How to get a sixpack
Perhaps the most common fitness goal is to get a sixpack. There are many exciting articles and workouts to achieve the sixpack in a few weeks or even days. From my own experience I know that this is a lie. It takes months or even years (depending on your body type, workout routine and lifestyle). A real sixpack is the result of hard training. And today I will explain you how to get your sixpack.
Fat loss with endurance training
To get a six-pack, endurance training is of utmost importance because it gets the metabolism going. This in turn promotes fat burning, even during rest periods. To make fat burning even more effective, I recommend performing a mix of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and low-intensity endurance training (LLS) every week. If you focus only on HIIT or LLS endurance training, you won’t get as good results as if you combine both types of training, because both types of training target different body parts and fat reserves.
How to design your HIIT training program
Focus on short interval exercises with high intensity. Exercises that involve the whole body, such as burpees, are best. The duration of each exercise should be between 15 and 25 seconds. Rest periods are correspondingly between 10 and 25 seconds. The total training time should be at least 20 and at most 30 minutes. This is because a shorter training time reduces the efficiency of the workout. Also, HIIT cardio sessions that last longer than 30 minutes can stress your heart.
How to design your LLS training program
My favorite LLS cardio workout is running. I recommend running non-stop for at least 45 minutes, preferably 1h — 1:30h, depending on your fitness level and speed while running (higher speed, less time). This will attack your last fat reserves and help you achieve better results faster.
Grow abs with lactic acid
On top of endurance training twice a week, I recommend focusing on abdominal-only exercises for 30–60 minutes once a week. Personally, I prefer exercises on the pull-up bar because they are generally more effective than exercises on the floor. But both are great! Most importantly, you should work both your lateral abs with exercises like windshield wipers or Russian twists, and your front abs with exercises like leg raises or crunches. And your abs should be on fire! Yes, you should feel the burning pain (lactic acid) in your abs because that stimulates your abs and makes them grow.
Healthy nutrition is key
This is probably nothing new to you, but because it’s so important (and often overlooked), I want to repeat it: Your diet has a huge impact on the quality of your progress. Eat lean, eat clean. This means you should limit processed foods, sugar, unhealthy fats, and white carbs as much as possible. Drink at least 2–3 liters of water, as this will help you burn extra fat. Even though the theory is simple, the practice often requires great discipline.
Conclusion
Theoretically, getting a six-pack is straightforward: twice-a-week endurance training, targeted abdominal exercises, and a balanced diet. But putting it into practice can push some to their limits. If you want to grow a sixpack but are inexperienced or feel intimidated by the challenge (which is totally fine), I recommend starting slow: Change your diet first, because this will help you get better results faster. Then start including endurance training in your workout routine so you can burn even more fat. And finally, focus on exercising on your abs. Then it will come, the sixpack! Make it count!
Feel free to let me know what helps you with getting a sixpack and if my tips worked for you!
About me
I am crazy about sports. I have more than a decade of experience with soccer, martial arts and calisthenics. Currently, I’m working hard to master the freestyle movements of calisthenics, like Human Flag or Planche. Soon I will start my own YouTube channel with fitness videos to help you reach the next level and become the best you can be!
