The ABS Workout

                

>>  Be Sure That You Will Never Get Six Pack Abs Unless You Know These Strategies <<

 

Our cars carry around very precious cargo everyday so it’s not surprising that when buying a car, safety is at the top of every yummy mummy’s list. There are many vehicle safety options to consider including airbags and crash test ratings, but most importantly you must consider a cars breaking system.

Conventional breaks allow us to get a good leg workout by pumping the breaks. This allows the tires to roll between lockups and allow opportunities for steering control. An Antilock Breaking System (ABS) does much the same thing, except thanks to technology, there’s no workout required so we can relax as pumping is done automatically and at a much quicker pace. Even on slippery roads ABS provides the shortest stopping distance.

Understanding how ABS works is only half the battle, it’s also very important to know how to use the ABS equipment properly (since its effectiveness depends on the driving techniques you use).

*No Repetitions Required
Do NOT pump the brakes in a car with ABS. Instead, apply firm braking pressure and hold the pedal down. The pulsing brake pedal tells you that the ABS is at work.

*Time Yourself
Allow ample time and distance for your vehicle to stop safely, especially when driving larger or heavier vehicles.

*Keep Focused on Your Goal
Instead of gripping the steering wheel and saying your prayers, steer the car out of harms way while you are breaking.

The ABS feature is standard in some vehicles and comes as an option in others. Ask about ABS on your next car and be sure that you get the breaking system you want.

Gina Goldenberg is Co-Founder of PersonalAutoBrokers.com, an online personalized car shopping service. She has written many articles that help car buyers make educated decisions. Gina created Personal Auto Brokers to make car buying easier and to help people save time, money and hassles. You can reach Gina at: info@PersonalAutoBrokers.com

How To Get 6-Pack Flat Abs

                

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Okay, let's get right to it! Here are some exercises for getting a 6-pack:

Abdominal Exercise:

 

• Lie on the floor with your arms across your chest or your hands clasped behind your head.
• Keep your feet on the floor or raise them.
• Tighten your abs and slowly curl your shoulders up off the floor one inch.
• Curl your shoulders up toward your knees until your shoulder blades come up one to two inches off the floor.
• Hold this position for one to four seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.

 

Leg Raise:

 

• Grasp the back of chair to support your body.
• Hang your body straight down.
• Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the entire movement.
• Raise your legs until they are just past parallel to the floor, lower and repeat. Do not swing your body. NOTE: For those who are unable to perform this exercise with straight legs, try bending your knees and tucking them into the waist at each repetition. Remember to try and point your toes downward. After a few weeks, you will be able to do this exercise with straight legs.
• Keep the movement fluent, slow, and controlled.

 

Knee Raise:

 

• Lie back on the floor. Keep your legs straight and back flat.
• Raise your legs, bending at the knees as they raise and slowly lower your legs back down to the straight leg position.
• Keep the movement fluent, slow, and controlled.

 

Sit Ups:

 

• Lie back on the floor. Hook your feet under a desk or other heavy object to secure your body. Keep your knees slightly bent. You can either place your hands behind your head or crossed in front of your body.
• Slowly curl your body upwards to your knees and slowly descend back down.
• Keep the movement fluent, slow, and controlled.

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You must always remember that if you have excess fat, you can exercise all day long and you will never see that 6-pack under 4 inches of flab. A 6-pack set of abs can only be seen on a body that has a BMI of 16% or less, so be sure to rely on a diet of low calories, low fat foods. Always consult with your health care practitioner when starting any new diet or exercise routine. He/she may want to do a few tests to rule out any underlying health issues.

If you are taking your diet program seriously, make sure to check out the top weightloss site fitness calculators at http://www.the-weightloss-guide.com right away

How a Cardio Fanatic Got Her 6-Pack Abs

                

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CB: CJ, let's start with a little background info on yourself and what you were looking to achieve when you found strength training and interval training.

CJ: Let's see, I'm a female in my mid 30's and a typical office professional who spends looong hours sitting in front of a computer.

Fitness and nutrition-wise, I grew up understanding the importance of being active and staying healthy. So while I've stayed active most of my life, I recently discovered I still had a lot to learn both about fitness and nutrition.

