Flatten Your ABS - How to Get A 6 Pack

                

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With all the "ab rollers", "torso tracks" and the countless other ways advertised to get your stomach six-pack flat, it's no wonder people are completely confused. Recently, we had a chance to ask a producer of one of those infomercials how they get away with such blatant lies---promising you the same taunt tummy as that professional model on TV if you do "such and such" exercise for just 8 minutes a day. Well, this producer told use that the truth lies in the fine print. Every product purchased includes instructions that read something like this: "Do this exercise along with a proper diet."; well you get the idea. You can do the ab cruncher until you turn purple, but the simple fact is that unless you address the real problem it won't make a bit of difference. You'll just end up with an awesome set of abs that you'll never see.

The real problem is that layer of body fat that's covering the six-pack you already have. We all have a six-pack! It's called the rectus abdominus, and if you can stand upright, you have one. The reason some people have a well-defined stomach and others don't has very little to do with how many stomach exercises (or what kind) they do. It is completely a function of how much body fat they carry. Is it important to do your abdominal work? Yes! The ab training you do will help strengthen, raise and define the abdominal wall. That's a great thing! But there's a three-step process to getting a well define stomach:

Burn More Calories Than You Eat Ask any dietician, physician, exercise physiologist, trainer or any other person you think to be an authority on weight loss this simple question, "If I eat a balanced diet and burn more calories than I consume will I lose weight?" They have to answer, "Yes." The body must maintain a state of homeostasis (an equal balance). If the body needs energy that's not supplied by your food intake it will draw that energy from stored fat. They may wrap their answer up in some low-carbohydrate, high protein package, but all the latest diets on the market today, in the end, are calorie deficit diets.

Exercise Aerobically The most effective way to get to your stored body fat as a source of energy during exercise is to do aerobic training. Your aerobic training rate will be anywhere between 60-75% (if you're a beginner) 70-85% (if you're in shape) of your maximum heart rate (220 - your age). When your heart rate is at this constant pace, your body is using two sources of energy: glycogen (converted and stored carbohydrates) and fat. In no other form of exercise will you find this happening at such high rates.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is ending their aerobic training early so they have time to do their abs. The longer you stay in your aerobic zone, the more your glycogen levels continue to decrease. This increases the percentage of energy used from stored fat. Remember: the last twenty minutes of your hourly aerobic workout are your most efficient.

You can do your ab work anywhere. We can hardly think of a place where you can't drop and do some crunches. You may look silly but you get our drift. However, there isn't a Stairmaster, recumbent bike or your favorite treadmill everywhere. If you are truly serious about getting a great looking stomach, spend those extra minutes burning your stored fat aerobically.

Build More Muscle If a 150-pound woman converts 10% of her body fat to muscle, she will burn about 300 extra calories per day. It's a physiological fact! This is a great metabolism boost.

The down side to this is, building muscle is not an easy task and is also a very inefficient way to try to lose body fat on its own. It is also important to realize that you can't spot train those extra inches away from your problem area(s). Doing crunches for your abs, squats or lunges for your thighs and butt or triceps extensions for the backs of your arms will only build a great muscle underneath the layer of body fat.

That being said, when you have the first two steps of this process down, then put your attention on your abdominal work

If you thought this information was helpful, and would like to know more about 6 packs and having flat ABS, visit http://howtogeta6packnow.blogspot.com

Six Pack Abs

                

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What Are The Best Abs Workouts To Get That Sexy 6-Pack?

                

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These days most people start exercise programs to strengthen and tone up their abdominals. These muscles are very important for mobility and by strengthening them, you will also be able to improve posture and prevent back ailments. In fact, many people who visit the doctor with lower back problems are given abdominal exercises to help relieve the stress on the vertebrae on the spinal nerves. Bicycle Maneuver. Lie flat and press your lower back to the floor. With hands beside head, bring your knees to 45-degree angle & begin a pedal motion by touching opposite elbow to opposite knee, alternating each side.

2. Captain's Chair. Stand on chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body. Press your back against the pad and slowly lift knees towards your chest. Don't arch the back! Click here for picture.

3. Exercise Ball. Lie face-up on ball and either cross hands over chest or place them behind your head. Contract your abs and lift your torso slightly off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips. For beginners, place the ball under the upper part of the back. For advanced, the ball should be under lower-mid back.

The most well known abdominal exercise is the sit up popularly know as the crunch. There are variations of this ab exercise such as the Twisting Sit up and the Roman Chair Sit up. Each exercise variation is aimed at strengthening and toning your different sections of your abdominal region such as the upper abs, lower abs and the obliques (love handles). Although most people don't realize it, exercising other parts of the body, such as doing leg raises also helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles. There are also many types of abdominal exercise equipment on the market to help you lose inches and tone your midsection.

