Every dude wants a good looking midsection. It’s impressive to look at and speaks volume about a person’s dieting ethics. The problem is that not many can get what they dream off and Virat Kohli, 10 years back, certainly didn’t imagine that he would one day have a fantastic core. What did he do to get the defined abs he sports now? Well, that’s what I am going to break down with this article.
Diet. Diet. DIET!
Now no matter however much you workout, if your diet sucks, you will never ever see your abs. That’s the truth, folks. In fact the very first step in carving out a chiseled core is to look at what you are eating on a daily basis. Virat went through a paradigm shift in his eating habits ever since he got serious about his strength and conditioning. His plates see nothing else than grilled, low fat food now. Pretty sure he’s also counting the calories he eats. That’s exactly what you have to do- count your calories. If you eat more calories and burn less you will put on weight. If you eat less and spend more, weight loss is inevitable. Eating right and calculated is the FIRST step.
Movement Matter More Than YOU Think
The only thing that stands between visible abs and a happy you is the layer of abdominal fat you see on your core. That’s not only a result of poor eating right there but also an example of how less you move throughout. Let me make this very clear- you don’t burn massive amount of calories by spending an hour or so in the gym. Maximum calories are burned when you move throughout the day. Yes, walking, talking and just regular movement in general amount to thousands of calories burned. After getting your diet structured (in a deficit), make it a pint to move more.
Exercising
Surprised why I put exercising at last? That’s because if the above two things are in place, exercising won’t matter. Running buck wild on the treadmill and doing thousands of crunches will only get you injured, not a six pack. So is you have the above two things sorted out, here’s how you should work your core-
1) Compound Movements
I’ll keep it easy- push-ups, lunges, squats, bench press, shoulder pressing, pull-ups and deadlifts are some of the most outstanding compound movements. They make you body work as a unit to produce force and hence, recruits maximum muscle. And unsurprisingly, Virat surely does them all. Almost all the compound movements demand absolute core area recruitment which eventually leads to strong abs.
2) Isolating The Core
Now once you are well versed with compound exercises, if need be, core isolation can help add more development to the area. Crunches, sit-ups and leg raises are some really effective core isolation moves BUT ONLY IF done correctly. And yes, you don’t need to do a thousand reps of these, like most people do. Stick to 10-15 rep range and have absolute control on your core throughout the movement.
3) Cardio
Again, you don’t need cardio to see your abs. You need a calorie deficit aka eating less. But that doesn’t mean ‘no’ cardio at all. You can still throw in low intensity or high intensity cardio as per your wish but in moderation. 20-25 minutes 2-3 times a week is more than enough given that you operate in a calorie deficit. Always keep in mind that cardio is just a tool to burn more calories!
So that’s about it guys. Virat does all of the above and in the exact same order. Getting abs is no rocket science. All it takes in consistent effort.
Credit: Mens XP