We reveal the secret of the flat stomach
A flat stomach is mostly a genetic trait, as is how basically the cubes look. Everyone has a checkered belly, it doesn’t matter how much fat covers them. The older you are, the harder it is to get rid of it, as over time you also have to fight against the loosening of the connective tissues, which makes the task much more difficult, but a nice, pretty belly can be achieved if you invest the necessary work.
Having a sixpack is not about the number of sit-ups you do, it’s not something you should believe. Although your abdomen is an easily regenerating muscle so you can train it daily, it’s still worth considering whether you’re on the right track to a checkered abdomen. In this article, you can read about the misconceptions surrounding abdominal training, how your abdominal muscles are built, and what to look out for when you aim to carve a flat, squared belly!
The structure of the abdominal muscle
The 4 most important abdominal parts, which together also perform the protective functions of the underlying organs:
1. Transverse abdominal muscle: The deepest lying muscle. It stabilizes the trunk and maintains abdominal pressure.
2. Straight abdominal muscle: The muscle that stretches between the ribs and the pubic bone. Its main function is to ensure the movements between the rib cage and the pelvis.
3. External oblique abdominal muscle: Located on either side of the straight abdominal muscle, helping the torso to twist in the opposite direction as the muscle contracts. So if the oblique abdominal muscles contracts to the right, the torso rotates to the left.
4. Internal oblique abdominal muscle: Supports the straight oblique abdominal muscle and acts against the external oblique abdominal muscle, so it rotates the torso to which side the contract contracts.
When the squares on your stomach are visible, it shows the structure of the muscles and indicates that the amount of abdominal fat is low, that is, the amount of fat that covers the muscle. Even without an abdominal workout, everyone’s belly is checkered, but it may not be visible due to abdominal fat. By strengthening the abdominal muscles, it can be made to have a pretty spectacular look, although low abdominal fat does not mean that visceral fat isn’t high. Visceral fats cover the internal organs, making their work difficult. Typically, men are more likely to accumulate visceral fat, which does not affect the visibility of the abdominal muscles.
Common misconceptions about abdominal training
Abdominal training will make your abdomen checkered
The abdominal muscles will only appear and show cubes if they are not covered by a layer of fat. However, fat cannot be converted into muscle, so even if you strengthen and thicken your abdominal muscles, the fat stays there the same way and covers the muscles the same way. So the solution, in addition to strengthening your abdominal muscles, is to work out the fat layer that covers your muscles with diet and aerobic exercise.
The abdominal muscles are different from the other muscles
It is a common misconception that abdominal muscles need to be worked differently, with a million sit-ups several times a day to be spectacular. But this is not true. Indeed, the trunk muscles are constantly working, so providing extra load and encouraging development is not easy, but it is neither impossible nor necessary to add a million sit-ups. Actually none, it is better to provide it with more effective exercises, and various loads of resistance, about 2-3 times a week. Make slow and focused movements!
Everyone can have a sixpack
Yes, it may or may not be a sustainable condition for everyone in the long run, as it involves a low percentage of body fat, which, if not a genetic trait, your body will constantly strive to restore to its original state. Abdominal muscle development depends on your age, genetics, hormones, body type, lifestyle, eating habits, stress management methods, sleep habits, and so on. So a lot of things affect how successful the operation will be. At the same time, everyone can have an aesthetic, sporty belly.
Super abdominal muscles must be developed with special tools
On television, on the Internet, you can see in many places special tools with which the models shape the abdominal muscles. Don’t be fooled, they are not necessary, nor the most suitable for effective abdominal muscle shaping. Your own weight is pretty much all you need, you can do a lot of exercises without tools.
The secret of a flat stomach in 8 + 1 steps
1. High protein and low carbohydrate intake
Your diet will fundamentally affect your appearance. As has been described in many places, roughly 70% of our appearance depends on the quantity and quality of food we eat. A flat stomach with squares looks shredded because it is not covered by a layer of fat. To achieve this, you need to follow a diet that will remove the fat that covers your abdominal muscles. And a high-protein diet helps you keep that hard-earned muscle while running on a weight loss diet.
2. Avoid sugar, starch and salt
Avoid all unhealthy (poor quality) foods, especially those that are high in fat and / or carbohydrates. They bind water and increase fat pads!
3. Change your abdominal workouts
Do not always perform the same abdominal exercises. If possible, change something from workout to workout, such as load and / or repetition numbers. Try to work your abdominal muscles from all sides in each workout. Don’t forget the upper part, the lower part and the lateral abdominal muscles!
We have already written about this in the introduction, according to which the abdomen is a muscle that regenerates very quickly. Since it’s basically always working keeping the torso aligned and performing basic body movements, effective training is needed to be able to provide your abs with a new stimulus. Train your abdomen every day or every other day with at least 3 exercises and ideally with repetitions of 25-30. Keep only a minimum rest period!
4. Consistent weight and cardio training
Proper cardio workouts help release fat, and weight training workouts help build muscle with proper nutrition. And the combination of the two will help build fibrous muscle mass!
5. Perform full body resistance workouts such as TRX, G-flex or CrossFit
These exercises are especially effective because they work on the abdomen by working the entire torso. When using suspension devices such as the TRX or GFlex, the torso muscles are in constant motion and can be used to perform particularly effective exercises specifically for the abdominal muscles. It is also useful to try CrossFit workouts, as they are effective to strengthen the trunk muscles, in contrast to other gym exercises that do not necessarily serve this purpose.
6. Drink protein shakes
Protein shakes are great help to increase your protein intake. It is also important that you can provide your body with the amino acids needed for the development and regeneration of your muscles from an instant, fast-absorbing source. You don’t have to drown in chicken breast or turkey breast to get enough protein intake, especially if you’re also dieting and increasing your intake. A smoothie contains about 20g, which is about what you’d find in 100g chicken breast. 1-2 servings a day is a perfectly healthy solution. At BioTechUSA, you can choose from animal and vegetable protein sources. Examples of animal protein sources are Iso Whey Zero or 100% Pure Whey, and an alternative from vegetable protein source is Vegan Protein, all of which are available in a variety of flavors and formulations.
7. Always have breakfast
A healthy breakfast is important for several reasons: it boosts your metabolism throughout the day. Of course, quality does matter, you need to take in the right amount of slowly absorbed carbs and quality protein. The most ideal breakfast is, for example, oatmeal soaked in water with 1 tablespoon of protein powder.
8. Drink lots of water!
Optimal fluid intake is an essential condition for fat burning. To boost your metabolism, it is advisable to consume at least 3-4 liters of water per day. The less water you consume, the slower your metabolism will be, and vice versa. And on top of that, the water bound in the skin also leaves, making your cubes much more separated!
+1 Try supplements against the last couple of kilos
If you’re only missing a few kilos less to make your belly perfect, take nutritional supplements to help you reach your goal. L-carnitine 100.000 helps use fatty acids released during exercise as energy. Desert is effective when your body fat is no longer the problem, but rather the water retained that covers the cubes. And Super Lipo will turbo-charge your diet.
As described in the introduction, it is unnecessary to do 1000 sit-ups a day because it will not make your abdomen checkered. We all have a six-pack, but maybe covered with fat and therefore not visible. For men, approx. 12% body fat is needed to show the abdominal muscles, the same for women as 14%.
If you believe you can do it, you will do everything you can to achieve the goal. Some concentration, attention and effort, but worth it!