Abs and Exercise

Your abdominal muscles are the same as any other muscles in your body. They work similarly to your biceps, triceps and hamstrings, so why is it that we treat them so differently? Abs cover a large part of your body and a well defined midsection says, "I'm in shape."

Because of the way the body works, most people store a large portion of their body fat in the midsection. If you have a perfect set of abs covered by a layer of fat, no one will be impressed with your hard work. Getting abs is a two step process. Step 1: lower your body fat. Step 2: build up your abs with sit ups and crunches.

To lower your body fat, you need to take the same steps you would if you were looking to lose weight. Exercise-wise you need to engage in some sort of cardio. Cardio can be almost anything you enjoy doing.

If you want to go to the gym you can run on a treadmill, ride a bike, use the elliptical or rowing machine. There are plenty of options to choose from.

If you'd rather save some money and do cardio outside of a gym there is more than enough to keep you busy. Running, biking, walking, swimming, sports and any type of work (yard work, house work...) is good cardio as long as you do it on a regular basis at a high enough intensity. Read more on cardio guidelines.

Once you have your cardio in order, you need to begin targeting your abdominal muscles. If you have a high body fat percentage with a nice set of abdominal muscles, chances are you won't see anything impressive. On the other hand, if you have a low body fat percentage and you never work on your abs, there will be nothing to show off. You want to include your abs in your workout just as you do all your other muscles.

Don't go into the gym everyday with the goal of killing your abs. Remember that to grow or improve their appearance, muscles need time to rest and heal. If you're doing hundreds of crunches or sit ups everyday, you'll never see an improvement. Its like picking at a scab, it can't heal.

If you choose to work on your abs every time you go to the gym, don't go till failure on every set. Do 3-6 sets on a lighter weight and move on to another muscle group. If you only work on your abs once or twice a week then you can do more sets and you can do them till failure. Failure means that the last repetition you do is really the last one you could physically do. Find a weight with which you can perform between 8 and 12 reps.

Abs can't appear overnight. You need to get your exercise as well as your diet in check before you see any progress.

Guide to Getting Nice Abs and Six Packs

Health, Exercise and Dieting - Straighthealth.com

The Real Secret To Six Pack Abs

Usually, I perform my workouts at my private training facility which is nice because I don't have to deal with a crowded gym. It allows me to get in and out without spending more time than I have to in the gym.

I do have a public gym membership which allows me to train on my off days away from work since the gym is only a few blocks away from my home. Today was one of those days I chose to train at the public gym.

As I walked in I noticed an infomercial on one of the big screen television sets on the wall. The informercial was for a new kind of ab training device. Now, usually I don't pay too much attention to these infomercials, but this one caught me eye.

Not, because it was some revolutionary ab training device, but because of how it is being marketed. It looks somewhat like one of those big stability balls you see at almost every gym/health club these days.

But, it is a bit longer which provides more support for your body. And that's how it is being marketed. As a comfortable alternative to a stability ball which is meant to reduce potential low back pain.

Sounds great doesn't it? So, why was I shaking my head in disbelief?

It's because just about everything in fitness today is marketed toward being easy and comfortable. Think about it. Almost all the machines you see at your gym are designed to be performed sitting down in a stable seat.

Some machines even have seat belts so you can brace yourself in the thing. Again, comfortable. People like to be comfortable. But, there is a big drawback to this thing of comfort.

What so many people fail to realize is that the reason why 99% of the low back pain population exists is because their bodies have lost the ability to properly use their muscular system to stabilize themselves.

This is even more important when it comes to abdominal training. Many people claim to experience low back pain while performing exercises on the stability ball. This happens because the stability requires you to properly use your abdominals and hips to stabilize your body while you perform the exercise.

Unfortunately, so many people cannot do this and as a result their bodies develop compensatory strategies to perform the exercise. Compensatory strategies are the body's way of performing a movement and are very inefficient often resulting in pain and/or injury.

And, the more training is performed on comfortable machines that have reclined seats and seat belts and do all the stability work for you, the more your body loses its ability to be able to use its own muscles to provide stability.

To illustrate this better think about how you move outside of the gym in your everyday life. We all walk up stairs, lift laundry baskets, unload groceries from the car, reaching up in the kitchen cabinet, carrying our children, playing sports and on and on it goes.