When I found the strength & interval training I was looking for body comp improvements. I had been introduced to weight training about a year earlier and had made great progress, but had gotten past that 'newbie' effect and really needed something different to jump start my progress again.

CB: How were you doing before?

CJ: During grad school and working full-time I put aside the active part of my lifestyle for the days and evenings tied to a chair, and the delights of eating at restaurants for 1-2 meals a day. I gained about 20lbs and was at my heaviest ever at 160lbs. Once I completed night school, I put exercise and nutrition back on my priority list and lost those 20lbs, mainly from running 5days/wk.

My second stage started when I discovered weight training. I was about 142lbs and probably 28% BF. After about 6months I lost another 8-10lbs and 7% body fat.

So, when I started strength and interval training, I had already made good progress, I was probably 133lbs and 21-22% BF.

CB: What were your workouts before strength and intervals? Why did they not work as well? How have you improved upon those workouts?

CJ: Before this I was a steady state cardio fanatic, so I ran 3-5 miles 3x week and strength trained using a 4 day upper/lower body split. This plan did work for about 6-9 months, but then I just stalled. Not sure what the culprit was, just that I knew I needed something different.

When I first started strength and interval workouts I was skeptical that such a short workout only 3x/wk would be enough. I soon discovered that strength and intervals kept the intensity levels up at EACH workout, so the three days and two supersets were actually more efficient than my 4day split and 3 days of running. I also got on an HIIT (interval) program and reduced my slower steady state runs to about once a week.

CB: How have the strength and intervals workouts helped you? What benefits & results have you achieved? What are your gains and improvements and how do they compare to your before stats?

CJ: I'm stronger, leaner, and faster than before.

On the strength side, my proudest achievements are chin-ups and pull-ups, something I've always wanted to be able to do. I've also improved my 5k times by 2mins. I finally have the muscle definition/athletic shape I've always wanted.

When comparing to my before stats, I've had to throw the scales out the door and use the mirror/compliments as my guide since I have gained a few lbs and BIA hasn't seemed to move, but my clothes have gotten looser and smaller and I'm also making strength and speed gains.

CB: How do you feel in terms of strength and energy?

CJ: I think my strength gains surprise me most, since I typically have high energy/endurance. I particularly enjoy how my strength gains have transferred to running and bike riding.

What I can lift in the gym just sort of evolves, but when I can climb hills on my bike that I used to walk up, and finish 5ks in times that were once out of my reach, it feels pretty good. J

CB: What features do you like about strength and intervals?

CJ: It's fun, efficient, and intense. And it works!! When I'm in the gym, I know that I'm making the best use of my time.

CB: Did you change your eating with the guidelines?

CJ: Not much. I was on a pretty solid eating plan when I started strength and intervals, but am consistently learning about making the right food choices and looking to tweak things here and there. Incorporating a post-workout recovery drink and getting as much variety as possible have been the biggest change in my eating habits since I started.

CB: What would you say to people that ask you about your workouts? Do you get a lot of comments from others?

CJ: When people ask me about my workouts, I try to hold back some enthusiasm so I don't come across as a crazy fanatic and overwhelm them.

I've had quite a few comments from other people in the gym, either noticing how hard and smart I'm working, or complimenting my progress. One lady even pointed me out and said "I want thighs like that!"

It's always fun to see friends and family or even co-workers that I haven't seen in a while because they remind me of the progress I've made.

The best compliment I get now is a form of imitation. People want to know exactly what I do and ask me for tips. They see it works, and want to know how I've done it, and try to apply it for themselves.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Get Great Washboard Abs Without Performing Crunching Movements

                

>>  Be Sure That You Will Never Get Six Pack Abs Unless You Know These Strategies <<

 

The hard way to get washboard abs is to perform set after set of crunching movements. I see people spend 15-20 minutes per workout trying to get great washboard abs. These people are doing machine crunches, leg raises, crunches on a Swiss Ball, etc. The funny thing is that many of these movements actually increase the muscle mass in the abdominal region.

Great Washboard Abs are a Product of Muscle Density -Not- Muscle Size!

