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YOU MIGHT FEEL like your six-pack potential passed you by the minute you became a father. There are too many responsibilities that come along with being a dad, from the time and energy needed to be redirected to your bundle of joy to the inevitable hours of lost sleep, so it’s fair to think that your odds of building (or even maintaining) a solid physique with visible abs are just about zero.
That doesn’t have to be the case. You’ll need to work hard, yes—but you’ll also need a targeted plan that keep you focused on achieving your core goals. That’s what you’ll get with the new Men’s Health Dad Bod Ab Shred program, available now exclusively to MH MVP Premium members. This four-week plan (which you can run for eight or even 12 weeks), combined with a smart calorie deficit, is purpose-built to deliver results.
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We know it works because it was designed by a real-life dad. Gideon Akande is a fitness pro and former Golden Gloves boxing champ who won the title of Men’s Health‘s Next Top Trainer back in 2015. That was before he had kids. Now he’s reengineered his workouts for maximum results in minimal time.
3 Principles of the Dad Bod Ab Shred Program
Your workouts are designed with three principles in mind.
Circuit Training
You’ll drive intensity by performing exercises in a circuit format. This means low to no work-to-rest ratios, which will drive up your heart rate as you build muscle. That also means you’ll be done with your sessions more quickly than if you used standard sets, freeing up the valuable time you need to spend with your family on dad duty.
Upper-Lower Training Splits
Your workout sessions will be split into upper body training days and lower body training days. This allows you to pile up volume (about 8 to 15 sets per muscle group) while also giving you a chance to get some extra rest (for example, you’ll be able to train your chest one day, then your back the next, giving those opposing groups a chance to recover without a full day off).
Unconventional Cardio
You will need to do cardio to see your abs—that’s just a given. What you don’t need to do is only rely on the low intensity steady state work that so many people automatically assume is the only form of cardio you can do. Instead, you’ll introduce novel exercises and work-rest ratios that will help you burn calories.
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What the Dad Bod Ab Shred Program Looks Like
You’ll use an easy-to-download PDF for this plan, which includes all of the introductory information, exercise descriptions and reference images, and an editable table of the program you can use to track your progress when you’re in the gym. Just pull up the file on your phone, and you’ll be ready to take on your workouts.
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Don’t think you’re just doing focused core exercises, either. The program uses moves that target your other muscle groups, too—the upper-lower split days are anchored by compound lifts like bench presses, squats, and deadlifts, then bolstered by the high-intensity circuits. You’ll build out your abs without endless situps.
What You Need to Know About the Dad Bod Ab Shred Program
You will be able to build up visible abs with limited time to train—as long as you work hard and maintain a slight calorie deficit in your diet (and don’t worry, we’ll teach you how to do that, too). You’ll train four days per week, and the workouts should take you about 30 minutes. You’ll need a weight bench, a pair of dumbbells, a resistance band, a preacher curl bench, and plenty of space to move around. And for guys who don’t have kids out there: You can do this too. Anyone with limited time with big goals can benefit from this plan.
Get the Gear You’ll Need
Coated Hex Dumbbells
Adjustable Dumbbells (80 lbs.)
Fitness Adjustable Bench 3000
Adjustable Dumbbells (50 lbs.)
Fitness Adjustable Bench 3000
Multi-Adjustable Bench
Multi-Adjustable Bench
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