How to Get a Six-Pack According to 4 Women That Have Them
When you read success stories about women with incredible six packs, you want them to come from [...]
Cat Meffan: Yoga Teacher and Wellness Blogger
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Although Meffan's career is obviously conducive to a toned, healthy body, she does more than just sun salutations every day. When asked about her incredible six pack by Self, she said, "I follow a clean-eating Paleo diet. I'm not super strict, but I avoid wheat and potatoes."
Her go-to move for toning her abs? Toe Taps. To try them out here:
- Lie down on your back
- Lift your legs straight up so your body forms an L
- Extend your arms out on the floor behind you
- Lift your arms chest and shoulders off the floor
- Bring your arms forward and try to touch your toes
Repeat this movement thirty times and you'll be feeling the results tomorrow morning. Above all else, Meffan recommends moving past the bitter stage of self-hatred and embracing a healthy lifestyle. Without a positive attitude, abs are just a far-fetched dream.
prevnextAmber Fillerup: Lifestyle Blogger and Entrepreneur
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Even after having two beautiful blonde children, this woman continuously wows her followers with her passion for fitness. "Changes do not happen overnight," she said in a blog post about recovering her abs after giving birth to her second kid. "I didn't start seeing results for a solid six months."
If you've recently had a baby, Fillerup has a tried-and-true series of ab exercises she highly recommends:
- One-leg hip thrusts
- Two-leg hip thrusts
- Straight leg bicycle crunches
- Elevated side crunches
- Rotation crunches
- Reverse sit-ups
- Bicycle crunches
- Three-minute planks
How many reps, you ask? Well, for many of her exercises, Fillerup continues until it starts hurting, then throws in a few extra reps for good measure.
Amie Tollefsrud: Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Online Business Owner
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Tollefsrud just gets it. She understands how difficult it is for the average woman to begin training and building muscle, and she shares in many of the insecurities you probably face. More than anything, she knows that having shredded abs isn't always a sign of great health. At one point, she had a very visible six pack, but since then, she has toned down her workout regime and tried to focus on maintaining healthy abs, not overdone ones.
"Behind every pair of six-pack abs may be an ugly, unglamorous truth about what happens when the pursuit of 'health' is taken too far," Tollefsrud said on Mind Body Green. That's why she encourages women to pursue truly strong, healthy cores, not just ones that look good.
To achieve that, she recommends:
- Avoiding running excessively
- Eating enough food to feel full but also sticking to healthy meals
- Sleeping plenty
- Working out on a regular schedule and targeting the abs
Amanda Butler: Personal Trainer and Fitness Model
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Although Butler certainly focuses more on her fitness than the average woman, she also knows that no six pack can be achieved if you're following the wrong instructions. "You've heard it before, but I'll say it again—what you put in your mouth matters," she said in a recent post featured on Women's Health Magazine. "It's crucial to trimming up your core. You can do crunches for days, but if you aren't fueling properly you'll never see those abs!"
When it comes to ab-exercises, Butler has a few stellar recommendations:
- Skip the crunches
- Go for barbell back squats and deadlifts
- Try out some intense HIIT workouts
The bottom line: if these talented, down-to-earth women can achieve amazing six packs without sacrificing their health or happiness, then you can, too. Take their advice to heart and start implementing some of their recommendations today, then see what happens.
Feature photo credit: Instagram / @amberfillerup
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