Ripped Abs
How to Develop Your Own

It's not surprising though, as possessing a well defined six pack brings a whole host of benefits such as increased attraction, confidence and strength, and that's before the health benefits associated with having lower body fat levels.

Many individuals make the mistake of thinking that the secret to achieving ripped abs lies in performing 1000's of repetitions of ab exercises, and that fat covering the stomach can be somehow "spot reduced" using untold creams and potions designed to be smeared onto troublesome areas.

If you happen to believe this, let me tell you, you have been lead down the garden path!

The fact is, you cannot spot reduce fat from troublesome areas naturally, and no amount of sit ups will uncover a well developed midsection hidden under a significant layer of fat!

Let's now take a no-nonsense look at how to get a set of ripped abs, or flat stomach of your own.

- To lose fat, you must eat less than you expend.
When you need to reduce body fat levels, you MUST burn more calories than you consume. Reduce the calories needed to maintain your body weight by 10-20% and increase energy expenditure with exercise. Do not think that if you reduce calories more, you can exercise less as that's a one way road to halting progress! Remember to regularly monitor your progress using a combination of scales, tape measure, the mirror and body fat callipers to ensure you keep progressing.

- Train with Kettlebells and Bulgarian Bags
Kettlebells and Bulgarian Bags are an awesome addition to any program geared towards developing ripped abs. The reason they are SO good at helping uncover six pack abs is that due to the incredibly intense nature of training, metabolic rate can remain significantly elevated for HOURS after the workout has finished meaning greater potential for fat loss! You can burn up to 1000kcal per hour using kettlebells and bags which is a LOT of calories!

I personally train my clients looking to get ripped abs with combinations of kettlebell swings, jerks, squats, presses, snatches and Bulgarian Bag spins, snatches and throws.

- Perform Interval Training NOT Steady State Cardio
Recent research indicates that steady state cardio is not the be all and end all it was once thought of when it comes to fat loss. In more recent times performing lengthy sessions of cardiovascular exercise such as jogging have been linked with high cortisol levels which is a hormone that can HINDER the bodies ability to lose fat! Instead I suggest performing high intensity intervals of 30 seconds to 2 minutes for up to 30 minutes total. (Ensure thorough warm up and cool down is completed before these sessions.)

- Ignore the Fat Burning Zone
Losing body fat is all about creating a calorie deficit. Your body is not bothered whether the calories burned come from the fat burning zone, or more intense exercise. Long, steady state sessions in the fat burning zone simply mean one thing - it takes you longer to burn off the calories which ultimately mean it takes longer to achieve a set of ripped abs.

- Perform Resistance Training
If you don't have access to kettlebells, you should train with weights which serve to help maintain muscle mass in periods of reduced calories, which in turn helps prevent a reduction in basal metabolic rate. In addition, research has shown that metabolic rate can remain significantly elevated for several hours after a kettlebell or weight training session has been completed. Both mean you burn more calories.

- Perform Exercises that STRONGLY work the core.
I am not a big fan of swiss ball crunches and exercises of the same ilk for developing lean abs. My recommendation is to perform exercises that challenge the body as a unit and require high levels of core stability.

My personal favourite exercises are:-

Kettlebell Turkish Get Ups
Barbell Squats and Deadlifts
Kettlebell Renegade Rows
Body Weight Planks
Kettlebell Swings in various forms.

- Accept that you WILL feel HUNGRY!
One thing I HATE about the diet industry is the notion that when we are aiming for fat loss we should be aiming to eat every 2 hours and avoid feeling hungry. The FACT is, we are hunter gathers by nature and in days gone by we would have only eaten after gathering our food. In todays society of comfort and convenience we have been taken away from our roots and any degree of discomfort is seen as negative. When losing fat you WILL feel hungry due to eating a reduced calorie intake. Accept this NOW and your journey to leanness will be that much quicker!

- Consume Healthy Fats
Historically the consumption of fat has been seen as a bad thing but in recent years research has shown that regular consumption of health mono and polyunsaturated fat offers a multiude of health benefits including helping fat loss. Stick to Omega 3 fish oils, olive oil, flax and nut oils.

- Drink Plenty of Water
Our bodies thrive on being sufficiently hydrated. Aim for at least 2 litres per day, preferably 3. If your body has a plentiful supply of water, its tendency to hold into water reduces, which means increased definition and better chance of getting ripped abs!

- Consume Lean Protein
Lean protein sources should be consumed regularly to help recover from workouts, while maintaining muscle mass levels.Choose sources such as egg whites, chicken, turkey and fish for optimal amino acid profiles.

- Consume Complex Carbohydrates Around Your Workouts
Carbohydrate foods supply energy. Bear this in mind when constructing your food plan. If you spend your working day sat at an office desk energy requirements will be minimal so stick to lean proteins, fats and vegetables. To optimise performance during your workout consume some complex carbohydrate 2 hours prior to and within 60 minutes post workout to assist with energy and recovery. The best carb sources are sweet potato, rye bread, oats, vegetables and fruit.

- Avoid Simple Carbohydrates
Any foods containing simple sugars and white flour should be avoided at all costs. Consuming foods containing these types of carbohydrates can lead to peaks and troughs in blood sugar, which in turn can increase fat storage, reduce fat loss and increase cravings for more sugar.

Recommended Reading For Ripped Abs

I have written a review of Toms e-book which you can read HERE.

Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, The #1 best-selling diet ebook on the Internet (as rated by clickbank.com), is completely unique and different from other programs on the diet market because it's not a weight loss program - it's a fat loss program. Once you've read just the first three chapters, there will be no doubt in your mind that pursuing weight loss is not only the wrong goal, it may be the reason why you've failed to reach and maintain your ideal body weight.

Burn The fat shows you exactly why it's fat you must lose, not weight, why you cannot succeed with starvation diets, and then shows you exactly how to burn off fat, step by step, in one of the most detailed fat loss nutrition books ever written.

If you're interested in learning exactly what to eat to lose fat the natural way and get ripped abs - without supplements, without drugs and without slowing down your metabolism - while also learning the why behind it all, then this program can truly change your life. You can get further information at: www.Burnthefat.com.

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