How to get a six pack in a month A blueprint for maximum results
Let me get straight to the point and say that if you want to know how to get a six pack in a month you had better be prepared to work hard and be focused because it is not easy. That said it is not impossible but requires a level of commitment, discipline and dedication that most people I meet are not able to reach. However if you think you have what it takes to go that step further and take get a stand out body then keep reading.
Note – Being able to have a six pack in a month means having to go below 9% body fat for men and 16% for women. To see if you have a good chance of getting to this point from where you are now in a month then use this body fat calculator.
So to achieve six pack a stomach there are my opinion 3 factors you have to consider, diet, overall training and specific ab workouts. Here are some guidelines for all three points.
How to get a six pack in a month – Diet Guidelines
This is the most critical factor and if you get this wrong then getting your body to low body fat levels will be extremely difficult.
The first thing to do is eliminate all fast, processed and refined foods from your diet meaning you should ask yourself before you eat anything is this food in its natural state? I would also think about reducing the amount of daily calories you eat by 15-20% to start with and see what results that gives you.
I advise dividing your calorie intake between 5-6 healthy meals to lose weight but it is not critical if you can´t do this. Just make sure that whatever meal strategy you follow you keep with the daily limit.
During this period I would advise increasing protein intake so that you have some form of protein with every meal. This will help you retain lean muscle as you train with more intensity and will help you with controlling hunger and boosting your metabolism. Use lean sources such chicken, turkey, eggs, fish and quality protein powder.
Starch based carbs (bread, pasta, white rice etc) should be limited to post workout meals only. For the last 2 weeks I would eliminate this form of carbs completely. Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet as your main source of carbohydrates but keep fruit intake to moderate levels.
Look to include more healthy fats in your meals except your post workout meal which should be limited in fat content. Sources such as flax oil, oily fish, nuts & seeds are good and can help you burn more fat. However be careful not to overdo them and I would aim to have only between 20-25% of total daily calories coming from essential fatty acids. If you don´t generally eat this type of food think about using an EFA supplement such as Krill Oil.
Drink lots of water with around 4 litres a day a good benchmark to aim for when physically active as you will be this month.
How to get a 6 pack in a month – Training Guidelines
When it comes to training for fat loss there is a lot of confusing messages coming from the fitness world. Many people will say that cardio is the most important while others will cite resistance training as the best way of getting quick results. What is clear is that the highest levels of fat burning happen when you do both cardio and weight training jointly.
When maintaining weight then 3-workouts a week that include resistance training with short cardio workouts are normally sufficient. However when you want to get super lean then you have to be prepared to increases the frequency of your workouts and the intensity of each session. This means doing some form of cardio activity every day with at least 4 resistance workouts per week
The cardio workouts should contain a high intensity portion such as interval training that last for 20-25 minutes at least 4-6 times per week and for the other more moderate cardio sessions aim for 30-60 minutes. With regard to the weights keep trying to increase the weight you lift during this period to maintain strength and muscle definition.
During the month think about increasing the level of intensity for most of your workouts.
Remember these are just guidelines and for some of you just cutting calories and adding a couple more intense cardio workouts may do the trick. For others this level may just be enough to keep you burning fat.
As I stated before having a six pack is all about low body fat. Low body fat is about burning calories and creating a calorie deficit that comes from using more energy and decreasing the amount of calories you take in from food.
For a step by step guide to getting a six pack through training and nutrition I recommend this program. Total Six Pack Abs
How to get six pack abs in a month – Ab Workouts
Only once you have you started to lose body fat through your diet and training do you need to think about doing direct ab workouts. This is really about giving your abs a sharper more dense appearance once your body fat is down to the right level. I personally don’t work abs more than 3 times per week but I know other people who work them every day so I think the choice is up to you.
There are literally hundreds of ab exercises you can use and I encourage you to do some research to find ones that you feel comfortable with. By the way if you suffer with any form of back pain then avoid crunches as these can cause more damage to your condition. Here are some of my personal favorites that I have researched and used with excellent results.
Any form of plank
Hanging leg raises – Straight and bent leg
Ab Wheel or stability ball rollouts
Stability ball jacknives
Renegade rows
Mountain climbers
Wood chops
Hip thrusts
These are all excellent abs exercises that if you use regularly will give great results.If you know any more or have specific ab workouts that work for you please share in the comments below.
In conclusion
So this is really a blueprint for how to get a six pack in a month that you can tweak to suit your own requirements. The one main point you should take away from this is that you get a great six pack from decreasing your body fat. To achieve this goal you create a large calorie deficit through proper nutrition and metabolism boosting exercise.
