As a nutrition coach and fitness enthusiast, one of the questions I am most often asked is, "How do I get great abs?".  Just ask anyone with a perfect six pack or flat and toned abdominals that question, and the one answer you WONT get is "Just do more crunches".  Sadly, that's one of the biggest mistakes I see; people  needlessly over-training their abdominals in hopes of fast results.  As many of you know, the only thing this method does is waste alot of precious time! 

Here's what you need to know to get great abs.  For starters, your diet is everything when it comes to getting flat and built abdominals.  I know you've heard us say it time and time again.  Stabilize your blood sugar consistently and your body will become a fat burning machine.  Improve your quality of foods (see your quality of food chart under your help support tab) and your body will become an even faster fat burning machine.  When your body is a fat burning machine, you lose body fat all over, including your mid section.  In all my years in this industry, I've yet to meet anyone with a six pack that has a terrible diet (unless you count the lucky few "genetically gifted" individuals out there.  Sadly, I'm not one of them!).

Next, cardio is critical to reveal any abdominal muscle you do have.  The trick with cardio is to train both your red and white muscle fibers for optimal results.  See your help support tab within your program for details on how to perform cardiovascular activity correctly.  Remember you can build great abdominal muscles and without the right cardio routine to melt the fat on top, no one will be able to see them! 

Next, crunches and abdominal work are very effective.....if done correctly.  A strong core routine will provide the foundation you need not only for great looking abs and also for injury prevention.  Invest in a personal trainer or a good book on abdominal training to learn  how to train your entire core in a variety of ways. There is a whole big world of ab exercises out there besides the traditional crunch!

What else do you need to know?  A big secret those who do have envy-worthy abs know:  Abdominals are like any other muscle; they must be properly exercised and PROPERLY RECOVERED to grow. Translation: train abs every other day or a total of 3 times per week so that your muscles have time to recover.  You wouldn't train your hamstrings every day so why over-train your abs?  Without proper recovery, your abs will never reach their full potential.

Sleep is another one of those overlooked but critical components to great abs; and a great body for that matter!  Restful, consistent sleep aids in recovery and is the foundation for a toned mid-section.  Again, see your help support tab for tips on how to create a good night's sleep.  Don't forget to check out this blog too- there's plenty of great tips here that will help.

And lastly, add what I like to call the "extras".  Being properly hydrated will flush out water weight and give you a flatter midsection.  Avoiding sodium and high sodium foods will help eliminate excess water weight and bloat too. 

Great abs are typically a combination of an optimal nutrition plan centered on blood sugar stabilization, a great ab routine, an efficient cardiovascular plan that includes both fat burning and interval training, consistent sleep and the "extras".  One thing to remember; though genetics determine alot of how we look, we each have the control to make the most of our bodies by the choices we make.  Good luck!

Valerie Cogswell

Head Chef and Nutrition Coach