You can go to a gym to do exercises, but much of the exercise equipment intended to help you strengthen your abdominal muscles is relatively inexpensive and you can use it at home. The pulley is one such piece of exercise equipment that is easy to use. All you have to do is attach it to a doorknob and pull each side in turn, this working your abs. Another piece of exercise equipment is the exercise ball. To use this ball, you sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Then you slowly slide until the ball is under your back and your body is parallel to the floor. Tighten the abdomen muscles and hold for the count of ten and then release. You can repeat this exercise 5 - 10 times when you first start. When these exercises seem too easy you should add different advanced exercises to take your ab workouts to the next level.

As with all abdominal exercises, you should start slowly and if you are using equipment make sure that it is safe and well maintained.

Check out http://www.1-stop-fitness.com/ for articles on ab machines review and used stairmasters

The Best Way To Sculpt Your Abs

                

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There are so many choices for people looking for ab exercise equipment. I am not a big fan of traditional sit-ups or crunches. These exercises tend to be hard on my back and I do not get the in-depth work out that should when I do old-fashioned sit-ups or crunches because my neck usually gets a better workout then my abdominal.

Ab exercise equipment is great to use as it will specifically target your abs and help to isolate the muscle groups such as the rectus abdominus (the flat muscle that runs the length of your abdomen) or the obliques which extend along the sides of your abdomen at an angle. This helps to make your workouts very specific. Performing ab exercises "freestyle" (or without equipment), it is too easy to cheat yourself or take subconscious shortcuts in your workout routine. For instance, it is very easy to lose form while doing crunches. It is also easy to rely on your arms and neck to pull your weight instead of your abdominal muscles. When you rely on your neck and arms to pull your weight you are not accomplishing anything for your abdominal muscles. The ab exercise equipment helps you position yourself comfortably and it helps you work on your target area.

Ab exercise equipment can also be a great motivator for some of us. It is much more appealing to work out on a machine than it is to work out on a floor. This additional motivation is the key to a consistent workout. Consistent workouts lead to results. Buying an ab exercise machine can give you a push in the right direction in your workout program. This alone is worth the purchase.

A couple pieces of exercise equipment that have been proven to provide the best ab exercises are surprisingly simple and economical to obtain. Two that I will mention here are the exercise ball and the ab roller. Exercises performed on the exercise ball not only are great at working your abdominal muscles but also increase core strength as well. If you own an exercise ball, you can also perform many other exercises for your body or simply use it as a chair and work on your core strength. With an ab roller, it makes it very easy to target only your abdominals. Ab rollers also usually have a cushioned headrest which reduces stress on your neck. You are building muscle while working out on the ab exercise machines and since muscle burns more calories, this is a good thing. Consistent workouts on the equipment lead to consistent calorie burning, which leads the loss of fat.

Some argue that ab exercise equipment does nothing to improve your workout. You may be able to achieve the same results with traditional abdominal exercises without any equipment. And for the few die-hard exercise gurus (who I admire greatly) that are focused and consistent, this may be true. For the other 90% of the population, the ab exercise equipment helps you do the exercises correctly. When shopping for ab equipment, you will find that many pieces of equipment also come with videos with specific workouts to do. These videos are usually very motivational and will provide the added incentive most of us need to get started. If you never get started, you never see results.

Jacquie Cattanach is a recognized authority on the subject of exercise and fitness. Her web site, http://www.equipment4fitness.com, provides a wealth of informative articles, resources and reviews on various exercise equipment such as ab roller equipment and bowflex equipment

The Realistic Way Of Getting A Sexy Flat Stomach And Six Pack Abs

                

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The Mindset

What has the mind got to do with losing weight?

Psychology has a lot to do with loosing weight. You can have all the information of how to lose weight, but if your mentality is not right, then it becomes futile.

The right mindset will give you motivation, dedication, perseverance and help you to avoid temptation and distractions. You will stay focused and achieve your goals. Self belief is an important element in the whole process. You must believe that you can lose weight and get a flat tummy and sexy six pack abs. It is all in the mind. Think positive.

The moment you conquer the mental aspect in your weight loss endeavour, only then you can achieve anything you put your mind on. It is easier said than done. Discipline is another important factor that that will determine if you’re going to be successful or not.

The mind

The mind is like a processor in a computer. It controls your thoughts and actions and influences your behaviour. As we enter different phases of our lives we develop along the way, habits and different mannerisms that control our lives. Over time your subconscious controls various actions which you might be unaware of. People that struggle to lose weight might have habits that hinder their weight loss. These stumbling blocks can be removed if you can develop a strong mentality. People with strong minds can take control of their subconscious and change bad habits or formed associations. The mind is a very powerful tool if utilized correctly. There is quote that goes like this: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”.