The bodybuilding approach to washboard abs is to work them like other muscles. The most common approach is to work the ab muscles to failure and aim for "the burn". This is a great approach to increase the size of a muscle group, which is a bad idea if your goal is washboard abs. If you have ever seen a ripped bodybuilder with abs that stick out past his chest, then you have seen the results of the bodybuilder approach.

You Need a Different Approach if You Want Washboard Abs.

So how do you increase density of a muscle? A great way to increase density is isometric movements. Isometric movements are the key to amazing washboard abs. So what is an isometric movement? An isometric involves flexing the muscle with no actual movement. This can be done with or without any resistance.

A Couple of Great Isometrics to Get Washboard Abs.

The plank exercise is a great isometric exercise. It increases the density of your washboard abs and helps you maintain a healthy back at the same time. It is hard to describe in words, so do a Google search for "plank exercise" and you will be able to see photos of the exercise. I do planks after cardio as a way to increase muscle density to get washboard abs. This is the only ab exercise I do in the gym. Another great exercise is to flex your abs as hard as you can 5-6 times per day. Take a deep breath and exhale as you tighten your abs up as hard as possible for 10-20 seconds. Tightening up of the abs is what causes boxers to have such great washboard abs. They have to tighten up their abs to absorb punches.

Yes, You Are Going to Have to Hit Cardio to See Those Washboard Abs.

As always, I believe that low body fat is the answer to 90% of muscle tone issues. If you hit the cardio hard and get your body fat down to 10 percent or below, you will be able to see your washboard abs. If you allow your body fat to get too high, you can have the best washboard abs in the world and nobody will see them. Cardio is an extremely important part in getting great washboard abs. Rusty Moore is an avid trainer who gives advice to men and women who want a physique that attracts the opposite sex. While most trainers focus on gaining as much muscle mass as possible, Rusty focuses on the lean "sleek model look". For men who want the build of Brad Pitt -or- Matthew Mcconaughey and women who want the build of Jessica Alba -or- Jessica Beil, Visit his Website by Clicking this link... Lean Muscle Fitness

The Foolproof Way to Get Ripped Abs

                

>>  Be Sure That You Will Never Get Six Pack Abs Unless You Know These Strategies <<

 

If You Have Ripped Abs, Then Your Entire Body Will Look More Attractive.

Out of every person working out in your gym, how many have ripped abs? If your gym is like mine, probably less than 1 out of 100 people have great abs. I would say that there are more people who can bench press 315 pounds, then people who have ripped abs. What is crazy is that these people work out hard, yet they are failing in developing the most attractive part of their physique.

Having Ripped Abs Isn't Really a Muscle Thing, It's More of a Body Fat Issue.

About 7 years ago I was watching the TV show, Survivor. It was the episode they filmed in Australia. The people left on the show had lost a lot of weight. They were pretty much starving and I am not giving this example to say that people should starve. What I noticed was that each an every contestant on Survivor had ripped abs. You could see their ripped abs in detail, due to lack of body fat on their mid section. None of these contestants were working their abs, yet they had ripped abs that most gym members would envy.

Spend More Time on Cardio and Less Time Working the Abs Directly.

We all have ripped abs, they are just covered under body fat on most people. The best way to burn this fat is to do cardio. Crunches and leg raises will work the ab muscles hard, but they won't burn off an ounce of fat around your midsection. I would recommend dropping your ab exercises altogether and focus on cardio until you get to a low body fat level which will reveal those ripped abs.

It is Very Possible to Get Ripped Abs Without Working the Abs Directly.

I badly injured my back about 6 months before a trip to Cancun, Mexico. I was really bummed out, because it hurt badly to do any ab exercises. I had to drop ab exercises completely from my routine, until my back healed. I figured if I got my body fat low, then my abs would at least not look terrible. To make a long story short, I did a ton of cardio for those 6 months and my abs were ultra-toned for the vacation. To this day, I don't to any direct ab work and my abs look better than ever.

Give This Approach to Ripped Abs a Shot.

