The document outlines 10 essential tips for achieving defined abs, focusing on diet, exercise, and a positive mindset. Key recommendations include consuming regular protein, controlling food intake, prioritizing green vegetables, and utilizing effective meal timing and frequency. It emphasizes the importance of social accountability and the role of magnesium in overall health for supporting ab definition.

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10 Steps to an 8 Pack
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2. Getting abs is a lot about diet, a little about exercise, and all about attitude. As a fitness model, trainer, and former natural
bodybuilder, having defined abs has been part of my job description for the past decade, so I’ve learned to eat, train, and
program my mind accordingly to keep them sharp. Below are 10 tips I’ve used that make the difference between regular
and premium.

3. Take it a step further and tell your friends. Making your deadlines public is a powerful motivator because it puts your reputation on the line,
says Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioural economics at Duke University and author of The New York Times best seller, Predictably
Irrational. In fact, the more attention you draw to what you’re doing, the less likely you’ll be to renege on it. Announce your intentions on
Facebook or e-mail your buddies. That makes it harder for you to back down, and you’ll find that you have a support group full of people who
want you to succeed

4. Avoid these foods most of the time and see an allergist for a food sensitivity test to know for sure. At the
very least, cut these foods out for a few weeks and see how you feel.
Typically, if you’re sensitive to a food, you’ll notice less gas, bloating, and fatigue after a few days of being
free of it

5. You need more muscle to increase your metabolism and burn off the fat that covers your
six-pack. On the nutrition front, this means eating protein regularly. Because the body has no
way to store protein, it needs a regular supply to keep your muscles well stocked. Eating small
but frequent meals has always kept me more muscular. The protocol that’s worked best for 90%
of my clients is to have five whole-food meals and one protein shake per day. If your diet calls
for 200 grams of protein in a day (a good goal for a 200-pound man), I advise consuming five to
six meals with 30–50 grams of protein in each. -

6. The very act of
eating less causes
a stress response
in the body that
jacks up cortisol,
a hormone that
stimulates hunge
and signals fat
storage. A 2010
study published
in Psychosomatic
Medicine found
that women
who cut calories to lose weight experienced an increase in cortisol,
even over another group who simply tracked their calories but didn’t
reduce them. So how do you lose fat? Of course calories have to be
reduced, but it’s how you perceive the cut that matters. Focus on eating
better without restricting your overall consumption. Don’t starve!

7. When you’re at work or someone else’s house, it’s not always possible to eat right. But when
you’re in your own crib, there’s no excuse for not having total control. You can’t fight temptation
24/7, so remove all the processed junk food from your refrigerator and cabinets

8. An often-neglected aspect of abs is getting enough green vegetables. They have essential
nutrients that your body wants to make sure it gets, and if you don’t provide the necessary
nutrition, you’re going to find yourself rooting around in the cookie jar looking for it. To ensure
you’re fully loaded, make a fresh juice crammed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants with a
minimum of calories. That means vegetable juice (not fruit juice, which is packed with lots of
sugar and not enough of the fiber that whole fruit provides).

9. 1
I’m not going to tell you to turn your kitchen into the set of Breaking Bad, but a little measuring will keep you
honest. Measure your proteins in ounces and your carbs in cups (most of your fat should come as part of
your protein foods; add any other fats sparingly). You can use the palm of your hand to approximate three
ounces of meat and your fist for a cup of rice or potatoes. The length of your thumb works well for
measuring fats; it’s about the size of two tablespoons of oil or peanut butter.

10. I’m going to go out on a limb (not really) and bet that your list of supplements doesn’t include
magnesium. But it really should. It’s essential for good sleep and heart, muscle, and brain
function—all of which impact your abs— and yet research shows most of us aren’t getting
enough of it. An analysis in the Journal of Nutrition Reviews revealed that 48–60% of Americans
don’t meet the recommended daily value for magnesium, which even then is only considered
the absolute minimum (a great physique likely requires more). Add a magnesium supplement or
a multivitamin to your diet and see how your results improve.

11. A study out of the University of Missouri last March found that a high-protein breakfast improves appetite control and
reduces unhealthy snacking in the evening. I take it a step further and eat nuts along with a protein source like meat or
eggs. There’s nothing magic about the meat-and-nut combination, but it’s a filling meal and won’t cause a sharp rise in
blood sugar, so your energy will be steady all day. When I competed in the 2011 WBFF World Championships as a fitness
model and achieved my all-time leanest condition—4% body fat—here’s how I’d start my day: six ounces of ground beef and
a handful of macadamia nuts on the side, or two extra-lean sausages and a few slices of coconut (green vegetables, of
course, are fine at this time as well).

12. Abs are postural muscles, designed to keep your spine safe when you’re fatigued. That means
that they don’t grow as quickly and dramatically in response to exercise as many other muscles
do, so short rest periods and a high volume of work are mandatory to make them grow. Try the
circuit below in one of your weekly workouts. Perform each exercise for 60 seconds, completing
as many reps as possible. Rest 15 seconds between exercises and then 60 seconds at the end