Do what works. You want badass abs, don't you? Maybe you're wondering
why some guys can sculpt an amazing midsection while the rest of us
struggle to suck in our jiggle bellies. Are they genetically predisposed? Or are they just more disciplined when it comes
to exercising? Do they simply want it more badly than we do? Or do
these guys know something that most of us don't know. Is there a secret?If abs are what you want, then start here with a few more simple, effective secrets that will set you on the path for a lean, hard belly:
Initial Action Steps
1. Wake up to water
Imagine not drinking all day at work—no coffee, no water, no diet soda. At the end of an 8-hour shift, you'd be pretty parched. Which is precisely why you should start rehydrating immediately after a full night's slumber. From now on, drink at least 16 ounces of chilled H2O as soon as you rise in the morning. German scientists recently found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24 percent for 90 minutes afterward. A general rule of thumb: Guzzle at least a gallon of water over the course of a day.
2. Eat breakfast every day
Study showed that men who skip their morning meal are 4 1/2 times more likely to have bulging bellies than those who don't. So within an hour of waking, have a meal or protein shake with at least 250 calories. British researchers found that breakfast size was inversely related to waist size. That is, the larger the morning meal, the leaner the midsection. But keep the meal's size within reason: A 1,480-calorie smoked-sausage scramble at Denny's is really two breakfasts, so cap your intake at 500 calories.
3. Promise yourself that you will avoid restaurant lunches for one month
Stay out of those weapons of abs destruction by packing your lunch in a cooler every day. This simple habit is incredibly powerful for keeping you on track. University of Iowa scientists found that people who monitored their diet and exercise goals most frequently were more likely to achieve them than were goal-setters who rarely reviewed their objectives.
4. Make yours a metabolic circuit
The most effective way to burn belly fat and build middle muscle is weight training. But not the kind you see a lot of guys doing at the gym: take-your-time weight training. That doesn't cut the mustard. If you want abs, you need a one-two punch in the gut: weight lifting and high-intensity interval training. According to a recent University of Southern Maine study, half an hour of pumping iron burns as many calories as running at a 6-minute-per-mile pace for the same duration. (And it has the added benefit of helping you build muscle.) What's more, unlike aerobic exercise, lifting has been shown to boost metabolism for as long as 39 hours after the last repetition.
5. Pack it in early
You need sleep to find your six-pack. That's because lack of shut-eye may disrupt the hormones that control your ability to burn fat. For instance, University of Chicago scientists recently found that just three nights of poor sleep may cause your muscle cells to become resistant to the hormone insulin. Over time, this leads to fat storage around your belly. Give yourself your best shot at melting your middle and making it hard by turning in before 10. You'll wake up early enough to make yourself a nice breakfast (and drink your water) and be able to try out Six-Pack Secret #6.
Imagine not drinking all day at work—no coffee, no water, no diet soda. At the end of an 8-hour shift, you'd be pretty parched. Which is precisely why you should start rehydrating immediately after a full night's slumber. From now on, drink at least 16 ounces of chilled H2O as soon as you rise in the morning. German scientists recently found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24 percent for 90 minutes afterward. A general rule of thumb: Guzzle at least a gallon of water over the course of a day.
2. Eat breakfast every day
Study showed that men who skip their morning meal are 4 1/2 times more likely to have bulging bellies than those who don't. So within an hour of waking, have a meal or protein shake with at least 250 calories. British researchers found that breakfast size was inversely related to waist size. That is, the larger the morning meal, the leaner the midsection. But keep the meal's size within reason: A 1,480-calorie smoked-sausage scramble at Denny's is really two breakfasts, so cap your intake at 500 calories.
3. Promise yourself that you will avoid restaurant lunches for one month
Stay out of those weapons of abs destruction by packing your lunch in a cooler every day. This simple habit is incredibly powerful for keeping you on track. University of Iowa scientists found that people who monitored their diet and exercise goals most frequently were more likely to achieve them than were goal-setters who rarely reviewed their objectives.
4. Make yours a metabolic circuit
The most effective way to burn belly fat and build middle muscle is weight training. But not the kind you see a lot of guys doing at the gym: take-your-time weight training. That doesn't cut the mustard. If you want abs, you need a one-two punch in the gut: weight lifting and high-intensity interval training. According to a recent University of Southern Maine study, half an hour of pumping iron burns as many calories as running at a 6-minute-per-mile pace for the same duration. (And it has the added benefit of helping you build muscle.) What's more, unlike aerobic exercise, lifting has been shown to boost metabolism for as long as 39 hours after the last repetition.
5. Pack it in early
You need sleep to find your six-pack. That's because lack of shut-eye may disrupt the hormones that control your ability to burn fat. For instance, University of Chicago scientists recently found that just three nights of poor sleep may cause your muscle cells to become resistant to the hormone insulin. Over time, this leads to fat storage around your belly. Give yourself your best shot at melting your middle and making it hard by turning in before 10. You'll wake up early enough to make yourself a nice breakfast (and drink your water) and be able to try out Six-Pack Secret #6.
No comments:
Post a Comment