Crunch Away Pounds - The Abs Diet Plan

Since there are so many diets out there, after a while the seasoned dieter thinks there can't possibly be a new option. Before long, you've tried every major dieting plan, and you know the effects that each has on your body. You're left thinking there couldn't possibly be something new to learn, which is where the abs diet plan comes in. Although the concept of losing weight through exercise is old hat, the abs diet plan offers a new take, with no "magic pills" in sight!

Essentially, the abs diet contends that the body uses energy on a regular basis simply keeping its muscles and internal organs in good working order. So, each time you add to your muscle mass, this necessitates that your body expend more energy. Instead of cutting back on your daily food intake to lose weight, the abs diet plan simply asks you to increase your energy level, what they call the "energy bill," above the normal level. Then, the calories your body would normally store as fat are absorbed by the extra muscle mass. This also requires the body to burn the fat already on hand to keep up with the demand for energy.

For each pound of extra muscle you add, the body burns 50 additional calories per day. So you do the math: 10 additional pounds of muscle = 500 calories of your daily intake, every single day, which translates into losing 1 pound per week. Notice also that this diet works on a "snowball" effect: the more you exercise, the more muscle tone you add, the faster you lose weight. With the extra muscle tone and shy those extra pounds, you are then able to exercise harder and lose even more weight! Once the "snowball" gets rolling, it can turn into an avalanche with minimal additional output.

As far as food intake, you are able to eat 12 nutrient-rich "power" foods, which provide all necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber for your 6-week diet. These 12 foods include: beans and peas, spinach (and a few other green veggies), almonds, instant hot oat cereal, wholegrain breads and cereals, berries, eggs, low-fat dairy products, lean meats like turkey, peanut butter, olive oil, and protein powder. Unfortunately, all other foods must not just be "avoided" the way you might normally "avoid" fast food (except for that once a week trip to McDonald's) but shunned during the diet.

Although it may seem difficult to sign on for this diet for the long-haul, especially if 6 weeks sounds like a long time to you, the required exercises should make a huge difference. You will not only lose weight, but you will also be sporting some firm abs - maybe even your first six-pack - and a generally well-toned body. Since part of the fat is replaced by muscle, even if you feel like you're not losing weight, you should at least be replacing fat with muscle. And you should be rid of up to 12 pounds in the first two weeks of the abs diet plan!

Abby is a weight loss author for BestDietPillsOnline.org. For more information about the best diet pills on the market today please check us out. We have reviewed the top weight loss pills like Proactol and many more.

What Is The Single Biggest Mistake Made In Abs Training?

This may not be what you think it is. The biggest mistake people make is not dealing with fat as a whole. They spend hours doing reps and crunches. All too quickly they get burnt out and as a consequence lose motivation. The mistakes they are making, is trying to get those abs to be exposed without dealing with weight and fat loss as a whole.

You cannot isolate fat as such. You need to understand what is taking place in your body. Why the fat is happening. You need to approach the problem with the big picture in mind. Overall fat loss will result in a flat stomach period. It will also result in better health, improved energy and glowing skin.

What you need to do is design a work out program that will work for you. You will need information on diet, nutrition and exercise programs. You will have to start reading the labels relative to the food you purchase. You will need to understand what is involved in those ingredients and how it affects the human body.

You will have to take a step back and observe what is taking place in your daily life. You will need to openly discuss what you are doing with your loved ones. They need to know what you are doing so all of you can work together to understand what is at stake.

Your success is directly related to your own understanding. When you understand yourself you will be able to see clearly why you have belly fat, through this understanding no one will have to tell you what to do, you will automatically do it for yourself. Simply put you will understand the problem directly as it relates to you and what you do from day to day.

To learn more on how to lose abdominal fat select one of the links below. You will also get a Free Bonus ebook - "Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body".

Finally The Right Way To Lose Belly Fat - starting today! You can also learn how to get Six Pack Abs. Do You Know The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat?

