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How I’ve maintained my abs for over two decades
Abs are not made in the gym.
The gym helps, but abs come from the diet.
When people ask me how I maintain abs, I ask about their diet.
Genetics and consistent weightlifting help refine your abdominal muscles significantly, but even for myself, I notice the best results come from what I eat.
Sometimes I eat whatever I want, but for the most part, I eat a relatively clean diet, which is how I’ve maintained abs throughout my life.
What Should I Remove From My Diet?
If you want abs, the best stuff to remove from your most consistent diet include:
Dairy
Sugar
Fast Foods
Processed Foods
Some people can include all of these and consistently get results, but removing these things will do that for y if you want to expedite your results.
What About Cardio?
If you have extra weight, cardio will be necessary if you want your abdominal muscles to show.
The only form of cardio I do is walking.
Sometimes I will do light cardio to train specific muscle groups indirectly.
But cardio has not been a necessary part of my routine in maintaining ab muscles that show because I don’t overeat. Instead, I maintain a weight that doesn’t encompass much extra fat.
What If I Strugglwith e Overeating?
If you struggle with overeating, you must tackle this area to help reveal your abdominal muscles and all your hard work in the gym.
I also encourage people struggling with weight to focus on building muscle.
The more muscle you have, the more dietary flexibility you will enjoy.
There have been times I’ve eaten ice cream daily for a month or a burger every day for a week. I could only get away with this because I’ve been lifting weights for over two decades, and my usual diet is clean.
No matter how much I deviate from my typical diet, I always get back on track.
How Should I Workout My Abs?
I primarily do one ab workout, and it’s called 8-minute abs. The minimum rep count is 240. I’ve been doing this workout since high school, and it consistently produces results.
The ab workouts matter much less than your diet.
If I were you, I would aim to work out your abs at least four times a week, if not daily.
A strong core is the foundation for strengthening your other muscle groups and alleviates much pain people deal with (e.g., back pain).
Recap: So What’s The Secret?
#1
Lift weights multiple times per week.
#2
Work out your abdominal muscles daily or multiple times per week, if not daily.
#4
Abs are made in the kitchen. Clean up your diet to produce results so your ab muscles show. This is also the most challenging task for most people; if you master this, everything else will fall into place.
#3
Cardio is great, but be sure you focus on fasted cardio (Fasted cardio is cardio completed before you consume any meals or calories. The best time to do fasted cardio is right after waking.) so you can blast straight from the source instead of blasting the calories you consumed for the day.
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Finally, get the stomach you’ve always wanted
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.