Summer six pack plan

Everyone wants washboard abs for summer. The first problem is they realize too late that they should shed a few pounds to see them properly. The other problem is that it will probably take more than a few pounds off to really see them.

Now if you want to see abs, like really have a great set of abs that will make you proud and get you noticed, my rule is:

1. If you can’t see them at all, it will take more than 3 months of hard work to see them.

2. If you can see the first row… 3 months is more than enough.

3. If you can see 2 rows… 2 months of work will show them off.

4. If you have a thin layer over the lower abs, 4 to 6 weeks should be fine.

Now, must I define hard work?

No, it’s not 1000 crunches a day or 45 minutes of cardio every morning.

Hard work means consistency, dedication, motivation and sticking to the plan. Working out is easy. Nutrition and habits are the evils we need to deal with.

First things first, GOALS!

If you can, which I obviously suggest, hire someone to take your body fat percentage. IT IS NOT, I repeat, it is not an absolute number, it is just a way to measure progress. Like I often say to my clients, you are not the number on the scale and you are not your body fat percentage. I have seen people with 15 % body fat showing abs and people at 12% with no abs whatsoever.

You want to lose fat and weight.

Did you know that you can lose weight without losing fat? Indeed, you can stay at the same weight and lose a lot of fat. Just as you can gain weight and lose fat.

Complicated, huh? So stop worrying about the weight on your scale! In addition, the weight varies greatly during the day. You will often see a gain of 5 lbs from morning to evening to return to the initial weight the next morning.

The percentage of fat is the simplest and least expensive method. You will see your progress in fat loss and muscle gain.

Calculate your needs Basal Metabolic rate

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum daily energy expenditure that allows the body to survive. At rest, the body consumes energy to maintain its functions (heart, brain, breathing, digestion, maintenance of body temperature) with biochemical reactions.

For a 20 years old man, measuring 1.80 m and weighing 155lbs, the minimum need is about 1510 calories per day. For a 20 years old woman, measuring 1.65 m and weighing 132 lbs, the minimum need is about 1320 calories per day.

With activity

If training is part of your new structure, you will need to adjust your plan according to the type and intensity of the activity you undertake. If you are sedentary or just walk as a physical activity, multiply your BMR by 1.37. If you train 2 to 3 times a week, multiply your BMR by 1.55. If you are a machine and train 4 to 6 times a week intensively, multiply your BMR by 1.80 and this will give you the amount of calories needed according to your active lifestyle.

Nutrition

As most of you may know, everyone is different and this is why writing an article is never easy. What seems like a great advice to someone could be the poison of others. So always keep in mind that individualization is the key. On that note, let me do the best I can to give you the simplest cues and what I know can be easily done to give you the most bang for your buck.

This is the hardest part, which will evolve through your quest. There are many ways to separate macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) when you are attacking a food structure. Unfortunately, this often becomes an unnecessary obsession because calculating calories is (almost) a waste of time. Yes, it is much more complicated than what the weight loss industry wants us to believe.

Keep in mind that during a restrictive diet, your body adapts quickly to the new demand. Then, after only a few weeks, it will burn fewer calories and bring the deficit back to zero.

There are also the physiological, genetic and intestinal flora differences that have a huge influence in weight loss from the same calorific deficit.

So, for the purpose of this article and to help you as much as possible, I must give you the basics to unravel it all.

Now, try to pretend that we cannot lose, take and / or gain mass and / or lose fat simultaneously.

In fact, I used this kind of diet in both cases (fat loss or muscle gain); everything depends on where you are in your progress and in your results.

When you started, carbohydrates were probably your best friends and as your ''lack of abs'' wants, giving you more would probably not be the best solution. So, cutting the majority of simple carbs will be part of the plan. As the weeks go by and the more progress you see, the better your insulin management will be.

The more you lose fat, the more you can eat carbohydrates, but they will, of course, be deserved.

To lose fat, the basic rule is to be in a caloric deficit of 300-500 calories. So if your BMR with activity is 2500, your plan is to reach about 2200 to 2000 a day.

Here is a small calculation:

To start with, the calories would look like this:

(Example of 2000 calories per day for fat loss.)

40-50% protein = 800-1000 cal = 4 cal / gr = 200-250 gr / day (+ -50gr / meal)

10-30% carbohydrates = 200-600 cal = 4 cal / gr = 50-150 gr / day (15-38gr / meal)

30-40% fat = 600-800 cal = 9 cal / gr = 66-88 gr / day (17-22gr / meal)

After 3-4 weeks, re-test and re-adjust but dropping down the calories is not always the answer. Sometimes, patience can do more good than any change you can do. You can also tweak your workouts or add some conditioning to it. Which leads me to the first phase of this 3 parts article.

Workout!

As with nutrition, a weight lifting plan can’t be copied and pasted. You can’t do the same workout as someone else and expect the same results, right? We all have our issues and past injuries. So again, writing up something that everyone can do is practically impossible. However, guidelines are always helpful.

For this plan, you will need to weight train at least 4 times a week. The three phases will increase gradually in difficulty. For this first phase, we will use a very simple but yet extremely efficient training protocol  which I got many moons ago from the strength sensei himself  called the German Body composition.

This program promises great results for beginners as well as advanced trainees. Shorter rest interval with exercises that targets multiple muscle groups at once increases lactate production, which dramatically boosts growth hormones. The result is a significant fat loss.

Here is how it goes.

 

	Day1
	Exercises	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Barbell back squats	4	20	1-0-1-0	15
A2	Low incline db press	4	10-12	3-0-1-0	15
A3	Romanian deadlift	4	10-12	3-0-2-0	15
A4	Neutral grip lat pulldown	4	10-12	3-0-1-0	90
B1	Leg press	3	20-25	2-0-1-0	0
B2	Close grip tricep press flat	3	12-15	3-0-1-0	0
B3	Standing db neutral grip curl	3	12-15	3-0-1-0	90

	Day2
	Exercises	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	DB lunges	4	20-25	2-0-1-0	15
A2	Barbell triceps lying extension	4	10-12	3-0-1-0	15
A3	Lying leg curl	4	10-12	3-0-X-0	15
A4	Standing biceps barbell curl	4	10-12	3-0-1-0	90
B1	DB squats heels elevated	3	15-20	2-0-1-0	0
B2	Incline 30’ DB fly	3	12-15	3-0-1-0	0
B3	Seated row to neck	3	12-15	3-0-1-0	90

For both days, A1 to A4 have to be done consecutively by respecting the prescribed rest period. Ideally, training 4 days a week would make you go through these two days twice: Monday and Tuesday for day 1 and 2, than repeat on Thursday and Friday.

If there is one important aspect to look out for is the tempo. The key is to respect the time under tension and get the desired lactate response. The tempo is divided into 4 phases.

So for 4010

4 is the eccentric phase, the lowering of the bar during the bench press, or when you go down.

0 is the first isometric phase (transition 1), when the bar touches your chest during the bench press. There may be isometric pauses that will increase the difficulty of the exercise.

1 is the concentric phase, when you push the bar up or you pull yourself toward the pull up bar.

0 is the last isometric phase (transition 2) at the starting point.

Basically, this is the most neglected factor, but it is of utmost importance in any workout protocols.

Stay tuned for next month’s phase.

Coach Eric 

   

What you can read as nutritional value on the products you buy is extremely imprecise. Even though the count was accurate, preparation and cooking completely change the data. The average calories for a single apple can range from 80 to 115 calories. A filet mignon of 6oz can, meanwhile, vary between 320 and 500 calories. The way you prepare your food is one of the most important factors in controlling the heat load. A 196 calories steak will provide you with 240 calories when cooked.