Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Ripped Abs - 3 Exercises To Get Them Fast



Getting RIPPED ABS fast is easier than you think because instead of the typical ab routines that we see so often with crunches, sit-ups, leg lifts, etc... there are better options for metabolism-boosting high intensity workouts that work your entire body while also working your abs.

I will illustrate for you some great "ab workouts" to give you super ripped abs that doesn't include any direct "ab exercises" at all. It's in a three-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises) which results in nice abs after following these ab workouts.

Here goes:

1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows
2a. Front Squats with Barbell
3a. Mountain Climbers on Floor

A good repetition scheme to employ here could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less repetitions, such as 5 sets of 5 repetitions of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".

Exercise Descriptions:

1a. Ripped Abs Renegade Dumbbell Rows

These are done starting in a push-up position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area, thereby working those abs incredibly hard. You'll feel it in the abs and definitely be pleased with the results once you begin seeing those ripped abs!

2a.Ripped Abs Front Squats with Barbell

For another great exercise to really get those abs ripped and looking nice, here goes. Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body.

This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form, never at the first try, go it alone. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time all the time, giving that perfect ripped abs effect overtime.

3a.Ripped Abs Mountain Climbers on Floor
Mountain climbers are done by starting in a push-up position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor, great fun and hey it may help improve your dancing too. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.This gives a great workout to the abs and you should start seeing that effect almost immediately.

After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating as it's unwise to rush into any exercise.

This will give you one of the best ab workouts you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises. Try it and you will see and feel the effects immediately!

These are just a sampling of some of the killer ideas and exercises to give nice abs which you'll discover if you grab a copy of this great ebook at http://ripped-abs-workouts.blogspot.com on getting awesome ripped abs. Not only will you receive a complete blue-print for challenging full-body and ab workouts that will thoroughly define your entire body in addition to your abs but you'll also gain a thorough understanding of what types of nutritional strategies and other lifestyle aspects that it takes to really see visibly ripped abs.

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

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

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

How To Get Ripped Abs - 11 Tips To Ripped Abs



Everybody seems to want to know how to get ripped abs. I've found that most people believe that getting ripped, protruding abs involves doing hundreds of stomach crunches and situps frequently. They believe that doing so will burn fat off of their stomach area, exposing their abs.

I used to believe this same thing, and it was getting me nowhere. After some research and trial and error experimentation, I discovered the truth about how to get ripped abs.

First off, you will never have visible, six-pack abs if you have a layer of fat covering your abdominal area. To get ripped abs, your primary goal should be fat loss. Even if you have an incredibly strong core of abdominal muscles, if it is covered by fat you will never see them. This idea is key in order to understand how to get ripped abs.

Second, the idea that doing countless stomach crunches to burn fat is a myth. You cannot spot-reduce fat from a single area of your body by targeting it. Body fat is lost evenly across your body when you combine a solid exercise and nutritional program. I make sure I strongly emphasize this idea when telling people how to get ripped abs, because so many believe that stomach fat is lost through abdominal crunches and situps. Not true!

In order to be able to start seeing your abs, you must lose body fat. This is accomplished through strict nutrition and a consistent exercise regimen.

Because everybody is different, no single nutritional program will work for everyone, but in order to get ripped abs keep a few things in mind:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours

2. Eat around 1 gram of lean protein per pound of body weight with every meal. Lean proteins include, but are not limited to: tuna fish, low/nonfat dairy products, chicken breast, whey protein powder, shrimp and other fish, etc.

3. Drink 16-20 ounces or more of water with every meal.

4. If you are sensitive to fat gain, you are most likely carbohydrate-sensitive. This does NOT mean you should remove carbohydrates from your diet, but rather limit them to a lower percentage of daily intake, and eat less of them at later hours of the evening.

5. Eat lots of vegetables.

6. Limited saturated fats and avoid trans fats at all costs.

7. Determine your basal metabolic rate and consume less calories than you burn.

Nutrition is an extremely vital aspect of understanding how to get ripped abs. However, it is not the only aspect. Weight training and cardiovascular exercise also play a big role in getting ripped abs. Here are a few tips:

1. To lose fat efficiently without losing muscle mass, choose high intensity cardio over long duration cardio. This will enable you to shed fat while retaining your ab muscles (and every other muscle for that matter), a huge factor in understanding how to get ripped abs !

2. Perform high intensity cardio at least 3 times per week. If you hit a fat loss plateau, experiment with increasing the duration and/or intensity of your sessions or adding another session.

3. Targeted abdominal exercises should be performed 2-3 times per week at the most. Other compound exercises, such as barbell squats and deadlifts, work the abdominal region as well, so keep this in mind before making the mistake of doing ab crunches every day.

4. There are hundreds of ab exercises. I've found that decline situps and decline crunches work particularly well in developing the abdominal region, especially once you start adding weight. Simple floor crunches are also very effective for the beginner.

Put these ideas into action including a good nutrition and exercise routine and you will see results!

If you would like to know more about how to get ripped abs, including:

- More detailed nutrition info you'll need to get ripped abs
 

- Weight training articles
 

- A FREE ebook about fat loss
 

- How to customize your own routine

then CLICK HERE to visit my fitness page!

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