Two Simple Steps to a Six Pack

Q. I just want to know how to get a six pack quickly and easily to impress the girls. Please help me!

A. Other than liposuction, there's no quick and easy way to get a six pack. It boils down to a combination of good nutrition, regular exercise and a hefty dose of persistence.

And I hate to tell you this, but not every girl is impressed with a six pack. In fact, my personal experience in such matters is that a lot of them are not the slightest bit interested, despite the claims of various men's magazines to the contrary. Many actually prefer a man with a bit more fat. So if you're doing it solely to impress women, I think you're wasting your time.

To see your six-pack, you need two things: A well-developed rectus abdominis combined with low levels of subcutaneous (under the skin) fat.

Rectus abdominis, which is the six-pack muscle, extends down the stomach from your ribs to your hips. When you lie down on your back and lift the shoulders from the floor, rectus abdominis is the muscle that's doing most of the work.

The six-pack look is the result of bands of connective tissue that "cut" into rectus abdominis. The more developed the rectus abdominis muscle, the deeper the grooves.

I've covered what to eat and how to exercise so many times you're probably fed up with me going on about it, so lets take a closer look at how to develop rectus abdominis.

The basic workout template I recommend is this one:

1. Each week, aim to complete all four of these movements at least once, distributed over the week in 2-3 sessions:

• Plank-type movement (i.e. static plank, ball rollouts)
• Reverse crunch-type movement (e.g. hanging leg raise, reverse ball curl)
• Twisting movement (i.e. cable woodchops, an isometric resisted twist, such as the dumbbell row, would also do the job)
• Crunch-type movement (e.g. Swiss ball crunches, cable crunches, regular crunches)

Here's a sample workout that I use. I'll start with the hardest exercise first (rollouts), with the easiest one (usually a crunch variation) at the end.

Two-Point Rollout

With a Swiss Ball, loaded barbell or a Power Wheel in front of you, kneel down on the floor. Take your knees off the floor and straighten your legs. In this position, only your toes should be in contact with the floor. Push the ball forwards as far as possible, pause for a second, and then return to the start position.

Reverse Ball Curl

To perform the reverse ball curl, make sure that you have something stable to hold on to. Lift your hips off the ball and curl your knees towards your face. Hold this position for just a second before returning the hips to the starting position. Keep the knees at roughly 90 degrees and avoid straightening or bending the legs.

I should point out that this can be a very difficult exercise to get right — even just balancing on the ball is a challenge for most people. So don't worry if it takes a few weeks of practice to get it right.

Ball Curl

Begin this exercise by lying on a Swiss Ball. Roll back so that your upper body is arched over the ball. Don't roll too far or you're liable to fall off. Raise your upper body, pause for a second in the top position, and then slowly return to the starting position. If you're new to crunches on a ball, start with your hands on your thighs. To make the exercise harder cross your arms across your chest or place your finger tips behind your head.

I normally train my abs 2-3 times per week, doing 2-3 sets per exercise, 8-15 repetitions per set (using extra resistance where necessary to make the load challenging) and taking 45-60 seconds of rest between sets.

About The Author
Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.

If you're stuck in a rut with your current exercise and diet plan... fed up with only losing a pound here and there... or still skinny after months (or even years) of trying to build muscle and gain weight... click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.