The Grand Plan For Those Sexy Abs In 30 Days

Achieving Sexy Abs is something that requires a planned effort. Here is a grand plan that will enable you to do this:

Deciding to lose the excess baggage

It is important for you to have a firm decision to lose your excess fat. This will help you to persevere, until you have reached the leaner body you have always wanted.

Eating a balanced diet

Losing weight does not necessarily mean that you have to miss meals and following fad diets. Eating a healthy and balanced diet is all you need to get that leaner body you have been dreaming about. You have to introduce healthier foods in your body and gradually reduce or eventually phase-out unhealthy foods.

Weight Lifting & Abdominal Training to sculpt your body

Week 1

Start light. Concentrate on taking on a whole body workout per session using lighter weights with up to 8 repetitions/set. Do 3 sets - with 1 exercise per body part, including the abs. Do this 3 times a week.

Week 2

Go with moderate weights. Do whole body workout still with the same repetitions, sets and exercises per body part. The abs should have 3 exercises with 3 sets each at 8 reps/set. Do this 4 times a week.

Week 3

Same set-up with week 2 - Use moderate weights still but there should be an increase in repetitions per set, preferably 12 reps/set. The abs should still have the 3 exercises, 3 sets each at 12 reps/set. Do this 3 to 4 times a week.

Week 4

Continue using moderate weights for a whole body workout per session with up to 12 reps/set - 3 sets - with 2 exercises per body part with limited resting period in between sets. For the abs, do the same for week 3. Do this 3 times a week.

Running towards a leaner body

One of the top activities that people can do to burn fat is running. Compared to any other cardiovascular activities, running can burn more calories per minute.

Running not only helps you lose weight but can also fight aging and generally makes you stay healthy. This exercise are also known to release happy hormones that makes one feel good.

Swimming for a total body workout

When you go for a total body workout, swimming can be one of your choices. This is usually known as a demanding exercise as you have to use all of your major muscle groups. It has different strokes like backstroke, free style, butterfly and breaststroke - which all involves the movement of arms and legs.

Swimming, which helps reduce fat, can also improve your muscles' strength and flexibility, enhance your body figure, your blood circulation, and can take away stress. This is a very good alternative to other fat-burning exercises in your program. Once or twice a week of swimming will be great.

Monitoring your progress·

Once you have achieved the leaner body you wanted, there is a need for you to monitor your weight. You may want to maintain a progress chart so you will have clearer view of your improvement.

You also have to monitor your eating habits, the quality of food you are taking in and the calories you are consuming per meal. Waist measurements are also indicators of any improvement resulting from your efforts. Your physical activities and the total calories burned per session may be recorded as well.

This article is only a part of the many useful information you will find on abdominal training at http://envs.net/abdominal-training Visit the site for more useful information.

Choosing The Best Pilates Abs Exercise DVD's For Your Lower Ab Workouts

There are hundreds of Pilates abs exercise DVD's out in the marketplace. How do you choose?

First, have you tried Pilates? Maybe you've seen Pilates abs exercise DVD's on the shelves of your favorite bookstore, or at your local DVD rental store. Whether you are trying to lose weight, or maintain your fitness during a pregnancy, you are sure to find some Pilates exercise DVD's for your next fitness workout.

The best Pilates abs exercise DVD's are the ones that are performed by a Pilates professional and offer a total body workout. Pilates is for the whole body! Most DVD’s of Pilates mat exercises will present that, but some focus on lower ab workouts. Others may concentrate on legs, arms or butt exercises.

Here are a few examples of Pilates exercise DVD's:

• Mari Winsor: Mari is a commercialized big seller and popular with celebrities. Her DVD's are traditionally based and move at a rapid pace. Her Winsor Pilates DVD's are geared to the established Pilates practitioner and not necessarily for a Pilates beginner. However, her style is easy going and her method of Pilates is more classical and calisthenic.

• Moira Stott Merrithew: Another huge seller. Moira’s DVD's are safe, slow and very well explained. Her pacing is generally slower than a more traditional approach. She has taken the Pilates method and applied current biomechanical knowledge, so you’re in good hands, though may need a cup of coffee to get through.

• Ana Caban: Ana has DVD's distributed through Gaiam. She’s likable and her exercises are easily understood. But I always feel like something is missing. The workouts never feel complete to me. She is knowledgeable and the most pleasant of any you’ll see in any of the Pilates abs exercise DVD's out there. They are a safe choice.

• Romana Kryzanowska: Romana is a legend who actually studied with Joseph Pilates. She teaches the only way she knows how. She does “what Joe taught me”. What you get is the closest thing to what was invented by Pilates himself. Her DVD's are not easy! Even the basic moves might be considered too tough for a Pilates beginner. But it’s pure and fun and in the end, it’s very refreshing!

Beware of Pilates abs exercise DVD's that offer workouts for body parts. Pilates DVD's of lower ab workouts and ab exercises are not complete thoughts. Pilates is a full body workout. Try a few different Pilates abs exercise DVD's. Or better yet, find a qualified instructor in your area and make an appointment.

