Super Eating for Super Abs

                

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

 

Hopefully by now you are beginning to realize that abdominal exercises alone will never give you a rock-hard, six-pack stomach. No matter how many exercises or reps, no matter how creative your training program, the real key to that all illusive six-pack lies with your diet. Everyone has the potential to build a great midsection but until that layer of fat covering the abdominal muscles is eliminated, your abs will remain on the missing list.

Six for six! What we are about to tell you may come as a shock but one of the best ways to develop a rock hard, fat-free midsection is to eat more. Now by more we don’t necessarily mean more calories but more meals per day. Instead of the traditional skipping breakfast, small lunch, and huge supper that most people follow, try eating six small meals spaced about two hours a part. To fully understand why this works we need a short lesson in human evolution.

Blame your ancestors When our ancestors were roaming the plains of Africa millions of years ago, being fat free was not a goal. I fact such a state would be detrimental to their health. Let’s face it; obtaining food was literally a life a death struggle. In many cases our ape ancestors went days, sometimes weeks without any real solid food. To insure survival our ancestors developed storage mechanism so get them through these periods of famine. When food was plentiful, the body would store some of it as fat for future use. The problem unfortunately is that we still have these storage mechanisms, and worse, they start kicking in after only a couple of hours without eating. Eating only one or two meals a day, including skipping breakfast is the best way to turn on these fat storage mechanisms.

Turn on the abs by turning off the fat storage If developing a six-pack is your goal, then you must keep the body’s fat storing properties turned off. The best way to accomplish this is by eating every couple of hours. When the body detects nutrients in the digestive system every couple of hours it “knows” that there is plenty of food available and won’t store it as fat for future use. But if you go three or four hours or more without eating, the body assumes it’s entering a period of famine and will start releasing all these storage hormones. Then when you do finally put food in your body more of it will be stored as fat than if you were eating smaller but more frequent meals.

The typical day So what should the typical day look like with regards to eating? Start out with a healthy breakfast. Some fruit, cereal, and egg white omelet, would be perfect. About mid-morning have a snack of fruit, low-fat muffin, or protein drink. For lunch a tuna fish sandwich using whole wheat bread or a chicken breast. Mid afternoon is another healthy snack. Again fruit, protein drink, or muffin. Supper will consist of meat, chicken, or fish, and some vegetables – raw or steamed. Your last snack can be another piece of fruit, cereal, or if you like them, egg whites.

If you follow the previous eating tips with a sensible weight training and cardio program, you’ll soon be the proud owner of a six-pack that’s rock hard and fat free. So what are you waiting for!

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his Super Eating for Super Abs articles? abs-information.com

6 Pack Abs Workouts - Get a Six Pack of Washboard Abs

                

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

 

Although exercise is a part of the plan, diet is critical to achieving a low level of body fat and attaining a six pack of shredded abs. Concentrate on green and colorful, non starchy veggies for your main meals and snacks including some complex carbs such as yams and brown rice to round out the plate. Fruit is okay but keep it before noon and only 1 pc per day at most since the sugars in fruit can hinder your goals. Clean meats such as poultry and fish are a better choice for your proteins vs fattier choices. You should also consider protein shakes to help with the intake needed.

Cardiovascular work is your next concern. If you are in need of 20+ lbs of fat loss then you need to work up to 3-5 days of 45 mins moderate cardio work preferably jogging which is your most effective fat burner especially if you wish to see fast results. The appearance of a 6 packs or tummy lines is very finicky so these tips are crucial. You can decrease the cardio to 20 mins 3-5 times per week if you are already quite lean.

In order to make your abs protrude you need to thicken those squares with weighted ab exercises. Try this program for a month and see how you can tighten your mid section in now time by incorporating the suggestions above.

Warm up with 3x20 of the Bent Knee Abdominal Hip Raises making sure those hips flick up off the mat as seen in the clip. Also ensure you are pulling your belly button into your lower back during these exercises.

Next you would follow that with 3-4 sets of 12 Reverse Decline Crunches. You can see again how the hips flick up off the board. This is important to achieve but if you are unable to at first you keep it in mind and keep working at that. Watch to not speed on the down phase. If you can, hold the knees for a second or 2 at the top to really enhance the work.

Inverted Exercise Ball Leg Pull Ins is third and you do need some upper body strength but the good news is that this exercise combines to help strengthen the chest and arms while your abs do the work to pull in the ball. Take your time with this and do each rep with a count of 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3, 4 on return. Breathing out during exertion will enhance the effect. Perform 3 x 10.

