Defined abs are something a lot of people dream about. They are a symbol of how fit you are, how much work you put into your exercise routine and how disciplined you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article is for anyone who has been thinking about getting a six-pack! Remember, it\u2019s your life, your body and your choices \u2013 we can only show you the facts \u2013 in the end, it\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having visible abs comes at a price. A high price. Losing those extra 5 unwanted kilos is nothing compared to the very last<\/em> 5 kilos needed for that six-pack to start showing. Now think about it. The shape you are in today is the result of all the choices you have made up until now. It reflects the price you have paid so far (because yes, getting fit comes at a price!). Taking it to the next level will require even more effort and the price will be even higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s our list of everything you\u2019ll need to change or work on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to follow a strict diet.<\/strong> And by strict we mean a large calorie deficit but also a fairly monotonous diet where you stick to lean protein, wholegrain carbohydrates, vegetables and a tiny bit of fat. In other words, a typical bodybuilders\u2019 diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will be difficult to have a social life.<\/strong> A lot of the time, social activities involve food and drink. You\u2019ll have to sacrifice that to get a six-pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to interpret the numbers on the scales.<\/strong>\u00a0As you need to keep track of your weight, you need to learn about how your body responds to stress, menstruation, ovulation, salty food, etc. In other words, all the factors that cause temporary weight gain. Or as we like to put it: keep calm! You need to interpret what you see without freaking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to think carefully if you have\/have had an eating disorder<\/strong> \u2013 it may make the disorder worse! Eating disorders are not limited to anorexia or bulimia, and we would say that the most common eating disorders today are binge eating and orthorexia. Binge eating is when people eat small quantities and a rigid diet for certain periods of time, and then crash after a while and binge on large amounts of food without being able to stop. The bingeing can last a day or more. After this period, sufferers usually return to the very strict diet as a kind of punishment for having eaten large amounts of food. Orthorexia manifests itself in the form of wanting to eat as \u2018cleanly\u2019 as possible and exercising a lot. Every missed gym session can be seen as a disaster and every food item that is not on the list of \u2018allowed\u2019 foods is counted as a failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to know all about food,<\/strong> and by that we mean that you should be a beginner. Keeping a close eye on your diet is what it takes to get visible abs. And by \u2018close eye\u2019 we mean knowing exactly how much food you put in your mouth and what exactly that food consists of.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have to live a stress-free life.\u00a0<\/strong>Stress is a major factor against your success. When you\u2019re stressed, it\u2019s not at all uncommon to make bad choices, especially bad food choices. If you are stressed, you also tend to accumulate extra fluid and find it difficult to focus on your workouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to sleep well every night \u2013<\/strong> sleep is when you recover. When you exercise a lot, you have to sleep a lot. This also means going to bed early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to plan your food carefully.<\/strong> Planning is something you will spend a lot of time on. This really is a whole new level. You will want to control your food intake no matter what happens in your life. Skipping meals is not an option!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to spend a lot of time on exercise.\u00a0<\/strong>Defined abs require a lot of exercise, including strength training and cardio. If you train 4\u20135 times\/week, the next level is 10 sessions\/week where you do 2 sessions\/day, including both cardio and strength training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll probably need outside help.\u00a0<\/strong>A coach can help you manage your diet and exercise, even if you\u2019re already on top of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AND \u2013 once you have your six-pack, it is very difficult to maintain. Sooner or later, you\u2019ll eat more and exercise less, and your abs will disappear. Just sayin\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you will already have realised, it is easier to go from overweight to normal weight than from normal weight to a visible six-pack. Replacing jam with berries, or white bread with wholegrain bread, is not difficult, but excluding bread altogether is something else entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So back to the question\u2026 Is it worth it? Are you ready to live that kind of life?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are thinking the price is too high \u2013 you\u2019re probably right. Just look at your own life, do you have everything under control, are you able to do that much exercise? Or get the sleep you would need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, how about thinking about what is realistic for you and what fits into your life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You have probably now come up with the right plan for you \u2013 all that\u2019s left is to start working on it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Defined abs are something a lot of people dream about. They are a symbol of how fit you are, how much work you put into your exercise routine and how…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":14466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[259],"tags":[258,95,123,260],"class_list":["post-14465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training","tag-core-training","tag-muskler","tag-naring","tag-weight-lifting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n