Re-program the mind

As with most things in life … there are no quick fixes. Will power can make a huge difference in your pursuit of weight loss. Think positively. Focus on the good things in life, things that make you happy, things that you enjoy doing.

Set realistic goals. Write it down. Speak it. Associate yourself with positive people. It can and will rub of on you. Encourage and motivate yourself.

Lawrence Carelse, author of fitness articles. get a flat stomach and six pack abs. Owner of http://www.6pack.co.za

5 Weight Loss Tips You Can Use Right Now For Six-Pack Abs Are You Ab-sessed? Learn How to Get Ripped Six-Pack Abs

                

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Almost everyone wants to know how to lose weight. With these weight loss tips you can.

Getting lean enough to have six-pack abs isn't easy. If it was, everyone would have a flat stomach and a lean, sexy physique. Take a look around. You know that's not the case. So what can you do to get your own six-pack?

Here are some tips on how to lose weight you might want to consider if your fat loss progress is stalling.

1) Too Many Carbohydrates.

This doesn’t mean you have to eliminate carbs from your nutrition plan. The right carbs are a vital part of your fat loss efforts, not to mention your health. However, any additional carbs above and beyond those needed have a good probability of being stored as body fat. Weight training does require a higher carb intake. But most people don’t train intensely enough for the amount of carbs that they take in.

2) Stack Your Carbs.

Yes, low-carb diest do work. You can drop a lot of fat with a low-carb diet. But at a certain weight your body sets itself. If you want to really get lean, you'll need another approach. Not to mention, carbs are an important part of any workout program. Carbs fill your glycogen-stores after a workout so your muscles can get optimal recovery. Muscles boost your metabolism which makes it easier to lose fat and keep it off. Muscles also give your body it's sexy shape once you've taken off the fat. Without muscles, you'll be what I call skinny fat. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. And it's not sexy.

So, instead of going completely low-carb, try stacking your carbs, getting your good carbs when you need them most, in the morning and immediately after your weigh workout.

Eat most of your good carbs in your morning meals and in your post-workout meal. This will help to stabalize your insulin levels and help you burn body fat for energy later in the day.

Forego the pasta, potato or rice at your evening meals for lean proteins like fowl or fish, along with a side dish of veggies. Or enjoy your favorite protein shake recipe. Okay, maybe not your favorite if your favorite contains a lot of simple carbs, but you get the idea.

3) Too Much of the Wrong Type of Cardio.

What happens to the guy or gal who performs 1-2 hours of cardio a day? (We know you’re out there!)

They send their body into a tailspin, a state where the "starvation hormones" secreted by the body skyrocket (it’s your body’s survival mechanism, a response to too much exercise!) causing fat cells to try to hoard their energy!

Too much cardio will eat away at muscle tissue, causing your metabolism to slow down and your body to start storing fat. In other words, the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Substitute shorter duration, high intensity interval training for the slow, long duration cardio you've been doing and watch your metabolism get a boost as you burn more fat in less time. Just check out marathon runners? Is that the body you want? I didn't think so.

Try switching up your cardio to contain more high intensity interval training. It will

1 - Burn more calories by elevating your metabolism so you lose fat faster

2 - Increase your power

3 - Increase your speed

4 - Increase your endurance

No matter what your fitness goals, HIIT is one of the best ways of helping you achieve them. And the variations are endless. You can vary the training parameters (exercise to rest ratio, number of intervals) to make the workouts harder or easier, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

You can also use any number of exrecises for your training, such as cycling, sprinting, treadmill, elliptical trainers, jump rope, rope climbing, hill sprints, and more.

Don't continue doing endless hours of aerobics that aren't helping you reach your goals anyway. Get more out of your cardio workouts by performing interval training.

Luckily for me, I have a hill just down the road that is perfect for interval training. I jog over to the hill.

This takes about 4 - 5 minutes and serves perfectly as my warm up. Then I sprint up the hill to the top. This takes me about 15 - 20 seconds. I turn around and walk back down, which serves as my rest interval. I then repeat for a certain number of intervals and the jog (or walk) home serves as my cool down.

Another great interval training program is jump rope. You may need to practice a bit on this one. After a brief warm up, I will jump rope as fast as I can for about 10-20 seconds, followed by a slower cadence for about half a minute.

This form of interval training is brutal and will get your heart rate up fast! You won't last long on this program.

Always warm up before starting your intervals. If you're not in the best of shape break into it lightly, starting with more low or moderate intensity cardio. You might also want to check with your doctor. No sense in getting hurt right when you start your interval training.

4) Cycling Your Calories:

I've mentioned cycling your calories in a previous article but here's an example again so you know what I am talking about.

