Personal Trainer and fitness blogger Alexis Fletcher is back once again with her insights into the world of health and fitness. This week, she gives her top tips for six pack abs; from the food to the workouts.
AB-TENSION
As a weight loss expert I regularly help people shed the fat they want to lose and then it’s a case of honing and toning particular areas.
The stomach is one of the most popular areas people want to flatten and some of you like to have that 6 pack showing through!
You need to start off by doing a full body work out to burn fat everywhere. Include some cardio interval training to burn fat, some plyometrics to give you power & strength and then some resistance training for the afterburn effect; essential to keep zapping that extra weight!
Try this simple formula (with a good warm up and cool down, of course!)
– CARDIO – Do 10-20 minutes of cardio interval training. So run (try stair sprints & shuttle runs for something different) cycle or row for 1 minute fast followed by 1 minute slow…. Check your heart rate is between 80-90% of your max heart rate (220 minus your age = MHR)
– RESISTANCE – With full body tension (so strong legs, glutes & core) perform 3 sets of kettlebell swings for 1 minute with a rest of up to 90 seconds in between…. To make it harder – rest in the plank position.
– PLYOMETRICS – Burpees (some of my clients like to call these sick-ees!) Again, 3 sets of 1 minute blasts (with a jump on a step in between to make it that bit harder). Be sure to rest in between (although I guarantee you’ll need it anyway!).
Give this a go a 3-4 times a week for at least 4-6 weeks and that’s the hardest work done! Then, as mentioned you can focus on defining your stomach muscles. Your core will already be strong from the previous routine so this part should be a breeze….
– CORE – 3 sets of 10 jack knifes with rests. Progression would be to add a medicine ball weight – crunch, crunch, crunch!
PhysioRoom also do great bits of equipment for core workouts – why not try sit-ups with the roller or sit-up machines?
Also if you have access to a power plate in the gym or at home you can carry out your core work on it for a deeper workout or try one of these electro-stimulators from PhysioRoom.com.
NUTRITION FOR THAT SIX-PACK ABS
There are lots of foods that can help with getting a flat stomach and obviously foods you should avoid to fight the flab.
Start your day with a glass of hot water and slice of lemon to detox you and rev up your metabolism. Also, take some probiotics, in tablet form or live yoghurt/drinks to get some good bacteria inside.
Generally, you need to stick to lots of fibre so lots of dark green leafy veg and 1-2 pieces of fruit a day. Cook with olive oils to help breakdown fats in the body, and garlic/chilli to kill off bad bacteria and give you a boost.
Drink as much peppermint and green tea as you like to help digestion and fight against water retention. Apple cider vinegar is also a great supplement to add to your diet to help with bloating from water retention as is cranberry juice (go for sugar free of course!).
Other great spices are fennel, ginger & cinnamon whether drank in tea form or added raw to food/juices to suppress your appetite and regulate blood sugar levels.
Snack on nuts and seeds as a healthy alternative to avoid over-eating and include complex carbs like quinoa & brown rice for slow energy release. Oily fish, too, will fill you up in a super healthy way!
Avoid refined grains like white bread, pasta & potatoes, processed foods and always go for cooked food over raw. Another tip to avoid bloating is bin the chewing gum, go for sugar free mints and liquorice instead!
For all your fitness needs, head over to PhysioRoom.com.