Want rock hard abs with no jiggle in sight?
The keys to unveiling your hidden abs are:
- Your nutrition
- Engaging your core
- Adequate rest
Nutrition
We hate to break the cold hard truth to you, but crushing a core workout religiously every day ain't gonna do it.
You've heard it time and time again, but this time really digest it - abs are made in the kitchen.
In most cases, we already have abs ready to show off underneath the subcutaneous on our stomach
And since you can't spot reduce fat in certain parts of the body, the only way around it (no shortcuts here), is to take care of your nutrition.
Subcutaneous or belly fat responds well to adequate nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise.
Subcutaneous fat doesn't care if you did 100 crunches today.
Through nutrition, you can gradually reduce your overall body fat and therefore, increase the chances of getting that definition underneath.
Stress and in particular, the stress hormone cortisol can actually increase the amount of visceral fat your body stores,
which is why sleep is important too - explained below.
Core
Your core involves your entire torso - it's your abs, lower back, spinal stabilisers and everything else.
We love to train core to strengthen and shape our abdominal muscles, not to make them pop.
Your core is often referred to as a 'stabiliser' as without it, your chances of performing a SAFE and WELL EXECUTED exercise like the squat are incredibly slim.
Contrary to belief, thousands of crunches won't help you stabilise your squat.
On top of preventing injury, when you engage your core during a big lift, you are also seriously working your abdominals.
However, while your core is ultimately more important than your abs alone - no injuries, better lifting etc.
Isolated abdominal exercises ON TOP of exercises that engage your core is what will bring your midsection to its full potential.
Remember that crunches, sit-ups and the like will only assist in strengthening the isolated muscles of your abdominals.
Rest
We need to reach a deep sleep in order for the muscle growth hormone HGH to take full effect.
If you go days with unbroken sleep, you are limiting yourself from the benefits of reaching your deepest state of sleep called REM.
Without reaching REM, HGH cannot be triggered - and HGH is directly linked to reducing your fat stores.
This hormone, HGH, is responsible for a lot more on top of potentially triggering fat loss:
"Optimum repair of body tissues happen in this stage. Even though the heart and lungs are working on a very slow state, the blood will enter the muscles more effectively. This is also the part where the body generates energy to use the moment you wake up."
(HGH Exclusive)
Cofounder Sophie Guidolin personally trains core to help strengthen her squats and deadlifts.
Try this circuit targeted at the abs. It will strengthen those isolated abdominal muscles, help your big lifts and make those chocolate blocks shine through combined with great nutrition.
Sophie Guidolin's Ab Workout
-
Hanging leg raises
12 reps
Variation: Lying leg raises
Avoid curving your spine on the way down and aim for a flat back
-
Plank
30seconds - 1 minute
Don't dip your back, and find a spot on the floor to focus on!
-
Bicycle Crunches
12 reps per side
Focus more on controlling the movement than speed
-
Oblique Crunches
10 reps per side
Variation: Side plank
When performing the side plank, you can even extend the outside leg out for even more intensity
Leave a comment