From Muffin Top to Six-Pack
A Guide to Getting the Abs Everybody Wants
by Jen Heath

Fit guys and girls with lean, defined midsections stand out more than a Sumo wrestler in a figure competition. Not only is a granite set of abs sexy, but a solid core acts as a muscular belt that helps to stabilize the trunk and reduce the risk of back injury. Read on for a surefire recipe to turn a flabby belly into a six-pack.

Take a stroll through any crowded public place and, if you're like me, you'll probably find it hard not to make a mental "ewwww" note as you notice all the women walking around sporting flabby muffin tops.

In case you're not familiar with the terminology, muffin topis a slang term used for a female whose flabby midsection spills over the waistline of her pants so that it resembles the top of a figure-killing, calorie-dense muffin.

I'm not sure if the problem is that there are so many more flabby females these days or so many more ladies exposing their abdomens regardless of their shape, but the muffin top epidemic has become so bad that manufacturers have gotten involved and re-introduced mid-rise jeans, which come up higher on the waist to eliminate or hide the muffin top.

I know that the women on this site who might be in less-than-rock hard condition would never deliberately expose their flabby tummies and back-fat like this, but the point is, with so much flab in today's world, there's something special and uncommon about a tight waistline and rock hard set of abs.

Get Your Diet Right

If your abs are covered in a blanket of bodyfat, you can train them until you're blue in the face... it's not going to make them look more impressive. You can't significantly increase fat loss by doing ab work. The way to shed the fat is by following a properdiet and training program.

One of the best exercises for developing a great set of abs is called a "push-away." Simply push yourself away from the dinner table when you start to feel full! Here are some quick general tips for getting your diet right:

#1: Protein Comes First

Whether you follow a low carb, moderate carb, or high carb diet, they can all work equally well providing you get your protein in. Shoot for at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and make sure you eat protein at each meal. Craving junk food? You can have it from time to time, but not until you eat your protein!

#2: Try To Avoid The 7 C's

Sedentary people who have been eating "normal" food come to me all the time and say they've made up their mind. They want to get in shape and want me to do a complete overhaul on their diet overnight. I am usually reluctant to do this.

The problem is that going from a standard diet (which is usually full of junk) to a hardcore bodybuilding diet overnight is sure to drive anyone totally crazy and only set them up for failure. It's not uncommon for people to literally get sick when they go from eating junk to eating nothing but egg whites and chicken breasts.

The reality is that it doesn't take many adjustments for most people to make dramatic dietary improvements. All it reallytakes is avoiding the real "diet killers" and eating more protein. I call these diet killers the 7 C's. They are Colas, Candy, Cakes, Cookies, Crackers, ice Cream, and Cereal. Limit those and you instantly improve your diet.

#3: If It Can Be Shot or Grown, Eat It!

So what qualifies for a healthy food choice? If in doubt, ask yourself whether you can shoot it or grow it. If so, you can eat it. This will automatically get you eating more whole, unprocessed foods.

You can grow oatmeal, potatoes, and rice. You can't grow Frosted Flakes or ice cream. You can shoot steak, chicken breast, and fish. You can't shoot Pop Tarts. You can grow corn on the cob. You can't grow corn chips.

There is one exception - dairy products. They don't really fit the description but they are okay, except for ice cream.

#4: Snack Smart

When it comes to snacks, it's hard to beat beef jerky, raw fruit, or protein smoothies. Mixed nuts are okay in moderation. Many of the low-sugar puddings and Jell-O's aren't really healthy, but are also okay as an occasional snack.

What you want to avoid are calorie-dense, sugar-laden foods like the 7 C's. The problem with these foods is that they are so full of calories, sugar, and bad fats that it's just too easy to eat a half-day's worth of maintenance calories without realizing it.

Exercise: Focus on Activity, Not Crunches

The harder you train, the more calories you burn. The more calories you burn, the more fat you shed. The more fat you shed, the leaner you get and the better your midsection will look.

What burns more calories... a set of squats or a set of crunches? A leisurely stroll on the treadmill or a 15-minute gut-busting session of high intensity cardio? Those are no-brainers. Hard exercises and workouts where you really break a sweat will keep your metabolism elevated for hours after you leave the gym.

A 30-minute session of moderate cardio and a 10-set weight training workout consisting of squats, bench presses, and rows will both burn the same amount of calories during exercise — about 300 to 350 calories. However, by doing the intense weight training, your metabolism will stay elevated for an entire day afterwards, burning an additional 700 or so calories.

So, if you want to burn a lot of fat, make sure to prioritize weight training and higher intensity cardio. If you need additional activity, you can add low intensity cardio once you have a solid, more intense plan already in place.

The Anti-Muffin Top Program

Here's a solid muscle-building, calorie-burning plan that (in conjunction with a solid diet) will melt the muffin top off of anyone.

Workout One

Rest 45 to 60 seconds in between supersets or tri-sets.

A1: Back squat 2 x 10
A2: Bench press 2 x 10
B1: Dumbbell alternating lunge 2 x 10
B2: Chest-supported row 2 x 10
B3: Incline leg raise 2 x 10

Incline Leg Raise

C1: Dumbbell split squat 2 x 10
C2: Push-up 2 x 10

Dumbbell Split Squat

D1: Leg press or hack squat 2 x 10
D2: Hanging knee/leg raise 2 x 10

Workout Two

Rest 45 to 60 seconds in between supersets or tri-sets.

