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Hey Ross… every girl loves a set of good abs and I notice you seem to have a rather nice set : Mine are ok but I want exceptional. What can you recommend? Many thanks, Craig

Hi Craig mate

That's good timing since I have just written an article about that very topic….I shall post it on the article section of the LA Muscle website for you. It's quite funny (if I do say so myself :) but if you've not got the time to read the whole thing I've 'bullet pointed' the main tips for you below:

Fat loss Tip:

20-40 minutes cardio as soon as you wake up (whether this is 9 o'clock in the morning or 1 o'clock in the afternoon) Do not eat anything before and only have water to get hydrated. Then don't eat anything until an hour after finishing

WHY - The glycogen levels in your muscles are depleted and your insulin levels in your blood are at their lowest after 7 hours of sleeping and not eating (basically fasting.) This means your body will use the fat on your body as a source of energy rather than the muscle glycogen. Also afterwards your basal metabolic rate and enzymic activity is elevated so you're still burning calories, that's why you don't eat for an hour afterwards.

SUGGESTION - Now I don't mean to lower the tone however a lil 'hanky-panky' first thing in the morning on an empty stomach proves to be a BRILLIANT cardio work out…. providing your training partner is a fitty :

Exercises:

Few know that the rectus abdominus muscles of the stomach are predominantly comprised of fast twitch muscle fibres therefore its important to perform sit ups with a high resistance to promote thick, deep-set abdominal muscles. But it is the 'plank' that will give you a tighter and thinner midsection, giving you the classic V-taper.
WHY - The plank is a static, isometric exercise that strengthens the transverse abdominus rather than the rectus abdominus (the muscles that give you the 6pack.) The transverse abdominus is the deepest layer of abdominal muscle and wraps around the whole midsection. When you contract the abdominals, your waist becomes thinner; thus a strong transverse abdominus means a smaller, tighter waist. When you are doing the plank be sure to contract your abdominals while remembering to breath.

SUGGESTION - A variation of this exercise is the side plank that will also give you fantastic obliques if you superset 60-90 seconds of side planks with some side crunches. I'm not going to lie it will hurt like buggery but women will be attracted your wheels like a moth to a flame.

Diet:

TIP - Avoid saturated fats, hydrogenated oils and refined white carbohydrates and sugars but eat Essential fatty acids (fat burning agents.)

WHY- The bad fats will all store as fat on the body and cover up those lovely abs you have just built. The good fats support the body's metabolism and aid in the burning of fat on the body.

RESULT - EMPTY fridge because you have got rid of the white bread, cream, chocolate, crisps, butter and sugar. FULL message inbox on your phone from all the girls wanting to see your lovely wheels.

TIP- No carbohydrates after 6pm, nothing to eat after 7-8pm and have your larger meals in the morning

WHY- your body's metabolism slows down when your asleep so any access calories or carbohydrates that are still in your stomach at night will be stored as fat when you sleep.

RESULT - Your clothes no longer fit you BUT you don't care because with a body like yours who needs clothes

TIP- Eat between 1-2 grams of protein per kg of your body weight a day, roughly 20g every 2 hours

WHY- Protein requires more energy to digest therefore it burns more calories once eaten (Thermic affect of feeding.) It also makes you feel fuller for longer and if that's not enough it will also help you build muscle (Note: no more than 20g-30 of protein in one sitting as the body can't absorb this much and it will turn to fat and toxins in the body, having the right amount is key.)

RESULT - You will have more fish in your freezer than Captain Birds eye and more chicken than the KFC colonel himself but you will build muscle and keep your body fat low.

TIP - Eat 6-8 small meals throughout the day; keep the total calories the same but change the frequency of eating and drink a lot of water

WHY - This will ensure your blood sugar levels remain consistent (stop your cravings) and your body will be able to digest the food and burn the calories more efficiently.

RESULT - You are reunited with your long lost abs, the ones you bid farewell to after that pizza hut opened at the bottom of your road. 

TIP - Eat a lot of fresh fruit and veg

WHY- They contain enzymes that support the body's metabolism and bodily functions

RESULT - The local green grocer becomes your 8th best friend, your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th being those lovely abs of yours and the 7th being your full size bathroom mirror

Hope this helps buddy,
Much love
Ross