Don't forget the numbers are for the example only. You'll need to adjust the calorie number to what's appropriate for you.

Day 1 - 2,600
Day 2 - 2,500
Day 3 - 2,400
Day 4 - 2,300
Day 5 - 2,200
Day 6 - 2,100
Day 7 - 2,000
Day 8 - 2,500
Day 9 - 2,400
Day 10 - 2,300
Day 11 - 2,200
Day 12 - 2,100
Day 13 - 2,000
Day 14 - 1,900
Day 15 - 2,400
Day 16 - 2,300
Day 17 - 2,200
Day 18 - 2,100
Day 19 - 2,000
Day 20 - 1,900
Day 21 - 1,800
 

At this point, I will take a look at my progress (using body fat calipers, the scale and the weight increases on my exercises) and then devise a new plan for the next three weeks.

The cycling of calories in this manner is good both for building muscle and losing fat. How high you start and how low you go depends both on your goals (building muscle or losing fat) and your individual metabolism. If you are building muscle you don't want to make your low days too low. You just want to have some slightly lower calorie days so that you keep fat gain to a minimum as you add muscle.

For losing fat, you don't want your high days too high (for obvious reasons) but you also don't want your low days too low, otherwise you will lose lean muscle and put your body into starvation mode, which will cause it to slow your metabolism down and store fat - two big no no's. If the weight stops coming off, don't always go lower on calories but consider increasing your cardio training (or just increasing the intensity of the time that you do your cardio - the more intense it is, the more calories you burn during the same amount of time).

You still need to be careful with the amount of food you eat when you do this. After all, it doesn’t take too much to completely wipe out that week’s progress.

5) Eat Whole Natural Foods

Stay away from all processed foods. And while protein shakes and meal replacements can really help you get the nutritious calories you need (not to mention the convenience) don't go overboard. Get most of your calories from whole natural foods like vegetables, meats, oils, eggs and whole grains.

This is all pretty basic stuff. The problem is that most people think basic won't work so they go searching from one gimmick to the next, never really making any progress. Then they quit out of frustration without giving what really works a chance. How many people do you know that want to know how to lose weight andhave tried all these weight loss tips and stuck with them? I bet not many. If you want to know how to lose weight, go ahead and give these weight loss tips a try and see if you don't lose fat, build muscle and develop a lean sexy body with six-pack abs in no time.

Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com . Want to boost your metabolism, burn more fat with less effort and lose all the weight you want...fast? Grab his free report at http://www.fatlosssecretsrevealed.com . Interested in gaining 21 pounds of muscle in only 9 weeks? Grab his free report at http://www.fastmasstips.com

How to Get Six Pack Abs

                

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Over the years I have seen a lot of flimsy ideas of how to get a set of six pack abs. The most common scams are special machines that will do it and sometimes some kind of drink. I remember at one point Slim Fast seemed to be showing chubby people suddenly spawning a set of six pack abs.

Anyway I wanted to put this notion to rest that there is some magic to getting a six pack. Sure there is some genetics involved in sculpting perfect abs but the two most important factors are diet and exercise.

What? Did you think there was a shortcut?

The diet part is fairly simple; you need to drop any extra fat. You have probably heard this before but there is no such thing as spot reduction when you are losing weight. You will lose weight proportionately, generally, as you lose weight. What you may find is that you have a large stomach and if that is the case of course you will lose that fat faster than you lose the fat on your legs but that is just because that is where the fat deposits will be easiest for your body to use.

As you probably know from reading other posts of mine I subscribe to the idea that people eat too many carbohydrates generally but I still do not support the Atkins diet generally. I believe that you must increase your protein to 20% of your diet, keep fats at about 20% of the calories of your diet and then have carbs as the other 60% of the calories of your diet. If you still have trouble losing you may be a bit sensitive to carbohydrates and you can up the protein a little.

As for exercise, to get a set of six pack abs you will have to do two things; get in an hour of cardio a day to increase your metabolism and start really dropping the fat and secondly make sure that you do your abdominal exercises at the start of your workouts.

For cardio exercise it does not really matter what kind of cardio exercise you get but it is always best to vary your exercise so that you do not overtrain any one muscle group. I never see people speak of this in regards to cardio training but I have found in the past with my bicycling that when I am riding a lot my legs get sore but the rest of my body recovers fine. So maybe try to alternate some kind of biking, swimming, hiking, running, brisk walking and even using a rowing machine if you have a chance. Do cardio almost every day, five or six days a week is good, seven days a week is pushing it a little too much in my eyes.

Next is the abdominal exercises themselves. There are three places to target for your abdominals, the obliques, which are on your sides, your upper abdominals and your lower abdominals. Doing abdominal exercises is something that some people believe you should do every day but I really believe you are doing well if you just do them every second day or three days a week.