A1: Standing push press 2 x 10
A2: Cable pull-through 2 x 12

Cable Pull-through

B1: Romanian deadlift 2 x 10
B2: Straight-arm pulldown 2 x 10
B3: Swiss ball crunch 2 x 10
C1: Dumbbell clean 2 x 10
C2: Bodyweight or assisted pull-up 2 x 10

D1: Leg curl 2 x 10
D2: Kneeling cable crunch 2 x 10

Alternate between the two workouts depending on how often you train:

Training Three Days a Week:

Monday - Workout One
Wednesday - Workout Two
Friday - Workout One

And then next week...

Monday - Workout Two
Wednesday - Workout One
Friday - Workout Two

Or Training Four Days a Week:

Monday - Workout One
Tuesday - Workout Two
Thursday - Workout One
Friday - Workout Two

The Details: What It Really Takes

Now that we've talked about how to build some abs and burn the fat, let's go over some more tips so we know how to get that sexy, muscular six-pack.

A very simple recipe:

Lower Bodyfat + Growing Ab Muscles = Awesome Six-Pack

That's really all there is to it, but let's talk about some of the common myths often associated with ab training and what the requirements really are.

Understand Why You're Doing Ab Work

Many people love performing a lot of high rep ab work because the burn they get in their abs makes them feel nice and tight. There's something about performing endless sets of high repetition ab exercises that makes people feel good. The stomach "feels" slimmer and tighter, even though it's only temporary.

Even people aware of the spot reduction myth still enjoy performing lots of ab work for this reason. However, your main goal should be to make those ab muscles bigger so they "pop out." Thenyou get the waist lean and tight through diet and overall exercise so those new muscles can shine through.

Think of it this way... Let's say you wanted to get more muscular biceps. So you go and pick up a 5-pound dumbbell and knock out 100 reps of curls. Your biceps feel nice, firm and pumped up right? But how much muscle are you going to build compared to picking up a 20-pound dumbbell and knocking out a set of 10 heavy curls? If you connect the dots back to the abs, you should be able to see the big picture.

Treat The Abs Like Any Other Muscle Group

It's still a big myth that the abs need a ton of repetitions. It's not uncommon to see people do 100 reps per set, performing exercises for minutes on end. However, the abdominals respond to resistance just like any other muscle group.

Since the range of motion on many ab exercises is shorter than something like a squat or bench press, a higher rep range can be used. But if you can perform any exercise for longer than a minute straight, you're not recruiting the type of muscle fiber that will lead to great ab stimulation.

Prioritize Basic Movements in the Gym

Many lifters and other athletes like gymnasts develop excellent core musculature without ever performing any ab exercises at all. If you perform big money movements like standing presses, deadlifts and squats, you can't help but activate your core.

Almost all single-legged movements, like lunges, are excellent for core activation. So are exercises like isometric planks, side planks, running sprints, and push-up variations.

Stimulate, Don't Annihilate

Remember, the goal with ab training is to get the abdominal muscles a little bigger so they pop out. Even when developed to the max, these muscles aren't very big because their potential for growth is limited. It doesn't take a ton of volume to stimulate them.

A total of 12 solid sets per week of direct ab work should be more than enough for anyone. Most people can actually get excellent results performing two or three sets twice per week. I prefer to pick two exercises, two or three days each week, and perform three to four sets of each movement.

Don't Over-Prioritize Trunk Flexion Work

Ask anyone on the street what exercise works the abdominals and they'll tell you either crunches or sit-ups. I mean, everyone knows if you want great abs you gotta hit the crunches, right? Because of this myth, it's not uncommon to see people doing all sorts of crunches, sit-ups and other trunk flexion exercises.

However, performing endless amounts of these exercises is actually counter-productive from a postural standpoint. The rectus abdominus originates at the pubic symphysis and inserts all the way up at the sternum.

If you're like most people, you probably spend a significant amount of time sitting at a desk in front of a computer with a flexed spine. This actually leads to shortening of the abdominals, which pulls your chest towards your pelvis and leads to a kyphotic, or rounded back, posture.

What happens when you do that all day and then go to the gym and perform set after set of crunches and sit-ups? You end up further pulling your chest towards your pelvis, further increasing your already rounded back posture. This can lead to a host of issues such as shoulder, neck, and mid-back problems.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't do crunch or sit-up variations at all, but the reality is that a few focused, moderately-heavy sets, a couple of days per week is more than enough to get those abs to "pop out."

Many people would be better off performing more hip flexion (lower ab)-dominant movements like leg raise variations, as well as stabilization movements like bridges.

Don't Overdo Oblique Work

It's also not uncommon to see people in the gym doing tons of sets of side bends and broomstick twists in an effort to melt fat off the midsection. Not only is this attempt at spot reduction a waist of time (pun intended), but it can actually be counter-productive from an aesthetic standpoint.

Hypertrophy of the obliques can give the illusion of a thicker waistline. Since the obliques are involved in stabilization, lateral flexion, and trunk flexion, they'll receive plenty of stimulus from basic, heavy ab work. I personally don't perform twisting movements at all!

The Last Words on Abs

Getting strong and sexy abs, just like any other training goals, is a matter of knowing the right things to do in order to achieve them. With this complete anti-muffin top recipe, you'll be well on your way to getting rid of that muffin top once and for all.

About the Author

Jen Heath is a natural professional bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and coach, and mother of four children. You can find her at www.jenheath.com and www.fatlosspros.net.

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