30
July

Abdominal Exercise And Weight Loss

Abdominal Exercise

When most people start on a weight-loss regime the first thing they wish to attack is their waistline. They start off with visions of turning a beer gut into an abdominal six-pack. After a few weeks of strenuous exercise nothing appears to happen and soon they lose confidence and give up.

This article is designed to explain, in laymen’s terms, why this happens and why you may be using the wrong exercises, or possibly the right exercises at the wrong time. Either way you are doing yourself no favors.

Never give up because only losers quit. We’ve all heard the old saying: “The height of stupidity is to repeat the same thing and expect a different result.” If it isn’t working you try a different routine and you keep doing that until you find the routine that does work, that is the way of winners.

Why These Exercises do not Reduce Waist

The first thing you must accept is that all abdominal exercises only strengthen abdominal muscles, if those muscles are covered by a layer of fat when you start they will still be covered by the same layer of fat when you finish. You will have stronger abdominal muscles but you will not look any different. Therefore your attempt to create figure from fat will have failed. The secret to making these abdominal exercises work is to lose fat first. You lose fat by diet and aerobic exercise, by burning more calories than you take in with food. When you have reduced your waistline to a more natural size you can then take up abdominal exercises and start working on that perfect six-pack.

Weight Loss

In a nutshell you need to reduce your calorie intake and burn some calories off by using light exercise. Losing weight can only be achieved by eating less and moving more. Forget the complicated scientific formulae, it all boils down to eating less and moving more.

Exercise Wisdom

Conventional wisdom claims that you need to exercise for 30-minutes each day and that this demand can be broken down to six five minute sessions or three ten minute sessions, whichever suits you best. You can carry out aerobic exercise using simple methods like parking your car as far from the store as possible and forcing yourself to walk further. Maybe walking up the stairs instead of using the escalator, any small act of this nature that adds to your normal exercise output is aerobic exercise and burns calories.

Eating habits

Furthermore it makes sense to eat five or six meals each day rather than two or three. Why? Because you will eat smaller meals and it is better for your metabolism to deal with smaller meals rather than large meals. You can also eat between these meals providing you restrict it to a piece of fruit or a raw carrot. Dieting doesn’t have to be hard it has to be sensible.

Your brain doesn’t get the message that your stomach is full for at least twenty minutes after it is full. How often have you eaten way beyond the capacity that is required simply because the message hasn’t got through?

Conclusion

There is no point in attempting abdominal exercises while you still have a layer of fat and expecting a figure improvement. Muscle building and weight loss are separate subjects that should be approached individually if you are to get the best results.

This article is (c) Copyright David McCarthy 2005 and may be reproduced in its entirety with no additions.

30
July

Lower Abdominal Exercises

Cub Crunches:  Building Abdominals

An important and sometimes neglected step in abdominal exercise routines is isolating particular muscles within the abdominal group. One such set of muscles which needs isolation in order to be exercised properly are the muscles in the lower abdominal. There are a number of abdominal exercises which isolate and work these muscles. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Crunchless Crunch

This first exercise is fairly simple but can also be fairly difficult. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your abdominal or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.

Alternating Toe Touch

You will need to lie on a flat surface for this abdominal exercise. The floor works best, using a mat or towel to cushion the spine. Lie on the floor and put your feet up in the air. Extend your right arm and use your lower abdominals to lift your shoulders off the floor. Touch your left toes with your right hand, then lower yourself back down. Switch hands and repeat. Keep your knees straight throughout and maintain a space between your chin and chest.

Sit-Up Hold

While you are still on the floor, try this abdominal exercise. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor and position your hands behind your head. Keep your elbows back so you cannot see them– do not put them alongside your head. Use your lower abdominals to lift your shoulders off the floor. Hold for ten seconds. You may increase the number of seconds you hold as it gets easier. Be sure to lift with your abdominals and not with your arms or neck.

