We often get asked as coaches when we are going to do more ab work. The underlying statement/question I hear is “I want a six-pack and how do I get it?” While there are definitely genetic factors involved, the following quote will shed some light:
“For men, if you're around 6 to 17 percent body fat, your abs should be noticeably visible. For women, the range is 14 to 24 percent body fat. Definition will start to show on the higher end (17 percent for men, 24 percent for women), and your abs will become more sculpted as that number lowers.”
Crap! This means that coming in and doing thousands of sit-ups and hours of abdominal work is not the answer. Yes, core work is beneficial, and as the picture above mentions, we are working the core every day. But, the real answer is our diet.
Nutrition is the foundation, even the most important aspect of fitness. You have likely heard “you can’t out train a bad diet”. We need to be aware of everything we put into our bodies. Are we eating for pleasure, for fuel, to stave off boredom, etc? Are we eating intentionally? Are we self aware enough to notice the effects of the different things we eat?
This is the last week of the 2021 Open. How will we show up to do the last WOD of the Open? Will be fully energized and ready to give it our best after eating (and resting) right all week? Or, will we show up feeling sluggish and slow after eating not so good all week?
Let’s try to do our best and give ourselves an advantage by eating with intention all week. Seek out good food and refrain from the convenience store fast food offerings.
Here are two resources to help in those choices:
Nutrition According to CrossFit:
The short answer: Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
So, there you have the long answer to how to get a 6-pack. What we eat, and how much we eat are the key. Curiously, those same factors are the same for us to perform the best.
For further help and information feel free to ask one of our coaches.