If you were to make a list of the number one most-searched terms on Google, this term would have to be at the top.

Maybe it starts with:

Is Leonardo DiCaprio dreaming at the end of Inception?

Game of Thrones release date

And then…

How to get abs.

The answers are; It’s up to you, when George R. R. Martin finally finishes his book, and…

…well, it’s complicated.

Actually, it’s not that complicated, but we have seen how to make abs at home fast too simplified on other websites. We think it’s time to break some misconceptions and finally learn the truth about getting abs of steel at home.

It’s not about counting how many sit-ups for a six-pack. It takes dedication, hard work and probably more effort than you would first think, but it is possible.

We’re going to illuminate some of the myths about abs and dispel some of those silly notions that it can happen in just 6 minutes a day while you’re munching Cheetos and binging Netflix shows.

We’re going to teach you some science (yes it’s back to the classroom for a bit), talk about simple exercises and also discuss some of the best tools we’ve seen for how to build abs at home.

Let’s have a look at some of the most common techniques and tools to get you those rock hard abs of steel you desperately want to have.

The Science Behind Building Abs

If you ever want to know if you should discredit somebody’s claims that you heard online about getting abs the simple way, just ask yourself one question:

Do they claim it’s easy?

If they do, it’s a good bet that what they’re really trying to sell you is snake oil. A magic pill or an expensive machine isn’t going to give you those abs that you crave.

In fact, if you ever see anybody offer just one solution, you know that they’re full of it. And we’re fed up of hearing all these so-called “solutions” to getting great abs at home.

The reality is that you get two through two methods:

• Your Diet
• Your Exercise

If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “Abs are made in the kitchen”, that’s pretty accurate.

The truth about how abs work is that although everyone is looking for those great exercises to build abs (and we’ll definitely show you the best ones in a minute), that’s only 20% of the solution.

And 20% might be too high.

The bulk of the job of getting a nice six-pack comes from what you eat.

For your abs to show, your body needs to rid itself of Body Fat. Crunches, planks and squats don’t get rid of body fat.

Although the numbers vary, your abs won’t even show until you’re at less than 14% for men and 20% for women. If you want that “I-just-stepped-off-a-calendar-photo-shoot” look, guys will need to aim for less than 10% body fat to start to reveal the lower abs as well. Women start to get really defined at 14% body fat.

Some of you will be working hard against genetics because each body stores fat differently on the body. If your body is prone to store fat around the middle section first, it will be difficult to eliminate the fat that’s covering your abs.

What most people don’t tell you is that you probably already have great abs underneath the flab, just waiting to come out. While some ab work and abdominal density training would come in handy, it’s not going to give you the results you want.

You want to look good with your shirt off, and that’s not going to be because you did 1000 crunches this morning.

In fact, the reports all indicate that excessive ab training will be a setback to your goal of great looking abs. If you want to achieve it, you need to focus your workout times on heavy resistance and high intensity.

Heavy weights will increase your metabolism, meaning you’ll be burning fat, even up to 48 hours after you leave the gym. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) will boost your fat burning ability 2-3 times any regular ab workouts you’re doing right now.

But regardless of the exercise, we need to focus on what’s going to give results the quickest…

…your food intake.

Nutrition

Nutrition is such an important part of getting good abs at home, but it’s not talked about that often.

Why?

Because it’ not sexy to have an infomercial talking about how you can get abs if you plan your meals and resist eating excessive carbs. That doesn’t sell well on TV.

What sells well is the promise that this little machine, which folds up to fit in your pocket will revolutionise your life in just 4 minutes a day and give you the abs you want. That’s sexier but completely untrue.

Real results come from real action. And good nutrition is the best action you can take to getting that six pack. Nutrition isn’t sexy, but it is going to make you sexy.

To approach this, you have to assume that your body is storing too much fat to display the muscles that are underneath. Regardless of the path you choose to fix your nutrition, you need to put fewer calories into your body. A deficit in caloric intake is the only thing that will force your body to burn the fat it has stored to use as energy.

Exercising just prompts the body to burn fat rather than store it.

Rather than get into a whole discussion about the right nutrition (because if you ask 5 experts, you’ll get 6 answers), let’s just make a couple simple suggestions. Here’s what to eat for abs of steel.

CICO

This is an acronym that stands for Calories In, Calories Out. It’s a simple reminder that to achieve results, you have to alter the formula. Fewer calories going in and more calories going out (IE: exercise).

Using a body calculator, figure out the number of calories you should be taking in a day to maintain your weight. This number should be firm in your mind.

And all you need to do now is take in calories that are lower than that number. Good online calculators can give you a suggested number based on the weight you need to lose, show you how fast you’ll lose it and pair with exercise levels to increase your results.

Try not to be dramatically lower than your body’s required amounts. This could actually have the negative effect and all that exercise would be harmful to your body, breaking it down rather than building it up.