I know that many people will be hesitant to drop their ab work, because they don't want to lose any muscle tone in that area. All I have to say, is that if your body fat percentage isn't low enough then nobody is going to see that tone anyway. Your time is better spent on cardio, which will finally reveal those ripped abs.Rusty Moore is an avid trainer who gives advice to men and women who want a physique that attracts the opposite sex. While most trainers focus on gaining as much muscle mass as possible, Rusty focuses on the lean "sleek model look". For men who want the build of Brad Pitt -or- Matthew Mcconaughey and women who want the build of Jessica Alba -or- Jessica Beil, he recommends this resource... Lean Muscle Fitness

Learn the Truth About Weight Loss and Getting Great Abs

                

>>  Be Sure That You Will Never Get Six Pack Abs Unless You Know These Strategies <<

 

Debunking The Ab Myth

Ab training has been done to death but it's time to take another look. Why? Because people are still training their abs wrong so all that ab training information must not be doing the job.

1 - No Spot Reducing - Endless crunches will not melt away the fat from your midsection. It just doesn't work that way. And despite the "burn" of high rep ab exercises, you barely burn any calories while doing those endless crunches.

Your fat burning time is best spent elsewhere on more effective training. You also don't work the ab muscle intensely enough to develop it.

So endless high rep crunches fail on both counts - poor muscle building and poor fat burning. Two thumbs down as the cliche goes.

2 - The Abs are a Muscle and should be trained as such. You don't need high reps and lots of sets to work your abs. This just leads to overtraining.

Now, abs are a more endurance oriented muscle so slightly higher reps may be more effective. However, you should keep the reps at 20 or lower and work on increasing the resistance.

Yes, you should be increasing the weights on ab exercises, just like your other exercises. The stronger your abs, the better they will look when the fat is stripped away.

Ever see a really thin guy with a flat stomach but no abs? The abs haven't been trained and aren't developed enough to stand out even when the fat is stripped away.

3 - Don't train the abs - What the heck do I mean by this? Well, your abs get a lot of indirect work from other exercises so you really won't need more than a couple of hard sets of weighted crunches to work your abs.

Your abs are a factor in exercises such as squats, deadlifts, seated or standing presses, dumbbell pullovers, pulldowns, etc. Don't believe me?

Next time you work out, do a few hard sets of standing stiff armed pulldowns on the lat machine and tell me your abs aren't sore the next day. I did them yesterday and my abs are more sore than my back today.

If you want to develop a flat stomach with your abs visible, you need to treat your abs like a muscle and train that way. And you need to strip away the fat with a proper training and nutrition program designed around total fat loss, not trying to spot reduce through endless crunches.

Is there anything out there in the fitness world suffering from more misinformation that how to get abs?

The number of ab machines constantly coming to market is mind boggling. Especially considering that they aren't needed and won't give you the results that you want.

Let's set the record straight on ab training right now and give you the real information you need so you can say no to the next infomercial ab machine and yes to actual abs.

1 - Training your abs consistently will eventually give you the flat stomach or six-pack that you want.

No. It's not gonna happen if your abs are covered by a layer of body fat and doing endless sets of ab exercises is not the way to rid yourself of that excess body fat.

2 - Train your abs everyday for best results.

Again, no. Your abs are a muscle, just like your chest, lats, arms and so on. You should train your abs just like these other muscles, with progressive resistance and high intensity - then allow them to rest and recover. Never train your abs more than 3 days a week.

3 - You need to do hundreds or reps and feel the burn to get great abs.

Yep, again the answer is no. The abs a muscle just like I mentioned above. To get six pack abs you need to strip off the fat, but you also need to build the abs to get them to really pop out.

If the muscle isn't developed, you'll just have a flat stomach but no abs. The name of the game is progressive resistance for sets of 8 - 20 reps, just like your other muscles.

4 - Train the abs with lots of sets and high reps to burn off stomach fat.

You guessed it. This is also false. Spot reduction just isn't going to happen as much as we'd all like it to. You can't burn fat on your stomach by doing endless crunches.

You need to put together a proper weight lifting program, nutrition plan, and cardio in order to rid your stomach of that stubborn layer of fat and bring yout your abs.

Gregg Gillies

Gregg Gillies is a speaker, consultant, fat loss expert, trainer and author. He teaches fitness via his articles, books and courses at his web site http://www.buildleanmuscle.com . He is the author of two books: Complete information on his books, along with lots of free articles are available at his site. And while there, don't forget to sign up for his free newsletter, "Fit Physique".