How To Get 6 Pack Abs Without Doing 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 sit ups 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 developing 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 sit ups 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 sit ups 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 visible 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.

1. The Side Plank - keep your hips inline, belly button in and maintain this position for as long as possible. Start with 30 secs and increase up to 2 minutes over time. Breathe!

2. The Front Plank - keep your body in a straight line, belly button in and arms at 90 degrees. Start with 30 secs and increase up to 2 minutes over time. Breathe!

3. The Bird Dog - keep your back flat, belly button pulled in, thumb up and out at 45 degrees. Opposite leg goes straight back. Start with 6 reps on each side and work up to 3 sets of 12.

4. The Front Mountain Climber - in a press up position with you back flat and belly button pulled in bring your knee straight up to your chest. Breathe out as you do so and contract your abdominals as if you were being punched in the stomach. Take leg back and repeat. Start with 6 on each side and work up to 3 sets of 12.

5. The Outside Mountain Climber - as above but drop your hips slightly and bring your knee to the outside of your elbow. Squeeze the side of your stomach, your obliques, together as if being folded in half sideways.

6. The Inside Mountain Climber - as with the above mountain climber but bring your knee across and squeeze the side of your stomach muscles (obliques).

Perform all these exercises 3 times a week along with your regular workout for the ultimate strong core and the highly elusive six pack stomach muscles.

Good luck and enjoy your new abs!!

Greg is a health and fitness professional based in Hampstead, North London. He achieves fantastic results for his clients by using his in depth knowledge and the most up to date techniques. http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com

Abs Exercise Machines - Do You Really Need One?

Many people say that abs exercise machines are the quickest, easiest and best way to get six pack abs. In one sense they're right, but in another totally different sense they're wrong. Keep reading and I'll explain why, and also why you don't need abs exercise machines to get the flat abs you want.

First, let's have a look at the different types of abs exercise machines that are available to buy.

1. Crunchers. These are the big odd looking cage type contraptions which you use to help guide you when you're doing crunches. You lie on your back with your head on a small pillow, and rest on your arms on the cruncher's side bars. As your contract your abs, the cage rolls up with your shoulder blades offering them extra support.

These machines (while although they're not technically "machines" in the sense that they have moving parts) are a waste of time. They offer no real benefit other than making you look like you're in an exercise DVD. You can easily perform exactly the same motion without the machine, and it's a lot cheaper!

2. Complicated gym machines. By this I mean the great big chairs, tables and who knows what else that make you feel like you're either going to the dentist, or being abducted by aliens! If you have to strap yourself in, hold on for fear of falling off or contort yourself and spend ages fiddling with various settings, it's not worth it.

There is one decent abs exercise machine in your local gym though, and that's the "Captain's Chair". This is basically a chair without a seat raised into the air. You stand up and grip the "arms" of the chair, brace your back against the chairs back, and then lift your knees to your chest. This exercise can be performed similarly by lying on the floor and raising your knees to your chest, but the Captain's Chair forces you to exert more effort and control over your entire core.

3. Electric ab belts. Have you ever used one of these? I'm talking about the ab belts which you strap around your waist, then plug into the wall. They zap you with small electrical charges for a few seconds, every few seconds. This forces your abdominal muscles to contract and tense. If you leave it on for a week, you should come out with six pack abs.. at least that's the theory.

Some people do have good results with electric ab belts, especially if they have a very busy lifestyle and can't afford 30 minutes a day for a little exercise. But generally the results you'll get from electric ab belts will be cosmetic - you won't see drastic improvements in your overall core strength, and it can be a pain to have to keep moving the electric pads around so you hit all the muscles you should.

4. Fitness wheels. These devices are a little hard to imagine if you haven't seen one already. Basically, it's a wheel with a handle sticking out of the center on either side. This means you can hold both handles and run the wheel along the floor. To use the machine, you lie on your front, putting your body weight on your toes and on your hands (holding onto the wheel). Now by contracting your abs you will pull the wheel towards you, and essentially do an upside down situp. When you release your abs, the wheel rolls away from you and you flatten out.

These machines can be tough to use - it takes a lot of balance and there is a distinct possibility of the wheel running away from you and you injuring yourself.

All in all, while ab exercise machines can be a bit of fun, they shouldn't replace a proper manual ab workout. All you need is a training mat, some floor space, some music if you want it, 30 minutes a day and a bit of elbow grease.

David Spencer is a fitness nutcase. He has spent years learning about exercise and just as long working on his own six pack abs. Getting your own flat abs is not as hard as everyone makes out - visit The Truth About Six Pack Abs to find out exactly how David and hundreds of others got theirs, and how you can get yours.

Why You Should Flatten Your Abs the Healthy Way and Stop Believing Those Fads

Every day, commercials come across the TV advertising products, supplements, and workout regimens that claim to help you flatten your abs quickly. Some of them even promise it within a week’s time. Sadly, many fall for this as they are looking for a quick fix. Don’t be one of them as it can not only be disappointing but dangerous.

Why Is It disappointing?

You put out the money as you look forward to that quick fix. You put your full trust in the makers of that product as you believe in your heart that this is the right thing for you. Following the directions exactly as they are written, you work hard to achieve what you want. Sadly, it did not deliver as promised.

Isn’t that disappointing? Sure it is, and it can also hurt the confidence of some people depending on their personality types. So, to keep yourself from being disappointed, it is beneficial for you to do it the conventional way. Yes, it does call for a bit of work on your part: however, it beats feeling let down as well as losing money.

Why is it dangerous?

Such fads can be dangerous as they’ll require you to do things that your body just isn’t fit to do. Some will even require you to eat less than is healthy for you. You need a certain amount of calories to maintain homeostasis within your body, and if you don’t eat the necessary amount, things can become disastrous.

As you can see, it is beneficial to stay away from all of those fads. When you flatten your abs the more conventional and healthier way, not only will you feel good about yourself because you did a workout, you’ll be treating your body well.

Download your free report today and discover the SHOCKINGLY simple abdominal workouts, exercises and nutritional advice that will shed pounds from your stomach & transform your flabby belly into firm & flat six pack abs

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