Building defined abdominal muscles, often referred to as a "six-pack," requires a multifaceted approach encompassing both diet and exercise. Achieving visible abs depends on two primary factors: reducing overall body fat and developing lean muscle mass in the abdominal region. This article explores the dietary strategies, food choices, and lifestyle adjustments necessary to achieve defined abs, while also considering alternative dietary approaches like the blood type diet.
Understanding Abdominal Anatomy and the Role of Diet
The “six-pack” refers to the rectus abdominis muscle in the center of your abdominal area. It comprises two vertical bands of muscles intersected by horizontal bands of connective tissue. Most people have three horizontal bands, which creates the six-pack. However, due to genetics, some people’s rectus abdominis has fewer or more horizontal bands, which may result in a 4-, 8-, or even 10-pack.
Diet plays a crucial role in determining whether your abs are visible. If you have higher body fat levels, you may not be able to see your abs. Conversely, if your abdominal muscles aren’t developed, your six-pack may not be visible, even if you have a lower body fat percentage.
Caloric Intake: Deficit vs. Surplus
The first step in designing an ab-building diet is determining your daily caloric needs. To lose body weight and fat, you’ll want to consume fewer calories than you burn daily, known as a calorie deficit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends setting a weekly weight loss target of 1 to 2 pounds (lb). This may involve a daily calorie deficit of 500 to 750 calories.
If you want to gain muscle mass, consider consuming more calories than you burn, known as a calorie surplus. This may involve a daily calorie surplus of 300 to 500 calories.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Key Foods for Ab Development
Choosing the right foods could help you achieve your body fat and lean muscle mass targets. Here are a few of the best foods to eat on an ab-building diet:
Lean Protein Sources: The Building Blocks of Muscle
Lean protein sources improve body composition, promote weight loss, increase lean muscle mass, and increase muscle recovery after exercise. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adult females eat at least 46 grams (g) of protein daily and males eat 56 g. However, consuming up to 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight may be more beneficial for body composition, such as maintaining or gaining muscle mass while losing body fat.
Good sources of lean protein include:
- Animal proteins, such as eggs, chicken, seafood, and low fat dairy products
- Plant-based proteins, such as legumes, beans, and soy products
Fruits and Vegetables: Nutrient Powerhouses
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense foods low in calories but high in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. A 2018 study of 26,340 people showed that eating more fruits and vegetables was linked to lower body weight and less overall body fat, while more fruit intake was tied to less belly fat.
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of carbohydrates, your body’s main source of energy. Eating complex carbs like vegetables may help manage body fat levels by providing long-lasting energy and reducing feelings of hunger.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Whole Grains: Sustained Energy and Fiber
Whole grains like oats, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa are great additions to your diet if you want to build abs. They’re a great source of fiber, which could help improve body composition by:
- Regulating appetite hormones
- Promoting feelings of fullness
- Influencing your body’s energy use
- Maintaining blood sugar and cholesterol levels
Consider swapping refined carbs like pasta, white bread, and breakfast cereals for whole grains. A 2018 study of 50 people found that swapping refined wheat bread for whole grain wheat bread led to significant reductions in belly fat after 12 weeks.
Nuts and Seeds: Healthy Fats and Appetite Control
Nuts and seeds provide a great balance of fiber, protein, and healthy fats - all potentially beneficial for defined abs. Research suggests they could help promote weight loss by regulating appetite, promoting feelings of fullness, and preventing future weight gain.
They’re also high in calories for their small size. If you find it difficult to eat more calories, consider adding nuts to your diet to increase your caloric intake without having to consume too much volume. Some nuts and seeds to add to your diet may include:
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Brazil nuts
- Chia
- Flaxseed
Fatty Fish: Lean Muscle and Overall Health
Eating fatty fish may help increase body composition and potentially reduce risk factors for several health conditions. A 2021 study found that eating fish helped increase lean muscle mass and function in older adults. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating at least 8 ounces of low mercury fish weekly. This may include salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout, among other seafood sources.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
Legumes: Fiber, Protein, and Gut Health
Legumes are a family of plants that include lentils, beans, peas, and peanuts. A 2020 study of 246 women found that participants who ate higher amounts of beans and legumes had lower body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratios than those who ate fewer legumes.
The researchers note that legumes may have several fat-burning properties, such as:
- Being high in fiber and protein
- Being low in fat
- Promoting feelings of fullness
- Having a low glycemic index
- Boosting gut health
Foods to Limit or Avoid
Focusing on eating nutrient-dense whole foods can play a big role in developing defined abs. These calories can quickly add up without making you feel full, which may increase body fat levels and, therefore, reduce abdominal definition. Consider limiting the following foods:
- Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, juice, energy drinks, and coffee creamers
- Fried and greasy foods, such as fries, chicken strips, and mozzarella sticks
- Sugary snacks, such as cookies, pastries, cakes, and candies
- Processed meats, such as deli meats, hot dogs, and pepperoni
- Refined grains, such as white breads, pastas, and rice
- Alcohol
The Importance of Exercise
Exercise is just as important as diet when it comes to body composition and building ab definition. Research suggests that a combination of resistance training and cardio exercises is optimal for reducing overall body fat and increasing lean muscle mass, balance, and strength.
According to a 2020 study, some abdominal exercises may also help build the rectus abdominis, such as:
- Situps
- Plank variations, such as front and side planks
- V-ups
The Blood Type Diet: An Alternative Approach
The blood type diet suggests that your ABO blood group may determine the best foods for you to eat. The blood type diet (BTD), also known as the blood group diet, was popularized in 1996 by Dr. Peter D’Adamo in his book “Eat Right 4 Your Type.” In this book, Dr. D’Adamo claims the optimal diet and exercise regimen for any one individual depends on their ABO blood type. This may supposedly have benefits like improved health and decreased risk of chronic diseases.
