How To Get Great Abs - The Plan

Greetings Health and Fitness Individuals,

Fad diets come out all the time. You may have even tried some of them. They have a plan or even a system that if you will just follow it the pounds will fall off and you can get in shape.

Dieting and exercise requires a great deal of commitment. You can't do it alone. Everyone needs help. Tell your family doctor your plan and see what he or she has to say. They read about the diets and medical information often. Your doctor should know if a supplement will harm you or if a diet product will cause more problems than it is worth.

Years ago my back sustained an injury. The doctor I had at the time recommended a series of back exercises I could do to improve my back. He gave me some information to read and exercises to do. They really did help me to improve.

You could have a history of heart problems so you would need a special diet and exercises that would be good for you. Riding a bicycle, walking or running would improve your physical condition.

You don't have to join a gym or buy expensive exercise equipment. Go to your local library and find some books on exercise that you can take home and read. You'd be surprised at what your library has that can help you out.

Here is what you need to really succeed at dieting and exercise. You need a plan, an exercise routine, some goals, self-control and accountability. Make sure you write out your plan and goals. You have to learn to say no. Don't go around where temptation will get the best of you. Stay away from places that provide unhealthy food choices that will put pounds on and fatten you up. Commit your diet and exercise plans to a friend or mentor, someone who can talk to you weekly about the results you are getting. Confession is good for the soul. Everyone fails. Once in awhile you will fall down and goof up. You'll eat the wrong food. You'll forget to exercise. You could even be sick. That's ok. Just pick yourself up and keep going.

Find out from your doctor what your weight should be for your age and height. Now make your plan. Then work your plan. Weigh in at least once a week. Measure your waist line. If you are following a weight lifting program you will need to measure your arms and legs too.

Finding out how to get great abs is very popular among men and women who exercise regularly. Some feel this makes them look sexy and more appealing. The persons who are able to achieve this will physically look good, yet not everyone can get to this level. Some call it a myth. It is true some have a better chance of accomplishing this challenge than others and that is because of their body built. Not all bodies are the same. Some have less muscle and are leaner, whereas others have more bulk and a larger frame.

In closing that are many magazines both online and off line where you can get good advice by experts in health and fitness. That old cliché birds of a feather flock together is true. Make some friends from fellow body builders, health and nutrition types. You can really encourage each other. Let's face it, this isn't going to be easy, but you can make it achievable and fun. The New Year is coming. Make your plans now so at the end of 2008 you can look back and feel good about what you have achieved. Have a great New Year as you find out how to get great abs. Remember it is a process.

For additional information and three other articles with pictures please visit my blog at: http://hottogetgreatabs.blogspot.com/

Author of health and fitness information that improves any person's physical condition.

How to Get Killer Abs Rapidly

The trick to killer abs is presentation. Plain and simple. Many people become confused about this particular body part.. The abdominals are an attractive center piece on a good muscular body. When we decide we want an attractive set of abs too, what do we do? We start training them. We work them and work them and work them until they start getting larger....but there is a problem. If you enlarge the abdominals you are actually doing the opposite of what you really want.

The eye always travels and rests on the abs. This is why abdominals are so popular to train. However, this myth is perpetuated by the fitness industry to help sell more ab machines. The truth is, you don't want big abs. A good muscular body has a nice tight set of abs, yes, but they look good because they are SMALL!!! The eye compares the shoulders and the torso to effectively make a decision on how tight lean and skinny a person is. If you have a thick layer of fat on your torso, and you train your abdominals also, what happens is your torso GROWS the added muscle fiber along with the existing fat makes the torso look bigger not smaller.

Clearly there is a lot of confusion here. Killer abs are a matter of aesthetics and not muscle. You can easily get them to respond with some mild pedestrian resistance training. The key is to reduce your over all body fat. Single digit percentages body fat gives the definition you need to get a killer looking set of abs.

If you would like to get a six pack in 23 days or less, buy The "Abs In 23 Days" training program. You can learn more about this award winning, abdominal pumping, fat stripping product by clicking HERE

Over 40? Reduce Belly Fat And Get 6 Pack Abs

This is not a story of 'washboard' abs. Rather suggestions on ways to achieve great looking abs - firm, maybe even rippled and most importantly well-toned abs - and a trim waistline. All those are achievable, but beware accepting any myths about flat stomachs and spot reduction around the waist. False promises about reducing belly fat are abundant!

First some basics. When you are exercising, you are consuming energy measured in calories. When you consume enough to deplete the available energy, and enough to reduce the sugars that convert easily, the body goes after stored energy. That stored energy is largely in the form of fat deposits in adipose tissue.

That process however takes place non-selectively. It's not your choice which fat deposits the body converts. That would be way too convenient! This means, you can't achieve 'spot reduction' by working on your abs. The effect is still doable, but doing abdominal exercises alone will not target that fat.

By focusing your workout on the abs, you are building strength in that area. This is done by by increasing the muscle mass in those muscles. That's beneficial for a number of reasons:

- It provides for a firm, strong layer of muscle

- This muscle helps keep the stomach and other internal organs well inside the plane defined by your hips.

- You can achieve a reduction in belly fat

- You get a nice lean, trim, flat look...and maybe the start of those 6 pack abs!

The is an additional benefit to abdominal workouts. As the abdominals are proportionately larger muscles, they consume a proportionately larger percentage of energy than, say, your jaw muscles. That means that as you work them, they have to be supplied with more energy to move through the range of the exercise. The benefit is that working this muscle group burns many calories, resulting in weight loss and fat reduction.

Sadly no shortcuts exist. There are no gadgets, supplements or drugs currently on the market that will accomplish this task safely and effectively as a substitute. Real, lasting results are only achieved through proper diet and regular, moderate to heavy exercise. There's no shortcut to a trim waist, at least not yet.

Not to add insult to injury but the effects are also limited by genetics and age. Some folks store more fat around the middle (belly) more readily than others. Gender - read men - obviously makes a difference as well.

Often women in their 40's will naturally develop a pouch in the lower abdomen. This is frequently a result of hormonal changes. Men frequently will naturally develop 'love handles' at the side, since they store fat in adipose tissue there more readily in their 40s than they did in their 20s.

The desired effect is only achieved by working out and approaching muscle fatigue. Performing one hundred crunches will not accomplish that. When performed correctly, 20 proper reps is enough. You don't even have to go to the gym. You can do pelvic tilts while sitting in a chair in the office.

For best effect, warm up by running or briskly walking for 15 minutes and try the following exercise:

Lie on your back, with your knees raised and cross your arms across your chest. Then lift your shoulders off the floor and hold for 30 seconds. You can feel the effect on your abs already. To make the exercise more difficult, put your hands at the side of your head. Don't use your hands to lift your head, just keep them still. For maximum effort, put your hands above your head, then perform the same shoulder lift and hold, focusing on the abs.

This is just one of many exercises designed to get rid of this over 40 belly fat. While wash board six pack abs might not be in reach, a leaner, fitter you certainly is.

The author, R.A. Shore, knows firsthand the benefits of fitness over 40 are weight loss, lower cholesterol, leaner body composition and more energy, to name few. Review real life case studies, find out more about maintaining a health life after age 40 and to listen to a free audioFIT newsletter visit Physical Fitness Articles Make the most of your ab and core exercise head over to Physical Fitness Articles today