Lower Back Flatten

This abdominal exercise is a good natural progression from the sit-up hold, as it starts from the same basic position: lying down, knees bent, feet flat. You may have noticed when you did the previous exercise that there is a natural space between your lower back and the floor, created by the curve of your spine. In this exercise, you want to use your lower abdominals to push your lower back toward the floor and eliminate this space. Try to focus on pushing with only your lower abdominals and not your legs. Your pelvis will rotate slightly, which is fine so long as the lower abdominals are doing the work. Once you have got your back flat to the floor, hold the contraction for ten seconds. Again, you should continue to build on this time as your abdominal muscles gain strength and

24
July

Best abdominal exercises – Part 2

PILATES ROLLOVER

Your abdominal muscles make up the core of your body. The core of your body helps you in many athletic activities, and a toned stomach doesn’t look too bad either. Of course, there are several different exercises out there that are extolled for doing wonders for your abs, but which ones are the best? Here are the best abdominal exercises for you: Doing crunches has been proven to work your upper abdominal muscles when done properly. In theory, crunches are quite simple: lie on the floor, bend your knees so that your feet lay flat, cross your arms over your chest, and push your upper body towards your legs. You do not have to go very far to feel this stretch; you only need to push up enough to feel a strain on your abdomen. The best criteria for this is to make sure that your shoulders are lifted off the floor; it may not seem like much of a stretch, but a set of sixty properly-done crunches will work your upper abdominal muscles a substantial amount. It is imperative that you keep your arms crossed over your chest and not behind your head, as this can injure your neck.

Sit-ups are useful for working your entire core. Many people use the terms “sit-up” and “crunch” almost interchangeably, but they are two different exercises. For a sit-up, start in the same position as you would for a crunch, but decrease the bend in your knees. When you move your upper body towards your legs, push your legs up towards your head. A good way to ensure this is to imagine trying to touch your legs with your head. If you find a set of sixty sit-ups to be relatively easy, try holding a medicine ball over your chest to increase the lifted weight. To further increase the difficulty, try twisting your upper body to the left and right after pushing it up as high as it can go. This keeps your core working for a longer amount of time, putting more strain on it.

Running is another effective core exercise that comes as a surprise to many. The key to working your abs while running is to use a proper running form. To achieve this, stand up as straight as possible, keep you hips angled vertically, and keep your arms moving up and down while you run. Your abdominal muscles will be supporting your body for the whole three, four, or five miles that you run, and you will definitely feel the strain on them.

Hanging leg raises require a pull-up bar, so you’ll probably need to get to a gym to do them. But it is definitely worth the trip. The hanging leg raise intensely strengthens your lower core as well as other muscles in your body, and it is an exercise that is difficult even for experienced body builders. To start, hang on a pull-up bar with your hands shoulder width apart, and keep a slight bend in your knees. All you have to do now is move your pelvis forward, or lift your legs as high as they can go. This exercise is designed to focus on working your lower abdominal muscles. Make sure that you don’t swing when you lift your legs up and lower them, as this will result in an injury of the lower back.

As you strengthen your core, you will feel stronger, athletic activity will become easier for you, and your overall fitness will improve dramatically. By using these exercises, you can be on your way to achieving core in a matter of weeks!

8
July

Six Pack Abs- Your Six Pack Abs

Best-Abs-Diet back legs to side 4

I would have to say one of the most popular requests amongst people in the gym is to get 6 pack abdominals.Without question, getting this difficult goal not only takes hard work, but also shows that you know what you are doing in the gym.

Discovering how to attain six pack abs is definitely not a “walk in the park” but it’s also not the hardest, as long as you follow the right path.

So, what should you be doing to get results?

Concentrate on your diet. Without a strict diet, six pack abs will never happen for you. One thing you must realize is that while exercise is important, it’s only going to take you so far.

No matter how many crunches or sit-up variations you perform, if you’ve got a load of fat covering your stomach, your muscles are not going to be seen.

Concentrate on consuming adequate amounts of protein to keep your appetite under control, supplemented with healthy fats for satiety and fruits and veggies for energy.

