4 tips for a visible six-pack

The dream of a toned stomach is everywhere. Here's the good news first: you already have a six-pack - it just needs to become visible now.

Tendinous intersections create the horizontal divisions in the abdominal muscles. They give the abs their typical six-pack shape. How visible it is isn't down to the size of the abdominal muscles alone. What matters more is the body's overall fat content, or more precisely the subcutaneous fat lying over the abdominal muscles. So the visibility of a washboard stomach is mainly linked to a reduction in fat mass.

1) Lower your energy balance

If you want to lose fat, you need a negative energy balance. This means burning more calories than you take in. A key factor here is patience: losing 1 kg of body fat requires a negative energy balance of around 9000 kcal. You could achieve this, for example, by skipping your morning croissant for 36 days.

2) Full-body strength training

Strength training is the secret weapon for forging your six-pack. It burns plenty of calories, and when done intensively, it boosts the muscle-building rate in the muscles you're working. More muscle mass raises your basal metabolic rate - so you burn more energy even at rest.

However, it's not possible to target fat deposits locally with strength training. A local increase in muscle is possible, but not a local reduction in fat mass. Bicep training, for example, builds more muscle in your upper arm. But the fat mass there isn't affected. Your body manages those stores according to its own pattern.

3) Train your endurance

You can easily boost your energy expenditure with a sweaty endurance session. As a bonus, this also raises your fat oxidation rate for 24 to 48 hours afterwards. So if you're diligent with your endurance training, you can mobilise more energy from fat. For maximum fat burning, a morning workout on an empty stomach is recommended, since a low glycogen level leads to a higher fat oxidation rate.

4) Stay active beyond your workouts

Activity-related energy expenditure describes the amount of energy your body uses beyond its basal metabolic rate. You can maximise this amount by staying active enough in everyday life too. Stairs instead of the lift, walking instead of the bus, cycling to the shops instead of driving. All of this increases your activity-related energy expenditure.

If you stay disciplined and patient, you'll slowly but surely reach your goal of a beautifully defined six-pack.