Get Lower Abs Now! With These Lower Adominal Exercises - Plus Tips on Finding a Fitness Mentor

At first when I shared my new enthusiasm with friends and family they all laughed.

This did nothing other than motivate me as I love to prove people wrong!

From this day forth I began my journey of busting by gut doing a crazy amount of cardio and a ridiculous amount of ab crunches. Little did I know that this was only a small element of what I needed to be doing in order to achieve abs. I wanted abs yesterday and I wanted lifelong results!

Find yourself a mentor people ! This alone will fast track you to health and well being & at the very least hold you accountable as to were your current progress is at.

I wish you all the best on your journey to good fitness and well being. What ever you do, persevere, persevere, persevere. Write that on your hand if you have to! By reading this article you are already showing devotion your goal of good health and ripped abs.

Here is by far my Two favorite Ab exercises - Please keep in mind that ab workouts alone will only build the muscle. In order for you six pack to show, you will need to look at your diet.

Lower Abdominals

Equipment needed: None

Leg Raises

1. Lay on the floor

2. Focus on tightening your abs.

3. Lift your pelvis up of the floor. This will make your back flatten on the floor

4. Lift your legs to make your body a 90 degree angle and hold for a second.

5. Lower your legs to the floor (resist touching the floor).

6. Go back to Step 3.

Incline Raises

Equipment needed: Incline board

1. Sit on incline board, then lye on your back against the board.

2. Put your hands above your head and take hold of the Foot Hooks.

3. Raise your knees toward shoulders by flexing waist & raising hips from board.

4. Return until waist, hips and knees are extended. Repeat.

I Highly recommend The trunk curl, reverse curl & twist curl to work out your upper abs.

Rock hard abs are the result of diet, discipline, correct workouts and using the right tools, learn more about Abdominal Exercise and correct eating plans. Also be sure to find out why Lower abs workouts alone will not strip of that tummy fat - Go to http://www.truthaboutabprograms.com

The Quick and Easy Way to Tone Up Your Abs - Part 2

All About Abs - Nutrition

First Class Eating Habits = First Class Abs 90% of Ripped Ab Gurus Have Fantastic Nutritional Habits

Why Nutrition is 90% or More of Your Success

Let me explain this particular concept as it seems that the current direction is to buy fat burning pills, ab machines and do daily training. The problem is with all that training and other facts is they will never have as much influence on the layer of fat covering your abdominals as a good metabolic meal will that helps your body burn away fat every day.

Turning your body into a fat burning furnace should be your #1 priority.

Eating 5-7 meals per day is critical in order to make your body a calorie burning machine; you must supply it with 5-7 small but frequent meals. The reason you do this is because you will be continually burning calories to utilize the food. Be cautious of portion size. Eat too much of anything and you’ll never see those abs!

The more meals you have, the more your body must use energy to burn it. It’s like a furnace. You will RAISE your metabolism simply by eating more frequently.

You see if your nutrition isn’t nearly perfect, your body will always store some fat. And that fat will most likely be kept in the abdominal region. The only way to get to the sub-10% body fat region is with rock-solid nutrition. Countless people cannot do this. Their eating habits are never correct, they don’t track what they eat and they do not have the discipline necessary to eat correctly all of the time (with some cheat meals in there of course). The group of people who can do that are competitive bodybuilders.

Does this mean you can’t do it? Heck no! You just need to be acutely aware that having a ripped abdominal region is about a low percentage of body fat. To get that low, your nutrition needs to be impeccable. The more disciplined you are, the more fat you’ll burn and the more muscle you’ll keep. The lower your body fat becomes, the more your abs will show.

It’s just that simple but it’s not that easy. In the next few steps, you are going to learn exactly what you need to do in order to turn your body into a fat burning machine.

Step 1: Calculate How Many Calories a Day You Need to Lose Fat

Listen, figuring out how many calories a day you need to lose weight really isn’t too hard. And with the formula I’m about to give you plus a very cool website, you can easily track where you are and what you need to do daily to reach your goals. So lets’ begin!

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, THEN LOSING, MAINTAINING OR GAINING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE!

Step 1:

Take your current body weight in pounds (lbs) and multiply by 11.

Example: 194 lbs x 11 = 2134 calories This is what I need to just keep what I have, without moving. But remember, you do move. So you have to then calculate your metabolic factors into this… so off to step 2...

Step 2:

Figure out your metabolic factor according to the table below.

But first, some definitions to help you determine where you might fit in:

Slow Metabolism: You basically look at food and you seem to put on pounds. You can gain weight by eating salads but it’s difficult to lose the weight.

Moderator Metabolism: You can gain weight if you try. You can lose weight if you try. You really don’t have trouble losing weight depending on what you want to do.