It is important, however, that you are running a calorie deficit, because regardless of the food you eat, if you are consuming more than you burn off that day, you aren’t going to lose weight.

Next up on your quest for six pack abs, you need to make sure you change up the exercises you perform on a regular basis.

While it’s o.k. if you have exercises that you generally like to perform try and alternate between at least a few from week to week.

The main reason for this is because your abdominal muscles adapt to change very quickly. As soon as they are finished adapting, you are going to stop seeing results – this is the truth about six pack abs.

By keeping them guessing , you keep the results coming as well. Don’t make the mistake of doing the same boring workout, day in, day out.

Get your cardio in check Step three for getting a nicely chiseled stomach is performing cardio properly. This isn’t to say you should run out and start doing hours upon hours on the treadmill. We aren’t aiming to turn you into a hamster here.

All you really need is a several sessions of cardio work a week. What’s high quality? Sprint sessions. Skipping. Hill running. Anything your body is not efficient at.

Yes, these exercises are going to be much more intense than walking along at a moderate pace while you read the fitness magazine of the week, but trust me, you will get results a thousand times faster.

Get that intensity up for thirty to forty seconds and then back it down again for another minute. Repeat this process eight to ten times and you’ll have a workout that’ll shed that body fat in no time.

So, next time you’re admiring your physique in the mirror and are still longing for a better mid-section, take these three factors into consideration and you’ll discover this is the truth about six pack abs.

6
July

How To Get Flat Tummy And Six Pack Abs

Best-Abs-Diet arms legs angle stretch

So you are sick of your big tummy and want to get that awesome flat 6 pack abs. You have diligently been doing hundreds of sit ups and crunches every day so that you can own a flat tummy with defined abs muscles and yet that six pack remained elusive. You are now on the verge of giving up. Why is that so?

Well, if it is any consolation at all, you are not alone. The irony is that your abs muscle is one of the easiest muscles to build and yet most people have difficulty in developing that 6 pack abs.

Here is the simple truth. The only reason is that your tummy fat is covering your abs muscles. Period! Your six abs will not show up if you have a body fat ratio of more than 12%. If you want rock hard and defined abs muscles to show, your body fat ratio percentage must be in a single digit.

The more tummy fat you burn off, the more defined your abs will be. So if you have tummy fat, then forget about abdominal exercises and start working off the belly fat first.

That said, there is another reason why your abs are not showing up even though you have low body fat percentage. Again, there is a simple explanation is that you are doing the wrong exercises and working out in bad form.

Don’t believe me? Ok, then let us take a look at some of the more common abs exercises, the sit up and the leg raisers. Everyone seems to be executing these two supposedly abdominal exercises not knowing that these exercises are really inferior exercises.

Oops. I see incredulous look on some of your faces. Ok, try this then. When you do your sit up or leg raisers, place your palms on your hip area connecting to your thigh and perform the exercises. Tell me what do you feel? Ahhh, see what I mean? Those muscles there are doing most of the work. Those are your hip flexor muscles. Since your hip flexors are doing most of the work, how can you develop your abs effectively?

So you say, from now on I will do crunches instead. Well, I have another surprise for you. Most people perform their crunches wrongly too. Think about it. Why is this exercise called “the crunch”? It is because you must squeeze your abs and contract hard so that you are crunching them. Not just crunching up and down like a worm in spasm.

In order to squeeze your abs hard, you have to curl up like a prawn and breath out all the air in your lungs at the top position and then squeeeeeeeze the muscles so hard that you feel a burn. That will take a few seconds to crunch out all the air before you lower to the start position again. So, if you have been doing hundreds of crunches everyday with little result to show, now you know why.

In fact, it is almost impossible for the average guy to do tens of properly performed crunches and not to say hundreds of them. The same squeezing principle applies to other abs exercises too.

There are many more tips to get a flat tummy with defined six pack abs to show. However, just get the gist of the article right and you will definitely see progress.

