Top 5 Tips To Reveal Your Six Pack
James Juarez, CPT
1. Log Your Food Intake
There will always be a specific combination in number of calories and ratio of macro nutrients within those calories that will yield amazing results for your physique. When you log your food intake you are able to account for specific nutritional needs on a consistent basis, getting you the specific results you're looking for. Doing so will also allow you to test different macro nutrient ratio to see what works best. Your energy input needs to match your energy output if body recomposition is your goal.
2. Hold Yourself Accountable
No one is going to do it for you. Too many people get frustrated with their lack of progress and avoid the honest accountability with themselves. Be ready to face the consequences if you take too many diet breaks. Don't look for excuses to allow yourself to be inconsistent with your training sessions. As a fitness professional, I can help you along the way but this is your journey. Own it.
3. Create a Legitimate Exercise Plan
Following a "cookie cutter" plan from Instagram will almost always lead to injury if you do the exercises improperly or lack the proper foundation. Educate yourself on proper form and when in doubt, hire a professional that can identify your weaknesses. The plan you come up with is only as effective as the education that goes into it. Programs should be custom tailored to your body and that means assessing your current state of mobility to get things started the right way. After conducting a mobility assessment, I prescribe workouts tailored around your limitations to prevent injury and to promote correct postural alignment.
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When it comes to abdominal exercises, here are my favorite three. In the videos below I also go over common mistakes people do when performing theses exercises and how to correct them.
4. Execute The Plan
You will never know how well the plan works unless it is tested on a consistent basis. Adhering to the required workout frequency is crucial in determining the efficacy of a workout plan. If it needs to be over-stated it's because these point is so often overlooked and it is very difficult to see any fitness results if you are not sticking to a solid schedule. Very few plans are successful through and through without any adjustments along the way. The point of the plan is to quickly determine what is working and what is not, so that the appropriate changes can be made. With that said, do not get discouraged if you don't see the results you are looking for. Sometimes patience is the key, and you have no given the plan enough time to be able to tell. Other times it is a matter of just fine tuning the plan for everything to click into place.
5. Get Your Microbiome Tested
It can be difficult to see the desired results if there are underlying conflicts with the food you eat and how your food is processed by your body. It typically starts at the gut, and if you try certain meal plans, macro-ratios, or diets, and feel unwell in that your body experiences negative side effects, it will be quite difficult to stay consistent with the diet long term. Before starting a meal plan for a new client, I like to have their gut health tested to make sure the meal plan isn't undermined by a poor gut microbiome. This also provides the data that is helpful for me to build a meal plan based on your specific needs without any unnecessary guesswork. These tests are often quick, and will provide insight into what foods you should avoid and which foods you should eat more of.
6. *BONUS TIP* Hire a Professional!
If you have tried to attain your dream physique with little to no avail, it might be time to seek advice from a professional trainer. Trying to embark on any kind of journey without proper navigation from a viable source will almost always take you more time, if not, save you from failure and quitting all together. There is a lot of information out there which can often feel intimidating and confusing. A good trainer can help you prioritize what you should focus on based on the many years of experience behind them working with many different personalities, lifestyles, and body types. If you need any help getting started or in identifying what could be holding you back, don't hesitate to hit the button below and contact me to set up a free consultation.