How to Get Abs? Or having trouble getting abs?
You’re not alone! We girls have it tough when it comes to sculpting our tummies and the reason is that on a biological level, women have a harder time building muscle mass than men.
But that’s not the end of it!
Getting abs is just a little tough, but do-able! I’ll share a few tips and tricks with you and you’ll have those abs you want in no time.
Let’s jump in!
Mythbusters
There are a lot of myths out there, let’s get over them all.. shall we?
- You need to do x crunches for x days: You’re lying if you say you haven’t heard this one. But the thing is that if you’ve been following this religiously, then you probably won’t see results for a long time. This is because you aren’t training the rest of your body and following the kind of diet and cardio routine you should.So stop!
- Eat XYZ every day: I’ve heard a lot of “miracle foods” that will make you get abs without having to workout. I’d like to tell you that these “miracle foods” haven’t helped anyone and you should not buy whatever you see on the internet without doing research.
- Get abs in a week: Getting abs is a process and there is no way you can get abs in a week unless you have been working towards that goal or if you have a very low body fat percentage.
What Are You Putting In Your Body?
You don’t get abs overnight. You need to be disciplined, have patience and eat right in order to get the abdomen you want.
Let’s talk about the diet part, shall we?
And, no, you don’t have to starve yourself to get abs. You can do both, eat and have rocking abs. I’ll tell you how.
Here are a few things you need to keep in mind…
1. Skip The Soda
If you’re the kind of person who likes to have a glass of coke with their meals, then you’ve got something else coming and that wouldn’t be Abs.
In a study done by L.R. Vartanian et. al in 2006, it was discovered that soft drink consumption has been linked to obesity!
Soda also has empty calories, which means you got no nutrition from it, just calories.
So, skip the soda and say hello to lemonade!
2. More water, Please!
Did you know that water can help you burn more calories?
According to a study conducted by Dennis, E.A. et. al in 2009, it was found that water helps increase your resting energy expenditure to 24-30% within ten minutes of drinking water! And this effect lasts for at least one hour!
This effect is even more impressive if you drink cold water as your body burns more calories when you drink more water!
Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
That’s not it! Ever felt like eating just because you’re bored? Next time this happens, drink water instead. Water actually helps you feel ‘full’ and studies have shown that if you drink water before meals, you are likely to eat less!
So start drinking!
You can add some fruits like cucumber, mint leaves, lemon, etc. into water to taste better. Also you can drink different types of detox water to stay hydrated.
3. Bye bye Fast Food, Hello Cooking!
If you want a healthy body (and rocking abs) then you need to start eating out less and cooking more.
Yes, I get it. You don’t have the time to cook. But listen to me…
Home-cooked meals have greater nutritional value than fast food. If you make a burger at home it will have fewer calories than a burger you eat from your favorite restaurant.
With eating home-cooked meals you are in control of exactly what you eat. So, start eating at home!
Prepare meals beforehand to save time.4. Don’t Skip Meals!
Do you think it is a good idea to skip a meal to lose weight? Wrong.
First of all, if you skip meals you will end up slowing down your metabolism. What that means is that your body will take more time to digest food, making you eventually gain weight.
Not just that, skipping meals can make your body run low on the essential nutrients which are linked to fatigue, poor mental function, and other major health concerns.
So you better not skip those meals!
Practice portion control instead.
5. Protein is Bae!
If you’re a girl who wants abs then you better start having more protein! As I said earlier, it’s hard for us girls to build muscle mass as compared to men.
And who are best friends of muscles? Protein!
Tri to increase your protein intake by eating protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, etc. I personally like to drink my favorite Strawberry Protein Powder!!
Workouts for Killer Abdominals!
Okay, so now that we’ve gone over the diet part, let’s talk about working out. Now if you’re a lazy bum then I have bad news for you: There is no way that you can skip exercise if you want to get abs.