Fast Metabolism: You are the skinny guy or gal who can eat *ANYTHING* and it makes no difference. Gaining weight is difficult. Losing weight can happen overnight. Just by watching T.V. you seem to shed pounds.

Metabolic %

Under 30 years old Slow Metabolism- 30% Moderate Metabolism- 40% Fast Metabolism- 50%

30-40 years old Slow Metabolism- 25% Moderate Metabolism- 35% Fast Metabolism- 45%

Over 40 years old Slow Metabolism- 20% Moderate Metabolism- 30% Fast Metabolism- 40%

Example: 2134 calories x 35% (33 years old and with moderate metabolism) = 746.90

I took my calories needed above just to sit here and not move and multiplied it by my metabolic factor and I find that I need an additional 746.90 calories because of my specific metabolism.

Step 3:

Put it together. 2134 + 746.90 = 2880.90 calories I need 2,880.90 calories to maintain my current weight with my current activities.

Note: You can also adjust your metabolic factor if you do something that might take you to the next level. If you are a moderator metabolism person but you do distance running, it might make more sense to put your self in the fast category since you burn a lot more calories.

Step 4:

Lose Weight: I would take 2880.90 – 500 = 2380.90

Note: 500 calories a day is just a general term everybody uses to say that adding this amount is within safe limits. Eat too much, and you end up storing fat. Cut too many calories and your body just goes into starvation mode and ends up retaining more fat. 500 is a safe, recommended guideline. You can also eat 15-20% below your maintenance calorie levels to get a more accurate and aggressive plan. Avoid eating below 20% for very long as your body’s will start to slow down.

Step 5:

You must track what you are eating so you’ll know if you’ve made your goal for the day. And tracking food does not have to be complicated with weights and scales.

It's a shame that so many people just start training and never figure out what they need to eat daily to reach their goals.

You can keep doing the math over and over as you reach a goal.

Step 2: Calculate How Much Protein You Need a Day to Keep Muscle

Often overlooked, protein is the key component to building muscle but keep in mind; it’s also the same fundamental that will help you keep muscle. What this means to you is that if you get enough protein during this ‘cutting’ phase, you’ll burn more fat and keep more muscle. You want to keep as much muscle as possible because you want those abs to show.

As discussed before, having a low body fat percentage is core to the ripped effect but having abs to show is common sense. Protein has many functions that you’ve learned about in the Beginner’s Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding, one of which is to help promote and maintain muscle.

Step 1:

Take your body weight in pounds Example: 194 lbs

Step 2:

Find your body fat % Example: 15.7% (which is .157 for the step below)

Step 3:

Take your body weight in pounds and subtract the % body fat Example: 194 lbs - (194 x .157 = 30.45 lbs of fat) = 163.54 lbs of lean body weight

Step 4:

Take your lean body weight and multiply by 1.14 Example: 163.54 lbs x 1.14 = 186.4g of protein a day

Step 5:

Divide your daily protein requirements by 5-6 meals and that is what your protein target is for each meal. Example: 186.4/6 meals = 31.07g of protein per meal As you will see, a person who is 286 lbs of lean body weight will require a lot more protein. And a person who is 286 lbs should not be consuming the same amount of protein if their percentage of body fat is 35%. But why use 1.14 for protein requirements?

The RDA recommends .75g of protein. But that's been shown to be too low for active athletes.

Some sites will recommend 2.0g of protein. But that seems a bit high and your body will have trouble absorbing that not to mention you will probably have a lot of excess calories which can lead to fat gains.

1.14-1.5 is the most efficient range for most active, healthy adults. This range will help build muscle but not lead you into a high protein diet. Feel free to adjust within that range if you feel you need more protein.

Step 3: Divide Up the Calories in 5-7 Meals Per Day (Ratios)

At this point you know how many calories a day you need to burn fat and how much protein you need to maintain the muscle. Your goal is to burn fat, not lose weight and certainly not lose muscle! What’s next?

Just divide up your daily calorie requirements by 5-7 meals a day in order to determine the calories per meal and your protein goals.

That might seem like a difficult tasks but once you start using some type of fitness tracking program (like FitDay) it becomes very easy to hit your targets and understand portion control.

If you don’t track what you are eating, then dividing this up will be nearly impossible unless you eat the same things every single day (boring).

There’s nothing fancy to this step.

Preparation Ideas:

* Grocery shop for the entire week so you have an ample supply of food

* Prepare things in bulk so putting together meals is quick and easy

* Use Tupperware as it’s easy to clean and easy to control portions

* Use the grocery list from the Beginner’s Guide to pick and choose foods that are proteins, carbohydrates and good fats

Step 4: Review the Nutritional Fundamentals

On page 68 of the Beginner’s Guide there are some nutritional fundamentals that you must master overall in order to get your nutrition dialed in and it working for you. When you turn your body into a fat burning furnace you need to review these key concepts.