Washboard Abs and Bikinis By Summer? Start Now

People make the commitment to get into shape and lose weight for many reasons. On top of that list of reasons, whether admitted or not, is looking good naked. For women that means being trim and tight. For guys, it means the long sought after washboard abs.

Everyone wants to look good, and that is a great motivator. However, there is a trend that I see every year. This trend tends to leave people looking the same year after year.

So what is this trend that keeps people from looking great, or having the washboard abs? Procrastination, plain and simple.

That is right, procrastination. And the bigger problem is that the world of fitness and fat loss business is all too eager to capitalize. How many articles, ads, and products get launched a month or so from Summer? The number is astounding.

The problem with this is that people start grabbing these products and programs by the truckloads, and in the process generate a lot of sales for the fitness industry, but ultimately fail to achieve their desired success. And this happens year after year.

It is easy to get caught up in the frenzy to look good by Summer, but it is not reasonable to expect to get the body you want in such a small amount of time. This leads to feelings of failure and loss of momentum. Add to that, most of the programs that people start in the rush to Summer are of the fad variety and give quick fixes, and tend to be unsustainable over the long run.

Fitness is all about the long run, the marathon if you will, not the sprint.

Well, here it is, the last official day of Summer 2007, but the year is unimportant. You can read this anytime. I am calling everyone to task. The time to start your Summer fitness and fat loss programs is now. You can look great in your bikini or be the envy of people everywhere with your new washboard abs by Summer, but you have to start now.

So, what to do? A running start to build momentum. First, start moving, anything at first above and beyond your normal routine. Maybe walking or light weight training. Second, start consuming less food than normal, and try to make the healthiest choices possible. This is your running start.

Now that you have made a running start, meaning that you are just making minor changes at first, it is time to develop your strategy. The internet is great in this case. Start reviewing plans. Go to Amazon.com or some of the fitness sites and read reviews on books and products. Research, research, and research some more. The key here is to find the solid programs that fit your needs and to avoid the fads. Since you already have added some extra movement into your day and changed up your eating habits a bit, you can take your time and research well.

After a week or two of research, you should have found a system of eating and exercise that compliments your goals and lifestyle. I will avoid trying to steer you here as the number of systems is staggering. Find what is right for you and stick with it.

By starting this far out, you will see progress. The progress will in turn create momentum and motivation. You can have your body by Summer, and the added bonus is you have started a fitness habit that will hopefully be with you for a lifetime.

So, get with it! Don't wait until the month before Summer. Get off of the failed fat loss and fitness treadmill. You will thank yourself for starting now when you show off your washboard stomach or buy your bikini next year.

Want to see some great programs to help you get ready for Summer? Go to "Fat Loss Secrets Made Simple!" to see reviews of some great fitness and Weight loss programs.

Eban Crawford is a professional podcaster and internet marketer. His podcast, Reaching for Lucidity, started in 2005, was signed to the Podshow Network in early 2006 and is one of the pioneering music shows in the burgeoning podcast world.

Nice Abs - Some Great Ways to Get a Stellar Midsection

Just about everyone wants to have nice abs that make them look great. Unfortunately many people try to get nice abs by doing all the wrong things! If you make some of the mistakes that are discussed in this article it is likely that you will never get a solid six pack.

Mistake #1: Trying to do too many crunches to lose stomach fat

If only doing lots of crunches worked for carving out a solid set of abs. If doing a few hundred crunches was all it took to lose body fat then everyone walking around would not have any excess fat. Doing lots of crunches and other ab exercises do not help you get nice abs simply because they do not help you lose the fat that covers them up!

Ab exercises simply do not burn enough calories or stimulate the body's metabolism enough to get down to 8-10% body fat for a man and 15-20% if you are a woman. The only way doing lots of crunches will help is if you are already down to a very low body fat percentage and want to increase the "toned" look of your abs. If you cannot see your abs at all then it simply means that is too much body fat covering them up!

That means that the main focus of your diet and workout regimen should be to lose body fat. Doing endless amounts of ab exercises just won't help do that.