When your body cannot stabilize itself properly pain and/or injury is eventually the end result. That is why you probably know of someone who hurt their back lifting something very light off the floor or while bending over doing something.

Crunches and sit-ups are just not the entire picture when it comes to developing lean, well-defined and strong abs. In fact, crunches and sit-ups are the main exercises in almost every "core" and ab routine out there today and are 5 reasons why people end up with low back pain There is an entire host of movement patterns our bodies were designed and meant to perform. We performed them as babies. Our bodies were meant to bend, extend, laterally bend, twist and turn and much more.

There are 2 exercises that are not ab exercises but they will help flatten out your midsection faster than most others.

Kevin Yates is the owner of learn2burnfat.com and the author of "5 Major Mistakes That Are Keeping You Fat & How To Easily Correct Them", a free report that shows you how a few simple strategies almost nobody knows about can help you burn fat fast. Get your copy here

Get Great 6-Pack Abs Without Weightlifting

Do you want a great set of 6-pack abs without lifting any weights? Have you worked hard to develop great abs but were unable to lose to the fat layer that covers your abs? Do you want to lower your body fat count effectively?

If your answer to the above 3 questions is yes, then the health and fitness plan described below will help you achieve great looking 6-pack abs;

This plan consists of an Eating plan, Interval exercise and effective targeted exercise.

Eating Plan

It may be difficult to believe, but you have to eat to lose weight. Crash diets are dangerous and can have the opposite effect.

If you dramatically reduce the amount of food you eat, your body adapts by storing whatever is gets instead of burning fuel for energy. This causes you in increase weight and body fat count, which is the last thing you want.

It is best to eat at least 6 meals per day. Each portion should be no larger than your fist. Eating in this manner assures your body that there is a regular supply of food. The body then burns the fuel more quickly and efficiently which has the effect of lowering the body fat count.

Interval exercise

This exercise dramatically increases the metabolism of your body, which further increases the rate at which your body burns fuel and excess fat.

Sprint as fast as you can for 20 to 30 seconds then walk at a brisk pace for 3 minutes. Repeat this 5 times a session. This exercise should be done 3 times a week.

Targeted exercise

The following exercises are excellent for developing great 6-pack abs.

Leg lifts

Lay on your back keeping your hands behind your head. Using your abdominal muscles, raise your legs to a height angle of approx 60 degrees from the floor and keep them there for 10 seconds. Then let them down slowly without letting your feet touch the floor!

Start with 3 times 10 - 15 reps and work yourself up to 3 times 30 reps.

Push-ups and Chin-ups

Yes, these will help you develop great abs. Your abdominal muscles always support your stomach and back when doing different exercises.

When doing left lifts, doing push-up and chin-ups, it is very important that these exercises are done every second day. Your muscles need resting time to recover and build

Please understand that a well designed exercise program is the best way to develop six pack abs without the risk of injury. This also ensures that you get maximum results in the shortest time frame possible.

If you would like to know which abs exercise program we highly recommend, click here

Tips to Get Six Pack Abs

Getting six pack abs fast can be achieved quickly with some determination and persistence. It is unlikely that you will see results in a few days but after a few months using the correct six pack abs exercises and diet, the difference should be apparent.

Tips for six pack fast

One of the most important factors of getting a six pack fast is optimizing your diet so that you are not taking in simple fats and other bad foods. Your diet is key to a flat stomach because it can lower the excess fat on your body which hide your abdominal muscles.

Changing your diet may be difficult and many people struggle with this aspect of training. However, with some persistence and a strict eating routine, the chances of gaining six pack abs improves considerably. With some discipline, this part of six pack training can be overcome.

The second part of getting a flatter stomach is doing six pack abs exercises. Exercises add mass to the stomach muscles and help them look more prominent. They also firm your muscles and can make you feel healthier.

There are many six pack abs exercises that can be used. The most common are variations of conventional sit-ups and crunches. Daily exercise is needed and should be taken to gain a six pack fast. At least 30 mins of training every day is recommended.

Using a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to gain a six pack fast and sustain the results over the long term.