For your obliques you can do twists. Simply sit on a bench with you body straight up and down and put some kind of a light bar or broomstick across your shoulders and then do twists twist from one side to the other as far as you can go for two sets of 100 reps. The key is to not use much weight at all as gaining muscle on your obliques will widen your midsection which is not something most people want to do.

To work your upper abdominals you want to do some kind of sit ups or crunches. I am more a fan of crunches as they are easier on your neck and mower back. Lie on your back with your legs up on the seat of a chair so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle to your body and then just lift your shoulders a few inches of the ground and then let them down again. This should put stress on your abs and you should feel it pretty intensely after just a few reps. be sure to do this exercise slowly and for at least three sets of 30 reps.

To work your lower abdominals you need to do something that raises your legs in the air as opposed to lifting your upper body into the air. The exercise that I prefer for this is a kind of reverse crunch that I do not have a name for. I lie flat on my back and hold something behind my head to keep my upper body stable and then I just bring my knees up towards my chest and back down to the ground again. If you get really strong this way you can try just lifting your legs straight out and up but sadly I am not that strong.

If you follow this plan you will se results very quickly and depending on how much fat you have to lose you can see rock hard abs fairly quickly. The other great thing about strengthening your abs besides looking better is the fact that strengthening your core makes you stronger overall and help out with your balance and even your stamina.

Bill Nadraszky is passionate about health and fitness. To learn more read the fitness book review. Or visit the greatest Fitness Tips weblog.

The Quick and Easy Way to Tone Up Your Abs - Part 1 All About Abs

                

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What You Really Need to Know About Abdominals: Two Key Concepts You Must Meet to Let Out the 6 Pack

Introduction - Understanding the Abdominals

Congratulations!

You are about to learn about a region of the body that almost everybody wants but somehow the secrets escape them. The weight loss industry may be a billion dollar a year market but a close second is all the late night infomercials about abs, 6 packs, 6 second abs and how to get ready for the beach and show off that region.

When it comes to abdominal training there are two basic areas of confusion. First, the myth exists that a 'specific' region exists like the 'lower abdominals.' Many people will claim their upper ab region is developing just fine but the lower abs are not responding to training. They are looking for a magic lower ab exercise that will target that region. If you do a search for any muscular images of the abdominals, it's clear that the rectus abdominus (a long winded name for the abs) is just a single muscle running from the sternum to the pelvis. These 'lower abdominals' simply don't exist.

The reason the lower region seems to be less responsive to training is that it is a natural fat storage area! Simply put, your entire ab region is probably responding to overall training but the lower region is simply not showing because it is covered up by a layer of fat. That area just happens to be the place that fat is the last to go. Very simply, the lower abdominal area is benefiting from your crunches and reverse crunches. The problem is, you just can't see it!

TEST: If you don't believe this then try this simple test: lie down on the floor in a typical crunch position. Place one hand on your lower abdominal area and the other on your upper abdominal area. Now perform a slowing crunching movement. You will feel both areas contract simultaneously as you curl up.

The second area of confusion revolves around exercise selection. Almost everybody still continues to perform hanging leg raises, knee-ups or similar exercises in an attempt to target the 'lower abs.' While these exercises do affect the abdominal area, they are not the best selection.

It's easy to clear up this exercise selection confusion if you understand the differences between the hip-flexion and trunk-flexion. A muscle called the psoas and related muscles (this is located deep against the spine) are responsible for hip-flexion while your abdominals are responsible for trunk-flexion.

Hip Flexion: Occurs when your lift your knee (or knees) towards your chest. For example, when you do a hanging knee-up, you will feel a burning sensation in the lower abdominal region (this alone convinces most people it's working that area). What is actually happening is the psoas is being stressed. You'll never be lean enough to see this muscle! Of course the abdominals are involved in this exercise for stabilization but it's not the primary muscle and so it's not the most effective. Other concerns revolve around the psoas being overworked that can lead to back problems.

Trunk Flexion: Occurs when you perform an exercise where the pelvis and sternum approach each other during the movement. At this point, you are in a state of maximal trunk flexion. Going any further and you'll engage the psoas muscle and you will be using hip-flexion (like in a full sit-up). When you train your abdominals you need to flex (or contact) your trunk.

FACT: For effective abdominal training, stick with trunk flexion movements (crunches and reverse crunches).

This series will focus on trunk flexion exercises so that tension is directly on the abdominals as that is the primary muscle we want to work. [Other muscles involved in stabilization will be involved but will not be the primary focus.]

