Craving 8 pack abs but don’t have weeks or months to devote to heavy training? Fortunately there are a few things that you can do as you go about your program that will help you look leaner without actually having to reduce your body fat.
Keep in mind that the lower your current body fat is, the better these are going to work to help you achieve that definition you’re after. If your current body fat is far too high for any muscle definition to show through, then there’s no way around it – you’ll have to diet and exercise to look any better.
But if you already have abs peeking through and you simply want to up the amount of definition you have, the follow strategies will work nicely.
These are perfect for those one-time occasions when you want to look your best (beach vacation, anyone?)
Tanning
The very first way to instantly look leaner is to use a self-tanner or get a spray tan. Tanned skin always looks more lean and defined, so if you’re trying to bring out those abdominal ridges, this will be a must-do.
Some people may try and get into contour tanning, where they make certain areas darker than others to reflect the light and enhance definition, but generally just a straightforward tan will do the trick nicely.
Waxing
Another thing that you should consider if you’re a male seeking ab definition is to wax. If you currently have hair – even thin hair, covering the stomach or chest region, waxing it off will help increase your leanness.
Even if the abs are hair-free, if the chest is very hairy, having an entire smooth front will help with the visual appeal and make the abs stand out more.
High Rep Ab Workouts
One thing that you can do with your workouts to instantly get more definition is start performing high rep sessions. High rep ab workouts are great for making the ab muscles ‘pop’ and also for increasing the rate of fat burning in the body temporarily as well.
Heavy weighted abdominal work performed for as many reps as you can will definitely enhance your definition for a few hours after it’s completed.
Keep in mind this definitely will not be a permanent effect as once the ‘muscle pump’ goes down the abs will return back to their normal state but for temporary leanness, it works great.
Proper Posture
Finally, don’t overlook posture. Posture is important for maintaining flat abs because those who use poor posture often adopt a sway in their back that causes the stomach to stick outwards.
Some people don’t even realize that they aren’t using proper posture so doing self-checks regularly throughout the day can help bring it into mind.
For practice, stand against a wall and place a hand between the wall and the small of your back. If there’s a very large gap there, you have work to do to improve your posture.
Most people will normally have a slight gap in this space due to the normal position of the spinal column, but if it’s pronounced, that means your hips are tilted forward and your stomach will be extended outwards.
Think of pulling up the hips while you squeeze the glutes and you’ll automatically tighten this region while increasing abdominal definition.
So there you have a few of the quick ways to boost your ab definition. Do these any time you’re headed out and want to look your best.
