Getting A 6-Pack With Pushups: Why It Makes Sense.
Building a 6-pack with pushups is not a far fetch idea. To get a 6-pack, you don’t need to max out on abdominal exercises. You need a holistic approach that includes diet and core training. From that perspective, getting a 6-pack with pushups is not a crazy idea.
Firstly, pushups are a higher-value plank position, making them an excellent abdominal and core exercise. Secondly, the discipline you build up by doing pushups helps focus on another critical element required to get a 6-pack: a sustainable diet allowing you to keep low body fat.
“So by doing pushups, you improve both your rectus adbominis (the ‘visible’ six-pack abs) and your transverse abdominis, the core strength or stability.“
Why Is Doing Pushups An Excellent Exercise To Get A 6-Pack?
Pushups are an excellent exercise to get a 6-pack and simultaneously work out other parts of your body! From the perspective of getting six-pack abs, pushups are a higher-value plank position where you have to stabilize your core, so they are a great abdominal exercise.
Fitness-wise, pushups help you simultaneously focus on your arms, abs, and lower body, so they are great for time-poor “busy” people who want to get fitness benefits without spending hours at the gym! Pushups help you get a trimmer profile, a must-have for your 6-packs. The more your core is stabilized and your back is aligned when performing pushups, the better it is for abs activation.
Mindset-wise, pushups are excellent for building discipline over time. Building discipline is a crucial life asset, and in the 6-pack journey, discipline is required to:
- train and maintain abdominal muscles
- reach and keep low body fat with a healthy diet
Pushups require no equipment and can be done almost everywhere, so it’s hard to find excuses to skip a routine made of only pushups. The only effort consists of finding 5 minutes for a quick pushup workout: that little effort is the one that will grow your resilience and discipline over time. On the side, in your 6-pack journey, you need to keep an eye on your body fat evolution. You can use a BMI calculator as a proxy for your body fat.
In summary, getting a 6-pack with pushups is a great idea because:
1) Fitness-wise, pushups are a polyvalent exercise that activates all abs muscles and much more
2) Mindset-wise, pushups are a “no-excuse” workout – you can do it anywhere without equipment. This is a perfect workout to build discipline, a key asset required to get and maintain a 6-pack
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn
How To Get A 6-Pack By Doing Pushups?
Are Pushups A Fast Track Exercise To Six-Pack Abs?
No, pushups alone aren’t a fast track to six-pack abs, but they contribute to a trimmer profile in many ways.
Most abdominal work focuses on the rectus abdominis, informally known as the “abs muscle” or simply the “simply the “abs”: the sheath of muscle may reveal itself as the vaunted six-pack abs — at least in those who are trim with low body fat. Pushups do activate that rectus abdominis muscle to some extent.
The beauty of pushups is that they will also work the core, the deeper abdominal muscles, whereas their dedicated ab exercises like crunches and sit-ups won’t.
A pushup is a prone plank, the perfect position to train your transverse abdominis, otherwise known as the “transverse abdominal muscle” or “TVA.” While the TVA isn’t visible, it’s the deepest and innermost layer of all the ab muscles, lying beneath the rectus abdominis, wrapping around the abdomen rather like a waistband. The TVA serves the vital function of tucking in your internal organs. It also stabilizes the pelvis and lower back and is essential in helping you maintain a balanced gait and an upright posture.
“You can do lots of crunches and situps and still have a weak core“
Alternatives To Getting 6-Pack Abs With Pushups?
In your journey to get 6-pack abs, pushups are not the only workout alternatives to crunches and sit-ups.
One of the best ab exercises you can do to get that six-pack is the plank. Planks are a great way to work your core too, and they can be done anywhere, like pushups! As usual, there is no shortcut to getting a 6-pack, so efforts in controlling low body fat is also required to make it happen. Find out more about getting six-pack abs with these five plank exercises here.
Conclusion
A well-defined 6-pack is more of a result of low body fat than the product of muscular hypertrophy. While pushups will strengthen your core and flatten your stomach, they won’t be enough to get a six-pack if no effort is made to control your body fat on the diet side. Luckily, regularly doing pushups is a great habit to build self-discipline. A disciplined mindset will help you control your gluttony, lower your body fat, and keep a flat stomach.
The beauty of pushups is that even if they are a great all-around exercise, they activate the deeper abdominal muscles and contribute to your 6-pack journey in many ways, fitness-wise and mindset-wise! That’s why a 100-pushups series is now part of my daily workout.