Mistake #2: Not keeping a food log

Since you know that getting a nice set of six pack abs all depends on having low enough levels of body fat, you should know that the next step is to pay attention to the most important part of the whole process: how many calories you are taking in.

If you have excess body fat that you can't seem to get rid of, then you absolutely have to understand that it is simply the result of taking in too many calories. Its not from poor genetics or some other physical disorder, it just comes down to consuming too many calories. The fitness models who have the sexiest abs of anyone will be the first to tell you they got that way by being extremely careful about what they eat. The absolute best indication you can use for figuring this out is to keep a food log of what you are eating. You will be amazed at the perspective you will gain about your eating habits from keeping a food log.

Since getting nice abs and a lean midsection is all about losing body fat, and losing body fat is all about taking in less calories or burning more with exercise, then a food log to track yourself is an absolute must.

Mistake #3: Not lifting weights

This will seem counterintuitive to some, but lifting weights is an excellent way to lose more body fat. Resistance training will give you more lean muscle mass that will have a dramatic impact with increasing your resting metabolism.

This means that you are burning more calories because muscle is very active tissue. If you are not strength training then you are missing a huge opportunity to burn more calories. It has been said that each extra pound of muscle mass burns an extra 60 calories per day. If you gain even 3 lbs of lean muscle tissue, you will burn an extra 180 calories each day! That is much more than a simple ab workout will burn.

Conclusion

Getting nice abs does not have to be a big struggle in which you are constantly playing the guessing game. You simply need to eat the right foods at the right time while tracking your calories.

You can use a regular notebook or an online food log if you want more detail. If you focus more on strength training your whole body instead of just doing ab workouts then you will get stronger and increase your metabolic rate. Now take action right away and start developing those nice abs to show off!

Are you not getting the results you want with diet and exercise? If so, there is good news for you. My name it Tom Gifford, Certified Personal Trainer, and I would like to extend to you a personal invitation to stop by my website at http://www.thegreatcardiomyth.com and check out the first two chapters of my brand new book! You will get lots of great tips you can start implementing immediately. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Six Minute Abs

Six minutes out of your day. All you need is a level floor.

Start this torture session just as the end credits begin to roll. A few Sprint, Bell Atlantic, and Burger King commercials later, Jerry should be starting in with the monologue that kicks off the ensuing episode. And by then, your midsection should be burning like charcoal.

Contrary to what many believe, Abdominal workouts do not need to be done in the gym. Your abs don’t need to be tormented through the hi-tech apparatuses or by the squeaky cable machines. In fact, the best abdominal workouts you can possibly get are right in your own home.

However, the key to making your self-crafted ab workout turn your jelly belly into a blazing six-pack is the big ‘V’. Variation.

Blending a number of different motions and exercises with all sorts of variations in motion, speed, and resistance can shock your midsection into the Ripped Abs you desire.

First, wear light clothing that will make you more agile, allowing your movements to be steady and flowing.

Plop down on the floor and take a deep breath. Prepare yourself mentally. This ab workout will consist of one long, continuous set with no breaks in between various movements. Maintaining constant strain on your abs is the key here.

Start with basic crunches. You can either place your hands behind your head or leave them by your sides. However, do not pull your head up with your hands. Bend your knees so that your feet remain flat on the floor. Slowly allow your shoulders to raise off the floor without using your back whatsoever. Begin with 50 slow, strict repetitions before adding in a twist.

A Russian twist, that is. Raising your shoulders off the ground, slowly twist your torso from side to side. You want your right elbow turning toward your left knee and your left elbow twisting toward your right knee. These will seriously burn so try 20 of these with a strict form.

Jump right into leg raises. Extend your legs in front of you, making sure that your feet do not touch the floor. You want to start with them together, about six inches off the floor, before raising them so that your legs form a 45-degree angle. Feel your rectus abdominis tear throughout the 25 repetitions that you crank out.