3
July

Movie reviews: Om Shanti Om (2007)

Taylor Lautner's sixpack

Film: Om Shanti Om

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade, Arjun Rampal, Kiron Kher

Director: Farah Khan


The much talked about film of the year, be it Shahrukh’s sixpack abs, Deepika’s debut and Farah-Shahrukh combo is finally on the screens. No doubt, because of the brand Shahrukh the film will get a great opening. It’s a thorough entertainer, a film for the masses which follows Manmohan Desai’s style of film making. Watch the film provided you don’t ask questions, you don’t want to know the logic and reasoning behind things.


The first half of the film is set in the 70s. So there is picture of the classis 70s. The second half of the film is about reincarnation with strong resemblance to Subhash Ghai’s Karz

Om played by Shahrukh Khan is a junior artist in Bollywood and Shantipriya played by debutant Deepika Padukone is the biggest super star of Bollywood and Om ‘s dream girl. Shreyas Talpade aka Pappu is Om ‘s friend and Kiron Kher is Om ‘s film obsessed Mother. In one of the shootings, Shanti gets in the midst of fire and Om saves her life. This is how the story moves. She is very much touched by Om ‘s act and spends an evening with Om.

Later on, Om comes to know that she is already married to film producer Mukesh Mehra (Arjun Rampal) who dreams of making a film called Om Shanti Om. But Shanti desires to get the status of his wife which Mehra refuses to give in the pretext that no one is going to watch a film starring a married actress. When Mukesh Mehra sees his dream falling apart because of Shanti, he destroys the entire set including Shanti. But Om witnesses the crime and eventually he gets killed.

With beautiful music, comic situations, costumes and perspective of the 70s, the first half is a major entertainer. Shahrukh-Shreyas scenes are hilarious. When a person desires something with all his heart, the whole universe conspires to make his dream come true’ one of my favourite lines from the book Alchemist has been used like anything from beginning to end of the film.

The second half, the reincarnation of Om as Om Kapoor and his introducing scene is not pleasant at all. He prefers to call himself Ok but it’s actually not ok. He doest not suit the flamboyant and idiotic Om Kapoor. It’s quite natural and predictable that with six-packs abs Shahrukh will definitely take revenge from Mukesh Mehra who becomes a Hollywood film maker and prefers to call himself Mike.

A few things to look forward in the movie are Farah Khan’s evolution as a film maker. The scene where the set gets burned is very well executed. Deepika’s acting talents, she is a promising newcomer. Vishal-Shekhar’s music and the way Shahrukh manages to fit the frame with a much younger actress.

29
June

The Way to Get Six Pack Abs Fast

Truth-About-abs

Those abs, six pack abs, whatever you want to call them. Everyone wants them. Men want to get them to please the ladies and the ladies fall for them all the time. So really, everyone wants them! But here is the big surprise, it is really not that hard to get them at all!

So you might be asking right now, what am I doing wrong? Well, I can tell you this, most people do the same thing wrong and they make the same mistake as everyone else. It seems like a common sense thing but really, it is not the case. Common sense would tell you that if you want something, you have to focus on it.

So if you apply that to getting sexy abs, you would think that to get that sexy six pack you would have to do hundreds and hundreds of ab workouts. Well, you would be wrong. In fact, those workouts really do almost nothing to define and tone your abs. What you really would need to do is kind of shocking to some people.

You have to burn fat. Your abdominal area, just like the rest of your body, has fat covering your muscles. It is normal, everyone has that. But the thing is that the less body fat you have, the more defined your muscles look and we are talking all muscles! So what you really need to focus on with your workouts is burning fat.

The other thing you have to focus on to get that six pack is a healthy diet. This plays a big, huge, gigantic part in getting those abs. No matter how efficient you are at burning fat, if you have a poor diet based on unhealthy foods, you will not be seeing those abs any time soon. So change your diet and soon enough you will see those abs start shining through.