Discover the exact methods on How To Get A Six Pack

How to Get 6-Pack Abs Without Crunches or Sit-Ups

One of the biggest misconceptions made by people is believing that doing 100 sit-ups or crunches is going to result in rock hard 6-packs. Concentrated exercise alone will not give you 6-Packs. A more holistic approach is required.

There are 3 important elements to attaining those wonderful 6-Packs:

Diet The best eating plan does not include 3 meals a day. Our bodies are not designed to function in this manner. When limiting ourselves to 3 large meals, we are forcing our bodies to store extra food as fat. It is this fat that covers our abs and prevents 6-pack abs from being visible, no matter how hard we exercise.

In order to burn fuel efficiently, it is important to eat at least 6 meals in smaller portions. A portion should be no larger than your fist.

If you want to build muscle, cut out on the carbohydrates and increase your protein intake.

Eating in this manner will help increase your metabolism and allow your body to burn fat and fuel with greater efficiency.

Interval Training Interval training is the best way to increase your metabolism. This will allow you to burn fat a lot quicker.

Try the following out;

Run as fast as you can for 20 - 30 seconds and then walk briskly for 3 minutes. Repeat this 5 times in a session. Do this exercise for a minimum of 3 times a week. This exercise includes bursts of hard action followed by a period of less strenuous activity. Use a park, street or track.

Leg lifts Lay on your back with your hands behind your head. Using your abdominal muscles, lift your legs to approximately 60 degrees from the floor and hold them there for 10 seconds. Then let them down slowly. Do not let your feet touch the floor!

Start off with 3 times 10 - 15 reps and work yourself up to 3 times 30 reps. Do this every second day. This is extremely important because your muscles need a rest period in order to build up.

As complimentary exercises, Push-ups and Chin-ups are an excellent way to develop ribbed abs. The reason for this is that the abdominal muscles will always support the other muscles during exercises.

Please understand that a well designed exercise program is the best way to develop six pack abs without the risk of injury. This also ensures that you get maximum results in the shortest time frame possible.

If you would like to know which abs exercise program we highly recommend, click here

Lose Belly Fat - 4 Tips To Get Ripped Abs Without Sit Ups And Crunches

Do you spend hours doing crunches or sit ups and yet, you are not getting ripped or six pack abs? Chances are you've been doing it all wrong!

It's a common mistake in most people who want visible abs to do abdominal exercise only. Sure, you develop abdominal muscle but it's only hidden under a layer of fat. In fact, you may find your ab getting bigger as a result of the increased muscle mass.

If you want visible abs, your focus should be on reducing excess body fat.

Low body fat = ripped abs

You achieve low body fat by burning more calories than you consume.

Here are 4 tips for losing belly fat effectively and permanently.

1. Interval training

Research has shown that interval training is more superior to slow, steady cardio for fat loss. Your metabolism remains elevated post workout, thus resulting in the after burn effect. Effectively, you continue to burn calories even after an interval workout but not after a long, steady cardio workout.

Also, if you don't have long hours to spare in the gym, interval workouts enable you to achieve the most fat loss in the least amount of time. Some examples of interval workouts are wind sprints, hill sprints, swimming sprints and speed rope jumping. You can also do intervals on a treadmill, stationary bicycle, stairclimber, rower and elliptical machines.

2. Nutrition

Proper nutrition is the key to fat loss. No matter how much or hard you train, you'll never get visible abs if you live on crisps, sodas, fast food, cookies and other crap. Don't fall for any of the low carb, low fat, high protein and other fad diets. Instead, eat a healthy and well balanced diet that includes various food groups - carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your energy levels stable. Choose wholesome, natural foods, preferably organic, and avoid processed foods. Avoid refined and simple carbs that contain white flour and white sugar. Your main sources of carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Include a source of high quality, lean protein with every meal. There are several benefits to consuming lean protein. Your body burns more calories from digesting protein than carbs or fats. Protein keeps hunger at bay and gives you a feeling of satiety. It is also necessary for building lean muscle that controls your metabolism and burns calories.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to speed up fat loss.

Consume healthy fats from avocado, flax seed (or flax oil), nuts, seeds, fish (or fish oil), etc. Essential fatty acids help to regulate appetite and burn fat.