Whip right back into a set of crunches. Except this time, try them with your legs straight, extended flat out across the floor. While you’re doing these crunches, pretend that an imaginary string is pulling your upper torso off the floor. Make the 50 repetitions flow while the abs grind.

Without hesitation, fling your legs into the air and take on a set of pikes. Your arms are out straight, pointing toward the floor, as you raise your shoulders in an attempt to touch your toes. All the while, your buttocks are lifting slightly off the floor. As you lower your shoulders to the floor, your legs come down again, into a bend position on the floor. No sooner do they touch that you’re beginning the next repetition and the motion flows through 25 agonizing reps.

On the last rep, leave your legs straight up in the air so your toes are pointing toward the ceiling. Crank out 30 crunches to intensify the burn. If you face difficulty in maintaining that 90-degree angle at your hips, slightly lower your legs to the floor.

Then, cut through those abs with some scissors. Lower your legs so that they’re 12 inches off the floor and lock your arms behind your head. Lifting your right shoulder off the floor, twist your torso just as your opposite leg – or left knee – bend into your right elbow. Immediately lower your knee and shoulder and then twist your left elbow toward your right knee. Try doing 25 of these before lowering your shoulders to the mat for the final exercise of the workout.

This will be another set of 50 basic crunches, just like the set that you began the workout with. Exercise slow, strict reps as the burn spreads like wild fire.

The final rep will leave you feeling like you narrowly escape a blazing building in once piece.

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Ace Abs Without Crunches, Cradles, Or Sit-ups!

I know what many of you are thinking reading the title of this article. I also thought the same once. It cannot be done! Attaining a stronger, visible, set of abdominal muscles has always been a common goal in people’s fitness training programmes and yet, paradoxically, many (most) of these people never actually achieve this goal.

Being involved in the fitness industry I see the same problem over and over again. The problem can be spelled out like this.

M-A-C-H-I-N-E-S!

Now, while there is nothing innately wrong with abdominal equipment, it does bring with it a whole host of potential problems. One of the most prominent is that people simply do not use the equipment correctly. Another is that they erroneously believe that somehow the machine will do half the job for them!

A third problem is that to some extent abdominal cradles, and the assortment of similar cradle designs, are essentially lifting your head for you thus eliminating the need for that much effort.

There is a way to work the abdominal region however that requires little movement, but that is highly effective, as the emphasis is purely on you to put in the effort without a machine in sight!

This method involves the use of deep focused breathing whilst squeezing (with varying degrees of intensity) your abdominal muscle. To some it seems too simple and yet, performed daily and with gusto, it is a wonderfully natural and invigorating exercise that promotes tighter abdominals and, as an added bonus, aids in strengthening the internal organs.

Try the basic exercise below each day for the next week and feel the benefits.

1. Stand (or sit) comfortably.

2. Inhale into your belly (not your chest) and feel it expand.

3. Once full with air, being your exhale, and squeeze your abdominals at the same time.

4. Do not rush this exhalation. It should be smooth with no impediments. A good way to perform this exhale is through pursed lips.

5. Repeat at least ten times.

Note – Do not squeeze and try to force the air out while holding the breath. Breathing exercises such as this may be dangerous. Ideally, perform where fresh air is circulating. Having experienced this you should be feeling great! Your abdominals will have been exercised, you will have breathed deeply, and energised yourself in as little as ten breaths!

It is worth saying that you should not utilise one hundred percent muscular contraction in your first attempts at working your midsection this way. It may lead to injury. Instead, focus on incrementally adding tension as you become more proficient at it.

There are many other methods for working the midsection that one can do without machine based, or standard movements, but as a start the above exercise should provide you with food for thought on how one can get a great core workout in without having to wait in line at the gym for the abdominal cradles to be free!

Have at it!

Tim Webb is a fitness instructor, Ju Jutsu instructor and competitor. He specialises in easily accessible deep breathing exercises that combine breath and mind together. His site http://www.breathforsuccess.com/ offers a product that provides deep breathing exercises for invigorating yourself, relaxing, and highlights how your breath can be tied in with your goals to move you towards them in record time!