Getting & Maintaining a 6 Pack

6 pack

If you're here I want to say congratulations because you already know 95% of the information you need to know in order to get a 6 pack.  Why do I say that? Because as much as we all don't want to hear it, a 6 pack is not a " I don't know how to get it "thing, it is a " I'm not willing to do what it takes " thing; AND for some it may also be a " It's going to take some time " thing.

Let's clear the air here.  I'm not here to sell you any fat burning crap pills, newly discovered exercise equipment, cheap DVD's or systems that don't work.  BUT Jimmie you're an Independent Beachbody coach don't you promote DVD's and nutrition systems? YES I DO. But these things aren't required to get 6 pack abs or the results you want. They're merely tools to help make life a little easier and FOR ME that's exactly WHAT I NEEDED.

So this is my gift to you, 3 simple rules I've learned over the past 2 years from experience and programs that have helped me get AND maintain my 6 pack.


1.  Count backwards
"Getting Abs" in my opinion is a bad statement, more correctly we should be saying "Seeing Abs." You already have abs but they're covered in belly fat. If you want to see them you need to remove body fat. Counting calories, tracking macros, fasting and dieting are all methods to get there but I've found they're all a pain in the ass and it's a hard method to sustain unless you're in some form of body building.

For me I count FATS, SUGARS and SODIUM. The idea here is to play these three categories like a game of golf, the lower your score the better.

Ohhh and another huge 6 pack killer is ALCOHOL. Have you been on my Facebook page, do you know me? You could make the argument that I drink and it doesn't seem to effect me. Well... I got the results first. It's easier to maintain a 6 pack rather then get one but believe me the first thing I cut out when I really want my abs to pop is alcohol.



2.  Sticking to what makes the biggest change
This is where I see people making the biggest mistakes. The truth is that some activities have a greater impact on a 6 pack then others. So isn't it reasonable to attack those activities with full force first? You wouldn't play $5 blackjack if you wanted to become a millionaire, you'd go to the high stakes tables.

NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) says.. "70% of your daily caloric burn comes from your RMR or Resting Metabolic Rate... and 20% comes from your workouts."

What does this mean? Well it means you need to keep working out but you can make much larger strides towards your goals if you can amp up what your RMR is burning. Body size, body composition and food intake are some of the factors of RMR that are changeable. This also why it seems that skinny people stay skinny and fat people stay fat.    

So, if you want to see your abs, build the muscle required to change your RMR. Muscle is your best friend and fats worst enemy, so build it. Get done the work that needs to be done first, then work on the finer details.


3.  Fast or Sloww AND everything is not always in moderation
Would you like results fast or sloww? The majority of people will say "I want fast results" but are you really willing to do what's necessary to get them? Most people aren't so they chose the sloww route but there's one thing you need to understand, slow is sloww.  It could be the difference between 3 weeks (like me) or 6 months.

In my opinion this is not an everything in moderation situation.  Getting results is much easier being consistent with good habits rather then trying to space out 'cheat meals' throughout the week. Do the required work for longer periods of time, get the results and then you can go back to 'everything in moderation.'

Find a partner, find a trainer, get motivated and do what's necessary to get the results you want. Sure that month or two may be hell but once you're there it'll be much easier to maintain and keep!


Conclusion
In my opinion you don't need fancy meal plans or insane workout plans but you do need to work hard. Lift weights and eat single ingredient clean foods (if you have to ask if they're clean or not they're NOT) and you will be on your way.

AND if you're like me and need more help and a system to follow, then find the time and money to spend on one that will get you there. The results you get will more then pay themselves off.





Calories vs. Nutrition: Keeping it simple.

Calorie Counting

Calories vs. Nutrition: Keeping it simple.

Before I start this article I want you to know that I AM NOT a nutritionist.  I'm writing about this topic because I have learned a lot and I want to alleviate some confusion about calories and nutrition for you.  There are tons of articles written on how many calories you need per day, how to calorie count, food apps, programs, etc.  But I feel no one asks the more important question of, "Do calories and nutrition even go hand in hand?"  This day in age it's so easy to get consumed by a topic that sometimes it's hard to step back and wonder if it's really important in the first place.

How are calories even calculated?  Ok here's the simple break down.

1g of Fat = 9 cal
1g of Carbs = 4 cal
1g of Protein = 4 cal
1g of Alcohol = 7 cal

EXAMPLE:  Assuming your food has..

3g of fat | 20g of carbs | 10g of protein
3 x 9(cal)  +  20 x 4(cal)  +  10 x 4(cal) = 
27 + 80 + 40 = 
147 calories

Calories are just a mathematical equation of the fats, carbs and proteins listed on the supplement facts.  

Ok great, the label did all the work for me, now can I just eat my 2000-ish calories a day and be on my way to a healthier life? No you can't because there a hundreds of different ways for food to have 147 calories but have way different ratios of fats/ carbs/ proteins in them!  We could just as easily had tons of fat, and then just a few carbs and proteins.  

 BUT, we're still missing a vital part of this entire equation!!!  So far all we've done is a little bit of math.

What are the ingredients in your food?  If I put a piece of plastic in a bag and told you it had no fat, no carbs, and 50g of protein would you eat it?  I hope not because it's made of plastic!  This is why I don't even look at the calories in food anymore.  For my current fitness level and lifestyle, it doesn't have as much of an impact on me as the other things do, I prioritize!  This is the reason nutritionists say to read all packaging the exact opposite way it was intended.  Instead of reading front (top to bottom) then back (top to bottom), read it the exact opposite!

CONCLUSION:
There are plenty of topics on calories, proteins, carbs, fats, ratios, counting, etc; but in my opinion ingredients always come first.  Make sure you know what you're putting in your body before worrying about how many calories it has.  Once you master healthier, single ingredients foods, then take it to the next level of worrying about how many fats/ carbs/ and proteins you need to be consuming for your lifestyle.  Remember this shouldn't be complicated so take it one step at a time!  Hope this helps!

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