3. Resistance training

Resistance training not only sculpts your body but is important for building muscles. Like interval training, it raises your post workout metabolism so your body continues to burn calories even when you are doing nothing.

Aim for low rep resistance training, i.e. 8 reps per exercise, as it has been shown to boost metabolism after the workout.

If your goal is to burn fat, don't isolate your body parts by training certain muscle groups using single-joint movements. Isolation exercises such as leg extension, bicep curl and tricep kickback burn little body fat. Shift your focus from single-joint to multi-joint muscle movements such as squats, lunges, split squats, pushups, chinups, rows, step ups and deadlifts. These are full body movements that work many muscles at one time, burn more calories during each workout and increase your metabolism post workout.

4. Reduce stress

Stress has been associated with belly fat. In stressful situations, your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. Excess cortisol production leads to build up of belly fat. A fat belly is more than ugly looking. Accumulated fat in the abdomen increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Be aware of your stress level and learn to manage it through yoga, meditation, qi gong, tai chi and other stress reduction techniques. The truth is there's no quick fix for losing belly fat. Forget about ab gadgets, diets or magic pills that promise to give you lean abs. They are nothing but scams.

The good news is that you can attain a set of lean or six pack abs through a healthy diet plan and effective training program that promote fat loss.

If you're interested in taking your fat loss efforts to an entirely new level, grab a free fat loss ebook which details 27 unique methods for boosting your metabolism and losing belly fat

Tired of long boring cardio workouts and seeing no positive results? Discover how to lose body fat and gain muscle with just 3 short workouts a week.

Get the free "Big Fat Lies" ebook that exposes the 12 biggest scams, lies and deceptions in the diet, supplement and weight loss industries at http://www.shedthefat.com

Everywhere People Are Raving About The Abs Best Exercise Workout

So you want rippling abs but don't know where to start. You're about to discover the abs best exercise workout that will get your stomach flat and looking like a washboard.

For your abs best exercise workout, read on...

It's been said one of the most hardest areas on a person's body...is the stomach - and it seems everyone wants a rock hard tummy.

The sad fact is many people think they can eat whatever they want and get a flat stomach by performing 250 crunches per day to burn off the extra fat and calories. That's probably the biggest myth around.

5 Key Exercises for a Washboard Set of Rock-Hard Abs

Have a go at these abdominal exercises to help yourself get those washboard abs you've always wanted! Remember to consult your doctor before starting any diet and exercise plan.

1. Lay on the ground with your legs bent and your feet flat. Do not pull from your arms, keep your focus on your abdominal muscles. Remember, this is an abdominal crunch not a sit up.
2. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, neck straight and chest up.
3. From your sternum, crunch your weight up and forward.
4. Your lower back should remain flat on the ground at all times.
5. Under control, lower your weight, stop just before your shoulders touch the ground and reverse the motion back up.

Nothing looks better and get the heads turning like a set of rock-hard abs.

The single most area that completes a stellar physique is a set of rock-hard abs. The abs best exercise workout is one that you do, not just think about.

Achieving success at any level of bodybuilding requires you to have deeply etched abs. By following these simple exercises you'll soon be on your way to a stomach others will envy.

How do you get them? We'll show you how with five great exercises for carving out your own set of granite-hard abdominals. Just remember that the best ab development in the world will mean nothing if your abdominal muscles are covered with fat.

So in conjunction with doing these ab exercises, make sure you follow a high-protein diet, eat a moderate level of carbohydrates, reduce your dietary fat intake, burn enough calories with training, and use Hydroxycut Hardcore® to support your overall weight-loss goals. And to help yourself get enough protein for building muscle and aiding recovery from intense workouts, use Nitro-Tech® Hardcore. With the help of the Nitro-Tech family of products, you'll have no trouble meeting your protein requirements.

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3 Simple Free Workout Routines to Get Six Pack Abs Without Doing 100 Abdominal Exercises

Will 100 sit-ups or crunches a day give you six pack abs?

Not in isolation and not while you have a layer of fat that covers your abs. Targeted exercises are a waste of time if they do not form part of a holistic plan. Body fat needs to be burned from the body as a whole, and not just the abdominal area.

