Here are 6 tips to get the same abs as Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniel Craig and Chris Evans (without putting yourself in danger)

Whatever exercises you do, Waterson says, you need an “eclectic mix” that involves the upper, lower, and side abs, and combines both isotonic (moving) and isometric (holding) exercises. ). And don’t neglect the lower back, where Waterson will add some hyperextension exercises. The trunk is not just what you see, he says, but also a lot of what you don’t see.

Add a few pounds

Men may be reluctant to train their abs with heavy weights, says Waterson, who builds abs like any other muscle group: by gradually increasing the resistance. And as with all muscle groups, you need to work your abs with different weights, from different angles, with different rep ranges, and at different paces. You also need to let your abs – which are, along with the pecs, “the most overtrained muscles on the planet” – rest, nourish and adapt.

Do not take too much rest (but days off)

Muhammad Ali was known to only count sit-ups when they start to hurt (because those are the only ones that count). Waterson’s suggested protocol is two or three sets of 25 reps, but can go as high as 8 if your resistance is high.

Personally, and depending on how much time he has, Waterson likes to insert abs between his other strength training sessions in order to “maintain the intensity”, i.e. alternate sets of abs with, for example, the chest. . He can also add abdominals at the end of a session focused on the chest or the back. He doesn’t devote a day to abs, though – maybe half an hour on Sunday, if he hasn’t found the time during the week. And he doesn’t train the abs on leg days with squats, because they’re already in demand.

food

Diet determines the visibility of the abs to some extent (just like stress and sleep). “Abs are a bit seasonal,” says Dr. Waterson, who doesn’t believe you can sharpen your six-pack by burning more calories than you consume. If you want to build muscle, at some point you’ll have to make a “compromise,” as Waterson puts it, on leanness. But that does not mean that you have to go to the extreme of weight training and then weight loss to obtain a summer body. Additionally, too low a body fat percentage can be counterproductive, impairing muscle gain, strength, recovery, energy, immunity and testosterone – not to mention the social life. “I happened to go down to 6% body fat for a photo shoot and I was not funny in the evening”.

Obtain the ab-solution

Waterson handles the unrealistic expectations of movie directors and producers by saying he’ll give them 100% of their lead actor’s genetic potential. Because we are all made differently. “Not everyone can have chocolate bars,” Waterson says. But you can have a strong heart, and that’s the main thing. So focus on that, and let the aesthetic take care of itself.”

Via British GQ