Philip Pape 0:00

What is the secret to sculpting eye-catching six-pack abs ? It is not just about dieting . Abs can be made in the kitchen to an extent , but in this episode we are going to dive into five practical strategies that we use in our evidence-based coaching to help clients achieve a strong , shredded and functional core . Welcome to the Whits and Weights podcast . I'm your host , philip Pape , and this twice a week podcast is dedicated to helping you achieve physical self mastery by getting stronger , optimizing your nutrition and upgrading your body composition . We'll uncover science-backed strategies for movement , metabolism , muscle and mindset with a skeptical eye on the fitness industry , so you can look and feel your absolute best . Let's dive right in . In this week's quick Whits episodes , I will be reading my contributions to Dr Bill Campbell's Body by Science research review . Today we're talking about ab training and development and then on the episode that drops Thursday , we'll be talking about fat loss and specifically how fats and carbs play into your fat loss protocol . In a special surprise that I mentioned on social media a couple times , but I was gonna keep it under wraps Dr Bill Campbell has given me permission to send everyone who joins my list this week from these episodes a copy of the March issue of Body by Science completely free . If you don't already subscribe and you want that entire issue for free , no strings attached , just go to the link in my show notes or go to WhitsandWeightscom slash bonus . In the research review , the first study was about spot reduction and we're not going to talk about spot reduction specifically , but I'm answering Bill's question to me and Sue Bush , who was the other expert contributor , and the question was since most people think of spot reduction to help promote a more defined midsection , what are some of your exercise programming tips and strategies for abdominal development ? And I'm gonna read my response verbatim so you have it . Here we go .

Philip Pape 2:08

Developing the abdominals for sculpted , eye catching abs requires an approach similar to developing any other muscle group . The adage abs are made in the kitchen implies that just by reducing your weight and body fat to a certain level you can reveal your abs . This is an oversimplification because unless you train the abs a you may not have sufficient muscle mass to reveal much of anything . B you may need to achieve a much lower than sustainable body fat level to do so . And c even if you do , they may disappoint you without spending time training them . Nutrition and training work together when it comes to getting shredded . For most people , midsection belly fat can be stubborn and hang around until deeper into a fat loss phase , coming off from the top down . Though not always the abs most people think of are the rectus abdominis , your six-pack , yet they function in tandem with other core muscles the external and internal obliques , transversus abdominis , muscles along your posterior chain , like the erector spinny and everything in the vicinity of your spine or hip area .

Philip Pape 3:17

As an evidence-based coach who works with busy people , I prefer practical approaches that are efficient and save time , while more complex ab training approaches involve loaded carries , planks , rotational movements , breathing exercises and so on . I'll keep things simple yet still effective and share five practical strategies I use with clients for a strong , shredded and functional core . First , we design a nutrition plan for building muscle , unless a client needs to lower their weight and body fat for health reasons . First , with our data-driven approach , clients track calories , macros , trend weight , biofeedback and physique like body circumference measurements and photos to ensure an optimal surplus to build muscle , usually 0.2 to 0.3% of your body weight gained per week . Building muscle requires gaining some weight and we assume 50 to 50 muscle to fat when setting up a surplus to build those abs as fast as possible but minimize fat gain . Second , a solid core requires some heavy lifting , with the primary movement patterns that require maintaining a stable position and bracing the core Think squat , deadlift , bench press , overhead press rows and their variations . These are already part of most strength and hypertrophy programs . These movements demand stability , isometric contractions , which develops the trunk musculature , and bracing with the Valsalva maneuver , which creates intra-abdominal pressure that translates to bigger lifts and a well-supported and safer back . Many people have built incredibly strong , aesthetic abs this way .

Philip Pape 4:56

Third , we want to include direct ab training if abs are a priority . There is much confusion here , so let me reiterate two principles . The first is proximity to failure . The abs must be trained close to muscular failure , which is challenging to do without loading against gravity weights or a cable machine with sufficient reps or using intensity techniques like rest pause . The second is progressive overload . Volume must be increased gradually by adding weights , reps or sets over time to continue challenging those abs to adapt and grow . For example , if 12 hanging leg raises are the most you can do , aim for 13 next time .

Philip Pape 5:36

Here are five direct ab exercises we often recommend to clients . You can add rotation to some of these to hit the obliques more directly . Number one hanging leg raises . Lift straight or bent legs from a hanging position . You can use lifting straps or arm slings . Number two decline sit-ups . With your feet secured , perform a sit-up , starting from a decline angle . You can hold a plate for load . Number three inclined bench reverse crunches . Sit on an inclined bench and lift your hips and knees to your chest with your butt fully off the bench . Number four cable ab crunches . Curl your torso to the floor while holding the cable rope attachment behind your head , facing away from the machine or in front facing the machine . And number five ab wheel . Roll out the ab wheel from a kneeling position with some back flexion .

Philip Pape 6:32

Fourth , we want to program these movements into a weekly routine . Aim for 10 to 20 hard sets per week using a combination of the above exercises . Let's say you train three days a week . You could add one exercise at the end for four sets of 10 to 15 . That's 12 sets for the week . For greater specialization , do two exercises with a similar set rep scheme to double the volume to 24 sets , since the abs can handle the frequency and recover quickly . Perform these in complementary pairs to hit upper and lower abs . For example , hanging leg raises and decline sit-ups Inclined , reverse crunches and cable crunches , ab wheel and hanging leg raises , etc .

Philip Pape 7:12

Fifth and finally , we're back to nutrition . After you've spent some time in a muscle building phase our clients often run these for at least six months You're ready to drop some fat and reveal those harder and abs . At this point many clients are surprised they can see ab definition at a higher scale weight because of the added muscle mass , which means they don't have to get as lean as someone who only tried to make abs in the kitchen . I recommend bringing body fat down to a lifestyle lean level that you can sustain for months or even years if showing off those abs is a priority , without sacrificing your lifestyle . Those diehards who want to get totally shredded and are willing to make the trade-offs can get there with time , patience and consistency . Fat loss requires a calorie deficit while training hard to preserve muscle . A rate of loss of 0.5 to 0.75% body weight per week is a good balance between time to lose the fat and calories ata reasonable level for consistency . If your maintenance calories are higher , you can push to 1% per week or more for a short two to three week duration and then taper down as your metabolism adapts . Other factors include adequate protein 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight , or higher if going more aggressive , and plenty of movement to maintain high energy flux , combined with sufficient sleep and self-care for the smoothest fat loss phase and ab definition possible .

Philip Pape 8:38

Okay , that was my contribution to Bill's research review for the first study and again , all you have to do is , if you're already on my email list , you are going to get a copy of the March issue for free when I send it out . If you aren't , use the link in my show notes or go to witsandweightscom slash bonus , because this is bonus content that I'm giving only to my email list . Now , if you're listening to this episode and it's maybe a week or more after the episode came out , I may have already sent that to my list . In that case , I just want you to reply to the welcome email that you get from me and say hey , I joined this because I would love to get the Body by Science Research Review issue . Can you please send it to me and I will send it to you ?

Philip Pape 9:22

That's it for today's Quick Wits . Tomorrow is a full length episode , a very cool title . It's called how to Lose a Thousand Pounds , and then Thursday we'll be dropping the other Quick Wits about the Fatz vs Karbs Fat Loss Protocol contribution to the other study in Bill's review . As always , stay strong . Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Wits and Weights . If you found value in today's episode and know someone else who's looking to level up their wits or weights , please take a moment to share this episode with them and make sure to hit the follow button in your podcast platform right now to catch the next episode . Until then , stay strong .