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2003/07/08, 10:31 AM
by Raphael Calzadilla, BA, ACE, RTS1
2001 Mr. Connecticut (Short and Masters Class)
How does one get ripped abs? Is there a human being on the planet who doesn’t want to know the answer to this question? I see articles all the time that discuss abdominal exercises; infomercials that make false promises about a machine that will give you abs to die for and ten thousand other diet aids and gadgets that never tell you the truth!
I’m going to lay out the truth for you in this article. You may not like the answer and there will be work to do on your part, but I will provide the basic formula to achieve the look you’ve always thought was reserved for other people.
Here then is my eight point plan to get ripped abs:
1. NUTRITION -- This is the most important component to achieve ripped abs. Nothing is more important than food! First, you will need to control blood sugar levels in order to lose body fat. This is best accomplished by consuming 5-7 meals per day. Don’t mistake the definition of a meal for a six course extravaganza. A meal might be egg whites and oatmeal with some blueberries in it; chicken with a cup of brown rice and a large salad with some oil and vinegar; an apple with a scoop of protein powder; cottage cheese with some fruit, etc.
Get the picture? I’m referring to them as meals, but they’re actually feedings. Each of the meals is comprised of protein, carbohydrate and a little fat. In some cases, the fat is built into the protein. In other cases it’s added to the meal.
2. RATIOS -- It’s unlikely that you’ll get ripped abs from consuming 80 percent of your calories from carbohydrates. What I have found to work most efficiently is anywhere from 40-50 percent carbohydrates, 30-40 percent protein and 20-30 percent monounsaturated fat. There are exceptions to every rule; however, I’ve found these ratios to be most efficient in attaining the much desired ripped abs.
3. TIMING -- I realize 5-7 feedings sounds like a lot, but you must keep in mind that the body is always seeking to store body fat. It (the body) doesn’t care if you want to lose fat. In fact, your body would prefer to keep fat in order to accomplish its number one goal of keeping you alive in case of a future famine or drought.
Always consider the body from the inside out and not the other way around. In order to control blood sugar, eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day. Again, when using the most effective nutrient ratios this helps to control blood sugar, which in turn assists in body fat loss.
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4. CALORIES -- I've received emails from people telling me that they do all of the above but they still can’t lose body fat in order to see those abs. In every case, they are still consuming too many calories. It doesn’t matter how healthy your nutrition program is if you’re eating too much!
It’s important that you find maintenance calories first. Maintenance represents the amount of food you consume without any change in your weight. This will take some experimentation and some effort. You’ll also need to document your foods: total calories as well as grams of protein, carbohydrate and fats.
Sounds like a lot of work? Yes, it is! However, only a few weeks of work and then you never have to do it again, because you’ll have your personal formula for success.
5. SLIGHT CALORIC DEFICIT -- After you have found maintenance; simply reduce your calories by 200. That’s it! Our goal is to have you eating as much as possible and still losing fat and retaining muscle. I don’t want you eating as little as possible (thereby slowing the metabolism and losing valuable muscle tissue).
The first week you may lose 4-6 pounds of water, but after the first week you should only lose about 1.5 pounds per week. Remember, we are trying to preserve muscle and make your body a metabolic inferno! If you are not losing up to 1.5 pounds per week (it will fluctuate week to week but should not exceed 1.5), then reduce calories by another 100. Then, monitor your progress after one week. You’ll probably be right on track.
6. CONSISTENCY -- You’ll need to be on this nutrition program six days a week with one day being somewhat of a "cheat" day. Unlike many, I’m not a big fan of the "cheat" day. I find that people tend to use it as an excuse to gorge themselves.
So, on Sunday for example, you’re allowed to have some pizza, a bit of ice cream, etc. But nothing extreme! When you pig out, blood sugar levels can be elevated for seven hours or more. This will absolutely halt your body fat loss and actually backfire.
7. WEIGHT TRAIN -- At this point you should be aware of the importance of resistance training. No need to be in the gym every day! Just 3-4 intense workout sessions lasting no more than 45 minutes to an hour will do the trick. Remember, for every pound of muscle on your body, you’ll burn 30-50 additional calories per day.
Part of this program will include abdominal exercises to strengthen and build the abs so that when you achieve your low body fat level, your abs will be visible. Speaking of body fat, in order to achieve ripped abs, a man will need to get to about 8 percent body fat and a female to about 15 percent.
8. CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE -- Perform 4-5 days per week of moderate cardio exercise for approximately 30 minutes. You can also make two of the days a higher intensity level to accelerate fat loss, but only if you reach a sticking point. Don’t forget our goal of preserving muscle and losing fat as efficiently as possible.
That’s it! If you do this consistently and keep adjusting calories SLIGHTLY and changing your routine every 3-4 weeks, you will get ripped abs. However, you must be strategic and precise. Is this easy? No, it’s not easy... that’s why few people have ripped abs. Is it fulfilling when you achieve your goal of great abs? Definitely! As in most cases in life, the things we want and desire usually take some degree of sacrifice. So, how bad do you want it?
A competitive bodybuilder and former 2001 Mr. Connecticut, Raphael is a veteran of the health and fitness industry who specializes in a holistic approach to body transformation, nutrition programs and personal training.
He earned his B.A. in Communications from Southern Connecticut State University and is certified as a personal trainer with ACE and APEX. In addition, he successfully completed the RTS1 program based on biomechanics.
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