Abs of Steel - 2 Awesome Tips for a Rock Solid Core

                

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Nowadays everyone wants abs of steel.

Having abs of steel shows that you are the pinnacle of being hot and sexy.

The problem is, the vast majority of people have no idea how to get abs of steel. They try to do it by doing hundreds of crunches and crash dieting. Unfortunately, this common approach to getting abs of steel is not very effective and may even end up sabotaging your efforts!

Whether you are an advanced bodybuilder or haven't exercised in years, the follow guidelines always have and always will be at the forefront of losing body fat and getting the abs of steel that the opposite sex loves.

Top 3 Tips to get Abs of Steel

1. Nutrition is King

That's right. In order to get abs of steel, you absolutely must follow the right nutrition guidelines.

These techniques are actually very simple and straightforward. The problem is that most people are on information overload to the point that they are just downright confused about what works.

If you want to get abs of steel, you need to have a certain type of diet. I am not an RD so I will not try to tell you what is best for your individual body, but I can tell you the basics that all the rest will stem from.

Here we go.

Create a defecit in the number of calories you consume.

This is very a very specific tactic that you must use. If you want to lose body fat, you need to take in less calories. This is an aspect of getting abs of steel that will help you really carve out the midsection.

But taking in less overall calories is not enough. You need to take in less overall calories while eating right foods at the right time. That is so important it needs to be repeated:

You need to take in less overall calories while eating right foods at the right time.

By eating the right foods, you are going to store less calories as body fat and start to see those abs of steel take shape. By cutting down on high glycemic "bad carbs", your blood sugar will stay more regulated. When you eat a big meal of bad carbs, your blood sugar spikes very high. Then, your body releases more insulin to store the excess blood sugar as body fat.

You want to avoid the bad carbs and instead consume more high quality protein (chicken, tuna, turkey, etc.), more complex carbs (wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice), and consume more healthy fats (usually omega 3 fatty acids found in fish).

This is the staple of having the proper nutrition to get abs of steel!

2. Lose body fat by total body strength training.

When most people try to get abs of steel they try do just do tons of crunches.

The truth is that in order to get abs of steel, you need to lower your body fat percentage. Nutrition is one half, and exercise is the other half.

To lose body fat and get abs of steel through exercise, you want to increase your active and resting metabolism. You can do this by adding muscle mass and high intensity cardio.

The best way to add muscle mass to burn fat is by doing total body strength training workouts 2-3 times per week in a circuit training format. This format will help you get abs of steel because you will work more overall muscle, which will increase your metabolism.

High intensity cardio has the same effect. If you try doing 2 minutes slow and 1 minute fast on a cardio machine, you are doing what is called interval training. This is excellent for burning calories, raising your metabolism, and for losing fat to get those abs of steel!

So as you can see the best combination of getting abs of steel comes from having the right nutrition and exercise program, not by crash dieting and doing lots of crunches.

Check out the link below for more great information on how to get abs of steel.

Want to Reprint this Article on Abs of Steel?

Reprinting is welcome as long as the content, links, author bio, and resource box are all included and remain completely unchanged.

For a FREE 47 page ebook titled How to Fire Up Your Metabolism and Lose Fat Permanently, go to Abs of Steel and learn some killer fat loss tips.

Tom is also the author of http://www.ScamFreeFatLossProducts.com, where he offers independent reviews of high quality fat loss products.

Tom Gifford is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the American Council on Exercise and also holds a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science). Tom specializes in effective fat loss training for people who have tried all the fad diets and exercise gimmicks

Best Ab Exercises? Get Hot Abs with These Popular Abdominal Exercises

                

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

 

Looking for six pack abs to improve your appearance but don't know where to start?
These six pack stomach exercises aren't incredibly difficult, but they are very
important (and very specific) because your goal is so defined. The following three
exercises are some of the best ab exercises for those wishing to get six pack abs,
so take good notes!

Crunches are where you lay flat on the floor with the exception
of your knees that must be bent. Alternate moving each arm over your chest while
feeling your abdominal muscles tightening up and possibly burning to get the full
effect. These are widely considered to be the best six pack stomach exercises, but
there are others that can achieve your goal. However, six pack stomach exercises
should be rotated on a regular basis.

Lying Bicycles are when you are lying supine on the floor with
your legs raised at the hips and hands beside your head. Bending your right leg
at the knee while pulling your right thigh up at the hip along with curling your
spine will achieve the goal. Just as you may have been able to glean by reading
the title, this exercise should make you appear to be riding a bicycle while lying
in the floor.

Seated Jackknife exercises are when you are sitting flat on
a bench with your legs extended in front of you with your upper body at a 45 degree
angle to the bench. Fold your body by bringing your legs in and curling your spine
forward and bend your knees as you raise your legs inward. Hold the position for
a moment and then return to the original position.

Don't believe that doing six pack stomach exercises one day will create a six
pack the next day, it is definitely a process! Just keep in mind that this is a
major goal for you and you wanted it so bad in the beginning. These integral six
pack stomach exercises are a great first step, but there are more to come, stay
motivated!

