You have that European holiday coming up, and you’re now left wondering… can you reveal your abs in one week? That’s a rather leading question. If you have a lot to lose, you’re certainly cutting it fine – but there may still be hope. At this late hour, your best bet is to focus on eliminating water retention.
While we’re normally strong proponents of carbs, a few days (and we mean a few days only) of deprivation
will help you on your way to a shrink- wrapped torso, says PT James Alexander- Ellis. “Start basing your meals around protein and leafy greens, but make sure you add salt,” he advises.
“The kidneys excrete more sodium with a low-carb intake.” You’ll also want to up your water intake to 3-4 litres a day: ‘This flushes excess fluid from the body, reducing bloating.” As for your workouts, your buzz term here is “carb depletion”.
This is the kind of training bodybuilders do pre-show, essentially burning out their glycogen stores. To shed that padding around your middle, Alexander-Ellis suggests high reps of bodyweight moves like burpees, dips and squats, super-setting body parts so no second
is squandered. Then follow up with a few sprint intervals to drop that excess baggage just in time for take-off.
