Ripped Abs
How to Develop Your Own

Developing a set of ripped abs is one of the most consistent goals of gym members worldwide.

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 weighing scales, the mirror and body fat callipers to ensure you keep progressing.

- Train with Kettlebells
Kettlebells 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 their nature, they can help maintain muscle mass, strongly work the core and abs, while at the same time delivering an awesome cardiovascular workout.

I personally train my clients looking to get ripped abs with combinations of kettlebell swings, kettlebell jerks and snatches.

When these exercises are performed for sets of time, as opposed to reps, the resulting energy expenditure and metabolic disturbance can be such that you burn an unbelievable amount of calories during and after the workout has finished.

- Cardiovascular exercise.
Perform moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise 3-6 times weekly (or 3-4 times weekly if using kettlebells) for 30 - 45 minutes per session to help increase the number of calories burned per day. Choose exercises such as jogging, rowing and stepping as these exercises use the most muscle mass and hence burn more calories. If you are short on time, complete high intensity intervals to really ramp up your metabolism.

- 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 ab exercises
The abdominals should be treated like any other muscle when it comes to resistance training which means 2-4 exercises of 8-15 reps for 2-3 sets per exercise. An ab workout can be completed twice per week, one of my personal favourites being: -

Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches 3 sets 8 - 15 reps
Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets 8 - 15 reps
Swiss Ball Jack Knifes 3 sets 8 - 15 reps
Decline Bench Sit Ups 2 sets 10 - 20 reps

- Eat Little and Often
Consume 5-6 small meals, spread evenly over the course of the day. Each meal should contain a mixture of lean protein, healthy fat and starchy carbohydrates. By consuming small meals regularly, your muscles will receive a constant drip feed of nutrients while the process of digestion serves to maintain a higher metabolic rate.

- Keep Fat Intake Low
Fat should be kept at approximately 20 - 25% of your total calories, and should primarily be taken from healthy fats such as oily fish, olive oil, flax oils and specialised oil blends such as Udo's oil. Consuming sources of essential fats such as these can actually assist with the fat burning process.

- 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
You should derive the bulk of your carbohydrates from sources such as sweet potatoes, oats, vegetables and brown rice to ensure insulin levels remain under control and to provide sustained energy required for optimal fat burning.

- 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 - 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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