Men's Health Six-Week Six-Pack Challenge Results: TOWIE's Mario, Arg, Ricky, Chris And Charlie (PICTURES, POLL)
LOOK: TOWIE Take Six-Week Six-Pack Challenge
The Huffington Post UK
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The TOWIE fellas have scrapped the 'no carbs before Marbs' diet plan in favour of Men's Health six-week, six-pack challenge.
And boy has it paid off.
Mario Falcone, James 'Arg' Argent, Ricky Rayment, Charlie King and Chris Drake are looking better than ever after following an intensive diet and fitness programme to get in shape for summer.
Each cast member followed a personalised programme to suit their individual needs and goals.
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Mario before and after
According to Men's Health, Mario has achieved the best six-week body of 2013, beating a host of other celebrities who have taken the challenge. He now dreams of appearing on the Men’s Health cover.
Scroll down for tips on how to get a six-pack
“I was in alright shape and I know my body. I knew I could smash this challenge,” he says. “Next goal for me is the Men’s Health cover. If this is what I can do in six weeks, just watch what I can do in 10.”
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James 'Arg' Argent before and after
Arg, who is notorious for failing bootcamps and ditching diets, lost an incredible two stone and 10% of his body fat.
“Saying ‘no’ to booze has been tough but I love the results and I’m going to stick at it," he told Men's Health. "Look at me: the girls are going to love it, right?"
Story continues below...
Men’s Health’s Six-Pack Challenge
Chris after(01 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Chris after(02 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Charlie before(03 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Charlie after(04 of09)
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TOWIE Group(05 of09)
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Mario before(06 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Mario after(07 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Arg before(08 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Arg after(09 of09)
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(credit:Adrian Weinbrecht/Men's Health)
Ricky, 22, quit smoking and started boxing to achieve his chiseled physique.
"The workouts were seriously intense,” he said. “I used to be in great shape, but late nights, bad food and booze made me pile on weight."
Charlie said that his new body has attracted a lot of attention. “I’ve had more screen time this series than ever and they keep asking me to take my top off, so it must have worked.”
Chris overhauled his diet and stopped drinking to lose over a stone and build a rock-solid core.
“This challenge came just at the right time for me," he said. "I never thought I’d end up with abs, I’ll tell you that for nothing.”
Six Tips For Building A Six-Pack
Interval training (01 of07)
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Everyone has a six-pack, it's just that on most of us it's covered with a layer of fat. If you want everyone to see your abs, the most important thing you can do is burn away that layer of fat. And the quickest way to do this is with interval training. Try these intense treadmill intervals three times a week:a) Set the belt to a fast sprinting speed. b) Stand with your feet apart on the treadmill frame.c) Jump on and sprint for 30 secondsd) Jump off and rest for 30 seconds.e) Repeat for 10 minutes. (credit:Alamy)
Cut refined carbs completely(02 of07)
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Refined carbs include white bread, white pasta and white rice – anything that's had its fibre and goodness refined out. The most pure form of refined carb is sugar (and yes, sorry, alcohol is a classic 'empty' carbohydrate). All of these types of food are very quick to digest, so, unless you're about to go out for a run, it's unlikely your body will be able to use all the energy they provide. So what happens to that energy? It gets stored as fat, usually round your middle. (credit:Alamy)
Cut complex carbs after 6pm(03 of07)
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This is by far the most commonly used nutrition rule among Men's Health cover models. Carbohydrates are an essential energy source, so you should absolutely continue eating the good types – brown bread and rice, root vegetables, etc. However, if you eat a lot of them in the evening your body still doesn’t have time to use all the energy in them so it gets stored as fat overnight. Instead fill up on as much green veg as you can eat with your evening meal. And of course... (credit:Alamy)
Eat plenty of protein(04 of07)
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To build muscle you need around 2g of protein per kg of bodyweight. So a 75kg man should be aiming for 150g of protein every day. That means, for example, eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch, steak for dinner and two snacks that include nuts or other rich protein sources. Protein shakes can make consuming this amount of protein every day cheaper and more convenient. Protein also takes longer to digest so will feel fuller for longer and be less tempted to gorge on unhealthy snacks. (credit:Alamy)
Do total-body workouts(05 of07)
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The more muscle you activate in your body, the more you will increase your testosterone levels: this will boost all-over muscle growth. Your abs are not the biggest muscles in the body, therefore just working them in isolation is an extremely slow way to add definition. Instead you should concentrate on the biggest muscles in your body – your legs, glutes and back. Indeed, a recent study at Australia's University of Ballarat found that deadlifts activate 60% more of your midsection than doing a plank. Do full-body strength workouts three times a week. (credit:Alamy)
Do an abs workout(06 of07)
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Last in our list because it is, in fact, the least important. However, once your six-pack starts to show, a targeted abs workout will help to add definition. Try to get as many moves into your workout as possible – crunches can be done on Swiss balls, on your side, with your feet in the air... the list goes on. The more variation you get, the more of your core you will activate and the better your six-pack will look. Do one or two abs workouts a week. (credit:Alamy)
(07 of07)
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For more six-pack tips and complete workout plans get copy of the new Men's Health book Build a Cover Model Body for just £9.99 http://www.theukedit.com/mens-health/books.list (credit:Men's Health)
The ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of this summer’s Celebrity Six-Pack TOWIE challengers in the June issue of Men’s Health, out now. Also available as a digital edition.
There are also more six-pack tips in the Men's Health 50 Greatest Bodyweight Moves Ever – FREE with the June issue, out now.