2 Types of Exercise Needed to Get 6 Pack Abs

Everyone wants to have that well sculpted 6 pack abs look. The truth is there are two things that need to be done to get those 6 pack abs. The first thing is to work on getting those abdominal muscles to a point where they are shaped and developed well. The second thing that needs to be done is to get your body to a point where they can actually be seen.

Michelangelo would look at a block of stone and see wonderful things in it. He would then spend a great deal of time and energy uncovering that work of art that lived in that stone. Being able to see what he did underneath all that rock is a rare gift and something that few have ever been accomplish. It will be just as difficult for people to see that statue Michelangelo sculpted before the stone was chipped away as it is for people to see your six pack underneath all that fat. To get to the work of art you are trying to sculpt, you need to chip away at the blubber and lose fat.

There are some things that you have to remember as you work on your 6 pack. Your body needs to be in a calorie deficit, meaning you need to use more calories than you eat. Of course you need to be focusing in on eating foods that will help you not only grow muscle but will give you the energy you need to burn off fat. You also need to be working to burn off the fat at the same time that you are developing your ab muscles. You don't have to decide between one or the other. Both of these goals can be achieved if you have a well balanced workout program. That well balanced workout program is going to use both aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Aerobic means with oxygen. Aerobic exercises are ones where you work at a moderate level of intensity for a long period of time. It requires your body to use more oxygen so it strengthens both the heart and the lungs. It also brings more oxygen into your muscles. Fat requires oxygen to burn. The more oxygen you have pumping through your body, the more fat gets burned. In order for it to work well, you need to be able to do it for extended periods of time. You need to be able to get an adequate amount of oxygen when you are performing the activity. If you are having to work to breathe, you probably aren't getting enough oxygen. A good way to tell if you are getting enough oxygen in your workout is being able to carry on a short conversation without having to gasp for air. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't push yourself. The more aerobic activity you do, the more endurance you will have. Just find a pace that is good for you and increase it. Find something that you will be able to do daily and for at least 30 minutes.

Examples of good aerobic exercises that will help melt the fat away from those 6 pack abs you hope to have are:

* Walking

* Cycling

* Running

* Swimming

* Dancing

* Jogging

* Tennis

Anaerobic means without oxygen. Anaerobic exercises are ones in which your body uses a great amount of force in a short period of time. The exercises creates an immediate oxygen deficiency in which the body can no longer rely on fat to burn (since you have shut off the thing fat needs to burn). Your body then depends on carbohydrates for fuel. While this isn't good for burning fat initially, it does grow more muscle and increases metabolism which will help to burn fat long after the exercise is over (contrasting with aerobic exercise which only burns fat while you are working out). growing more muscle means that more fat is going to be burning off of your body. Anaerobic activity is the only kind that will cause your muscles to grow significantly. Weightlifting is the most typical type of anaerobic activity but many of the exercises you do to shape your abs are also anaerobic exercises. The more you are able to work on these muscles on your abs, the more you will see fat melting away as well. You shouldn't do these exercises exclusively, though. You need to be doing them in conjunction with aerobic exercises for maximum benefit.

Some examples of good abdominal workouts that are also good anaerobic exercises are:

* Abs Crunch (Make sure that your head is supported, your knees are bent, and your whole back stays flat to the ground. Also make sure that you never strain your neck doing this.)

* Crunches using a decline bench (add weight for extra work)

* Leg Lifts (lying on the floor or on an incline)

* Side Bends using a dumbbell

* Russian Twists (Sitting on the floor with your legs bent and your feet under something so they won't move raise your upper torso to a 45 degrees angle. Lift your arms straight out in front of you and then slowly twist to the left 90 degrees and then turn to the right 90 degrees.)

* Hanging Leg Raises (Hanging from a pull up bar, slowly lift your knees to your chest and then slowly bring them back down.)