There are two things that you should know:
— Don’t Slack On Cardio
Because cardio will help you burn your fat. Your body fat percentage needs to be low in order for you to get abs. So try and do cardio for 30-40 minutes every day.
My tip? Join a class. Be it aerobics, swimming, spinning, etc. This way you’ll learn something new and get your cardio done. That way you won’t get bored of doing the same thing every day.
— Stay Active Throughout The Day
Don’t sit on your bum all day. Try to make little tweaks to your daily routine to incorporate more ‘activity’. Take the stairs instead of the lift! Go for a walk with your boyfriend. Just keep active.
Now that we’ve got that out of our way let’s talk about working out!
8 Amazing Exercise to Get Abs (Killer Abdominals)
Let me walk you through some exercises that’ll help you get those abs you’ve been wanting.
Your stomach will hurt if you laugh, cough, etc. after these, so get ready for that burn and aches!1. Kettlebell Russian Twists
These are easy but the BURN later on…
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your legs together.
- Hold a kettlebell in front of you by its horns with your elbows bent.
- Lift your feet off the floor and find your balance on your tailbone.
- Twist to the right and touch the kettlebell to the floor, then immediately twist to the left and repeat.
- Continue by alternating sides.
2. Cable Reverse Crunch
- Attach an ankle strap to a cable and lower the pulley to the bottom of the machine.
- Sit in front of the machine with your legs together. Secure the ankle strap around both ankles, then lie back on the floor.
- Lift your legs over your hips, with knees bent 90 degrees. Extend your arms along your sides.
- Lift your hips and bring your knees toward your head as far as you can.
- Keep your knees bent.
- Pause a moment at the top, then slowly uncurl to the start, resisting the pull of the machine on the return.
3. Plank
- Get into the plank with your hands underneath your shoulders and your head, hips, and heels in line.
- With your hands as the pivot point, walk your feet around in a circle.
- Go one complete revolution in each direction to complete one rep.
4. Crunches on Exercise Ball
- Sit on a well-inflated exercise ball.
- Place your hands behind your head, and walk your feet away from the ball so your torso starts to roll onto the ball.
- The ball should support your hips and the curve of your lower back. Your legs should form a bridge with your knees bent at right angles.
- Exhale and lift your upper body by about 45 degrees, pulling the deep abs in toward the spine, and return to starting position.
5. Bicycle Crunches
- Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Interlace your fingers, and put your hands behind your head.
- Bring your knees in toward your chest, and lift your shoulder blades off the ground.
- Straighten your right leg up from the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow toward the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving as well.
- Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep (and to create the “pedalling” motion).
6. Hanging Ab Curls
- Using a pull-up bar, get a good grip with your palms facing out or toward each other.
- Start with your legs hanging straight down, and on an exhale, pull your abs toward your spine and bend your knees, lifting them up toward your chest.
- Without swinging, slowly lower your knees, returning to a straight-leg position.
7. Double Crunches
- Lie on your back on the floor, raising your arms and legs to a 90-degree angle.
- Engage your abs to lift both your shoulders and pelvis off the ground. Touch your fingers to your toes.
- Keeping your core engaged the entire time, slowly lower them back to the starting position to complete one rep.
8. Side Plank
- Come into a side plank on your right side, with your feet stacked one on top of the other and your weight on your right elbow with your fingers reaching away from your body, palm down.
- Place your left arm behind your head, and inhale to prepare.
- Exhale and pull your navel to your spine to engage your deep abs, and rotate your left rib cage toward the floor.
- Return to starting position, and repeat seven more times for a total of eight reps, then switch sides. Repeat series again on both sides.
That’s All Folks!
Not too hard, wasn’t it?
Well, getting abs is just a matter of time and dedication. Make sure you eat well and don’t exert your body! If you follow these tips to the word, I’m sure you won’t have a hard time to get abs at all!
Just have fun with your exercise routine and eat good, wholesome food!
If you need anything or want to know more, leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to help you!