Eat healthier by making sure each meal is well balanced with plenty of fresh foods, such as vegetables, meats and fruit. With such a determined plan, you will also want to increase the amount of meals but decreased the size of the meals you eat. In other words, eat something around 5-6 small meals each day so you can keep your metabolism working all day.

Now that we have that large part of the equation down, for the workout part, you should combine cardio workouts with strength training. Both of them are great for fat burning and are also great for your overall health. Most people think that strength training is only for tough guys or people who want to bulk up like crazy. Not so. Actually, strength training, or weight training, is great for burning fat too, not only just building muscle.

It is important to build muscle while you are burning fat too because your muscles contribute to how effective your metabolism is. The more muscles you have, the faster your metabolism will be. So it is a very direct relation.

Now, as for cardio, everyone knows this is a great fat burning workout. You can choose to do your cardio with walking or light jogging or increase the intensity by sprinting. This is an easy one because it is so common so just jump on the treadmill or track and get to it!

You now have all the tools you will need to get those sexy, rock hard abs quickly! Stick to your goals and you will see them shine through sooner than you think!

28
June

5 Steps to Get Six Pack Abs

Best-Abs-Diet arms legs up 2

Who doesnt want to flaunt a washboard stomach? Sure, six pack abs look great, but remember getting it takes a lot of dedication, time, and energy. That being said, one thing is for sure, all the time and energy you invest is definitely worth it.

A fit and a well shaped body, works a great deal to boost your personality, and most importantly gives you a feel good factor. There are several easy ways to get you started. But remember theres no magical mantra to getting six pack abs, you need to work towards it and it may take quite some time depending on your body condition, workout program and how much time you devote to your workout session per day.

To be able to shape your body the way you want requires you to follow specific exercises. Your instructor is the best person to guide you through the process. On that note, here are 5 steps that you may follow to help you get off the mark, towards your goal:

#1 Protein packed, lean meals: a clean and proper diet is the first step towards achieving your goal. No matter how good a workout program you follow, it wont be of any use unless and until you eat healthily. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories that what you consume. A good diet plan should ideally consist of high protein in-take that contributes towards muscle building and cutting down fat. A healthy diet plan along with a good workout program is likely to give you best results when it comes to loosing significant amount of weight and developing six pack abs.

#2 Lose extra fat: fat is important for your body but not excess fat. In order to get a great looking body, your aim should be losing the excess fat from your frame. This can only be achieved, through a sound workout program. A good exercise routine should include 4 days of cardio exercises and remaining 3 days of weigh training. Of course, you can follow an easier plan, to get you started.

#3 Increased intake of water: drinking enough water is a very important part of any exercise program, yet it is often overlooked. Proper intake of water prevents you from getting dehydrated, helps in the healthy functioning of your system and helps stave off those hunger pangs that lead to over eating. Therefore, it is advisable that you drink at least 8-9 glasses of water every day if not more.

#4 Defining Abs: in order to define your abs and shape your body the way you want, you need to do some specific exercises that are designed to shape your abs.

#5 Keep your motivation alive: as I mentioned earlier, there is no magic easy way to get a well-shaped body. If you want to develop a well-toned body with 6-pack abs, you need to keep yourself motivated. Remember it may take a couple of weeks or more before you can see the effect of your hard work. Therefore, have patience, stay motivated and you will achieve your target sooner than you expected.

Before you start your workout program, let me warn you it may require you to change your present lifestyle significantly. Therefore, Ill advise you to go ahead with your plan only if you are ready for it. Begin with small alterations in your daily routine, and you will be on your way towards those magnificent, rock hard six pack abs. Good Luck!

27
June

Abs Exercises For Six Pack Abs

Best-Abs-Diet arms stretched up

Many people are looking for abs exercises for six pack abs. If you want to know how to get abs, that is, great abs, then there is one thing that you need in order for you to reach your goal: Motivation.

There are different reasons why people want tight abs. For some it may be for health reasons, for others it may be for looks. What is your reason? Understanding why you want better abs can keep you motivated and this will help you reach your goal.

