One of the most common questions I get as a Personal Trainer is how to get abs to show. I wish there was a simple answer and a magic fix or pill I could recommend; however there isn’t, definitely not a pill or magic shake (please stop falling for these gimmicks people!) Are you looking to have a Hot Girl Summer and want to get rid of some extra body fat and show off some lean abs? Keep reading below because you might be making on of these 4 MISTAKES that many people make in their fitness and nutrition when they are striving for a leaner body. With so much misleading information out there on the internet, I want to break this down for you in the simplest way possible.
I have had two babies and am currently 12 months postpartum with my seconds and have visible abs. I don’t have a “six pack” but I can definitely provide some clear advice on how to get abs to show and what you might be doing wrong to achieve this goal.
HOW TO GET ABS TO SHOW – 4 COMMON MISTAKES YOU MIGHT BE MAKING
Doing only cardio training?
Are you spending hours and hours on cardio machines hoping to drop weight and get your abs to show? I’m happy to inform you that you don’t need to keep wasting your time! Don’t get me wrong, cardio workouts are great for heart health, mental health, and burning calories; however, if you are not incorporating strength training into your workouts you will not be boosting your Basal Metabolic Rate and building lean muscle in order to achieve a leaner figure. I recommend doing a combination of strength training and cardiovascular training throughout the week in order to achieve a well rounded fitness regimen and get closer to your goal of a leaner stomach.
Starving yourself?
Are you eating 1200 calories per day or less because someone on the internet told you that this is the only way to lose weight and how to get abs to show? Please stop it! Food is fuel people and you are allowed to live a happy healthy life, enjoying your favourite foods in moderation all while losing weight and achieving your goals. If we want to achieve a leaner figure, we need to strength train as mentioned above, but we also need to eat to fuel our body. Why? We need the energy to really be able to push hard in our workouts as this is where we actually get the results. If you have zero energy to push in your workouts because your body is starving, then you will forever be on an endless roller coaster of going up and down on the scale. Building a healthy relationship with food is the most important thing when it comes to long term weight loss success, achieving visible abs, and just overall enjoying a healthy balanced life!
Not Prioritizing Sleep & Water
Many people will eat healthy and exercise, but then stay up way too late watching Netflix or scrolling social media, which leads to lack of energy the next day and increased cravings. The body needs 7-8 hours of sleep each night, so if we have the ability to give our body the sleep it needs then do it! If you are a mom, trust me I know this isn’t always an option, but as someone who has a 12 month old, I get it; however, when you make sleep a priority you will find a way to get your butt to bed early and turn off the tv. The body recovers when we are sleeping, so if you are looking to get leaner then you need to give your body the time to recover and build that muscle baby! Combine that with making hydration and water intake a priority as well and you have a great combination to feel amazing! You should be drinking a minimum 2 litres of water each day (more the better) in order to keep your metabolism burning calories, stay energized, and help curb cravings.
Doing 500 Sit Ups A Day?
This is something I hear way to often. First of all, you can’t spot reduce any area of your body, so doing more sit ups without a well rounded fitness and nutrition plan is not how to get abs to show. I am not a huge fan of sit ups, but I’m not mad if anyone does sit ups; however, most important is incorporating ab and core exercises that work all the muscles of the abdominals as well as the core. Having visible abs is one thing, but having visible abs and a core that is strong and stable is another thing. My recommendation is to do about 2 full body strength workouts each week (including full body exercises such a deadlifts, pull ups, squats, etc. that incorporate the core) and ab and core workouts 2-3 times per week. This will help build both strength and muscle in order to help blast belly fat and achieve more visible abs and a leaner figure.
I hope these tips help you to not make any of these 4 common mistakes when you are looking to learn how to get visible abs!
If you want to get your journey to more visible abs going, CHECK OUT THIS SOLID 12 MINUTE AB WORKOUT AT HOME On My YouTube Channel! This is the perfect addition to any cardio or strength workout, or just a quick way to target your abs a few times per week to help on your journey! Feel free to leave me a comment or DM me on Instagram @MichelleRootsFit with any questions or CHECK OUT HOW I CAN HELP YOU FURTHER ON YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY HERE.
In Good Health
Michelle 🙂
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