OK, first thing's first: this is not an article about belly shaming (if that's even a thing). Whether a man trains to the level of a chiselled six pack or not is basically his own business – I don't want to start berating any bloke who quite reasonably isn't very interested in seeing his own abs. Go forth and enjoy your day, I say.
But for those who do seek the perfect washboard stomach – or even just a few vaguely symmetrical dimples instead of pinchable fat – the whole undertaking can be a very frustrating thing. I'm no stranger to it myself: in the past, I've put the hours in at the gym but seen little change in the definition of my stomach.
The good news is that a visible six pack (remember: we all have one) is only a training tweak and a minor lifestyle change away. Below are six common mistakes you could be making that are holding you back.
- You don’t lift weights
Most people think abdominal training is all about sit-ups and crunches. Not so.
Whilst there is a place for targeted abdominal training, it shouldn’t be the focus of your training. Instead, try compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, presses and rows. These force your abdominals to work in their natural braced position, which means that if you take your compound lifts seriously, you can’t help but develop your abs.
I’ve never known anyone who could bench, squat and deadlift their own bodyweight who had weak abs. That doesn’t necessarily mean that their abs are on show to the naked eye, however ...
- Your diet is poor
Even if you have the biggest, strongest abs in the world, a layer of body fat will render them invisible.
Here we get into training talk. Excess body fat is best lost over a period of 6-20 weeks, depending on how much fat you have to lose (you want to aim for about 10pc of your weight). During this time you’ll want to have a moderate caloric deficit to allow for weight loss, perhaps 250-500 calories lower than your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) each day.
Your diet should be high in protein and healthy fats, whilst keeping carbohydrates to a moderate level (as always, brown carbs are better than white). Foods such as sweet potato, quinoa and rolled oats are good choices.
And don't forget: you can drink calories just as well as you can eat them. Energy drinks, fruit drinks and milk based coffees are all big offenders. During your training period you should aim to drink only water and herbal teas. (Black coffee is OK at a push but beware of energy turbulence leading to overeating.)
- You do the wrong type of cardio
For most people their default exercise when seeking to lose body fat is to go running, but it's not the most efficient way to go about things. Sustained moderate cardio will more than likely going leave you feeling unnecessarily fatigued, which throws all sorts of bodily processes out of whack – including your fat burning mechanisms.
The truth is that cardio training isn’t even necessary for fat loss. Highly intensive weight training can easily replace the cardiac benefit of going for a long run. As could going for a short run. Do a lengthy warm-up with plenty of stretches (your body will thank you) and then try an intense sprint session. Even a one minute, full-pelt run will spike your metabolism and get that fat burning.
Alternatively – and perhaps more reliably – try going for a longer brisk walk. This will get your heart pumping in the fat burning zone without leaving you knackered.
- You don’t get enough sleep
The number one quick fix for excess body fat in my opinion is getting more sleep.
It's an ironic one, really. The amount of people I meet who get up at 5am to work out after only four or five hours in bed is horrendous. The cycle effectively means that they wake up early to stay fit but also make it easier to hold onto their excess body fat.
Our recovery takes place at night due to elevated levels of growth hormone – a hormone which is largely responsible for fat loss. So sleep is your fat loss friend.
I notice this effect whenever I go on holiday. I sleep more and train less than normal, and the result is that I tend to lean out.
- You’re too stressed
Another scarcely mentioned factor in fat loss is the level of stress you experience on a daily basis. The more stressed you are the more your body is secreting catabolic hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
This is a natural process, but the body has evolved to deal with it in an extreme fight or flight scenario. Instead, in today's office-based world, we get a constant, low level of stress, which means cortisol is gradually released all day long. The result? A lower immune resistance, leaving you vulnerable to colds and flues.
That stressful job or difficult personal relationship could be costing you a lot more than a washboard stomach.
- You haven’t worked on your presentation
It took me years to realise that the hard word behind my carefully honed abs was being undone by my hairy, pale abdomen. Shaving it made a huge difference.
Equally, if you are looking to have your abs out for a particular event or think an upcoming date might go particularly well, make sure you avoid heavy foods that could make you bloated. The wrong meal can completely ruin your aesthetic, not to mention leave you a little less agile than your lucky date might have hoped for.
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