He also claims that each blood type represents the genetic traits of our ancestors, such as which diet they evolved to thrive on.
How the Blood Type Diet Works
Your blood type is based on genetics, so the BTD categorizes foods to eat to reflect the diet your ancestors would have consumed.
- Type A, known as Agrarian, thrives on a mostly vegetarian diet.
- Type B, known as Nomadic, thrives on a high dairy diet.
- Type AB, known as Enigma, thrives on a mixture of type A and B diets.
- Type O, known as Hunter, is supposedly the oldest blood type and thrives on a high animal protein diet.
One of the central theories of the BTD has to do with proteins called lectins. These are a family of proteins that can bind to carbohydrate molecules. Plant-based lectins are sometimes referred to as antinutrients and may cause negative effects in humans, such as: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.
According to the BTD theory, eating the wrong types of lectins may specifically target different ABO blood types. They may cause red blood cells to agglutinate, or clump together, which could increase your risk of disease.
Foods to Eat and Avoid Based on Blood Type
Here’s an outline of what foods you should eat and stay away from, based on each blood type:
- Type O: Stay away from wheat, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol. Reach instead for fruits, vegetables, and lean, organic meats.
- Type A: Steered toward a vegetarian diet, including soy proteins, grains, and vegetables. Encouraged to eat organic and fresh food in as natural a state as possible.
- Type B: Should avoid certain foods - like corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts, sesame seeds, and chicken - and instead opt for goat, lamb, mutton, rabbit, green vegetables, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.
- Type AB: Should choose tofu, seafood like mahi-mahi and salmon, dairy like yogurt and kefir, and green vegetables like kale and broccoli. They should avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoked and cured meats and try to eat more small meals throughout the day.
Scientific Evidence and Criticisms of the Blood Type Diet
Research on ABO blood types has advanced rapidly in the past few decades. However, no studies suggest that these are related to diet. The minimal research that does exist on BTD doesn’t support Dr. D’Adamo’s claims that specific foods may cause benefits or harm to certain blood groups.
In a 2014 study of 1,455 participants, eating a type A diet of fruits and vegetables was associated with better health markers. However, this effect was seen in everyone following the type A diet, not just individuals with type A blood. Similarly, a 2018 study of 973 adults with overweight found that matching a participant’s blood type with the respective recommended BTD didn’t impact the link between BTD and markers of cardiometabolic disease. Lastly, in a 2020 study, 68 participants of different blood types ate a low fat vegan diet for 16 weeks. At the end of the 16 weeks, the researchers found no major differences in cardiometabolic changes between any of the groups.
Critics of the plan argue there is little to no science to back up the theory that eating according to blood type can improve your health.
Blood Type AB: A Closer Look
Those with Type AB blood have a unique physiology that inherits characteristics of both Type A blood and Type B blood physiologies. This means they face some particular challenges in taking proper care of their bodies and eating right. While those with Type A blood generally do better without meat, and those with Type B blood are encouraged to include meat in their diet, those with Type AB blood are caught somewhere in between.
Dietary Recommendations for Type AB
One of the guiding principles of your diet should be moderation. Meat is necessary but your digestion will not be able to handle too much. Many grains provide needed energy and nutrients but consuming too much will imbalance your body’s pH. It is also important to stay away from foods that are incompatible or harmful to Type AB blood physiology.
Type ABs can’t metabolize meat efficiently because of low stomach acid, so it is important to watch the portion size and frequency. Chicken has lectin that irritates the blood and digestive tracts of Type ABs causing stress to the metabolic processes involved in nutrient intake. Tofu is a good protein supplements for Type ABs providing high quality protein without creating this extra stress. Other sources of protein such as Nuts, seeds, beans and legumes present a mixed picture for Type ABs.
Type ABs can tolerate dairy foods fairly well. Generally Type ABs do well on grains, even wheat, but keep in mind that the inner kernel of the wheat grain is highly acid forming in the muscle for Type ABs. This lowers the muscles’ potential, making it more difficult for the body to efficiently do physical activity and clear away byproducts of exertion. Keeping the muscles more alkaline lessens stress on the body even when exercising more.
Type ABs has a weaker immune system, so you will benefit from the vegetables, which are high in phytochemicals. Fruits, especially those rich in vitamin C such as grapefruit, lemons and kiwis are also a strong contributor to immune health. A strong and smoothly functioning immune system is a critical component to a well balanced NEM stress response system. Furthermore The more alkaline fruits, such as grapes, berries and plums can help to balance the grains that are acid forming in the muscle tissues.
Lifestyle Strategies for Type AB
Here are some key lifestyle strategies for people with Blood Type AB:
- Cultivate your social nature in welcoming environments.
- Avoid situations that are highly competitive
- Avoid ritualistic thinking and fixating on issues, especially those you can’t control or influence
- Develop a clear plan for goals and tasks - annually, monthly, weekly, daily - to avoid rushing
- Make lifestyle changes gradually, rather than trying to tackle everything at once
- Engage in forty-five to sixty minutes of aerobic exercise at least twice a week, balanced by daily stretching, meditation or yoga
- Engage in a community, neighborhood or other group activity that gives you a meaningful connection to a group
- Practice visualization techniques daily
- Carve out time alone. Have at least one sport, hobby or activity that you perform independently of others
- Break up your workday with some physical activity, especially if your job is sedentary. You’ll feel more energized