Fingers to Toes Abdominal Crunches are also known as V sits, you want to keep chest out, shoulders somewhat back and settled while reaching upward and making sure your arms and legs return at the same time. Work on being able to hold this at the top for a few seconds then repeat. 3x10 is to be done with this exercise.

To make this program well rounded you would want to add 2 oblique exercises and in many cases lower back but for this particular program I focused the time on frontal core. Elbow To Knee Oblique Crunches is a nice basic yet intense addition to round out the workout. 3 x10 should be done for this exercise.

Finishing this program is one of the most intense exercises on this page. Hanging Oblique Knee Raises are counted per side so if you have 10 you do 10 per side! You cannot throw your legs up or you will swing and make things harder so control is a must! 3x5-10 will most likely be all you can get done at this stage since we pre exhausted the middle area with all the above exercises.

Try this for a month then change your program again to focus on other weak areas. You can reintroduce this program or try a newer AB program later along the line since you want to change things at least every 4 weeks. Shapefit.com has an excellent arsenal of abdominal exercises to help you toward your goal of 6 pack abs.

Kris created ShapeFit.com to provide quality health and fitness information to people from all over the world. He has an extensive background in strength training, nutrition and wellness planning. ShapeFit.com currently provides over 2,000 pages of free health and fitness content to over 300,000 visitors every month. ShapeFit.com provides numerous diet and exercise articles on building lean muscle, burning body fat, increasing energy levels and living a healthy lifestyle. Some of the fitness tools include weight loss diets, muscle building workouts, and weight loss advice.

The Real Reason Hundreds Of Crunches Won't Help You See Your Abs

                

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

 

I’d like to share with you a bit of insight I had during my weekly stroll today.

Today I was thinking to myself as I do from minute-to-minute and I was reviewing some training manuals I had read recently and how I could best help my clients achieve their fitness goals faster.

While I was walking, I noticed we had a bit of rain lately and there were a few ‘splackles’ of mud puddles remaining. I don’t know about you, but I get inspiration from the weirdest stuff…

In this small mud puddle, I saw a hint of a pen. Yes, just a simple writing utensil. It was barely peeking through the surface and for some odd reason, I thought of exercise. Abs to be specific.

I thought, “It’s funny...there’s a perfectly good pen and it’s covered by all that mud. The pen probably works just fine, but as long as it’s covered by all that mud, no one will ever see it.”

This analogy then made me think as to why people come to me with questions about their abs. The questions are usually, “I do hundreds of crunches a night, but I never see my abs,” or, “I run all the time but my abs never show up.”

Here’s the answer…

It doesn’t matter how many crunches you do or how much you run, if you have a layer of fat covering your abs, you won’t see jack. I can do 1000 crunches a night if I want to but if I put on a sweatshirt, how can you tell I have a six pack?

Think of the pen and mud example: Here you have a perfectly good pen, but it’s covered with mud.

Say for instance that instead of the pen being there, there was a beautiful sculpture of a swan made out of diamonds. The swan was so beautifully crafted that even the flawed diamonds in the sculpture are perfect.

Now, as this beautiful, eye-pleasing sculpture is sitting here, how beautiful would it be if I backed a dump truck next to it and proceeded to cover it with a ton of mud?

It wouldn’t matter how beautiful the sculpture is because until you move the mud, you won’t see jack.

So it doesn’t matter how many crunches you do, it won’t matter until you remove the layer of that that’s over it.

You’ll only lose fat by doing the following things:

1. Cleaning up and watching the foods you eat

2. Building muscle to raise your metabolism and burn more fat constantly

3. Doing effective cardio to help burn the excess calories.

That’s it in a nutshell.

I mean think about it, if you’ve been doing crunches for about 3 months and you’re not seeing any results, it’s obviously not working. There isn’t an ab-fairy that’s going to pull out its magic wand and magically give you abs (but it would be nice wouldn’t it?)

There’s only three thing you need to do - clean up your diet, build muscle, and burn off more calories than you need per day.

Crunches don’t burn a lot of energy. You can do crunches until you’re blue in the face but you won’t see a 1-pack unless you burn off the excess fat that’s covering them.

No ab-lounge, cross-crunch, or ‘ab doo-hickey’ can promise you that.

Online home fitness specialist and fitness author and author Lee Smith specializes in helping people get in shape in the comfort of their own homes. For more incredible tips and tactics like these and a free subscription to his "Successful Fitness Strategies" newsletter, visit http://www.howtoachieveyourfitnessgoals.com.

