There is a cliché saying, "abs are made in the kitchen". Guess what, it’s true. Everyone wants them, but they can be illusive. Here is my two-cents on actually attaining them.
Exercise makes muscles bigger. That is a commonly known fact. However, we tend to forget this when it comes to abdominal workouts and achieving a strong slender waist. If you are aiming to trim your waistline this year, PLEASE don't go in and start doing a lot of weighted abdominal exercises.
Heavy kettlebell side bends, and heavy kettlebell Russian twists are excellent ways to add size at your obliques.
Heavy hanging leg raises and crunches with weight are excellent ways to round out your abdominals and give you the Turtle Shell Belly. I know you’ve seen it! Don’t act like I’m the only one!
I am not saying “NEVER DO AB EXERCISES WITH WEIGHT”. I’m saying don’t go super heavy because you think you will get a six pack.
Instead, ensure that you are incorporating cardio or (my personal preference) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your workouts. HIIT is superior to cardio in that (1) you don’t’ need to do it as long, (2) you can incorporate your weight lifting into your HIIT circuit and (3) you get the sustained elevated heart rate like you do in cardio. This sustained heartrate elevation is required to push your body to the point that you are burning fat. HIIT allows you to continue to burn fat while you lift, and you get the continued burn for hours later that comes when you lift weights alone.
To specifically work your core, go light on the weighted abdominal exercises or do body-weight abdominal exercises and dynamic exercises that require core stability. Some examples are squats, deadlifts, kettlebell jump lunges and kettlebell jumps squats. These exercises require you to engage your core to keep your body upright and maintain proper posture and form.
But bigger than the exercises you do is the food you eat. Stick to fresh fruits, vegetables (fresh, baked, steamed, raw), lean meats (seafood, chicken, turkey), whole grains and nuts. Lay off the daily glass of wine or beer with dinner and too many mixed drinks. I'm not say NEVER. I'm saying NOT EVERYDAY.
Check out my article I Hate the Word Diet to get an idea of how many calories you should be ingesting based on your goals and the proper portions for health foods. Until then… #LiftSomethingBih
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