“Doc, how do I get six-pack abs?”

I get this question almost daily. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is NO exercise program that will give you “six-pack” abs.

Really.  You can do sit-ups, leg lifts and crunches ’till the cows come home and it will do nothing other than give you abdominal cramps.  It will also make you hungry.  I don’t care what Men’s Fitness, Bodybuilding.com, Muscle Magazine, Shape or even Doctor Oz said. There are no “6 Best Exercises for Ripped Abs.”  There is only one exercise . . . throwing the carbs in the trash (or giving them to the neighbor you don’t like.)

The “12 Step Ab Program” really only has ONE STEP . . . cut the carbs.  Let me repeat that.  There is only ONE STEP to “six-pack abs,” . . . cut the carbs.  Cardiovascular exercise does nothing for amazingly toned abdominal muscles, other than make you hungry.   Resistance exercise improves insulin resistance, but doesn’t build the abs.  Avoiding the milk, rice, wheat, oatmeal and fruit allows the abs to appear.  Yes, I’m serious.  What do bears eat? Berries.

When did you last see the a bear with “six-pack abs?”

The only way to see your “six-pack” is to remove the fat covering your “six-pack.”  The only way to get rid of fat covering your “six-pack” is to stop drinking it and lower the carbohydrate content to less than 20 grams per day.  Seriously . . .

So you’ve done 100 crunches a day for six months?  Do you see your “six-pack” now?  Exactly.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Follow the principles outlined in my past articles like The Principle Based Ketogenic Lifestyle . . . Part I & Ketogenic Principles . . . Part II and make sure you are avoiding Common Ketosis Killers.

Staying in ketosis and adding 2-3 days of resistance training will melt 2-5 lbs of abdominal fat away each month.   Yes, I know it is slow . . . but that is weight (fat) that will stay off.  Use whole foods high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrate.  Use supplements like Keto//OS & Adapt bars to help when you don’t have access to a good meal or as a snack when you are hungry.  Look at the list of Low Carb Links above to get great ideas for meal preparation and sweeteners that you can use.