Archive for April, 2009
There are many reasons why people are attracted to a ripped abs. One of the most popular reasons is that guys like to be seen with a six pack to impress the girls.
To get a ripped abs is not that difficult. All you need is discipline, determination and a plan. To have a ripped abs you must first have to lose belly fat. The best way to lose belly fat is by fat loss diet and abs workout. The best form of abs workout that can promote fat lose is weight training. This is because weight training helps to build abdominal muscles. Having more muscle helps to increase metabolism. Increased metabolism helps to burn calories which in turns burn fat. So the main objective is really to build muscle and burn fat.
No matter what your reason is for trying to get your six pack abs, there are some important things to keep in mind while doing it. It is easy to become confused about what you hear or read concerning getting a six pack abs as there are many myths floating around. Knowing truth from myth can help you to make good decisions regarding your plan that will help you to get six pack abs fast.
You cannot skimp on the importance of proper abs diet when it comes to getting a ribbed abs. The myth in the minds of most people is that fat is bad. The truth about six pack abs is that not all fat is bad, it is actually healthy to have a proper ratio of fats to other food groups for a well rounded physical development.
Protein has a very important role in building abdominal muscles. On average, you need 1 g of protein for every pound of bodyweight. Protein is just one of the important nutrient needs for the muscle and fitness. It is important to maintain a proper carbohydrate/protein ratio in your diet.
While you are working to get those dream abs, you have to maintain a healthy workout routine, combining proper diet to lose stomach fat first, proper abs workout principles with adequate rest will give your the edge you need to create the body that family and friends will envy.
Another myth is that working fast or for long periods will help get the ripped abs you desire. The other truth about six pack abs is that you will get your results quicker by alternating workout days with rest days. You should also include the abs workout/rest sequence during your training to build muscle and burn fat.
Many make the mistake of thinking that the more reps you complete in your abs workout or the more time you log in, the faster you lose belly fat in your midsection. But the principle of getting a six pack abs is not to spot train your abs only. You should not be working more than 10 mins on your abs at any one time. Getting a ribbed abs require a total abs fitness workout plan. You should concentrate on the form and intensity of each rep in all your abs workouts.
Sorting myth from truth about six packs abs can help you design your plan so that you will have a healthier more productive result. Training your mind to follow the truth is like training your body. You must have discipline on two levels, the body and the mind, in order to get six pack abs fast.
Tags: Abs Diet, Abs Workout, Adequate Rest, Best Way To Lose Belly Fat, Bodyweight, Building Abdominal Muscles, Carbohydrate, Fat Loss Diet, Food Groups, Getting A Six Pack, Important Things, Increase Metabolism, Increased Metabolism, Main Objective, muscle and fitness, Proper Diet, Proper Ratio, Ripped Abs, Weight Training, Workout Routine Posted in how to get sixpack abs | No Comments »
In my opinion, a full body dumbbell workout is the best exercise program for developing six pack abs. Unfortunately, hardly anyone uses dumbbells to develop strong abdominals you can see. In this article, I’ll show you the error of your ways.
Carving out six pack abs you can see is a strong motivating force for many a man and woman. But the problem is, the desire is so strong people often don’t think rationally when putting a plan into action. They want six pack abs, and they want them yesterday. This leads to making poor decisions, which often lead to a lot of wasted time and money.
I’ll be honest with you…
- Those gadgets you see on late night television don’t work
- “Isolating” your abs are ineffective for your goal and a waste of time
- Anything that claims to be “fast and easy” is a waste of money
Getting a six pack is just like any other goal. Stop letting emotion drive your decisions. Let’s take a deep breath and look at this logically. I’m sure once we do this, you’ll conclude that a full body dumbbell workout is your best bet for a six pack you can see, as I have.
There are three things you must do if you want to see your six pack:
1) You must build muscle all over your body
2) You must strengthen your core muscles
3) You must lose fat
If you do all three of these things, you’ll develop abdominals you can see.
Building muscle all over your body not only helps you look better, but muscle is metabolically expensive. This means your body must use more calories to maintain a higher percentage of muscle, and therefore leaves less calories to be converted into fat. So, you not only build an attractive body, but also create a situation where the bigger muscles help you reach your goal of a visible six pack. A full body dumbbell workout builds muscles all over your body.
