5 Sets of Stop Eating So Much Crap

The number one question I get from people is "what exercises do you recommend to define abs?" Oh if only it were that easy...

I am not writing this post to tell you that core exercises are not important. But the hard truth is that there is so much more to a lean body than just a few crunches.

Here's what you need to do...

1. Eat 100% Clean

I know that 100% throws you back a bit. And you're probably crying thinking about all those cupcakes you're gonna be missing out on. I'm not asking you to start eating 100% clean RIGHT THIS SECOND. The thing about this lifestyle is that you need to ease your way into it. Plan ahead, make rules, and commit yourself. The RIGHT way is to start gradually and promise yourself that you won't give up! Start by cutting out sweets one day at a time (soda and fruit juice will never get you those abs, I promise). Set a goal everyday to eat cleaner meals.

2. Strength Training

Weights will NOT bulk you up. Building muscle is NOT easy. Ladies, do not be afraid of weights at the gym. You won't look like a man. Sure there's a way to be "too muscular" but not if you do it the right way. I've been strength training almost two years and I still haven't gotten anywhere near bulky. Keep in mind that when you're lifting weights you need to do high reps, low weight. If you can do more than 12 reps you probably aren't lifting enough weight. If you're struggling to do 5 reps then go down in weight. HIIT is also very important to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Simply running on the treadmill will burn fat and muscle. That's right. All that hard work you put in on leg day is slowly diminishing with that 3rd mile you ran on the treadmill. I guarantee you that you'll see flabby legs if all you do at the gym is cardio.

In order to define your core you need to have a low body fat percentage.
Competition Shape ("ripped"): 8-12%
Very Lean (excellent): < 15%
Lean (good): 16-20%

Working out different muscle groups 3-5 times a week will lower your body fat percentage. Only doing crunches every day on the other hand will not. Exercise burns calories evenly. Here's an example of what you should do in a week.

Day 1: Shoulders/Chest/Triceps/Cardio (30 Minutes, HIIT Treadmill or Stairmaster)
       
Day 2: Biceps/Back (30 Minutes, HIIT Treadmill or Stairmaster)

Day 3: Abs (30 Minutes, HIIT Treadmill or Stairmaster)

Day 4: Legs (30 Minutes, HIIT Treadmill or Stairmaster)

That's a really general plan. You could separate any of the days more if you'd like and if you had more time to make it to the gym. Also keep in mind that you can't keep the same schedule for a long period of time. Change it up so that you catch your body off guard, you don't want to get too comfortable because you'll get bored and you won't see results. 

A final note would be to not over train, and yes that includes your abdominal muscles. Muscles need time to rebuild themselves so that they're stronger. If you're sore, that doesn't mean you avoid the gym that day (unless of course you can't even sit up straight, in that case take break), it just means you need to workout a different muscle group. Never do the same thing one day after the other, instead of building the muscle, you're breaking it ever more. That's no bueno. 

So there you have it. Diet + Exercise (HIIT/Weight Training) = Abs for days.