That's all! The abdominals are just a muscle like everything else. There's nothing special about them that makes them any harder to obtain or develop then any other muscle group. Still, there are thousands of messages on community forums and fitness gurus everywhere get hundreds of messages a day regarding this. Not to mention the countless ab technology products that appear in stores every year promising a faster, easier way to get ripped abs. The purpose of this report is to tell you exactly step-by- step what you need to do to get ripped abdominals.

The Myths of Ripped Abdominals: - Countless crunches - Working them out every day - Strange machines or dangerous exercises - Fad diets - Fat burner pills - Marathon cardio sessions - Targeting lower and upper regions

The Secret of Ripped Abdominals: - Low percentage of body fat - Having the muscle to show

Did I just blow the end of the story for you? Hopefully not.

Key Concept #1: You Must Have a Low Percentage of Body Fat For starters, if you have a layer of body fat covering the region, you will never be able to show the abs. For men, this is the LAST place the fat will disappear from which makes it the hardest body part to show.

You "get abs" from reducing your body fat and you reduce body fat mostly through diet and cardio..

And yet, somehow this concept escapes people. In order for the abs to show proudly, you must have a low percentage of body fat! There's really not a whole lot more to it.

Men: 10% or lower Women: 15% or lower

Why is that so difficult for most people?

Simple. In order to get your body fat that low you must be absolutely focused on your diet and fat burning metabolism. 99% of people (including myself) are not as perfect on the diet as to burn off our natural body fat stores. So in order to get rid of that last layer, you must burn off the last remaining body fat stores. And to do that you must have great nutrition habits (above and beyond just being active).

Key Concept #2: You Must Have Abs to Show

First off...

If you are 110 lbs and just skin and bones and 3% body fat but no muscle really, then it's not a surprise why your abs aren't popping out every time you take off your shirt. There are a few people I've run across that are well below the 10% body fat limit and yet they are puzzled when their abdominals don't show. That's almost as easy as 1+1. You MUST have abs to show!

You can have a low body fat percentage but if you don't have anything to show, you'll just see a flat stomach (which is good) but no definition and certain no 'packs.' There are also individuals who have 15% body fat but their abs are so developed they can show off a 4-pack. While they don't have that low of a body fat percentage to classify as 'ripped' they do have great development and certainly the muscle is there. Just think what it might look like on them if they were to be 10% or lower?!

That's where ab exercises come into play. Performing key abdominal exercises is a key to developing the trunk region to the fullest. Many people are looking for the illusive lower ab exercise or performing exercises they believe to target a certain region but are really working the wrong muscle. Having abs is as simple as doing the right core exercises. That will be part of the 6 months of ab training at the end of this series.

Now that you understand some key concepts in order to get the abs to show, let's figure out how to eliminate that annoying layer of fat around them.

Stay tuned for Part 2 that will discuss why nutrition is 90% or More of Your Success.

If you can't wait, the Beginner's Guide to Abdominal Training is just one bonus book in the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

What You Should Know About ABS and Why You Need It

                

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

 

Anti-lock brakes are the most important active safety system available in an automobile today.

The History of ABS Like many things in the auto industry, ABS comes from the aviation industry. The first system available on cars was introduced by Bosch and equipped on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in 1978. Over the last 2 decades, ABS has marched down market and is now available on virtually every vehicle sold in North America. Each successive generation has become more efficient and quicker to react in emergency situations.

How it works Speed sensors are located at each wheel. When these sensors 'sense' that a tire has stopped moving (the wheel is locked under braking) the sensor sends a message to the controller that in turn regulates the brake pressure to reduce lock-up. It 'pumps' the brakes over a dozen times per second by increasing brake pressure and reducing it, over and over again. Since the wheels are not locked up, a driver can swerve to avoid an obstacle while under hard braking.

Types of Anti-lock Braking Systems There are two system designs, four-wheel ABS and rear-wheel ABS. Rear-wheel systems were offered on pick-ups and some SUV's in the early and mid nineties. They only pumped the rear wheels.

Today it is difficult to find this system. Four-wheel ABS is now the mainstream. But there are two variations of four-wheel ABS. There are four-channel anti-lock braking systems and three-channel.

Both systems have speed sensors at each wheel but a three-channel system pumps the rear brakes at the same speed and the two front wheels pump individually.

A four-channel system pumps all four brakes individually as they may be on different surfaces such as ice, gravel, pavement or grass. A three-channel system is cheaper to produce and is typically offered on less expensive cars. The four-channel system is a better, more precise system, though a three channel system is still far better than no ABS at all.

The misconception ABS is not designed to reduce your vehicles braking distance. In fact depending on the road surface, it can slightly increase your braking distance. ABS is designed to give the driver full control in an emergency situation. Since the wheels won't lock, you have full control of steering so that you can avoid an obstacle. On slippery surfaces, ABS pays dividends as you can now steer away from an obstacle instead of sliding right into it.

