The Science-Backed Way to Get Six Pack Abs

Today it’s all about how to get a six pack fast – which leads to people relying on questionable shortcuts or B.S. approaches that often ignore the science-backed techniques and advice that would provide the long term results that most people are actually looking to have.

Do you want to incorporate real muscle science with a plan that works and will set you up on getting – and maintaining – six pack abs year round?

Then guys, I’m with you.

We’re going to dig beneath the surface a little bit and break down a step by step way to get the six pack you’ve always wanted.

And the first thing you need to know in order to get a perfect six pack and see the abdominal definition you want is that you have to train your core completely.

And being able to do this starts with understanding the function of your core.

The easiest way to understand the complete function of your core is to look at the direction of the fibers of each abdominal muscle.

The rectus abdominis muscle runs vertically straight up and down. 

The obliques are angled muscles that run high to low and low to high.

The transverse abdominis runs horizontally and acts as your own internal weight belt.

Any discussion around six packs usually devolves into the question – ‘Can anyone get six pack abs?’

The short answer is – yes.

Even if you’re new to training or over 40, the bottom line is, we all have abs and can make them look better by training them the right way and by following a nutrition plan that enables you to keep them year round.

But there are a few factors that determine what those abs look like – whether you’ll ‘get’ a six pack, an eight pack, or maybe even a 4 pack instead.

First thing you have to do to assess your current body fat percentage. If you are carrying a lot of body fat around your waist at the moment (not just a little bit that is hiding your abs) but enough that would hide any ab definition then you will need to work on getting this down first.

If your body fat is low enough, the biggest factor in determining whether you can get six pack abs or eight pack abs is the genetic structure of your rectus abdominis muscle.

You’ve probably seen all kinds of abs that look slightly different than one another – some are thick and prominent while others look spread apart. Some abdominal muscles are perfectly aligned while others are uneven and not perfectly symmetrical.

The differences in how the abs look, and ultimately the number of “packs” you can see, is going to be determined by the formation of the linea alba.

This connective tissue acts like a suture that pins down to the tissue below and acts to separate the rectus abdominis into compartments or the washboard that you are familiar with.

If the linea alba is thicker than usual, you’ll have more spacing between the visible abs.  If the alba is more prominently sutured down, for lack of a better term, then you’ll see deeper grooves between the abs.

Whether or not the lower two show (aka your eight pack abs) is going to be determined solely by the presence or absence of the linea alba extending down below the belly button.  In most people, it does not. In some however, this connective tissue extends down and acts to further separate the abs into two more “packs” so to speak.

But an obsession on 4 vs 6 vs 8 is ignoring the main point – there is so much more you can do to develop the ab anatomy you do have and look good in the process. Genetics exist, but they will never place you in a category that says ‘you have no potential to look good’. That is completely false.

If you develop what you have, believe in what you have, and work hard you’re going to be able to look great.

So now that we understand the muscles involved and that anyone has the potential to look good and work towards a fully developed core, let’s look at what you’ll need to do to reach that goal.

As I mentioned before, to start seeing the results you really want, it’s imperative to understand the different function and roles of your abs and develop workouts and a training plan that addresses all the roles of your abs.

While there are many training routines, here is one example of an ab workout routine that requires no equipment, hits each of the primary functions of your abs, and gives you a jump start on getting your abs to pop year round. This routine is adaptable to your current ability level with extinction style training. So with extinction style training, you’re going to get a set target rep, or a set time that you’re going to focus on and try to last for each exercise.

The exercises in this ab workout follow a specific sequence.  They start with those that target the lower abs using bottom up movements. These are where the top of the body from the waist up stays rather stationary while the bottom does the movement.  

This simple zero equipment ab routine is designed to be completed no matter what ability level you are and if repeated for 22 days, will kick start your fitness routine habit.

All the excuses are eliminated – the equipment, the exercise variation… but it’s still not easy. It’s not supposed to be easy. Nothing worth having should be easy. Give this ab workout a try, no matter what ability level you are.

One more thing I think need to address because it always has to be said, the only way to get a six pack, is to combine the proper kind of training with the proper nutrition program.

You’ve probably heard that 6 pack abs are obtained through a proper diet, that abs are made in the kitchen.  If so, you’d be right.

Despite the fact that many are aware of the importance of proper nutrition when it comes to getting abs, it is still a mighty struggle to get them.  It usually comes down to the methods those people are using to try and get them in the first place.

Crash diet plans and temporary deprivation based tactics are not going to cut it long term if you want to get and keep your abs.

Anything that forces you to feel as if you’re missing out or depriving you of what you really want is only going to be a temporary solution at best.  As soon as you get tired of not having what you want, you’ll quickly give in and lose your ability to keep your hard earned abs.

That said, there is a simple 5 step formula for creating a meal plan to get six pack abs. This formula will work for anyone – even if you’re vegan or vegetarian – because it’s built off of what you’re already eating.

Starting on the path to get six pack abs is not as hard as it seems. But you have to have the dedication and the desire to start making that change, alright.

This is a real step by step plan to help you achieve the abominable definition you want and will really work. It may take some time but changes, minor as they may be, over time lead to consistency that lead to your ability to look good all year round.

So, when you start training your abs with a plan based on how they are anatomically meant to be trained, start paying more attention to having a healthy diet, and put the science back in strength, you’ll be amazed at how fast you start seeing better results.