To be honest, I didn't think much about this challenge beforehand. Why am I doing this? Well, spring and the earlier periods of preparation for the summer season should of course also include the topic of "trunk stability". So I thought to myself: "Why not combine the practical with the useful". If we have to make stabilizers, then it should actually look good. Or how do you see it? But now, of course, I have a few questions.
What is a six pack anyway?
The anterior straight abdominal muscle is referred to as a six-pack or washboard abs if the muscle is sufficiently trained and if the muscle is not covered by too much fat. Then you can see that the abdominal muscle is incised by intermediate tendons. There are people with zero and a maximum of four of these intermediate tendons. The "incisions" made by these intermediate tendons cause each area of the rectus abdominis to appear arched and distinct. This is what is known as a six pack. Quite a lot of ifs and this is exactly where the dog lies in this challenge.
Is that even possible in 4 weeks and can anyone do it?
I can answer this question with a clear yes. On the one hand, as already mentioned, the body fat percentage should be sufficiently low. In the literature one finds values between 6 and 15% body fat percentage. But of course it also depends on the distribution. Because some people are more prone to “traffic jams on the Ring” than others and that is of course stupid for our goal. In addition, it is of course possible that you do not have any intermediate tendons in your abdominal muscles. Of course, that's also a great excuse why you can't see a six-pack ;-). But if it were, then you can lose as much weight as you want and work out as much as you want and the washboard won't work. Here's the good news...but that's very rare.
How do you get a six pack in a short amount of time?
Of course, it is important to determine the status quo. This means that a look in the mirror will tell you where your problem areas may be. But of course it is more accurate if you first determine your body fat percentage. There are many different methods, such as body fat carts or body fat calipers , that will help you determine your body fat percentage. For me, the body fat scale spits out a frightening 20.1%. That means for me that I have to reduce 5.1% body fat in four weeks. At a current weight of 82 kg, that's 4.2 kg of fat that I should get rid of in 4 weeks.
What do I have to do specifically?
Expressed in kilocalories, that is 4.2 kg x 7,000 kcal (calorific value of one kilogram of fat) / 28 days = 1,045 kcal. That means I have to burn a good 1000 calories more than I take in every day for 28 days. I can achieve this by eating less or exercising more. Since my medium-term goal is the middle-distance triathlon in Moritzburg anyway, I naturally use my endurance training to correct my negative energy balance. If you have the opportunity, you are welcome to click again at the beginning of my blog . There I have put together some links on how you can write down your calories and what calorific value different foods have. For me, however, this means that I will do without alcohol and sweets in March (whenever possible ;-)). Irrespective of this, of course, the abdomen, better the whole trunk, must now be trained. To get started, I will do the exercises from our strength stabilization exercise program every day for a week. I start with 20 reps per exercise and try to do 5 more reps every day.
Six Pack Challenge: Week 1
Pfff...I had already thought that this month would go something like this: I'd be walking around slightly bent over in a bad mood for 4 weeks because I have sore muscles in my abdominal muscles and eat little or no carbohydrates. Normally I'm not averse to one or the other piece of chocolate, but of course that's no longer the case and has to be replaced by a lot of water or tea.
withdrawal symptoms
Since I'm working at full capacity at the moment, the former - the stooped posture - hasn't happened yet. I just haven't trained much, so the muscular load is in the ok range. What's hard at times, though, is sugar and carb withdrawal. I regularly catch myself sneaking around the fridge where chocolate and fruit yoghurt are stored like a junkie on rehab. Instead, it still comes down to water, tea or - if things get really bad - a piece of fruit. I hope I can hold out a little longer.
Full of fat burning
During my training run last Thursday, I immediately felt the effect of empty carbohydrate stores and the switch to fat burning. I started my easy 10k run in 5:10. At kilometer 6 the carbohydrate storage was simply empty and I trotted home the rest of the way with the same pulse but an average kilometer of 5:50. Doesn't feel great, but that's exactly what I want to achieve, namely that the body goes to the fat reserves and metabolizes them nicely.
It was worth it
After a week I can say that the definition on my stomach has definitely improved, I've lost a good kilo and according to the scales my body fat percentage has dropped from 20.1 to 19.5%...well, at least. It's still not much fun, but there are only four weeks left. I'm curious how this will continue.
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Photos: triathlon.de, pixabay, Fotolia.com
