Six Pack in Six Weeks?

Can you really get a Six Pack in Six Weeks?

Summer is here, and with it all the fitness headlines such as “Get A Six Pack in Six Weeks”.

Actually, forget 6 weeks:

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For whatever reason, getting abs with Men’s Health took 1 day longer in 2013 than 2012…

It’s not just ripped abs that are available in a matter of weeks either. You can build “t-shirt ripping arms”, “bulging biceps” and the like in a matter of weeks if not days too.

Sorites Probably Never Got Shredded

I think that technically speaking, it is possible to “get abs” in 6 weeks, or 18 days or less.

Perhaps you are familiar with the Sorites Paradox, aka the Paradox of the Heap?

Take a heap of sand and remove one grain of sand at a time.

When there is only one grain left, clearly there is no longer a heap.

But when exactly did the heap stop being a heap?

How about we apply the same concept to your belly?

If before you didn’t have a six pack, but now you do, when exactly did this transition take place?

By definition, 17 days before the first day you have a six pack, you didn’t have a six pack. So a six pack in 17 days is possible.

But that would also mean that the day before you got your six pack, you didn’t have it either…

But why limit it to days – 17 minutes before having abs, you didn’t have abs, 17 seconds before neither!

17 Second Abs

17 second abs sounds great.

I should probably start creating a landing page right now for this great new ebook and an app to go with it.

Perhaps it will work for a lucky few who are a fraction of a calorie away from achieving full six pack status.

For the vast majority, however, this is an unrealistic goal.

For most people getting a six pack is going to take longer than 17 seconds, 17 days, 6 weeks, or even 17 weeks.

That’s regardless of what diet or training program they follow, their genetics, or how dedicated they are.

Six Pack in Six Years

I have never known anyone who has gotten a six pack in six weeks or less.

I’ve seen plenty of people who have tried and failed, giving up after the program failed to live up to its promises.

But I’ve also known plenty of people who have ignored the bull*&^% quick fix headlines and got a six pack in six plus months.

It took me over 6 years of training and dieting to first get a glimpse of my abs.

It then took me another good 4 years or so to work out a sustainable way to maintain them, that still allowed me to enjoy pizza, cake and beer!

10 year abs?

The promise of a 6 pack in 6 years, or perhaps even a decade, is not going to sell many magazines.

But these are much more realistic time frames.

It’s quite possible you might actually get there in six months. Hey, maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones and get there in six weeks.

But start out with the long-term mindset, and you’re much less likely to get frustrated and give up if you don’t.

Accidental Abs

You can’t control how, when or where your body burns fat.

There’s no quick fix or secret that’s going to magic you a washboard stomach overnight.

These are some good rules to follow that should get you there one day:

• Find activities that you enjoy and want to do for pure pleasure
• Walk or cycle everywhere (within reason)
• Find a diet that works for you
• If the diet stops working, change it
• Keep a food diary
• Measure your body fat 1-2 x per week

With regards to the final point, don’t expect to see decreases every single week.

Plateaus are normal, and expect them to get longer and more frequent as your body fat gets lower and lower.

The reason for such regular measurement is to make sure you don’t start adding back to the heap…

When you’re swimming against the tide, it feels like you’re getting nowhere. But stop swimming, and you’ll soon find yourself lost at sea!

If you’re over 30, you’re fighting ageing. Look around at your peers who do nothing and you’ll see them getting fatter and ever more out of shape. Maintaining what you have is a win.

Keep at it, stay determined, stay firm, and with luck eventually the tide will turn.