Keto Diet

Another popular method right now is to partake in a ketogenic diet, which is popularly known as keto.

The principle is this:

By taking in less than 4g of carbs each day, you’re retraining your body to burns sugars and fats as energy rather than rely on carbohydrates. This is a stage called ketosis when your body uses fats to burn energy. It’s a pretty popular diet because there isn’t really any calorie counting involved.

You simply need to make sure you’re eating enough fats and proteins and restricting your carb intake to remain in ketosis. The results can be pretty transformative, with many participants shedding massive amounts of weight without increasing their exercise levels.

N.B: Please consult a physician before trying any radical diet changes. You should know your body’s limits and the pursuit of a six-pack is not a warrant to damage your body. Health should be your pursuit, not just appearance. Looking good is a by-product of being healthy.

Exercises to Build Abs

Assuming you have your priorities in order (Getting a proper diet right, taking in the essential nutrients your body needs, not relying on exercise alone to get great abs…etc.), let’s set a course for perfect abs.

You should incorporate these six pack exercises at home in a complete workout to get fantastic results that will show off your fabulous body.

Deadlifts

We’re not starting your ab exercises off with a crunch…

No, because the main reason you have abdominal muscles in the first place is to balance your body. Your core is essential to keeping you moving and healthy.

With a heavy barbell and a slightly bent waist, grab the bar and stand up straight, keeping your core engaged and your back straight the entire time.

So, we want to start with a six pack workout at home for men that engages your core under resistance. When you perform a deadlift, your back should be straight, your abs engaged and the power should come from your entire body.

Boat Pose

This is actually a yoga pose but it’s remarkable at engaging your abs.

Seated on the ground with your legs straight in front of you, lean back and raise your legs up to a 45-degree angle from the ground. Leaning back slightly, keep your arms parallel (in line) with your legs and hold that pose for a full minute, keeping your breathing even and constant.

Two-Point Plank

We’re fans of the isometric exercise to engage your abs. a two-point plank starts to really bring out the highlights on your abs, exercises muscles on your core you didn’t even know you had.

Starting on a plank position, look straight forward and raise one arm and the opposite leg. Hold that balanced position for a minute, keeping your abs tight the entire time.

This is, again, exercising the main purpose of your abs, bringing them into balance with your body.

Russian Twists

This is the one six pack abs exercise that looks similar to what you might be expecting. It’s a crunch, but modified to really target the core.

With your legs slightly bent and lying on your back, keep your hands behind your head, supporting it and not pulling it.

Do a crunch up, but hold the position before you’re all the way forward. Twist your arms and head from one side to the next, working the side abdominal muscles the whole time.

To increase the resistance, hold a medicine ball and place from one side of your body to the other.

Best Equipment for Abs

In our quest to get good abs at home, we have come across a few products we would love to recommend. These are some of the best ab machines that work.

Again, we’re not subscribing to the idea that these machines will fix all your problems. It’s a combination of activities but these are the best equipment for abs to supplement what you’re already doing.

H&S Ab Roller

For the best ab wheel, we love the H&S Ab Roller. It’s simple, it’s convenient and it works. For everything we want in the best ab roller, this is it. It doesn’t even cost that much.

There are plenty of other ab rollers on the market, but they use unnecessary additions to market their product, which is why we stuck with the H&S. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a UK company either.

It comes with a rubber mat and the roller. That’s it. The rest is up to you.

Click here to check out the latest prices on Amazon

Weider Abs Cruncher

For the best ab crunch machine, we went with the simple Weider Ab Crunch Trainer. It’s simple and doesn’t make claims to do anything it doesn’t do.

Here’s what you should expect from an ab machine that works: it aids your normal routine. That’s what this ab roller does. It simply gives you the support and proper form you need to get the best crunches you can do at home.

Click here to check out the latest prices on Amazon

Proworks Fitness Ball

And surprisingly, we’ve chosen a blow-up ball as one of the best ab machines you can get.

If you’re going to workout at home, you should use basic equipment that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. A simple fitness ball will work your balance and core, the essential functions of your ab muscles. You should feel the difference in using the ball immediately. It is tough work to remain balanced on it while you do crunches, rollouts and even basic sitting balance techniques.

We love the anti-burst claim of this ball because, to be honest, that’s our greatest fear of using a fitness ball like this.

Click here to check out the latest prices on Amazon

While we may not know the answers to all the top Googled questions, we can answer this one:

How do you get great abs at home?

By working hard, eating right, and not falling victim to some sucker salesman trying to sell you something that won’t work. As long as you remain focused, your abs will show up and you’ll again be confident enough to take your shirt off next summer at the beach.

The post Get Abs of Steel | How to Build Abs at Home appeared first on TubbyGorilla.