How To Get A Six Pack

(From archived lianprice.com blog, circa 2015.)

As a personal trainer, this is one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked by both men and women. Six-Pack abs are like the crown jewels to a fit person's frame. Since the one of the most common areas for humans to store fat is on their stomachs, (runner ups: butt and legs for women and backs for men) when someone can display their muscles showing through their core, we can instantly tell that they have low body fat and are therefore in phenomenal shape. 

I know you have probably heard a million times, "abs are made in the kitchen." And this is true! Sort of. I have met many people with toned abs, who tell me they never do direct ab work in the gym, instead, they squat heavy, press heavy and eat healthy food. And this is great methodology for abs! But because the shape and prominence of our abs is subject to genetic pre-disposition, it may be harder for some men and women to follow this regimen and get the six-pack results they are looking for. Enter my tried-and-true method. :) 

I am going to tell you rigt here in this email the number one thing I have always done as far fitness and aesthetics are concerned. Now, please understand I have been heavier, I have been lighter, I gained weight in college, lost it afterwards, only to gain more a few years later and then lose it again. But the one thing that always allowed me to put on a bikini and look athletic were my abs. And how did I do this? Even when I was up a solid 12 lbs. past where I wanted to be? From the time I was 17 years I have always lifted heavy, heavy abs. Your rectus abdominus (the show-off muscles I like to call them) are full of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Below them are your transverse abdominus, which are far less visible and more of the slow-twitch variety (holds you up straight for hours while sitting at a desk, driving a car, running down the block, and a thousand other activities) So while there are obviously vitally important and should be trained as well, for aesthetic purposes, if you want to have a six-pack, you must train those muscles just like you would any other powerful fast-twitch fibers: with powerful, heavy, fast bursts of movement, and persistant time under tension.

Check out my Instagram Page for how-to ab videos @LianPrice

If you have the genetics where bodyweight exercises will adequately stimulate your abs are enough, then that's awesome! But if you are like me, you need to lift heavy weight, in a vertical, up-down fashion to get results. Weighted leg lifts and weighted seated or lying crunches have always been my two top go-to's, and I literally perform reps until I can't breathe and my stomach is burning like heck. This usually means 20-25 reps at 70-85 lbs. I perform 100-125 repetitions, which equates to 4 or 5 sets total with a minute or two rest in between. For the 2 days following, I expect to be extremely sore, as in laughing and stretching my arms up over my head are both difficult. 

And that's it. Now of course if you want to be lean and sexy all over you MUST execute the other action steps toward obtaining and maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle. But if you are halfway there, and your body fat percentage is already in the mid-20's for ladies and in the mid-to-high teens for guys , the one "short cut" you can follow to look even leaner and fit is to lift super heavy weights for six-pack abs. If you want very accelerated results, do this 2 to 3x a week for 8 weeks and you should see your six pack taking shape for sure. 

PS: Don't forget to take before and after pictures! Send me your six pack pics I would love to see your new studded-out stomach! :) :) 

Have a great day everyone :) talk soon