The Key to Abs: Build, Carve & Polish - Rival Nutrition
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The Key to Abs: Build, Carve & Polish

The Key to Abs: Build, Carve & Polish

Posted by Eric Taylor Guilmette @etfitnesscoach on Oct 2nd 2018

We’ve all seen it... The “cardio-only crew”. You know - the people at the gym who are terrified to lift a weight in fear of getting big and bulky and instead just park themselves in the cardio section every day.

You could probably name 3 people off the top of your head right know who will do 60 minutes on the elliptical, sweat their butt off and be right back there tomorrow praying to the fitness gods for washboard abs.

If that is you or your friend or you just want to rescue Pam tomorrow from death-by-cardio, KEEP READING!

How does the saying go? “Abs are made in the kitchen”. I disagree. Well, to a certain extent. Proper nutrition is vital to having a lean body, but that’s not the only variable. Same thing goes for cardio. No one has ever gotten chiseled like a Greek god solely by riding the stationary bike while binge-watching their favorite Netflix show.

Just like anything in life, there is a balance that needs to be met for your abs to pop! And as much as the old-school methodology may linger in gyms today, I’m here to tell you that no matter if you’re male or female, beginner or advanced... Abs are BUILT in the weight room, CARVED in the kitchen, and POLISHED on the treadmill.

Let’s start with the weight room. Why? Well to be honest, lifting weights (resistance training) is arguable the most important of the three pillars to build a great set of abs... and a well-balanced physique that will make your friends do a double take when they see you at the beach. Here’s why!

Lifting weights, when paired with proper diet and supplementation, will build lean muscle tissue. Not just in your core, but everywhere! No, you won’t be sore for the next month and no, you won’t resemble the Hulk. What you’ll have is an all-around fit body that actually looks and feels healthy. Your strength will increase. Your muscles will feel firm and tight. Heck, your body’s hormone balance may even improve.

When you train all of your muscle groups consistently, your body actually becomes more efficient at utilizing the nutrients you feed it. Wait really? Yeppp! With more muscle, your body will require more energy to function on a daily basis. Then when you’re constantly tearing down that muscle tissue from all those weights you’re lifting, you will naturally utilize a greater portion of your calorie intake to repair and recycle.

So what does this have to do with my abs? A few things actually. First, your core musculature will develop from doing a mixture of both compound movements for your upper and lower body, and isolated movements aimed at your abs and obliques. This is the “build” aspect.

Next, the “carve”. Like I said, lifting weights makes your body a calorie-efficient machine. Your body will burn through more calories and, of the calories you give it, shuttle them to the muscles for fuel and repair.

Now let me be clear... hitting McDonalds drive-thru regularly isn’t going to be the best choice for developing your best core. Duh Eric, we know! However, eating a well-balanced diet that puts you in a slight caloric deficit will yield fat loss at a rate that allows you to maintain as much muscle as possible while burning through body fat. This is why I say “carve” because the goal is to leave the muscle tissue alone while we shave the fat around the muscle. The weights are your builder and your caloric deficit/nutrition are your shavers.

Ok, final pillar: Cardio. I call this the polish because you can actually sculpt a great set of abs without doing cardio, or at the very least, without being a treadmill regular. But when you add a well-thought out cardio routine to your top-notch lifting and nutrition regimen, you can polish and define your core to give it that 3-dimensional, washboard look.

Basic cardio principle: it’s all relative. If you’re doing cardio 7 days a week at 60 minutes per session right now, taper it down. Your body is used to cardio so it actually needs it to maintain where you’re at - which we want to change. If you’re doing 0 cardio, try adding in a session or two and see how your body responds. You shouldn’t go from 0 to 50 overnight, at least if you don’t want to wave goodbye to any newly built muscle.

This is also where supplements can help! You know how fat burners sound like they just incinerate your body fat on consumption? Well they don’t, BUT they can be a huge help when used correctly. Let’s take RIVALUS MPower. The main purpose of this supplement is to tell your body to use fat-stores for energy. This makes MPower a great product for fat loss because it’ll help your body release fat stores into your blood stream to burn off during your cardio session. I take 2 capsules 30 minutes before my cardio sessions. Another helpful addition is RIVALUS Steam BCAAs. To make a long story short, Steam can help your body preserve muscle tissue and recovery, ESPECIALLY while you’re in a caloric deficit so you’re burning mostly fat and as little muscle as possible! I use 1/2-1 scoop during my weight training and my cardio sessions. As for the million-dollar question: “When do you use protein powder?” Easy answer: whenever I need to supplement my protein intake! I use RIVALUS Promasil in the morning and sometimes in the evening, RIVALUS Rival Whey post-workout, and RIVALUS Promasil Casein before I head to bed.

Phewf! I know, that was a lot to take in. Take a minute and digest all of that info. The main principle you have to remember is build, carve and polish. Then if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @etfitnesscoach and I’ll be glad to help you. Make sure to stack up for your Abs shredding journey here at rivalus.net and use code “ERICPRO15” to save 15% on your RIVALUS products!