7 Tips on Getting Lean, Hard Abs

7 Tips on Getting Lean, Hard Abs
The Abdominal muscles At one point in time it seemed as if everyone wanted or was trying to be a giant mass monster and just get the 300 pound plus Ronald Coleman type status, just huge. Now it seems the mass monsters are on their way out and a lot more people are not wanting all the extra bulk and looking for a healthier, leaner lifestyle. Many are determined to get that lean, chiseled, hard six pack look. If your not one of those genetically blessed individuals that can pretty much stay lean year round with little or no effort at all and your the type that can pass by a Burger King and automatically you gain five pounds, then these simple tips will definitely assist you in losing your unwanted fat and gaining some nice, lean muscle. Eating more Often This sounds kind of ironic that in order to lose more fat you need to eat more frequently. However, that's exactly what you will need to do. Some people have this misconception of not eating after a certain time of day or night,which really only slows your body (metabolism) down will help them lose weight, but it doesn't. The body can not tell time. It's not about "when" you eat, it's "what" you eat. Skipping meals actually will make you gain weight. Let's say for example you eat a meal at 6 pm and then you don't eat again until the next morning at 6 am. You haven't fed your body anything in 12 hours, sending your body into starvation mode. This means that pretty much every thing you ate at 6 pm, your body will store as fat for self preservation. It doesn't know when your going to feed it again and attempts to maintain itself. Eating five or six meals a day will boost your metabolism and keep it consistently working at a faster level. This prevents your body from storing fat from excess calories you may take in when only eating three large meals a day. Your meals should always be planned so that your not tempted to just grab a burger or some other random fast food out of convenience. Besides the fact that it has absolutely no nutritional value, sugar is also one of the main precursors of fat. The more sugar that's flowing through your body, the more fat your body is capable of retaining. If it's at all possible, you should cut out sugar including white sugar, brown sugar, honey, agave syrup, etc. and replace it with Stevia or Splenda. Understand It's going to be almost impossible to cut out sugar entirely as fruits, vegetables and other foods all contain some natural sugars. Moderation is the key. Your sodium intake should also be cut down as well to reduce the water retention. Try avoiding monosodium glutamate and replace it with a sea salt. Consuming protein at every meal In order to grow and build quality muscle, the body requires a certain amount of protein. The amount of protein will vary depending on the person and other various factors. All five or six of your meals should contain some sort of protein like fish, eggs, steak or lean chicken. Opt for white meat poultry instead of dark, removing the skin before cooking it. If your drinking supplemental protein shakes, ensure that it's low in carbohydrates and sugar grams. Be very mindful of your protein intake, it should correlate specifically with your body, your weight and your activity level. Notice I said everything is about you. Do not take in a protein grams plan that is associated with someone else's body.The body can not store protein, so taking it excessively will actually do more harm than good. The excess protein will be excreted as waste or stored as fat and add unnecessary stress on your kidneys. Nutrition Facts Serving size: 12 oz Calories 429 Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value * Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Unsaturated fat 0 g Carbohydrates 11 g 4% Sugar 0 g Fiber 6 g 24% Protein 24 g 48% Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 0 mg * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates If the carbohydrates that you eat are not burned off quickly, then they will simply turn into fat. Eating low-glycemic complex carbohydrates such as broccoli, cabbage, yams or oatmeal will not increase your blood sugar as fast and will give you a consistent stream of energy/fuel. Unless you train later in the evenings, try not to eat a lot carbs after 2 pm. Reducing the bad fats in your diet is also must. Dairy products such as milk and creams contain both fat and carbohydrates. Cutting dairy out of your diet will eliminate excess calories and prevent you from being bloated. Gradually cutting your calories The human body is very complex. It can easily adjusts and become accustomed to repetitions whether it be in your weight training routine or your eating habits. Varying your calorie intake daily will keep your body guessing and prevent your metabolism from slowing down during a diet. Gradually drop calories by cutting out unnecessary foods.Once you have added the protein grams necessary for your particular age, body weight, level of activity etc, changed your percentages of macro-nutrients and gotten rid of the empty calories to boost your metabolism, you will begin to lose body fat. Supplements There are so many fat burners on the market, it really shouldn't be hard to find a good one that works well for your body. If you just don't like taking pills, you can always drink coffee or green tea. Caffeine is an effective fat burner. Make sure your taking your vitamins and getting plenty of iron. Iron supplies oxygen to your cells, an iron deficiency will slow down your metabolism. EFA's or essential fatty acids have Omega-3's which will help reduce cholesterol and has a role in the fat burning process. Recovery When your training, the focus should be on intensity rather than the duration of time in the gym. Recovery is imperative for your muscles to rebuild and grow. When your trying to lose fat, make sure you get some extra sleep. This will not only allow your muscles to grow, but will keep your cortisol and insulin levels lower. It may be difficult to to apply these tips all the time, but if you using all or even a combination of them together, your goal of fat loss will be made a lot easier and much faster. Original article and pictures take https://hubpages.com/health/Tips-On-Lean-Hard-Cuts site