Diet for a Six Pack

Overview

If you have an event in three weeks that you must attend and you want to develop a better six-pack by then, you need to intensify your workouts and make some changes to your diet. The key is to get rid of as much abdominal fat as possible and work your abs with resistance to make them more defined. To carry out this game plan, you need to be disciplined and follow the steps to a tee.

Step 1

Be vigilant with your diet for the next three weeks. Eat nothing but fruits, veggies, lean meats, fish, whole grains and beans. Avoid all foods that are high in sodium, saturated fat and sugar, such as frozen dinners, canned soups, burgers, fries, ice cream, cookies and candy bars.

Step 2

Eat meals throughout the course of the day to boost your metabolism. Consume meals that have a good balance of protein and complex carbs. Aim for six meals a day, starting first thing in the morning. Whole wheat toast and an egg white scrambled with chopped-up veggies is a morning meal example. Follow this pattern for the full three weeks.

Step 3

Drink nothing but water for three weeks to keep your body hydrated and to reduce water retention. Avoid sweetened teas, fruit drinks, alcohol, soda and milk shakes. Consume at least 10 cups of water a day instead.

Step 4

Perform hanging knee raises with ankle weights strapped to your lower legs. Jump up and grab a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip. Let your legs hang straight down toward the ground. Lift your knees up to your chest and reverse the movement. Do 15 to 20 reps and three to four sets. Keep your upper body from swaying back and forth when you do these.

Step 5

Wear the ankle weights to do bicycle maneuvers. Lie on your back and lift your head up into a crunch position. Place your hands on the sides of your head. Lift your legs up so your shins are parallel to the floor and your knees are bent 90 degrees. Alternate bringing your opposite elbow to your opposite knee in a cycling motion. Do 15 to 20 reps and three to four sets.

Step 6

Use a medicine ball to do long lever crunches. Lie on your back with the backs of your legs propped up on a bench. Extend your arms straight behind your head and hold the ball right above the ground. Curl your body up by contracting your abs. Squeeze forcefully and lower yourself back down. Keep your arms in line with your head the whole time. Do 15 to 20 reps and three to four sets.

Step 7

Contract your abs without any range of motion. Lie on your stomach with your hands directly under your shoulders, palms down. Curl your toes under your feet and push your body up until your arms are fully extended. Forcefully contract your abs and hold for 45 to 60 seconds. Release and repeat three to four times.

Step 8

Burn some of the remaining fat on your belly with interval training. Start out with a five-minute light warm-up. Go as hard as you can for 20 seconds; then go at a moderate intensity for 40 seconds. Alternate back and forth for 20 minutes and finish with a light five-minute cool-down. Use this type of training with any form of cardio, such as running, spinning, elliptical training, stair climbing, jumping rope or swimming. Do your cardio on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for all three weeks.

Step 9

Execute your complete three- week plan. Do your ab exercises right after you do your interval training and work out with weights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to build as much muscle as you can. This will increase your resting metabolic rate and contribute to your caloric expenditure. Do 30 minutes of light cardio on Sundays, such as playing catch in the park, going for a walk or riding a bike.