Using ABS When ABS is automatically activated in an emergency braking situation it makes a sound and pulses through the brake pedal. This is normal. Do not pump the brakes. This will render the system useless and will cause dramatically increased braking distances. The system will do its job but you have to be confident and get on the brakes as hard as possible. Get on'em, and stay on'em!!

ABS pays for itself time and time again. Think about it. ABS costs about $500. How much does just a small fender bender cost? ABS pays for itself by helping you avoid an accident and it gives you piece of mind when driving on slippery surfaces.

Peter Johnson is the chief writer for all-about-car-selection.com. For more automotive safety information click here

Discover the Secrets of Using An Abdominal Exercise Machine for Sexy, Scuplted Abs

                

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

 

When it comes to fitness and exercise equipment, there are a lot of different options to choose from. This is especially true when talking about an abdominal exercise machine.

After all, the abs are the one thing everyone wants to improve upon. For guys, it's the six-pack, and for women, it's a flat, toned and tight tummy. And most people feel that if they can get a flat stomach, all the other areas of their body will follow.

So we're bombarded with infomercials that focus on the be all end all wonderous inovation of their latest and greatest abdominal exercise machine. If you just get that one machine, then you're all set!

Six pack abs, here we come! Yes, there was a little bit of sarcasm in that last part. After all, if it were that easy, if we just needed the latest, greatest abdominal exercise machine for great abs, we'd all have them by now. Instead, we seem to keep getting fatter. It doesn't really make any sense, does it?

Let me make a few points about ab exercise and getting a flat, lean, six-pack stomach.

Diet, weight training, and cardio play the biggest role in getting a flat stomach, not ab exercises or any one abdominal exercise machine.

Most ab exercise equipment is pure junk.

Most people go about training their abdominal muscles in the wrong way.

With that being said, let's look at what you can do to train your abs the right way, and what type of abdominal exercise machine can help you do it better, faster, and in more comfort.

Let's address point one above. Many ab machine advertisers, especially on infomercials, will lead you to believe that working on their adbominal exercise equipment will lead to weight loss and fat reduction, especially in the region of the abs, ie, getting rid of the bulging belly. This is incorrect on multiple points.

First, working your abs, especially on those '6 minutes to great abs' routines, burns very few calories. Second, you can't spot reduce, which is the outdated idea that you will lose fat directly from the area that you exercise.

In fact, your fat goes on based on your genetics, and this is also the way it comes off, and usually in the reverse order. And the abs is usually the last place fat loss occurs. You'll see it on your hands, face, neck, etc. first, before your stomach.

A quality abdominal exercise machine will strengthen your abdominal muscles, which will lead to a leaner, more toned stomach. But understand this - you won't see that leaner toned stomach, until you remove the fat that is covering up your abs!

Have you seen a relatively flat stomach on someone but it's not firm or toned? This is most likely because they don't work their ab muscles, so their abs aren't developed enough to give a tigher, leaner look to the stomach.

So it's very important to work your abs. But keep in mind the points being made here, that you need an overall fat loss, exercise, and nutrition program to lose the fat covering your abs so people can see the tight sexy stomach you've developed on your abdominal exercise machine.

A great thing about a good ab machine is that it will keep you working your abs. Let's face it, ab training is boring and doing conventional ab exercises like floor crunches, sit ups, leg raises and reverse lying crunches can be very uncomfortable, if not downright painful, and a lot of people develop neck problems. An abdominal exercise machine plays an important role in avoiding these issues.

If you keep this in mind, you'll know what to expect from ab exercise and abdominal machines. This way, you'll keep using it as part of an overall muscle building, fat loss program, instead of letting the machine gather dust because you didn't lose your stomach fat from working your abs six minutes a day.

Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com. His articles have appeared in Ironman Magazine. He has written two books and is a regular contributor to Body Talk Magazine. He publishes a free fitness newsletter available at his site that includes lots of weight training tips, fat loss, nutrition and exercise program information to help you build your best body as quickly as possible. check it out at Build Muscle and Lose Fat and see how you can get a customized nutrition plan at http://www.mynutritionjournal.com

Abdominal Training - ''Abs''

                

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

 

You can work your abs until hell freezes over, but if you still have a layer of fat, or in some cases even a beer belly, you will never be able to see the muscle. So, from a visual sense you must use proper diet & nutrition to actually be able to see your abs, and that is an entirely different article and beyond the scope of this one.