It's All About the Abs - Abdominal Exercise Equipment That Really Works

                

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

 

Abdominal Exercise Equipment That Really Works

There have been many studies and reports about how our society as a whole has grown heavier and chubbier. The stomach, in particular, has become a trouble spot for many people. This is due in part to the fact that many of us have desk jobs where we rarely use our stomach and abdomen muscles. For others, this is where the excess fat, brought on by the fast food and extra beers, settles in our bodies. Whatever the reason for our big bellies, there has been a host of abdominal exercise equipment and gadgets to help do away with stomach flab. Some of these techniques and equipment work better than others. This article will help you sort through the hype.

Before beginning a discussion of abdominal exercises and equipment, it is important to point out that even the best ab machine will not help you loose fat in your stomach area. Abdominal exercise equipment can tone and shape your muscles, but the only way to loose the fat is to consume more calories than you take in. Exercise will help you do this, but it is a total body process, not targeted to certain areas.

It is also important to note, that for many people, a flat stomach is not in their genetics, even if they are in good physical shape. Some stomachs have a small curve, and all the crunches in the world won’t change that. However, the exercises and equipment discussed below will help tone, strengthen and define your abdominal muscles.

Abdominal Exercises & Equipment

There are many different types of ab exercisers and equipment. One of the most effective of these, the Roman Chair, is not strictly an ab machine. It is a common piece of equipment found at the gym but it can be used to perform a very effective ab exercise. The Roman Chair is a somewhat taller machine with two stationary, parallel arms and a straight, padded back. There is nothing to sit on.

When working on abs, the best way to use this piece of equipment is to place your forearms flat on each armrest, with your back firmly against the padding. You should have the Roman Chair set high enough that your legs dangle straight down when you are in position. Then slowly bring your knees toward your chest as far as you can go and hold for a few seconds before extending them to the beginning position. This exercise was number two in a San Diego State University survey that ranked the top abdominal exercises and equipment.

According to the survey, the best ab exercise is the Bicycle maneuver. Many of you are probably familiar with this fun exercise. We’ve been doing it since we were kids in gym class, and it turns out, the bicycle is one of the most effective exercises for working those abdominal muscles. To do the exercise correctly, lie on a mat and press your lower back flat. Put your hands beside your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles and bend your knees toward your chest until they are at about a 45-degree angle. Bring your right elbow in contact with your left knee. Then alternate with the opposite knee and elbow and repeat. You should feel it in your sides and abs.

Leg Crunches are similar to the Bicycle, but with crunches, your torso does most of the movement. Lie on the mat again with your lower back pressed flat. Place your hands at your sides or by your head, whichever is more comfortable. Be sure not to put any pressure on your arms or you will take away from the effectiveness of the exercise.

Lift your legs straight up above your head and bend your knees slightly. Squeeze your abdominal muscles and then lift your torso up off the mat toward your knees. Return to the original position with your back flat on the mat. Relax your abdominal muscles and then repeat. Remember to breathe during the exercise.

Crunches can also be done on an exercise ball and many feel it is more effective than standard crunches. You sit on the ball and place your feet on the floor about a foot apart. Roll back carefully on the ball until you are lying with your back fully extended on the ball. Tighten your abdominal muscles and raise your trunk off the ball to about a 30-degree angle. Return to the extended position and repeat.

Exercise balls are one of the most versatile and effective pieces of fitness equipment relative to their cost. Another low cost equipment alternative is a stretch band. These are just what they sound like, a stretchy band made of lycra, nylon or sometimes rubber. Sometimes called resistance bands, they allow you to work one muscle group while the resistance of the band stabilizes the opposing muscles. It is good for stretching and strengthening muscles and is often used with beginners and those who have experienced an injury.

If you are looking for something a bit more high-tech, there are several pieces of equipment made especially to work the abs. There are the Ab Crunch Machine and the Back and Ab Machine. Both of these pieces of abdominal exercise equipment have been designed to support the lower back and the neck. They also come with adjustable resistance settings.

The Ab Slider, Ab Wheel, and Ab Trainer are other examples of equipment designed to target abdominal muscles. As with most types of fitness equipment, their effectiveness often is dependant upon correct usage and, in some cases, combining them with other abdominal exercises. It is important to fully research the equipment and read instructions before using.

The quest for six-pack abs and flat stomachs has intensified over the past few years. In response, the fitness industry has resurrected some old, faithful exercises, developed new and improved versions, and even created equipment specifically to target abdominal muscles. Combine these top abdominal exercises with an overall exercise routine and a healthy diet, and chances are you will loose the flab and have a stronger, more shapely mid section in a matter of months.

C.J. Gustafson is a successful freelance fitness writer for Fitness-N-Exercise-Equipment.com, your complete guide to the best home fitness equipment. Find out where to shop for the best recumbent exercise bikes, ab machines and weight training equipment for your home gym.

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