How Often Should I Work My Abs?

If you're like me, once you start an exercise routine you want to do it everyday how you can see results as soon as you can. However, this can actually hurt your body more than help it. Your abs are no different than the rest of your muscles - you wouldn't work your biceps or calves everyday, and you shouldn't work your abs everyday either. Your body needs some recovery time in order to grow stronger and change.

To get the best results at the fastest speed, work your abs 3 non-consecutive days a week. For example, do ab exercises on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Make sure to target all of your different ab muscles - the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and internal and external obliques. Some example exercises that target these muscles are the following:

Rectus abdominis - ball crunches
Transverse abdominis - the plank
Internal / External obliques - the bicycle

You should perform 10 - 16 repetitions of each exercise 2 - 3 times, just like any other muscle. Make sure to check your form (making sure you are not using momentum), and you can always increase the difficulty and effectiveness of your workout by slowing the movements down.

You need to be careful not to work your abdominals too much or too frequently, otherwise they will not repair between exercise sessions. It is critical that you let your body heal properly between workouts how you can maximize your muscle gain and minimize the possibility of injuring yourself. Remember, it takes a very long amount of time to recover fully from an injury.

Would you like to know how to take your ab workout to the next step and achieve rock hard six pack abs - this has worked for me and many other people just like you. So check out http://www.lifefitnessblog.com/ and start on the road to a new, sexy you!

http://www.lifefitnessblog.com/

What are Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)?

Today, most new vehicles are equipped with an anti-lock braking system or offer it as an option, and many car shoppers consider anti-lock brakes a must when they make a vehicle purchase. Designed to give the driver control over the vehicle while coming to a rapid stop, anti-lock brakes employ precisely calculated, rapid pumping action to prevent wheels from locking up during a sudden stop. Anti-lock brake technology marks such a significant breakthrough in the automobile industry that in a 2006 report published by www.cars.com, anti-lock braking technology was rated the #1 automobile innovation in recent years and was credited it for paving the way for roll mitigation and stability control technology.

Let us examine for a moment what happens to a vehicle without ABS as sudden pressure is applied to the brake. The wheel is capable of coming to a stop quicker than the vehicle itself, resulting in a skid as the wheel locks but the vehicle continues to move. When a vehicle skids, there is little traction and the driver has minimal or no control over the direction the vehicle will go.

Anti-lock brakes employ computer controlled speed sensors which detect sudden deceleration and activate right before the point when the wheels would otherwise lock up. By rapidly releasing and reapplying pressure to the brake system in quick intervals, the ABS system allows the tires to decelerate at the same rate as the vehicle, preventing skidding and allowing the driver to steer away from obstacles while braking if necessary. Without ABS, a vehicle in the same situation could lose traction, leaving the driver at the mercy of the out of control vehicle and anything in its path.

Several studies have raised doubt regarding whether the presence of ABS actually prevents accidents, and some experts suggest that drivers being unaware of how to correctly utilize the system contributes to the findings. When you rapidly compress the brake pedal in a vehicle with anti-lock brakes, it is normal to feel a pulsing or vibrating from the pedal, and possibly some noise. In vehicles with ABS, brakes should never be pumped with the foot. In an emergency stopping situation, hold constant pressure on the brake pedal while maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel to control the direction of the vehicle, allowing the ABS to do the job for which they are designed.

In purchasing a vehicle with ABS, note that all ABS systems are not the same. While some systems include a speed sensor and valve for each of the four wheels, others may have just one valve and sensor for both rear wheels. Consult the owner's manual for information about the type of ABS system with which a particular vehicle is equipped.

About the Author: Greg Chapman, of Greg Chapman Motors, is a leading provider of used cars in Austin. For more information please visit Greg Chapman Motors.

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

Forget Crunches If You Want Six Pack Abs

That can't be right can it?

Surely if you do nothing else but do ab crunches all day long you'll end up with a stomach like a washboard?

Er, well no, that's not strictly true...

In fact, not only is it possible to get six pack abs without a single crunch, it's also possible that relying on relentless crunching is moving you away from your desired flat stomach!

Ok, before I get carted off by the men in white coats, let me explain. Come to think of it, even if you *did* call the men in white coats, it would be *me* they would agree with!

It's all to do with the physiology, the construction of the body around the abdomen. A six pack is a display of defined abdominal muscles. Crunching is a superb way of strengthening and building these muscles, but it's vital to bear in mind, that if you currently don't have that six pack, your ab muscles will most likely be covered with a layer of fat. It doesn't have to be a rippling spare tire, Homer Simpson style, but there will be a layer of fat covering those muscles.

If you simply concentrate on building the abs, but do nothing about the fat, then as your abs develop, not only will they not be visible, but they will actually be pushing the layer of fat outwards! This is the last thing you want!

The layer of fat is one of the hardest areas to get rid of, so you need to start an all-round fitness regime if you really want a six pack. Try to focus on a good cardio workout, some sort of aerobic type exercise that will get your blood pumping and keep it in your target heart rate zone for at least 30 minutes and do your cardio at least 5 days a week for best results. Brisk walking, jogging, swimming and TaeBo are all good examples of a cardio workout. Gradually, and this won't and cannot happen overnight, as the fat layer disappears, your ab muscles will become closer to the surface, and therefore more visible.

Take it from me, as someone who's done it, the ab muscles get plenty of workout in everyday life, so are often defined enough so that once the fat layer had gone, they give off that familiar six pack look.

So there you are, a simple explanation of biology has got rid of almost any need for those horrible crunches! You may want to do them to buff up your abs once the can be seen, but blimey they are hard enough to do at any time let alone if the effort is just going to waste!

Getting that elusive 6 pack doesn't have to be hard, you just need to know the facts. To learn the best way to get Rock Hard Abs and receive a free copy of the special report "The Stubborn Fat Solution" please visit:http://www.squidoo.com/flatten-your-abs