How To Lose Fat And Get Six Pack Abs - The Smart Way

Millions of people in this world have yet to know the real truth about how to lose fat fast and get six pack abs. So far, the common belief that has been living for a very long time is that fact that doing hundreds of ab crunches and starving yourself to lose weight is the quickest way to get six pack abs.

Well, I am here to say something that will show you if you did believe in what I mentioned above. Hundreds of ab crunches are a complete waste of time and starving yourself is the fastest way to GET FAT!

That's right. Our bodies are designed in such a way that it adapts to any situation as soon as it realizes it. If you begin starving with the intention to lose weight, your body will be triggered into fasting mode which causes your body to start conserving fat so that you can last longer with dropping dead.

Fat is definitely used as energy when starving, but your body becomes very stingy in using up the fat because no additional energy is provided so your body thinks that is all you have to live with. This is the real case behind starving your self to lose weight.

Fortunately, the world has changed greatly in the past decade and so have the facts about obesity and weight loss.

Latest research proves the fact that eating 5-8 short meals a day is the most effective way to lose fat extremely quickly. This accelerates your metabolism and thus, you will be burning fat even while you sleep.

This is the easiest way to lose fat fast although total body strength training workouts too play a major role in shifting your metabolism to super accelerated mode.

The fastest way to get six pack abs is if you lose over all fat in your body. You probably have a six pack that is simply covered with a thick layer of fat.

Even if your abdominal region is not strong, there is a quick fix for this. It is called "Core Training", which means you will be working the entire ab muscles from the inside so it becomes rock hard.

Core Training does not require thousands of reps like ab crunches and is simply a part of the Total Body Workout program. Exercises like; Front Squats, Planks, Stability Ball Crunches, Dumbbell Swings are simple exercises that work your core in the most effective way possible.

I can't remember the last time I did an ab workout because all you need is to strengthen your core using total body exercises that also burn fat from the total body.

Another factor you can consider to lose fat fast is Interval Training. It can be anything from a treadmill to a dumbbell to even your own bodyweight.

Interval Training is the something that got popular in the mid of 2000. It is a simple technique of elevating your heart rate to its maximum level for 30 sec to a minute and then let it rest for another 30 sec or a minute. This cycle is repeated for 6-12 sets and once you are done, your metabolism will be shot through the roof.

All you need is a proper goal, a structured diet and workout plan to make this whole thing extremely simple for you.

Discover the most effectively structured diet and workout plan with a complete detail of every single step to the fastest fat loss experience ever.

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The Best Abs Exercises You Can Do To Get Six Pack Abs

The best abs exercise you can do is one that works the whole of your abdominal section. There is one "all-in-one" abs exercise that does this very well, but if you prefer to do multiple abs exercises, there are several that will work together to give you a full abdominal workout.

Although this is the best abs exercise according to many people, opinions will vary across the board, because of personal preference, different training methods, past experience and the latest research into health and fitness. Try out my best abs exercise described below and see what you think, but do keep your eyes open for more abs exercises. You may find another one that you prefer.

The Best Abs Exercise
 

Lie on your back, cup your hands behind your head for support (don't lift your head or put pressure on your neck), then draw your knees into your chest. That was easy, right?

Now comes the hard part. Extend your right leg, keeping your foot 10-12 inches off the ground. As you do so, perform a crunch and touch your right elbow to your left knee, which should still be up at your chest. That's half a repetition.

To complete the repetition, swap sides. Pull your right leg back into your chest and extend your left leg. At the same time, lower your shoulder blades back to the ground then do another crunch and touch your left elbow to the right knee. That's one whole repetition.

Do 10-15 reps and take a rest, then repeat the whole thing 3 times. Remember that you should be touching your elbows to opposite knees, because it's the twisting that works your obiques. The crunches work your upper abs, and the leg cycling movements work your lower abs. All in all, this is one of the best abs exercises you can do.

Other Best Abs Exercises
 

If you want do several exercises because you don't like that one or you find it a bit tough, here's a few more simple ones.

Crunches: Standard, traditional and the staple diet of most abs workouts. Lie on your back and bend your knees so you can place your feet flat on the floor. Now cup your hands behind your head, contract your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and relax.

Leg raises: Lie on your back and place your hands by your sides, palms down. Cross your ankles, and keeping your legs as straight as you can lift your feet straight up into the air so that they're almost vertical. Hold for 1-2 seconds and relax.

The plank: Lie on your front with your hands on front of your face, palms down. Lift yourself up onto your forearms, so that your weight is spread evenly between your forearms and your toes. Make sure your back and body are in a straight line, and hold that position for 30-60 seconds. Then relax.

The best abs exercise isn't the only thing you need for six pack abs, or even just flat and toned abs. Getting killer abs takes dedication and discipline, but it's not all as hard as you might think. A combination of the right diet, specially designed workouts and the best abs exercises will give you a perfect six pack.

To learn more about the easiest and fastest way to get six pack abs, visit http://TheTruthAbout6PackAbs.com

David Spencer is a fitness and six pack abs nutcase. He's spent years learning about weight loss and improving muscle definition, and working on his own six pack abs. Start your abs workout today, and have your very own six pack abs in no time.

