6 Pack Abs – Comparing Philosophies
Getting 6 pack abs means eliminating enough belly fat to expose the contours of the muscle tissues around the abdomen. Since fat can't really be spot-reduced through exercise, the trick is to just work on shedding all-around body fat through calorie burn. Programs that include some form of cardio exercises are proven to be the fastest way to achieve this.
Exercises that build muscle tissue speed-up the body's metabolism, making it easier to get rid of stored fat. Total body aerobic exercises that keep the heart rate at raised levels burn calories and reduce body fat effectively. There is some debate however as to what intensity levels the heart rate should be at.
There's low intensity cardio exercise and those done at high intensity (around 90% of the maximum heart rate). The low-intensity theory is has more followers because although workout sessions are longer, they're relatively easier and so beginners, the aged and obese can execute them.
Low intensity cardio exercises have also been discovered to burn caloric energy from fat stores as opposed to high intensity cardiovascular workouts that keep the heart at 90% of the maximum. The latter burns more calories obviously, but some of it comes from glycogen already.
The stored form of carbohydrates in muscle tissue is known as glycogen and it is needed in proper muscle formation. In losing weight and getting 6 pack abs, it is important to maintain as much muscle as possible because it helps keep the body's metabolism high.
Experts who swear by high-intensity cardio exercise for forming 6 pack abs say the sheer amount of calories burned working out hard offsets glycogen loss which can be replenished through post workout food. Of course, the faster the calorie-burn, the shorter the workout sessions.
Some experts argue that although they're more difficult to do, high intensity exercises in fact build more muscle tissue because of the hard effort. They also kick the metabolism up to high levels and keep it going hours after a person has stopped working-out.
There are two different opinions when it comes to cardio exercises- both with pros and cons. Low intensity exercises have to be done for longer periods and this means more hours spent in the gym. High-intensity cardio workouts can have you out of your sweaty clothes in half an hour but they're not for beginners, elderly and the extremely overweight.