I was recently asked for a workout program that would ‘tone the abs’ and it reminded me of that old toning argument that is thrown around the fitness industry. Google ‘spot reduction’ and you’ll see what I mean. It basically means you exercise an area that you want to remove fat from and the fat will come specifically from that area. But that argument is for another article. Instead I’d like to answer the question I was asked, how can we ‘tone the abs?’

Diet

Firstly, your diet has to be in place. If you can’t see your abs it is because there is a layer of fat covering them. Underneath that layer is your ‘six-pack.’ Sometimes people get confused by this because they think they have to build their ‘six-pack’. But the muscles are already there, our job is to remove the fat so we can see the muscles clearly. And the quickest way to do this is to be eating in a way that burns fat.

That means eating below your caloric maintenance level, small regular meals, a well balanced diet and adequate (but not excessive) protein. If you are eating less calories than you burn your body will burn fat. But be patient. Don’t rush it by trying to eat a ridiculously low amount of calories. That will only reduce lean muscle mass and is inevitably unsustainable.

Exercise

To answer this part of the question I will describe the workout that I gave to the person who asked me the specific question this article is based on. The other goal for this particular person was to build some muscle on their upper body. So here we go.

Do supersets, which means to do two exercises back to back with no rest. The exercises I listed were dumbbell presses, dumbbell rows, dumbbell curls, triceps extensions, push ups, close grip push ups and core exercises like plank, bicycle kicks and crunches. This person also only had access to limited equipment which means this workout can be done by pretty much anyone – all you need is a set of dumbbells.

Supersets let you get more work in less time. You’ll be building muscle (which also burns more calories) while also revving up the metabolism, burning calories and improving your fitness. It also means the workout will take less time (did I mention another prerequisite for this person was that the workout be no more than 30 minutes?)

*I’d like to make a note here regarding the above workout. Austin (the person I designed this workout for) was already doing 20-30 minute running workouts. So if you wish to include extra cardio, do so. Also, this particular workout was designed, of course, with Austin’s situation in mind. Your own workout may need to be adjusted to your specific needs and wants.

Stress Free

Here’s something you may not have expected in this article. Stress can cause fat to be stored on the stomach, precisely what we want to avoid when sculpting our abs. How does this occur? It is the result of a hormone, cortisol, that is released when we are stressed. Excessive levels of this hormone can cause fat to be stored in our middle. So the take home message is, relax!

Patience

To get six pack abs you have to have very low body fat levels. We can’t choose where we burn fat from. So it takes time for your abs to be revealed, so to speak. Let’s say you have 10kg to lose. The first 9kg of that may be on your back, legs, and arms, and as you lose this weight you may think you’ll never see your abs! But that last kilogram may make all the difference and all of a sudden you have abs! I have seen this so often, results may seem to be nowhere then all of a sudden they come at once! So be patient, have confidence in what your doing and eventually the abs will appear!