Abdominal Training - ''Abs''

You can work your abs until hell freezes over, but if you still have a layer of fat, or in some cases even a beer belly, you will never be able to see the muscle. So, from a visual sense you must use proper diet & nutrition to actually be able to see your abs, and that is an entirely different article and beyond the scope of this one.

We all have abs, the technical name is Rectus Abdominis. It’s basically the “core” of your body and you could not really function without this muscle. Did I say muscle as in a single muscle? That’s right the Rectus Abdominis is a single muscle (see diagram) that attaches from along the rib cage down to the pelvis bone. However, there are two other muscle groups that complete the abdominals: the Transverse Abdominus, and the External and Internal Obliques, but these two muscles are not the visible portions of the abs that make up the “six pack” that we all desire. The Transverse Abdominus acts as a natural weight belt, keeping your insides in; and the Internal and External Obliques work to rotate the torso, and stabilize the abdomen essential for trunk stability.

Since the Rectus Abdominis is a single muscle it is physiologically impossible to work different parts of the abs. You often hear people say things like “I need to work my lower abs cause they’re lacking”, well they can try as hard as they want but when you train your abs you train the entire muscle. This does not mean you should not incorporate a wide variety of abdominal exercises (crunches, leg raises, trunk rotation, etc.) into your ab training, I just wanted to make the point that you are not going build or develop any one part of your “six pack” with different exercises. Now, remember that the lower area of the abs is a common problem in regards to excess fat storage for most people, especially males. So often the problem is not the abs per se, but extra body fat in that area that is covering the lower portion of the abs, again this requires dietary alterations not specific exercises.

So, you may say “how come I feel it more in my lower abs when I do hanging leg raises?” Well, this is another myth that we call the “I feel it syndrome”, which basically states that because you feel something working in a specific area it will make that area grow more. From a muscle physiology standpoint this is not possible. It’s possible that because of the angle more stress is being applied to a certain area of the muscle, which is often a result of that part of the muscle being stretched more, causing micro trauma in that specific area. However, this means absolutely nothing in regards to muscle growth and development. Do not confuse this with muscle groups that contain separate heads and tendon attachments, in those cases it is possible to stress individual heads to certain degrees, an example would be the deltoids. As far as our abs are concerned it is a single muscle and therefore it will grow as a whole. Think about it this way, if you could stimulate one area of a muscle and make it grow that would imply that you could actually change the shape of a muscle, which we know scientifically, that is not possible.

There are many exercises that can be used for the abs, the easiest and most common is a crunch, which essentially is bringing your hips and rib cage together, no more than just a flex of the mid-section. Do not confuse a crunch with a traditional sit-up; in a crunch you do not lift your lower back off the floor or bench. If you’re a beginner and are training abs for the first time I would recommend that you begin with a simple crunch on a flat surface, and some standing trunk rotation without any weight. Until you build up your abdominal muscles and flexibility do not try any advanced ab exercises such as weighted or incline crunches, or even sit-ups. Doing a sit-up has less of an effect on your abs, and more of an effect on your Iliopsoas or more commonly called the hip flexors. In fact, this is the muscle group that people often mistake for their lower abs because it’s a synergist muscle that helps stabilize the mid-section when working your abs. This is not to say that these synergist muscles are not important and do not need training, I am just pointing out that most likely that is why you think that you “feel it” in your lower abs.

Why is ab training necessary? Weak abs can contribute to lower back problems; the abdominal muscles help to improve the Erector Spinae by improving the mechanical positioning of the pelvis when it’s tilted forward. Also, if the abs are weak the lliopsoas can pull on spine during hip flexor activities causing injury. Weak abs can also be the cause of chronic low back pain, and can be responsible for hyperlordosis. So, no matter what your goals are, general fitness, bodybuilding or even power lifting it’s extremely important to have strong abdominals not just for aesthetic purposes, but functional and injury prevention reasons.

People often ask how often should you work your abs. Well, remember that the abdominals are a muscle and they require recovery just like any other muscle, although they do recover relatively quickly compared to other muscles due to their inherent fiber type. If you’re training your abs from an injury prevention perspective then you could train them 3-4 days per week using light loads, e.g. non-weighted crunches, performing 3-4 sets. However, if your goal is to develop your abs either for bodybuilding or sport performance, then you should only train them 2-3 days per week using more advanced techniques, e.g. weighted incline crunches performing 6-8 sets. As far as when to train the abs, it really does not matter; you could train them at the beginning of your workout if you’re prioritizing them. However if you plan to fatigue them it may be a better idea to work them last. Since the abs play a major role in stabilization it could hinder performance in compound lifts such as squats. An even better idea if feasible for you would be to train them on a day where you work smaller body parts and no compound lifts that involve the entire body.

Following you will find several links to animated pictures of some beginning and advanced abdominal training exercises from www.exrx.net. These are only a few of many exercises that can be used in your abdominal training.

Robert DiMaggio is first and foremost the founder and editor of IronMagazine.com LLC, an online bodybuilding and fitness magazine that has been dedicated to helping people achieve their bodybuilding and fitness goals. IronMagazine.com has been online since 2001 publishing new articles, content and a newsletter every month, along with a growing online community IronMagazine Forums.