If you are toning your abs for health reasons then there are many benefits that you will enjoy. You stomach is the support for you back muscles. A trim stomach means a better posture and as a result a well supported back. Those who have pot bellies usually have lower back problems. This is a great reason to keep that stomach flat.

If your quest for perfect abs is so that you will have a great body to show off then besides a great looking body you will also enjoy a better self-esteem. When you feel good about your looks you feel good about who you are. This is also a good reason for doing abs exercises.

But is it really that important for you to spend a lot of time caring and worrying about your abs? Consider this quote by a man named Samuel Johnson, a British Author, who said, He who does not mind his belly, will hardly mind anything else.

Do you want people to think that you do not care about yourself? This does not go over well at an interview. Studies have shown that better-looking people get hired more often than less attractive and overweight people.

Here are some more reasons why you need strong, healthy abs:

– You have a lower chance of injuring yourself during physical activities such as sports or even chores around the house. When your abs are tight and strong they give support to the whole body.

– When lifting things that are a little too heavy, strong abs will protect your back and can prevent a strain that could otherwise render you immobile.

– And possibly one of the best health reasons for doing exercises for your abs is that doing so will reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and can even help prevent heart disease. This is because if you have six pack abs then you have less body fat.

There are so many important reasons why you need to take care of your abs and I want to motivate you to take action and start feeling better about yourself. It is easier than you think to get going on some system and to meet your goal.

It is especially easy if you have a goal in mind, that is, you know why you are doing your abs exercises. Are you toning your abs for health or are you trying to get six pack abs for looks? Either is fine. Just picture yourself with the great abs you want and imagine what people will say when they see the new you! Go for it!

16
June

6 Easy Guidelines In Getting Six Pack Abs For Women

six_pack_diet

Women are not only fanatics of diamonds and lovers of mushy films. They are also frustrated to maintain a flat tummy. Some are even dying to achieve six-pack abs to boost their self-esteem and impress their inner conscience. It largely gives women confidence to flaunt their six-pack abs when on a sexy swimwear.

If you are one of those female fitness buffs who want to achieve a nicely contoured waist and abs, then you must taken into consideration these steps below:

1. Be determined and enthusiastic about your goal to achieve six-pack abs. It must sink into your mind that it is achievable and doable in your case. Do not give yourself negative vibes and self-destructing notion that six-pack abs are hard to attain. No, it is workable for as long as you have the strong will, unparalleled consistency and endless dedication to achieve what you want. Try and get yourself always motivated.

2.The healthiest food diet must be on top of it all. Before rendering those six-pack abs routines, you must feed your body with healthy recipes. You eat nutritious and less-fattening food by portions. Carbohydrate-rich foods like rice, pasta and bread can be replaced with protein-rich ones like chicken, egg whites and lean. Load yourself with fiber-rich dishes and fruits but not too much because fruits are also attributed for their sweetness and starchiness.

3.Ensure that your food diet is carefully mapped out and harmonized accordingly. You might under-feeding or overfeeding yourself. Either way won’t be any good. Diet pills can be effective as many experts and women users can vouch. But make sure that you do it along with utmost discipline in eating.

4.Exercise consistently and frequently. Healthy diet alone won’t be favorable if your goal is to lose weight appropriate. It has to be a fusion of nutritious food intake and regular workout. Sweating in the gym is apparently burning calories and unwanted fats on your waistline. Doing it for 45 minutes to one hour won’t hurt at all. Make weight management an aspect of your lifestyle. It shouldn’t only be a recurring process. It must be a continued means of living life to the fullest. Once you get your six-pack abs, you should be concerned next about how to main it. Your fitness quest doesn’t end once your goal is hit. Observe it endlessly.

5.Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water and even more. Among options to drink, water is the healthiest. It cleanses and expels out body toxins. You need to hydrate yourself especially when cardio exercising and strength training to create six-pack abs.

Who says getting a six-pack is only possible among men? Women are as competitive as how men are. In the fitness arena, women can lift weights, kick high, punch hard and flaunt a six-pack abs as well.