So you want a six-pack?

So you want this:

Six Pack

Ask most guys what their goal in the gym is, and the above will normally feature pretty high on the list.... It's up there with good biceps, chiseled jaw line and toned back and chest muscles....

Of all of these, the six-pack probably requires the most amount of work to achieve. Here are my 5 top tips for a six-pack:

• Sort that technique - to activate your core muscles properly you need to master the art of breathing, bracing your abs and keeping a neutral spine position. This is basic but quite difficult to achieve time and time again. As you lift a weight you should exhale, pull in your abs and contract them whilst maintaining a straight back position.

Neutral Spine in the middle - bum not pushed out, pelvis held in a central position

• Do the heavy lifts - to keep your core muscles strong, raise your metabolism massively and achieve overall growth you need to work on the heavy lifts - squats, deadlifts, clean and press. These movements use the most muscles in your body and due to the amount of weight you can lift once you have been training for a while they will burn massive amounts of calories.

Dumbbell Clean and Press... also effective with a barbell.

• Do a sensible amount of core training - a lot of guys tend to think a six pack can be achieved by doing hundreds of crunches a day... this seems a little illogical. Like any muscles group, the rectus abdominis (six pack muscle) needs recovery days. I recommend 2 30 minute core sessions a week. These should include static planks, front and side crunches, wood chop movements, rotations, leg raises and pull and push cable movements.
• Become a Cardio machine. We all actually have a six pack muscle. For a lot of us, though, it is hidden under a layer of fat. In this respect cardio will be your friends. Mix long, slow duration training (30-60 minutes at a steady pace) with highly intense interval training.... eg. 5 minute warm up and then 2 minutes run on an incline to fatigue followed by a minutes walking... repeat for 25-30 minutes.
• Eat lean and keep it clean.... Give yourself a mantra.... it isn't catchy, but just say 'lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and lots of fresh vegetables' for every meal. Eat 4-6 times a day - every 3 hours or so. Keep the portions quite light and only treat yourself to one cheat meal per week.

If you dedicate yourself to these 5 points it won't be long before you see a massive change. 3-6 months aught to see a massive change in your body fat levels, muscle tone and overall look and feel!

Feel free to contact me to clarify anything you don't quite understand above.

Good Luck!