This week-long eating plan keeps the protein high and calories moderate to help you burn fat and build muscle
(Image credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Whatever your fitness goals are, it’s true to say you can’t out-train a bad diet, and that’s especially the case if you’re gunning for a six-pack. No matter how often you’re doing abs workouts, powering through monster sets of crunches and other abs exercises, if you’re not eating the right stuff in the right amounts your body fat percentage will never be low enough for a six-pack to emerge.
There are some fundamental principles to follow if you’re trying to eat a six-pack-friendly diet, such as putting yourself in a calorie deficit and building your meals around high-protein foods, which will help if you want to plan your own abs meal plan. Or you can leave the planning to us and follow the seven-day menu below, which will help fuel your workouts while keeping the calories low enough to reveal your abs.
From 2008 to 2018, Joel worked for Men's Fitness, which predated, and then shared a website with, Coach. Though he spent years running the hills of Bath, he’s since ditched his trainers for a succession of Converse high-tops, since they’re better suited to his love of pulling vans, lifting cars, and hefting logs in a succession of strongman competitions.
