Q & A

Sixpacknow.com are pleased to have NPC Competitive Bodybuilder Ricky Gonzalez on site to answer all your training, dieting and exercising questions related to abdominal development and muscle increase.

Ricky has a wealth of knowledge on fitness and nutrition and will personally provide you with some great advice and information to your common problems.

Ricky won the prestigious award for 'David Bailey Most Promising Teenager' in 2000 and has continued to make great progress in bodybuilding competitions since then. Ricky is also a Certified Personal Trainer.

Here are Ricky's Six Top Ab Tips:

#1: Train abs 2-3 times per week with simple, basic exercises. Crunches for your middle and upper abs, hanging knee raises for your lower abs, and twisting roman chair sit-ups for your obliques and serratus muscles. You can also mix it up by throwing in cable crunches in place of the roman chair sit-ups or machine crunches in place of the crunches. Keep it fresh and try new exercises from time to time.

#2: Go for the burn, baby! Shoot for at least 15 reps in every set and make sure you squeeze your abs at the top of every rep. The harder you squeeze and contract the muscle, the deeper the burn. The deeper the burn, the deeper the cuts you’ll incise in your abs!

#3: Do cardio at a low-moderate intensity level, 3-5 times a week for 30-40 minutes each session. This is a broad estimate for the amount of cardio you should be doing. Heavier individuals may need more, while leaner individuals may need less. Nevertheless, cardio is what’s going to burn off that slab of body fat that’s been covering up those abs for so long. You can take your pick from any piece of cardio equipment at your gym. The Stairmaster, elliptical trainer, and treadmill set at a 6% incline or higher are the best choice.

#4: Eat clean! In the end, the majority of the progress you make will come down to how well you followed your diet. Keep in mind, nothing in the world tastes as good as being in shape feels. With that being said, make sure you keep refined sugars and hydrogenated fats down to a minimum or preferably, none. Protein is the staple. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, turkey, egg whites, and white fish are your top choices. Lean cuts of red meat are okay, just don’t over do it by trying to eat 5 steaks a day. Keep it balanced. Your diet should also include lots of fresh or frozen vegetables, as well as some low-glycemic fruits, such as apples, berries, and oranges. One piece eaten early in the day is sufficient. You best choices for carbs are complex sources that don’t trigger massive insulin spikes, which can make you fat. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oatmeal are your best choices.

#5: Timing and moderation. Try to eat 5-6 meals a day, 1 one meal every 2-3 hours. Your first 3 meals of the day should include the bulk of your carbs. Keep the carbs low, 150-200 grams is about right for most individuals, but you may need to eat less. The last 2-3 meals should only include protein and vegetables. However, each meal should include protein. Shoot for at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight a day. So if you weigh 180, have at least 30 grams of protein with each meal for 6 meals. 30 grams of protein can be found in either 5oz of most cooked meats or 9 large egg whites.

Only eat carbs in your first 3-4 meals of the day and post workout. I workout in the morning, so what I do is, I have my oatmeal in the morning with egg whites. Then, I train for about an hour. My post workout meal is usually a baked potato with a protein shake. My next 2 meals are usually brown rice and chicken. For meal 5, I’ll either have salmon, some kind of white fish, or a lean steak with veggies. For meal 6, it’s almost always egg whites. Of course because of school, work, and other things that can complicate life, my diet changes all the time. Sometimes I’ll have an apple in the morning and eat less oatmeal, but it just depends and what I feel like eating that day. Mix it up a bit. It’ll help keep things fresh.

#6: For God sakes, cheat! And no, I’m not drunk beyond oblivion. Just like I said above, keep it simple and relax. It’s okay to have one small cheat meal every couple of weeks or so. It won’t kill you and it’ll help you keep your sanity. A little junk food in moderation never hurt any successful bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast I’ve ever met. Remember, everything in life requires balance. It’s like a scale with hard work on one side and reward on the other. If you have more on one side than the other, the scale will tip and the balance you once had is lost. Take of business in the gym, on the treadmill, and in the kitchen. Soon enough, your goals will come, and when they do, a “reward” will be waiting!

ASK YOUR QUESTION TO RICKY BELOW.