We all have abs, the technical name is Rectus Abdominis. It’s basically the “core” of your body and you could not really function without this muscle. Did I say muscle as in a single muscle? That’s right the Rectus Abdominis is a single muscle (see diagram) that attaches from along the rib cage down to the pelvis bone. However, there are two other muscle groups that complete the abdominals: the Transverse Abdominus, and the External and Internal Obliques, but these two muscles are not the visible portions of the abs that make up the “six pack” that we all desire. The Transverse Abdominus acts as a natural weight belt, keeping your insides in; and the Internal and External Obliques work to rotate the torso, and stabilize the abdomen essential for trunk stability.

Since the Rectus Abdominis is a single muscle it is physiologically impossible to work different parts of the abs. You often hear people say things like “I need to work my lower abs cause they’re lacking”, well they can try as hard as they want but when you train your abs you train the entire muscle. This does not mean you should not incorporate a wide variety of abdominal exercises (crunches, leg raises, trunk rotation, etc.) into your ab training, I just wanted to make the point that you are not going build or develop any one part of your “six pack” with different exercises. Now, remember that the lower area of the abs is a common problem in regards to excess fat storage for most people, especially males. So often the problem is not the abs per se, but extra body fat in that area that is covering the lower portion of the abs, again this requires dietary alterations not specific exercises.

So, you may say “how come I feel it more in my lower abs when I do hanging leg raises?” Well, this is another myth that we call the “I feel it syndrome”, which basically states that because you feel something working in a specific area it will make that area grow more. From a muscle physiology standpoint this is not possible. It’s possible that because of the angle more stress is being applied to a certain area of the muscle, which is often a result of that part of the muscle being stretched more, causing micro trauma in that specific area. However, this means absolutely nothing in regards to muscle growth and development. Do not confuse this with muscle groups that contain separate heads and tendon attachments, in those cases it is possible to stress individual heads to certain degrees, an example would be the deltoids. As far as our abs are concerned it is a single muscle and therefore it will grow as a whole. Think about it this way, if you could stimulate one area of a muscle and make it grow that would imply that you could actually change the shape of a muscle, which we know scientifically, that is not possible.

There are many exercises that can be used for the abs, the easiest and most common is a crunch, which essentially is bringing your hips and rib cage together, no more than just a flex of the mid-section. Do not confuse a crunch with a traditional sit-up; in a crunch you do not lift your lower back off the floor or bench. If you’re a beginner and are training abs for the first time I would recommend that you begin with a simple crunch on a flat surface, and some standing trunk rotation without any weight. Until you build up your abdominal muscles and flexibility do not try any advanced ab exercises such as weighted or incline crunches, or even sit-ups. Doing a sit-up has less of an effect on your abs, and more of an effect on your Iliopsoas or more commonly called the hip flexors. In fact, this is the muscle group that people often mistake for their lower abs because it’s a synergist muscle that helps stabilize the mid-section when working your abs. This is not to say that these synergist muscles are not important and do not need training, I am just pointing out that most likely that is why you think that you “feel it” in your lower abs.

Why is ab training necessary? Weak abs can contribute to lower back problems; the abdominal muscles help to improve the Erector Spinae by improving the mechanical positioning of the pelvis when it’s tilted forward. Also, if the abs are weak the lliopsoas can pull on spine during hip flexor activities causing injury. Weak abs can also be the cause of chronic low back pain, and can be responsible for hyperlordosis. So, no matter what your goals are, general fitness, bodybuilding or even power lifting it’s extremely important to have strong abdominals not just for aesthetic purposes, but functional and injury prevention reasons.

People often ask how often should you work your abs. Well, remember that the abdominals are a muscle and they require recovery just like any other muscle, although they do recover relatively quickly compared to other muscles due to their inherent fiber type. If you’re training your abs from an injury prevention perspective then you could train them 3-4 days per week using light loads, e.g. non-weighted crunches, performing 3-4 sets. However, if your goal is to develop your abs either for bodybuilding or sport performance, then you should only train them 2-3 days per week using more advanced techniques, e.g. weighted incline crunches performing 6-8 sets. As far as when to train the abs, it really does not matter; you could train them at the beginning of your workout if you’re prioritizing them. However if you plan to fatigue them it may be a better idea to work them last. Since the abs play a major role in stabilization it could hinder performance in compound lifts such as squats. An even better idea if feasible for you would be to train them on a day where you work smaller body parts and no compound lifts that involve the entire body.

Following you will find several links to animated pictures of some beginning and advanced abdominal training exercises from www.exrx.net. These are only a few of many exercises that can be used in your abdominal training.

Robert DiMaggio is first and foremost the founder and editor of IronMagazine.com LLC, an online bodybuilding and fitness magazine that has been dedicated to helping people achieve their bodybuilding and fitness goals. IronMagazine.com has been online since 2001 publishing new articles, content and a newsletter every month, along with a growing online community IronMagazine Forums.