Obviously, stronger and bigger abdominal muscles are necessary to achieve the abdominal look you desire. But stop relying on “isolation” exercises like crunches and leg raises to get the job done. A dumbbell workout puts emphasis on the core muscles with every exercise. This means every exercise is an ab exercise.
No matter how much muscle you put on or how strong and big your abdominal muscles, no one will ever see them if they are covered with fat. You must get rid of the fat around your middle to make the muscles underneath visible. And a dumbbell workout, done correctly, burns a lot of fat.
Think of it this way. You want to perform a workout that builds muscle, strengthens the core and burns fat at the same time. This is the most effective method for getting the result you want. If your entire workout does these three things, it is the fastest way to build abs you can see.
So, spend more time doing a full body dumbbell workout instead of doing those “isolation” exercises and you’ll build more muscle, strengthen your core and burn off more fat. This is what you need to spend your time doing if you ever hope to see your six pack. So, pick up a pair of dumbbells and get busy!
Tags: Abdominal Muscles, Attractive Body, Best Bet, Best Exercise, Body Workout, Building Muscle, Crunches, Deep Breath, Dumbbells, Exercise Program, Full Body Dumbbell Workout, Getting A Six Pack, Isolation Exercises, Late Night Television, Man And Woman, Poor Decisions, Time And Money, Waste Of Money, Waste Of Time, Workout Program Posted in muscle-building | No Comments »
Want to know the secret of six pack abs? The truth is that there is no secret. Here’s how to get six pack abs in six simple steps.
1 – Diet Right 2 – Exercise Right 3 – Cardio Workout 4 – Lower Appetite 5 – Eat Right 6 – Abs Exercise
Diet Right Trust me, you already have abdominal muscles. They’re just hidden under a layer of fat. Your first step to getting that sexy, ripped look is to eat less. Concentrate first on reducing snacking and when you do snack, eat high-fiber crunchy foods such as carrots or protein bars.
By eating fewer calories each day than your body needs, you force your system to start metabolizing stored energy sources, one of which is fat. However, your body defaults to burning easier energy sources first such as glucose (sugar) and simple proteins.
That’s where Steps 2 and 3 come in.
Exercise Right You have to exercise the right way to get your body to burn stored fat. That’s the only way you’ll get rid of that layer of stubborn abdominal fat.
Start with a good all-around exercise program designed to strengthen your major muscle groups. You can do simple exercises at home without any special equipment. Remember gym class where pushups, sit-ups, squats, toe touches and running in place were part of the regular routine?
Establish a regular routine of these every morning. Even 15 minutes will be a big help. Don’t overdo it in the beginning. Gradually increase the intensity of your workout and you are much more likely to stick with it.
Cardio Workout To kick your body into the fat burning zone, you’ve got to include a variety of cardio workouts. Once you’re in reasonably good shape, start doing things that increase your heart rate for a 10 to 15 minute period.
Avoid doing things with a steady rhythm like walking on a treadmill or jogging. Your body quickly learns to ignore these as requiring fat burning and uses other stored energy sources instead.
Instead, do things like jumping rope, play in pickup basketball games, jump on a stair climber, or use a rowing machine that varies the pace and strength required in different segments of the workout.
Running wind sprints burns way more fat than jogging, so don’t be lazy with your cardio workouts.
Lower Appetite The best way to lose weight is to reduce your appetite. You have to be careful with appetite suppressants though, as some place unusual stress on your body.
Avoid supplements that include stimulants like ephedra or ephedrine as these can cause rapid heartbeat and other unpleasant side effects.
Stick with natural products like Hoodia that curb your desire for food without stressing out your body.
Eat Right Eating right is critical to burning fat. The best foods to eat are high-fiber products like oatmeal, steamed vegetables, fruits, and raw vegetables.
These negative calorie foods often require more energy to process than they provide. Plus, their high-fiber content cleanses your body and inhibits absorption of fat and cholesterol.
Since your body relentlessly cycles fluids, always drink plenty of water to maintain proper hydration levels.
Abs Exercise Once you’ve gotten your diet and exercise program well underway, then add some exercises specific to your abs. Start with leg lifts for overall slimming, then add oblique crunches to sharply define the rib cage transition area.
Doing these while resting your lower back on an exercise ball intensifies the workout and involves additional core muscle groups. Avoid overstressing these muscles in the beginning. Instead, work to gradually include using weights to increase the intensity of your abs workout over time.