Susannah Marchese is a certified Pilates fitness instructor and a senior contributing writer to http://www.everything-about-pilates.com/absexercise-dvds.html

Susannah Marchese - http://www.everything-about-pilates.com

Perfects Abs - Three Ab Routines To Show Your Six Pack

Crazy, ripped, hard abs. That's the key to showing an awesome body. If you think that all training is about is making sure your chest is big enough to make your shirt hang out past your stomach then you’re missing the boat. Chiseled abs is awesome abs.

How do you get ripped abs?

It's about diet, cardio and hard ab routines. I'll give you the low down on how to burn in some washboard abs with this killer ab routine and save the diet ramble for another time.

First of all if your not training abs, start. That would be beginner ab routine phase one! Three sets of crunches for 20 reps a set. If that's not a problem then superset each set of crunches with a set of hip roles, followed by a brief 30 second rest to let the burn fizzle a bit.

For hip roles you lie on the ground pushing down with your hands and raise your pelvis off the floor so the tail bone comes right up and squeeze the abs!

Last step in the beginner ab routine is to add in some bridges or "planks" as some "guru's" of fitness have coined them. This is basically a pushup position but you don't rest on your hands, you rest on your forearms and just hold it for 30-60 seconds. Don't let your lower back sag! Keep a slightly inverted c posture like your trying to pull your hips toward your chin.

So here is the ab routine once you are working all exercises together.

Beginner ab routine phase 1:
Crunch x20
Hip roll x20
Bridge for 30-60 seconds
Rest and repeat for 3 circuits or just keep rotating through!

Alright enough of the easy stuff, we're here for some serious abs, killer abs.

Onto Ab Routine 2: The ab killer! I love pet names.

This ab routine will all be done on the decline bench.

The first ab exercise? Decline hip roll/leg raise. Beauty!

Step 1: Put your head where your feet should be

Step 2: grab the bench or the footholds; whichever is more comfortable (not that it will matter in a few minutes)!

Step 3: Stretch out and do a straight-legged leg raises.

Step 4: once at the top of the leg raise turn it into a hip roll so that you point your feet at the ceiling. Hold for a three count and go back down!

Second ab routine exercise:
Incline sit-ups:
Step 1: put your feet in the foot holds (you've turned around!)
Step 2: Lower yourself until you're about a foot short of lying fully back
Step 3: Come back up if you’re still with me!

Third ab routine exercise:
Incline Russian twists (even sounds evil doesn't it?)

Step 1: don't move out of the sit up position. Just grab a medicine ball or a 10- pound weight.

Step 2: straighten fully your arms right to your front and lower yourself to the bottom position of the incline sit up and hold it.

Step 3: Rotate to the right 90 degrees with your arms straight and then back to the left at 90 degrees. That's one rep. You don't come out of the bottom at all! Fun huh?

Here it is ab routine layout:
Leg raise/hip roll x20
Incline sit-ups x20
Russian twists x20 or 40 if you count both sides!

No rest between ab exercises, and only 30-60 seconds rest after completing the tri-set.

Third Ab Routine:
And the grand daddy hardest ab routine ever? For mortals anyway? Because I remember something about homer Simpson and a cannon ball, but I think you need to have access to the applesauce bar for that ab routine to work!

Well let’s call it the "commando cardio ab annihilation" workout. I have to have a fancy name on it or you wouldn't be interested! It involves a pre-stretch, a contraction and a dynamic stabilization (I just made that up, but you get the idea) exercise. Here are the ab routine exercises.

1. Smith machine, Swiss ball hip rolls
2. Partner resisted Swiss ball crunches
3. Swiss ball rollouts
4. Profuse sweating and clutching of the stomach.

Ab routine exercise 1: Smith machine, Swiss ball hip rolls:

1.Set the bar low in the smith machine, just below the top of the Swiss ball.

2. Sit on the ball and roll out so that you have to reach back and grab the bar as you lie on the ball. You should be about 2-3 feet away, stabilizing your self by holding the bar and flexing everything!

3. Using only your abs, stretch your pelvis down as low as it will go and then do a hip roll. Legs straight is the hardest.

Ab routine exercise 2: Partner resisted Swiss ball crunches.

1. It’s a normal Swiss ball ab crunch but your arms are crossed across your chest and your "friend" pushes down on your shoulders to apply resistance. That's it,..ahem.

Ab routine exercise 3: Swiss ball rollouts.

1. Kneel on a pad with legs crossed ball in front of you not on the pad.

2. Your hands are on the ball so it now looks like your praying?

3. Roll the ball out until your straight as a board with your head between your arms and pull it back in.

4. Profuse sweating and clutching of the stomach. This should come naturally.

In an ab routine all together?

Smith machine/Swiss ball hip rolls x20

Partner resisted Swiss ball crunches x20

Swiss ball rolloutsx20

Rest 30-60 seconds after each tri-set circuit or continue right through if you're a freak of nature or slightly "touched". I've never gotten 20 on all ab exercises on all three sets in a continuous circuit, let me know if you do!

I'll have to buckle down!

Ray Burton is a motivational speaker, an ISSA-certified personal trainer, philanthropist, and author of the best selling weight loss book, "Fat To Fit - The Journey” Ray has written hundreds of articles and been featured in Rising Women, The Calgary Sun, and www.Crosstrainer.ca

For info on Ray's book, visit the home page at: http://www.FatToFitBook.com. To get Ray’s FREE weight loss tips newsletter visit his weight loss website.