

Hold this position for a few seconds then slowly roll the bar back to the start position

Turkish Getup

Equipment: Kettlebell

Place a kettlebell on the floor and lay next to it so that it near to the right side shoulder

Roll to your side and grab the kettlebell with both hands with your legs in the fetal position. This is the start position

Roll onto your back and place the kettlebell on your stomach. Extend your left arm out to the side so support the next series of movements

With the kettlebell in one hand, extend the hand away from your chest so that your arm is perpendicular to the floor

Lock out the elbow, and pull the loaded shoulder into its socket.

Bend the knee on the right side while holding the kettlebell.

Take a deep breath and hold it.

From the foot on the right side, roll up onto your left elbow and exhale. Once you’re stable at the elbow, roll up onto your hand. Look straight up at the kettlebell to keep it in position

Squeeze the glutes as you lift the hips off the ground so that you can move the outstretched leg under your body.

You should now find that you support yourself with the left arm, the heel of the straight leg, and the surface of your flat right foot,

Keep your arm extended totally vertically. When the weights get heavy, you’ll know why.

Take your straight leg and pull or sweep it under your body, placing it next to and behind the left hand.

You’ll reach to a position that makes your legs appear to be 90 degrees from each other at the groin. One knee should point straight ahead, and the other should point directly to the left hand.

Keep looking up at the kettlebell in your hand.

Take your left hand off the floor as you move your body upright, keep the kettlebell overhead and move toward a lung position with hips square and gaze pointing straight ahead.

Drive from your back foot, through your hips, and into your right foot. Stand up from the lunge and keep looking forward

Keep looking forward and step back into the lunge so that your left knee is on the floor.

Bend toward the floor keeping your core engaged and place your left hand just on the floor just in front of the left knee

Bring your left leg to extend straight out in front of you and lower your glutes onto the floor.

Roll down to your elbow, and then down onto your shoulders and back.

Lower the kettlebell onto your stomach using two hands, then roll to your side to return to the start position and place the weight on the floor.

Body Saw

Start with 3 sets of 15 seconds each

Equipment: slider pads, cushion for forearms (optional)

Get into a press up position—pronated with your upper body elevated and the base of your toes on the slider pads

Rest your weight unto your forearms—get into plank position

Keep the spine neutral from shoulders to ankles

With your elbows in a fixed, rooted position on the floor or mat, allow your feet to slide out behind you as your shoulder rotates

Maintain a neutral spine and keep the core engaged

Slide your feet back to the start position

Keep the movement within a fixed range of mobility—do not over slide in either direction

Burpee With Sit Thru

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps

Equipment: none

Stand tall with feet shoulder width apart

Jump and reach to the sky

When you land perform a squat as you place your hands on the floor

Twist your torso to the right and send your left leg out to the left so that your right leg and foot turns outward to the right, raise your right hand off the ground to ensure a centered twist of the torso and clear passage for your leg to extend

Return to the squat position

Jump and reach for the sky

Engage the opposite leg

Part 10

Conclusion: Keep Learning

As you progress past the fundamentals, you can increase the number of sets you perform. Remember to maintain a rep range of 8-15 reps and make form and explosive power the focus. Six pack development depends upon a mindful engagement of the core muscles and a strict adherence to form and stability. Keep the wobble to a minimum and keep the hips square unless the exercise demands different movement. Master the fundamental exercises first before you branch out, but once you do, try to introduce variety into the routine—the abdominal muscles are very complex and highly versatile and benefit from all sorts of challenges.

Also remember to maintain a balanced diet. If you restrict processed sugars and other forms of processed food, you may increase the rate at which your body burns fat, and you will be healthier. You’ll be well on your way to a six pack with a disciplined and mindful approach that combines healthy eating with regular workout sessions.