For more of the
best abdominal exercises,
download the
Free
Ab Exercises ebook available at
http://sixpackabs.com-411.com/signup
Today!

The Quick and Easy Way to Tone Up Your Abs - Part 3

                

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

 

All About Abs - Ab Training

Exercises for Variety and Development Step by Step Abdominal Training Explained

Concept 1: How Many Times Per Week to Train Abs

Do you remember hearing somewhere that in order to get the abdominals you want; you've got to train them everyday? I know I heard that from several sources. None of those sources had super ripped abs.

Fact: Many of the people who DO have ripped abs train them 1-3 times per week.

Train your abs 1-3 times per week. I would recommend training them after a smaller body part workout like chest and biceps and abs, or shoulder, triceps and abs. You can do them on your off days as well. Try to avoid doing them with legs as it's a major body part. Try to avoid doing them first as you'll need your stabilizers to be 100% when they are used in other compound exercises.

You probably already know this... your abs can be trained a bit more frequently then most other muscle groups because of two factors:

1. The muscle density is different allowing for different recovery time

2. 99.9% of programs do not encourage you to train abs to muscular failure

You don't want to train abs to muscular failure for the purpose of this guide.

Concept 2: How Many Exercises Per Session

If you're like me, you don't want another session added to your workout that is going to add another 20 minutes to your gym time. But like any other muscle, the abdominals require a bit of stimulation but just enough to grow and change and become stronger.

Unlike other body parts, you won't be doing countless sessions for abs. In fact...

Use 3-5 exercises per session

That's all you really need. Use the schedule listed in this guide or just pick 3 different exercises and do 3-5 different exercises per session. You can vary your rest up to 90 seconds.

You've got to wonder why people train abs by themselves for 30 or more minutes at a time. That's crazy! And most of the people coming out of those "Ab Blaster" classes don't even have abs. They are doing longer sessions for a single muscle group then you ever need to engage in.

Simply put, 3-5 exercises will do just fine.

Concept 3: Using Cardio as A Metabolism Boosting Tool

For maximum fat loss, you should do cardio 4-7 days per week for 30-60 minutes (the amount is variable depending on your results). You could continue running or mix up the type of cardio you do (stationary cycling, stairclimbing, elliptical machines, and other continuous aerobic activities are all excellent fat burners without the high impact and joint stress of frequent running).

If time efficiency is an issue for you, you could perform high intensity interval cardio training and achieve very efficient results with even briefer workouts (20-30 min per sessions, or less, if the intensity is high enough) Once you are satisfied with your level of body fat and your abdominal definition, you can cut back to 3 days per week for 20-30 minutes for maintenance.

Concept 4: Advanced Techniques

Part of this guide is to ensure that you use all the techniques possible in order to achieve the results you want. There are two techniques you can use so that your routine doesn't become 'routine.'

1. Tempo Variation: Another way to increase the effectiveness of the training program is to focus on the tempo of the exercise. Tempo just means the speed of the exercise. For example, a 3-1-1 tempo means you'll take 3 seconds to lower the weight, then you'll pause for 1 second, and then you'll lift the weight back up in 1 second.

2. Variety: It's been said that your body will adapt to any routine within 5-6 workouts. By including many different exercises, it will be impossible to adapt. Not only will your body be continually challenged but the variety will help to ward of getting bored of doing the same things every week, every workout.

3. Multiple Angles: While the abdominals are classified as a 'single' muscle, that doesn't mean you can't work it from a variety of angles in order to achieve the maximum stimulation. Many times an individual will have their upper abdominals developed but are lacking any real "visual" development in the lower abs. Rather then focus on a section of the abdominals, this guide will encourage you to work the muscle from a variety of angles for the best possible stimulation.

Stay tuned for Part 4 that will flat out give you 6 months worth of ab workouts you can do.

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 Learn how to develop the perfect set of abs, the nutritional secrets that will have you in summer shape and the revolutionary training that eliminates the need for 100+ crunches per day. Proven methods to get your abdominals to show.

Does Spot Reduction Work for Abs or Doesn’t?

                

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Burning fat from the abdomen through exercises specially destined to the abdominal muscles was, is and will always be one of the most resistant myths.

Almost all the people with a big belly take up, with a lot of determination, sit-ups, crunches, side-bends, twists, etc., hoping that every new series or set of exercises, every session of repeating them, will help them get rid of the 'ring' of adipose tissue around their waist, also called 'the ring of death'.

Besides the fact that it is probably the most anesthetic 'deposit' of adipose tissue, abdominal fat involves many risks for the health of the person which possesses it (related to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, impotence, etc.).

We must keep in mind, once and for all, that when we refer to the melting of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, there is no spot reduction. No matter how much we strive to locate effort in the areas we are focused on, we will only fortify the muscles under the fat, but the reduction of the fat itself will be insignificant. The explanation is simple and is connected to the energetic support of the anaerobic effort, which uses, for the exercises, muscular and hepatic glycogen, and not fat acids from the adipose tissue. For getting to the deposits of fat, what we need is cardio training (running, biking, fast walking, swimming, etc.).This type of exercises must be maintained for a long time (45-60 minutes) and they must be intense (60-70% from the maximum of heart rhythm).