* Eat about 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level. If you use a more aggressive calorie deficit, then do not keep calories too low for too long; increase calories to maintenance or maintenance +10-20% 1-2 days per week. * Getting your ratios correct (50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fats) * Eating 5-7 meals per day * Having a lean protein source with every meal * Getting the good fats and avoiding the bad fats * Drinking enough water * Eating as many natural and unrefined foods as possible * Keeping your total fats and saturated fats low. A little bit of good fats (seeds, flax, fish) is better than a no fat diet.

Stay tuned for Part 3 that will discuss Ab training and the question that everybody wants to know - How Many Times Per Week to Train Abs?

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

Reveal Your 6 Pack Abs Now - Using Ab Diets & Correct Workouts

Ok firstly id like to give you a pat on the back for being in the looking zone to achieve strong core muscles & or that ripped six pack your after ! I to took the same journey quiet some years ago, so id like the chance to save you a lot of wasted time by sharing my mentor and abdominal basics.

The following is a breakdown of the basics needed to make your Abs show through & to increase abdominal strength.

Stage 1: Nutrition (The most important part) - Ab diet Resource

In order for you the get that impressive set of abs you need to strip of the layer of fat over your belly otherwise you won't see them!

Split up your day with 5 or 6 Individual meals as this will kick start your metabolism, which as a result will make your body burn fat! Another road block that’s stopping you from seeing your abs are foods such as processed foods, white bread, pasta, soda, animal fat, dessert, fast food, hydrogenated oils, sugars and fructose corn syrup.

Eat more protein – as protein is the ultimate kick start for the metabolism. Boost the metabolism and you’ll drop body fat extremely quick. Also please note that you must Get at least 1-2 grams per pound of your current body weight, not what you hope to weigh.

Eat more veggies and less fruits – Fruits are very high in sugar which will result in excess fate. Having said that, they are not bad for you just have them in moderation. It’s crucial that you make a ongoing effort to improve your eating habits because getting a sexy abdominals is a process and without these elements you’re wasting your time.

Step 2: Exercise - For a complete comprehensive guide to abs goto

There are 3 different factors: cardio, weightlifting and abdominal exercises. And aim to workout at least 4 times per week, 3 times a week to maintain your current level. Anything above this will get you closer to your goal.

When doing your exercise I do suggest you find a training partner to kick your ass when you’re not motivated. There is a wide range of cardio workouts that you can do, such as - walking, running, biking, swimming, rowing, sex...whichever cardio you don't mind doing so you stick with it.

Weightlifting is important because the more muscle you have that more fat your body will burn!

Rock hard abs are the result of diet, discipline, correct workouts and using the right tools, learn about Abdominal Exercise and correct eating plans at http://www.truthaboutabprograms.com

Develop A Strong Core And Six Pack Abs Without Situps!

As a London Personal Trainer I often get asked how to develop a strong core and 6 pack stomach muscles. It seems that so many people are still practicing old exercises and cranking out hundreds of situps on a daily basis in the hope of reducing stomach fat and developing their 6 pack abs.

Doing regular sit ups or crunches will not only give you back problems but doesn’t really help in develping your core and revealing your stomach muscles. Our core / stomach muscles are more complex than you may think and need to be worked in three different planes of motion for optimal results. Doing regular situps and crunches is both unnatural and only addresses one plane of movement, and it’s not very good at doing that.

As well as taking the core / stomach muscles through 3 different planes of movement the body fat covering the abdominals must also be addressed. Forget the old wives tale about spot reducing fat, this simply isn’t the case, hundreds of situps won’t burn stomach fat - fat naturally comes off in layers from all over the body. The only way to reduce stomach fat is with a good total body exercise programme and by eating a healthy diet.

Remember that we all have stomach muscles waiting to be seen under our belly fat but in order to increase their size and make them more visable they need to be trained like any other body part. So, a combination of the correct abdominal / core exercises, a healthy diet and a good all over body routine will bring your 6 pack abs out for all to see.

I have found the following 6 exercises to be the best for stabalising your core and reducing potential back pain whilst bringing your abdominals / obliques to the surface.

Bird dog, Front plank, Side plank, Mountain climbers (front, out and inwards).

For full details of these exercises with photos please visit my site below.

GB Personal Training is run by Greg Brookes a fully certified Health and fitness consultant. Based in Hampstead North London NW3 he offers personal training and advice to people wishing to make the most out of their health. http://www.gbpersonaltraining.co.uk