Are Abs made in the Kitchen?
Abiye Alamina NASM-CPT, CNC
The coveted six-pack, capped delts, the appearance (gasp!) of the biceps vein, the beach body, the thicc look… The various body transformation goals that are often sought by men and women and to which end they seek out training regimens, following every new fad, and yes because it is now a realized fact, they work hard on sticking with some assumedly optimal diet plan. Diet is important. I couldn’t agree more, it is key, but so also is the right training and neither needs to be anything fancy… well, unless you are looking to get stage or show ready, then such precision will require more sophisticated techniques. But most people are not looking to compete.
Abs, in fact any kind of muscular definition that is desired, are ultimately made in the kitchen. There, I didn’t add anything new. However, many are not aware of what this means, or how perhaps relatively straightforward it is and have therefore continued to chase after objectives that have continued to elude them. So here is what you need to know.
First, everyone has some degree of underlying musculature or you would not be able to perform even the most basic of activities required for everyday living, and this includes the core muscles of which the rectus abdominis or the abdominal muscle (and the gluteal muscles) get the most attention. All muscles need to be worked hard, that is, put through full range of motion under tension of increasingly heavier loads (or analogous strategies) to grow bigger, and that includes the abs. However, the resulting definition will not be visible, even though the muscles are indeed bigger and stronger, as long as body fat percentage is high it will keep the muscular definition hidden.
Second, the usual process by which we try to shed fat can be dissatisfying because the body as a well-designed machine is not necessarily concerned with you looking like a Greek god or having an hourglass shape whose sand time is passing really slowly. It is concerned about keeping you in homeostasis, healthy and alive. So cardiovascular activities and dietary measures aimed at losing fat will inevitably also affect muscle, by reducing them as well to more efficiently keep you in homeostasis. So, what typically happens is people search for and try to implement precise strategies that minimize muscle loss while maximizing fat loss, and there are strategies that do not involve anabolic drugs that work, however, they do take time, and there is really no circumventing that.
So, to put it all together, what do you want to see transformed about your look?
The first thing is set a time period, a realistically long one – at a minimum three months, depending on where you are starting out and what you want to see achieved, but be prepared for what might last up to couple years and perhaps and preferably evolve into a lifetime to maintain or fine-tune that objective.
Second, get on a good strength training regimen. I say this even though I realize that goals may not be as vanity driven as those I led with in this article, but muscular development, however small, needs to always be part of any healthy goal. A good strength training regimen will be tailored to particular goals. Here is where a good personal trainer (insert me here) might be needed.
Third, get your diet (or more precisely your nutrition) right. It is not about fads but about being honest with your total caloric intake and paying attention to your macronutrient combinations. Off the bat (and this is fairly consistent with USDA guidelines) I would suggest carb-protein-fat ratios in the neighborhood of 40 - 50%, 25 - 35%, 15% - 25% respectively, within the total daily energy expenditure calorie demands, and as appropriate for your fitness goals. I personally prefer the 40%, 35%, 25% mix, which I think for most strength and weight loss goals would be optimal, but you may want to talk to your primary care physician or RD for a more specific regimen, especially if you have health related restrictions on particular macronutrients.
Fourth, to leave no stone unturned make sure to meet your micronutrient needs, preferably from your meals (part of good nutrition), but if that is too tough to track, get a good multivitamin supplement, and if it does not have and you cannot meet your magnesium needs through your meal, get a magnesium supplement as well. Magnesium helps in muscle recovery and many Americans are deficient in it. Again, do consult your primary care physician before you go ahead with these supplements as they are better suited to know what medications might be contraindicated for you so that you avoid them.
Fifth, and by no means ranked in that order, maintain adequate cardiovascular health. This can be incorporated in or alongside your strength training regimen. This will help with your overall heart and lung health, and better regulation of blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Finally, drink plenty of water, rest and stretch, and listen to your body. Push hard when you train, but rest and recover. Muscles are built during the recovery period. Strength training need not be every day. I would recommend three to four days a week for intense training (strength development and cardiovascular) for most populations, but advanced trainees and athletes may be better attuned to five to six days a week.
Yes, abs are made in the kitchen, but you don’t want to have dieted down and have a six pack that is still only slightly visible while you look really emaciated, so train the abs through both compound exercises that heavily recruit the core for force and stability, and through isolation exercises that target the core muscles taking them through a full range of motion. You will be delighted when you see the results