How To Get The Midsection You’ve Always Wanted!

Why does everyone want the six pack? Easy: It’s so much more attractive than the more common spare tire or beer belly! There are thousands of articles everywhere on how to achieve the “perfect” torso. Most of them promising results. If it were as simple as hitting the gym three times a week while following a low-carb diet, we’d all be flying to Ibiza every summer, strutting around shirtless showing off our best assets! Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Let’s face it, everyone wants a flat stomach! The problem is that it is not that simple. There are so many factors that need to be considered when looking to achieve this. Every person has abdominal muscles. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to get up from a horizontal position. The problem is trying to get rid of that layer of fat so you can see them.

Obtaining the body part most sought after by men and women is quite a challenge. It takes 100% dedication to training, an almost perfect diet along with specific supplements (BioSignature) and an optimal lifestyle. To be successful, you need to gain some basic understanding of how your abs and core work.

To keep this simple so you stay focused, I’ll summarize the torso in a couple of sentences:

1. Core muscles: These are the muscles that are not visible but have priority when training the core. The main function of the core is to stiffen the spine, rib cage, and pelvic girdle so that the head, arms, and legs have a stable working base. If you suffer from any kind of internal abdominal dysfunction, you will not get that flat stomach.

2. Abdominal group: These are the ones you do see (assuming you have low body fat). Perform sit-ups, leg raises, sit-ups, etc. will hypertrophy these muscles. However, you MUST have a solid core before you begin direct abdominal training.

ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE

If you really want to look your best, walking around shirtless for your next summer vacation, start working on them now! With a combination of physical training, good nutrition, BioSignature, and an optimal lifestyle, you can flatten your stomach for summer!

TRAINING

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten! Change your weight training program every 3 to 4 weeks. I’m not just talking about abdominal training, you have to change your whole routine!

Whether your goal is hypertrophy, strength, or fat loss, you should never stick to the same exercises and exercise variables for more than 3-6 weeks. Train with free weights, NOT machines (unless directed by a health professional).

When you train on machines, you don’t stimulate the core and stabilizers. Squats, lunges, deadlifts, military presses are great and safe exercises when done correctly! They train the abs indirectly, by stimulating the core, which results in a flat and strong torso. If you retain a layer of fat around your stomach but are relatively thin elsewhere, you’ll need to watch your nutrition and lifestyle. Avoid sit-ups and sit-ups for at least a couple of months, especially if you’re a fan of sit-ups and do them religiously!

Most likely you need a structural balance. The trunk flexors will be tight and strong compared to the trunk extensors, which will be weak. Instead, work on your lower back muscles and engage your abs. Do exercises like deadlifts and back extensions (not necessarily on the same day). If you never train your midsection and you’ve gotten rid of most of the fat, then you could start training it right away.

Below is a sample routine that you can try twice a week. Side note: The abdominal muscles are made up primarily of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which in layman’s terms means they generally respond best to the 6-12 rep range, with a total time under tension of 30-50 seconds.

A1 – Incline Leg Raises. 8-12 repetitions. 4.1.1.1 delay. Lying on your back on a 30-degree incline bench, grab the bench behind your head. Raise your hips off the bench trying to keep your legs as straight as possible. Try to kick the ceiling and lower yourself down slowly for 4 seconds. Rest 30 seconds and then…

A2 – Decline sit-ups. 8-10 repetitions. 3.0.1.0 timer. Using the same bench as before, anchor your feet to the top somehow so your head is below your feet. Contract into your feet and lower slowly for 3 seconds. After you’ve done 10 reps, rest for 30 seconds and then…

A3 – Lateral curves – 8-10 repetitions. 3.0.1.0 timer. Using a Swiss ball or back extension chair, anchor your feet. If you’re working on the left side, place your left foot back and your right foot forward for better balance. Go down for 3 seconds and up for 1. Aim for 10 reps, rest then…

A4 – Back extensions – 8-10 repetitions. 3.0.1.0 timer. Using the same chair or ball as above, anchor your feet. Slowly lower your face to the floor for 3 seconds, up for 1, and pause in an extended position (NOT HYPEREXTENDED) for 1 second, then lower back down. Aim for 10 reps, then rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat the super set for another 2 rounds!

At the end of this routine, your abs should feel a bit sore. If not, you should increase the intensity next time, NOT the reps. This can be done by holding a weight behind or in front of your head, or between your feet (leg raises).

NUTRITION

Without proper nutrition, you’ll probably never get the results you’re looking for. I’m not going to say you should cut down on carbs or fat, as this may not work for you. However, if you’ve relied on certain carbs and sugars for energy for a long time but haven’t seen a shrinking in your waistline, maybe you should switch to good fats and protein. Here are some simple tips that can help with your stomach, along with increasing energy levels:

Think before you eat: “That cake looks good, but I’ll regret it later.” Eat as often as you can: 4-6 small meals instead of 2-3 large ones. Do not skip meals: if you do, your body will think that food is missing and prepare for it. Your metabolism will slow down and you will burn muscle and retain fat! Eat organic whenever possible: There is a lot of information about the importance of consuming organic farm products. Avoid processed foods and drinks – these are high in sugar, additives, bad fats, and chemicals our bodies are not designed to live with. Stay well hydrated – drink at least 2 liters of filtered bottled water every day. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol, especially beer.

BIOSIGNATURE

See my BioSignature article for more details.

ABSTRACT

Follow these steps in order, and you’ll have a much better chance of losing that spare tire compared to what you’re probably doing right now:

1. Nutrition: Eliminate all carbohydrates and sugars and focus on animal (and whey) and vegetable (no potatoes) proteins. stay well hydrated

2. Complementation: For best results, I highly recommend that you take a BioSignature evaluation.

3. Lifestyle: Go to bed around 10:30 every night (do your best here) and wake up at the same time every day. Find ways to manage stress, if necessary.

4. Training: Avoid excessive sit-ups, sit-ups, leg raises and focus on large, compound movements such as Deadlifts, Squats, Military Press, etc. This will burn more calories than straight abdominal exercises and will speed up your metabolism! Avoid or limit sustained aerobic activities, such as long runs. Trust me this time!