Diet and exercise - secret to well-defined abdominal muscles

Many people would love to have well-defined abdominal muscles, or “abs,” but they’re often hidden under a subcutaneous layer of body fat.

To acquire a “six-pack,” as well-defined abs are colloquially known, the body fat percentage must be below 10 to 12 per cent, according to Thomas Haab of the German University of Applied Sciences for Prevention and Health Management in Saarbruecken. An altered diet and intensive fitness training could bring the desired result, he said.

Fewer calories should be consumed than are burned, Mr. Haab pointed out. Carbohydrates — in the form of bread, noodles and rice, for example — should be eaten mainly in the morning and shortly before or after a workout. They should be avoided as much as possible in the evening.

But cutting calories by eating less protein can diminish muscle mass, warned Mr. Haab, who therefore recommended raising the proportion of protein in the diet, for example by eating more fish, dairy products and legumes such as beans. Fat intake should not be lowered excessively, he said, otherwise testosterone levels — and consequently muscle mass — will drop.

The best sources of fat, according to Mr. Haab, are monounsaturated fatty acids in foods like nuts, olive oil and rapeseed oil as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found, for example, in alpha-linolenic acid (a kind of omega-3 acid found in plants such as flaxseed oil, canola, soy, perilla and walnut oils) and fish oils.

The type of fitness training recommended for “six-packs” depends on the person’s workout experience, Mr. Haab said. Deep knee bends are more suitable for advanced trainers and leg presses for beginners.