How to Get a Six Pack Without Any Equipment
1 Assess your belly fat.
Excess fat has a tendency to accumulate around your belly. Since abdominal muscles lie underneath this belly fat, you will need to shed excess fat if you want your abdominal muscles to be visible. Thus, unless you are already very trim, chances are you’ll need to burn some belly fat first.
Note that abdominal exercises like sit-ups help build muscle and do burn some calories, but do not target fat.
2 Reduce your caloric intake.
To reduce fat, you must burn more calories than you are taking in. There are a few simple ways to reduce calories:
Reduce your portion size, but don’t skip meals. Not eating for long periods of time signals your body to store fat.
Stay away from high calorie, low-nutrition foods.
Specifically, cut out extra sugar. Excess sugar tends to be stored as fat in the midsection. Read food labels and beware of hidden sugars in bread, sauces, dressings, soda, and alcohol.
To curb your sweet tooth, opt for healthy choices like dark chocolate, honey, and fruit.
Keep track of your caloric intake by using an online calorie calculator, reading food labels, and/or keeping a food journal. Many apps exist for tablets and smartphones that can help you calculate the amount of calories you should be eating and keep track of how many you are eating.
3 Eat lean proteins.
Protein is an essential nutrient for building muscle, because your muscles are primarily composed of protein.
The US government recommends that, depending on your body weight and activity level, about 1/4 of your food intake should be lean proteins.
Your body also burns more calories in digestion of proteins than carbohydrates.
Healthy options include chicken, fish, and turkey. Vegetarian options include tofu, tempeh, and seitan.
4 Eat fruits and vegetables.
These foods fill you up quickly, and are rich in the vitamins and nutrients you need to maintain an active lifestyle.
The US government recommends making sure that at least half of your food intake should be fruits and vegetables. The remaining 1/4 of your intake (after protein, fruits, and vegetables) should be grains. Whole grains are best and should make up at least half your grain consumption.
Foods that are high in Vitamin C, such as oranges, kiwis, and kale help your body turn fat into fuel and balance stress-related cravings.
Garlic, lentils, broccoli, and chili peppers are also helpful shedding fat.
5 Drink plenty of water.
Staying properly hydrated will improve your energy and mood levels, and will help keep you full between meals.
Medical studies have shown that drinking two cups of water before each meal leads people to eat less, and reduces consumption of sugary drinks.
Doctors recommend women should drink about 9 cups of water a day, and men about 13
6 Do cardiovascular exercise.
To burn lots of calories, you should 30-60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (exercise that keeps your heart rate up) per day. Coupled with an improved diet, these exercises can help you shed pounds.
Choose an aerobic activity that you genuinely enjoy. If you enjoy your workout, you will be more likely to stick with it. There are many options for aerobic exercise that don’t require a gym membership, such as walking, running, hiking, biking, dancing, and swimming.
If you don’t have time to do a 30-minute workout, there are simple ways to make your daily routine more active. If you work a desk job, use your break time to take a brisk walk outside. Do chores around the house or yard for 20-30 minutes, or walk to your destination instead of driving.