An alternative is cardio training with periods when intensity varies, although the total volume is not smaller than in the case of uniformly cardio training.

A very important role in burning fat is held by the diet. It is said that the most effective of training can be sabotaged in the kitchen.

The nutritionists say that a diet which maintains caloric deficit, but keeps a balanced proportion of the basic principles (proteins, lipids, blood sugar), with a slight increase of the protein part, will always have as a consequence losing weight. Physical exercises like sit-ups, crunches, etc., without other exercises meant to involve bigger groups of muscles (thighs, chest, back) and to fortify the abdominal muscles, do not increase very much the basic metabolic rate.

As a consequence, indirect burning of calories (during breaks, post-training) is very small in comparison with the burning due to aerobic effort (especially the ones with alternative periods) – in their case, during effort taking more than 20 minutes, the energetic support is exactly the adipose tissue.

The magic formula for burning abdominal fat is a combination of hypo caloric diet and exercise – especially aerobic, but also anaerobic (focused on all the body, not only the abdominal muscles).

Isabel Curini is a fitness trainer and editor at http://www.healthfitnessworld.com. HealthFitnessWorld.com - Health, Fitness, Body Building, Weight Loss, Nutrition - Articles and Resources.

HealthFitnessWorld.com is dedicated to providing high-quality, free advices, tips and resources on health, fitness, body building, supplements, nutrition, weight loss, beauty, massage, acne, medicine, depression, massage.

This article may be reprinted or published without the author's consent as long as the "About" and "weblinks" are kept intact and active.

Get Back Your Pre-Pregnancy Abs With Side Planks

                

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The foundation of fitness for a mom is her abdominal area. To moms a flat stomach is wonderful; a strong abdominal core is critical. The cool thing is, you can get both at the same time with side planks.

Side planks are great for toning, without enlarging, the obliques on the side of your abdomen. Strong oblique muscles also add powerful stability to your back. Asthetically, side planks can sculpt your stomach in ways crunches or sit-ups just can't do. The nice thing about side planks is they can be done in little time and you don't need any equipment.

Before we get on to how to do them, I just want to add a little incentive...

A Mom with Poor Abdominal Strength is an Accident Waiting To Happen Let's face it, as your child grows the physical demand placed on your body increases. You start out holding a 8 lb. newborn in your arms, but that quickly changes into holding a 25 lb. toddler who twists and turns quickly.

You may be required to sweep your toddler up with your right arm while holding another child in the left. You may have to carry a 40 lb. child who is unhappy and doing whatever it takes to squirm from your grasp. If your body is incapable of handling these tough physical demands it will let you know, because back pain and fatigue will start compounding. Is your body prepared to handle the stress being placed on it?

A Side Plank A Day Keeps Back Pain Away Planks, build functionally strong, stabilizing abdominal muscles that allow you to bend, twist and reach with less chance of injury. Beginning an abdominal strengthening program now will prepare you for when your infant becomes a toddler and for those times your toddler becomes antsy and unruly.

Planks can not only give you back your pre-pregnancy abs, but they will prepare your body to deal with being a mom of a toddler! So let's get to the exercise itself.

How to Side Plank:

1) Begin by lying on your left side. Bend your left elbow and place the forearm on the floor directly under your shoulder. Your weight should be supported on the forearm and the left hip. Your right arm should be resting along the right side of your body with the hand resting on the right thigh.

2) Rise up so your body weight is resting on your left forearm and the edge of your left foot. Wear shoes that have a good edge on the sole to avoid slippage once you’re in place. If you find this to be too difficult, start by placing your weight between your forearm and knee. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to move to the more difficult position in which you are supporting your body between your forearm and your foot rather than your knee.

3) Lift your body up as high as you can and contract your abdominal muscles by bringing navel to spine. Attempt to form a straight line from your armpit along the side of your ribs to your hip, and down to your ankle just above your left foot. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds to start with. You can increase to 20 seconds over several weeks, but your goal should be to eventually build up to at least 60 seconds for each slow contraction.

4) Slowly lower your body back to the floor, then immediately rise as high as you can and hold it again. Repeat on the right side. Start with two sets of 10 repetitions on each side.

Helpful Hints:

- Don't hold your breath. This increases abdominal pressure which feels easier, but prevents you from getting the full benefits of the movement. Take a breath and exhale as you are lifting into the bridge.

- Avoid twisting or turning your trunk. This might cause a side strain and slow your progress.

- Stop if you feel back pain Everyone has their own rate of progression. If you feel pain in your back, stop. Try again on the next workout and you'll find your back will start getting stronger. If back pain continues, stop and consult a fitness professional.

Finish with a stretch

After doing your planks, lie on your back, relax, bend your knees with feet on the floor and tilt them from side to side. Do this a few times to lengthen your back and abdominal muscles.

Strong, flexible abdominal muscles are a moms best friend. Start developing yours today with side planks!

Curt Conrad, CSCS, is Founder and President of StrollerFit Inc. an international product and franchise company that helps parents exercise with their babies. He is author of The StrollerFit ExerBook. His companies have helped thousands of clients enjoy better life through better fitness. http://www.strollerfit.com