Eating habits also need to be changed so that the body burns fuel more efficiently. Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, rather eat 6 smaller portions every day. A portion should not be bigger than your fist.

In addition to changing eating habits, these 3 simple routines will help you develop rock hard ribbed abs.

Interval Training This exercise routine includes intermittent bursts of hard rigorous action followed by a period of less strenuous activity.

Interval training is the fastest way to increase the metabolism rate. This allows the body to burn fuel and excess fat a lot faster. If you want ribbed abs to be visible, this is the quickest way to do it.

Interval training can be done on a track, park or road.

Sprint as hard as you can for 20 - 30 seconds followed by a brisk walk for 3 minutes. Repeat this exercise 5 times in a session. For optimal results, do this exercise for a minimum of 3 times a week.

Leg lifts Lay on your back keeping your hands behind your head.

Using your abdominal muscles, lift your legs to approximately 60 degrees from the floor and hold them there for 10 seconds. Then let them down slowly without letting them touch the floor.

Start off with 3 times 10 - 15 reps and work yourself up to 3 times 30 reps.

It is better to do this exercise every second day. Do not do this every day. Your muscles need resting time so that they can build up.

Push-ups or chin ups These exercises can be used as complimentary exercises. Did you know the abdominal muscles support the other muscles during exercise?

Try doing just 3 times 10 push-ups or chin-ups every second day and watch your abs become hard and ribbed.

To prevent injury and straining, do the different exercises on alternate days. For Example, don't do the leg-lifts and push-up on the same day as the interval training.

Please understand that a well designed exercise program is the best way to develop six pack abs without the risk of injury. This also ensures that you get maximum results in the shortest time frame possible.

If you would like to know which abs exercise program we highly recommend, click here

Getting Hard Abs Is Easier Than You Think

Hard abs are the holy grail of most young men. Growing up, being the one in school with six pack abs earns you a certain amount of respect both from other guys, and girls. That respect doesn't go away as you grow older either, since achieving hard abs when you're a little older is usually considered a harder task. Being able to get changed in the gym or swimming pool and show off your hard abs six pack is a fantastic feeling, and one that never gets old. To see a girl's face light up and watch her do a double take at your hard abs and six pack will bring a smile to your lips every time.

Many people want hard abs, and many people are teaching how to get hard abs. They might tell you things like:

+ do hundreds of crunches a day
+ use expensive electronic ab belts
+ take my special vitamin pills
+ buy this expensive ab equipment
+ drink this magic ab potion
 

But they're all wrong. You might be running 10 miles a day, doing a million crunches a day and taking dozens of pills and potions and still not seeing hard abs develop.

Hard abs will come naturally with a few basic techniques that don't involve complicated equipment, fad diets or silly numbers of crunches, and here's why. Your body doesn't need all that junk. It is naturally capable of developing hard abs if you stimulate it in the proper way. Bodybuilders train very specifically to correctly stimulate the right muscles so they react in a certain way, whether that be for growth or strength.

What you need for hard abs is a routine and lifestyle that will encourage your body to gradually develop stronger, firmer muscles around your core. You need to put stress on your core muscles and then eat the right foods to allow your body to develop your abs so that next time the same stress is applied, you can cope with it.

Now I don't mean do a million situps or to put a car on your chest and try to lift it. Hard abs come from strengthening your core muscles, so you need to work your entire abdomen with power moves, or compound exercises. These exercises should concentrate on several muscle groups at once, and promote strength development within your abs. That means there's no need to do hundreds of crunches, because if you can do that many then it's too easy.

To get hard abs quickly, perform exercises like the bicycle crunch, alternate twisting situps, decline bench situps and so on. These power exercises are difficult to do, but your abs will react by becoming stronger and hardening. Once you lose a bit of bodyfat, your hard six pack abs will shine through.

It's all very well getting your diet right, eating healthily and losing plenty of bodyfat so your abs are on show, but if you don't workout properly you'll never get flat or hard abs that look as good as the guys in the bodybuilding magazines. David Spencer is a fitness nutcase, and has spent years learning about weight loss and bodybuilding, and he recommends The Truth About Six Pack Abs training program - http://TheTruthAbout6PackAbs.com