When it comes to men's fitness, Charles Atlas is out and the six-pack is in.
Washboard abs are the ideal when it comes to being in shape, according to an article in The Record of Bergen County, N.J. It's not a realistic ideal for most men, just as the media-generated female image is not perfection to most women. But for those men want to give it a try anyway, the article offers some tips:
First, quit your job. You will need the extra time to work on your abs. One male model who has a near-perfect body says he starts his day with an hour on the treadmill, burning 1,000 calories. Then he begins his workout. The workout could include a minimum of 50 sit-ups a day, plus several hours in the gym, five or six days a week. And that's just to maintain his physique. Getting that "ripped look" is a full-time pursuit, he says.
Second, spend lots of time in the weight room, but remember you also have to emphasize cardiovascular workouts and be very strict about your diet. If you're thin, use heavier weights and fewer repetitions. If you're heavy, work with lighter weights and do more repetitions.
When it comes to your diet, resist the urge to reward yourself for a good day in the gym by pigging out at the snack bar. We're talking no fried food, no junk food, light on the fat, heavy on the protein. If a diet centered around egg whites, turkey bacon and dry toast sounds good to you, you're all set.
For more strategies to pop those abs, you can read this article from Men's Fitness. But don't fall victim to a condition that besets many body-image obsessed women. For more on that, read this from HealthTouch Online.
