When it comes to fitness training, a six-pack is the number 1 training goal for many people. Without question: Anyone who can present a flat stomach with defined abdominal muscles on the beach or in the swimming pool in summer is guaranteed to attract one or two envious glances.
But how do six-pack abs come about? Can everyone have washboard abs? And which exercises can you use to train your abdominal muscles effectively? We clarify the most important questions about the six-pack!
What is a six pack? | The rectus abdominis muscle
A six-pack is primarily considered particularly attractive and, similar to defined biceps, a symbol of a trained body. Apart from that, trained abdominal muscles also have many health benefits. She plays an important role in healthy posture.
The rectus abdominis muscle runs from the breastbone to the pelvis. It is divided vertically by the connective tissue seam, the Linea Alba, and horizontally by usually two to three intermediate tendons.
The division into six smaller muscle areas gives the rectus abdominis muscle its typical six-pack appearance when trained. How many intermediate tendons divide the rectus abdominis muscle and what they are like is genetically determined. If the muscle is divided into a total of eight areas by a third intermediate tendon, it is seen as an “eight pack”, and if there are four intermediate tendons it is even a “ten pack”.
Can everyone have a six pack?
Whether the prerequisites for a six-pack are met depends primarily on the genetic predisposition and the number of intermediate tendons.
If you only have one or no intermediate tendon on the rectus abdominis, you will never be able to train for six-pack abs. But that only happens very rarely. However, if you have (at least) two intermediate tendons, you can use them to train your six-pack.
In order for the six-pack to become visible, 1. the abdominal muscles must be trained regularly and intensively and 2. excess abdominal fat must be reduced. A body fat content of around 12% for men and around 18% for women is considered a good prerequisite for the six-pack to appear.
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Health benefits of having six pack abs
A six-pack is not only particularly attractive, but also has numerous health benefits for your body and your posture. The abdominal muscles, together with the back muscles, have an important supporting function for the spine.
Trained core muscles improve posture , increase performance in everyday life and are also one of the best preventions against back pain . A stable core helps you maintain a healthy, upright posture, especially when sitting down. Without this support, we tend to fall into a hunched over position with our upper body, which puts strain on our back.
Holistic core training of the abdominal and back muscles
As you can see, it’s not just about the six-pack, but more about the interaction of the abdominal and back muscles . A holistic core training always includes training of the abdominal AND back muscles. This way, players and opponents are in balance and you avoid muscular imbalances.
When training your abdominal muscles, you shouldn’t just focus on the straight abdominal muscles for the six-pack. In addition to the rectus abdominis, the abdominal muscles also include the oblique and transverse abdominal muscles. You should include all of these muscle groups when training.
Stable core – an important basis for sport
You don’t just benefit from a six-pack in everyday life: a strong core is the basis for numerous sports. With a stable core, you can generate much more strength in your arms and legs. You can control your movements better and execute them more specifically – whether in soccer or free strength training with weights.
8 exercises for your six pack
In our video we introduce you to 8 effective exercises for the abdominal muscles. All you need is a floor mat and an exercise ball .
- Crunch
- Double crunch
- Leg lowering
- Side support
- Upper body twist
- Leg scissors
- Side bend
- Forearm support
Tips for training
- Add variety to your training and vary the exercises with each workout. In this way you always provide new stimuli for your muscles.
- Make sure the exercise is carried out cleanly – quality comes before quantity. Start with 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps each. If you do the exercises more slowly, they will be much more intense.
- Muscles do not grow during training, but rather during the regeneration phase. So give yourself a regular break from six-pack training – 3 times a week is enough.
- Have you been training for a while and want to increase the intensity? Then use additional weights such as weight vests or weight cuffs . The increased weight makes the exercises more intense.
- Would you also like to do something for your abdominal muscles at work? With this office exercise you can train them from your desk!
No six-pack despite training?
Have you been doing six pack exercises for a while now, but the six pack just doesn’t show up? There is usually a very simple reason for this: the stomach is one of the typical “problem areas”. Body fat tends to build up here and this hides the six-pack. So the good news: It’s possible that you already have a six-pack, it’s just not visible yet.
But why doesn’t the stomach get slimmer? After all, you’re doing targeted abdominal exercises! There is also a reason for this: body fat is not broken down locally. So you can’t specifically lose weight in one part of the body. Where and how much fat is burned depends on factors such as age, gender, diet, genetics and physical activity. With abdominal muscle training you specifically strengthen the abdominal muscles, but you don’t also reduce belly fat at the same time.
This is how you get rid of your fat
In order to reveal six-pack abs, the overlying belly fat must be reduced by lowering the overall body fat percentage. You can do this with a long-term healthy diet combined with regular fitness training . Cardio and strength training burns lots of calories. When doing endurance training, you should make sure to train in the fat burning zone. If you train with heart rate measurement , this is easy to do. Compound exercises are particularly effective in strength training because they target large muscle groups. And: Muscles increase the basal metabolic rate and, thanks to the afterburn effect, continue to burn fat even when resting/up to 72 hours after training.
It is important that you achieve a negative energy balance , meaning that you burn more calories than you consume from food. To compensate for this deficit, the body uses the existing energy stores, body fat. This reduces the fat percentage in the body in the long term. It is recommended to reduce your calorie intake by 300-500 calories. You can easily calculate how high your daily calorie needs are with our calorie calculator. / With the basal metabolic rate calculator you can easily determine your recommended calorie requirement. Calorie counter apps are also helpful , allowing you to keep an eye on your daily calorie balance.
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