How Did You Get Those Abs?

I get asked this this question regularly. My abs are pretty good and I really enjoy the complement of people asking me, "What did you do to get those abs." I really do mean that I find this quite complementary. And they aren't good by accident. They have been earned and I believe that anyone can do it.

I had asked my trainer this question as well. Like most people, I presumed that the secret to great abs was extra crunches and cardio. And although cardio and crunches are useful, the secret to finely tuned abs is nutrition. That's right, nutrition. Once you've burned your fat to a good level, your nutrition profile will determine how cut you get. Really, it's true.

So here's the formula.

1. Enough cardio so that you trim your fat to a healthy but low level. Consult a fitness professional at your gym to have your body fat tested. Ask for guidelines as to what your body fat percentage ought to be.
2. Do 20 minutes of crunches 2 days a week. Vary the routine each time you do abs. For example: weighted abs on a bench one day; weighted abs on a ball the next time; and unweighted abs on the floor the next time. Use leg raises, hanging leg raises and any abdominal machines that your gym may have on another day. You get the picture, right? Mix it up.
3. NUTRITION. Get some nutritional advice from a professional or from a book. I like the site fitday.com as a tool to monitor my food intake. Fitday helps me to be aware of my fat, protein and carb intake. You need proper balance of these three areas. Some fat is good. That old "no-fat" thing is history. You have to make sure that you eat enough. Eliminate flour and sugar from you diet and eat natural, unprepared foods. Eat junk and you'll look like it.

Remember, your abs are "abdominal muscles." Emphasis on muscles. You need to build them similarly to the way you build other muscles. And in the end, your nutrition will make all the difference in how well they pop. Go for it.

John Hudome, DCH

"Workout and eat as if your life depended on it."