Carve a six-pack you can be proud of these tips, workouts and meal guidelines
There’s not doubt that sculpting a decent set of visible abs requires tenacity, but it’s carving out your lower abs to get a real, high definition six-pack that really takes some dedication. The plus-side, however, is that this is a part of your body you can train mostly anywhere — you don’t need your local gym to be open. In fact, the plan below, can be repped out at home, in your garden, in the park — wherever you have some room to get a sweat on.
But revealing those abs is about much more than just reps, sets and workouts. The tired cliche of “six-packs being made in the kitchen” is a cliche for a reason – it’s true. “You can’t out-train a bad diet,” says top personal trainer Phil Learney. Think about it. You can do endless reps of crunches, mountain climbers and leg raises, but if you’re not shedding the stored body fat that covers your muscles, that hard work just isn’t going to show.
So, it’s time to forget what you think you need to do to pack muscle on your midriff and combine Learney’s simple nutritional rules, below, alongside his precisely calibrated workout routine to finally dial in that six-pack.
Nail Your Diet, Nail Your Six-pack
Use Learney’s 10 simple nutritional tenets to supercharge your core musculature. “Employ these dietary changes and you’ll spark up your metabolic rate and get your mid-section functioning correctly,” he says. Using the tips below, getting a six-pack is easier than you think.
- Avoid refined and processed foods wherever possible.
- Try to eat six times a day – around every three hours.
- With every meal, use a portion of protein as your base. Think eggs, fish, chicken, and other lean meats.
- Between meals snack on nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, or small bags of snap peas.
- For breakfast and your second meal, make sure you get some starchy carbs – oatmeal, rye, or sprouted bread – and a piece of fruit.
- For lunch, sweet or regular potato, brown rice and quinoa are all excellent options.
- For your evening meal, try to get some veg – but avoid root veg and any starchy carbs.
- Drink lots of water.
- Every 10 days give yourself one cheat meal. It can be anything you want. This might seem strict, but if you’re trying to reveal your abs as quickly as possible such gastronomic sacrifices are necessary.
- Consume one of these post-workout shakes as soon as possible after your workout. Aim for around 40-50g carbs and 20-30g protein. This helps to kickstart the recovery process.
How to Build Your Six-pack: Your Ultimate Abs Workout for Core Strength
Complete three circuits of the six exercises below four times a week (Learney suggests Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or Saturday) for four weeks. On two of your non-workout days, complete 45 minutes of uphill treadmill walking (not running). Rest on Sunday. (Continued below)
Your total workout each day should last 45 minutes. Fill in any spare time you may have after completing the circuits with some uphill treadmill walking to complete a 45-minute slot. Keep your rest periods tight and focus on technique rather than speed.
1. Overhead Squats
Why: “This exercise has a high metabolic output as multiple joints are used. It fires the midsection through stabilising the weight above the head while simultaneously lengthening the midsection.” How to get six pack abs? Compound movements are key.
How: Grab a barbell with palms facing down and hands almost at the ends of the bar. Lift it to your chest then overhead, locking your arms and retracting your shoulders to take the weight. This is your start position.
Keeping your arms straight and taking care to not arch your back, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up to the start position. Repeat, then lower the bar under control after you’ve finished all your reps.
Sets: 3-4
Reps: 20-30
Rest: 30 seconds
Crank it up for weeks three and four: Increase sets to 5-6, decrease rest to 0-15 seconds and make the bench an inch lower.
2. Prone Knee to Opposite Elbow
Why: “This statically stabilises the midsection much like the plank but adds the element of internal hip rotation to work your obliques and mobilise your hip flexors.”
How: In a push-up position, rotate your right knee underneath your body to try and touch the opposite elbow. Keep your hips down and foot off the floor throughout. Repeat with your other leg. That’s one rep
Sets: 3-4
Reps: 10-15
Rest: 30 seconds
Crank it up for weeks three and four: Increase sets to 5-6, decrease rest to 0-15 seconds and perform an additional push-up every fifth rep.
3. Prone Knee to Outside Same Elbow
Why: See above.
How: In a push-up position, lift your right knee up towards your right elbow – trying to land it on the top of the elbow. Keep your hips down and foot off the floor throughout. Repeat with your other leg. That’s one rep.
Sets: 3-4
Reps: 10-15
Rest: 30 seconds
Crank it up for weeks three and four: Increase sets to 5-6, decrease rest to 0-15 seconds and perform an additional push-up every fifth rep.
4. Press-ups
Why: “These continue the static work on your midsection while working the pecs, deltoids and triceps, too.”
How: Do as many standard push-ups as you can. If you’re seriously flagging, drop your knees to squeeze out some box push-ups for a set of 15.
Sets: 3-4
Reps: 15
Rest: 30 seconds
Crank it up for weeks three and four: More full push-ups. Less box push-ups.
5. Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls
Why: “These fire the posterior chain and make the hamstrings and glutes work hard.”
How: Lie on your back with a Swiss ball positioned underneath the heels of your straight legs. Keep your hips up off the floor, stabilise with your glutes and curl your heels to your bum. Return and repeat.
Sets: 3-4
Reps: 10-15
Rest: 30 seconds
Crank it up for weeks three and four: Increase sets to 5-6, decrease rest to 0-15 seconds and return the ball to its starting position using only one leg.
6. Split Lunge/Overhead press
Why: “Again, your midsection is fired through stabilising the weight above your head and the use of multiple joints means a high metabolic output.”
How: Hold a dumbbell on each shoulder and set up a lunge position. Move your back knee to the floor in a forward lunge and as you reach the end of the movement press both dumbbells above your head.
Sets: 3-4
Reps: 10-15 seconds
Rest: 30 seconds
Crank it up for weeks three and four: Press the dumb-bells above your head before you begin the exercise. Then perform the lunge, keeping the weights above your head for the whole movement.
Uphill Treadmill – Walking
Once you’ve completed three circuits of the previous six exercises, get on the treadmill until your total session time hits 45 minutes.
Why: To burn additional fuel once your glycogen levels are depleted. Stopping at the 45-minute mark ensures you preserve the use of muscle tissue as fuel.
How: Set an incline for as hard a setting as you can manage and start walking. Do not run. “This workout has a lot of muscular stress around the lower limbs and the impact of running when these are fatigued is not good.”
Crank it up for weeks three and four: Walk faster on an even steeper incline. Do it even if you only have a few minutes left in your designated 45.
Want More Six-pack Tips?
Finished your three circuits with more treadmill time than you’d like? Learney recommends throwing in some concertina crunches. Lying down with your arms behind your head, pull your elbows up to touch both knees. Then push your feet out and lengthen your torso until your legs are at full extension and elbows touching the floor above your head. Return and repeat. Aim for 5-6 sets of 15 reps with 0-15 seconds rest between sets.