Summary As with any other diet and exercise regimen, there are no overnight results. You spent years building up that layer of abdominal fat. Getting rid of it will take some time and effort.
Make a commitment to reach your desired goal and follow these six simple steps. And that’s how to get six pack abs!
Tags: Abdominal Muscles, Basketball Games, Burning Zone, Cardio Workout, Cardio Workouts, Energy Sources, Exercise Program, Good Shape, Gym Class, How To Get Six Pack Abs, Jumping Rope, Major Muscle Groups, Minute Period, Pickup Basketball, Protein Bars, Running In Place, Simple Proteins, Stair Climber, Steady Rhythm, Toe Touches Posted in how to get sixpack abs | No Comments »
So you want six pack abs? The truth is, for most people getting six pack abs is not an easy task because it requires dedication and motivation…but it is possible! Below is a general 2-step guide that, if followed religiously for 3 months, will improve your abs.
Step 1: Nutrition
This is the single most important part of the puzzle, hands down. You can have the most impressive set of abs, but if they’re covered with a layer of fat, you won’t see them! Break up your day with 5 or 6 mini-meals because this jump starts your metabolism. And stop eating the food that is preventing you from seeing your abs: white bread, pasta, soda, candy, dessert, fast food, hydrogenated oils, sugars and fructose corn syrup.
Instead, eat the foods that will help you reach your six pack goal: oatmeal, olive oil, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, natural peanut butter, chicken, fish, protein, green tea and water. Be realistic – you’ll slip here and there, but make a conscious effort to improve your eating habits because getting a six pack will be impossible if you don’t.
Step 2: Exercise
You need to concern yourself with 3 different exercises: cardio, weightlifting and ab exercises. And aim to workout 4 times per week.
The cardio you do can be anything: walking, running, biking, swimming…whichever cardio you don’t mind doing so you stick with it. The trick is to do the cardio in bursts. For example, if you’re running, walk for one minute and then sprint for 15 seconds and repeat 10 times. Perform this type of interval cardio 2 times per week.
Weightlifting is important because 3 pounds of added muscle burns as many calories as a 1 mile jog…and this is while you’re just sitting around! Aim for 30-45 minutes, 2 times per week. If you’re confused as to what exercises to do for each body part, check out the following website. It features professional bodybuilders, but the information is great and can be used by anyone.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
The last exercise you need to incorporate into your workout are ab exercises. Aim to work your abs 3 times per week. There are a ton of different ab exercises you can do so try to find 3 or so that you enjoy doing and mix it up. A good database of different ab exercises can be found here:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exername.php?MainMuscle=Abdominals
Tip: mix up your workout routine every 2 weeks to keep your body guessing and improving. Add or take away different weightlifting or ab exercises, or at the very least, vary the weight, reps or form of cardio you do.
Well, there you have it. Follow the above for 3 months, and while results will vary from person to person, you will see an improvement in your abs. And keep in mind that dedication and motivation will go a long way to helping you reach your goal of having six pack abs.
Imagine the feeling you’ll get when you look in the mirror and like what you see.
Tags: Ab Exercises, Bodybuilding, Conscious Effort, Corn Syrup, Eating Habits, Fish Protein, Fruits Vegetables, Getting A Six Pack, Grain Breads, Green Tea, Jog, Natural Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, Olive Oil, Peanut Butter Chicken, Professional Bodybuilders, Step 2, Weightlifting, White Bread, Whole Grain Posted in how to get sixpack abs | No Comments »
Many people start a fat loss program because they are looking to develop six pack abs. More specifically, they are looking to get rid of their abdominal fat so their abs become visible. And the only way to reduce abdominal fat is to reduce overall body fat.
So you are probably wondering what body fat percentage you need to reach before your abs will show. That depends on two things: gender and genetics.
Women naturally have a higher body fat percentage than men. Even worse (for guys) men tend to accumulate their fat around their bellies, meaning they need a lower overall body fat percentage before their abs are visible. A woman doesn’t need to get her body fat percentage down as low as a guy for her great abs to be visible.
Your genes affect the fat distribution on your body. For some people, any excess body fat is distributed around their frame. For others, it seems that every extra bit of body fat goes right to their belly or butt. This means that two people whose abs are clearly visible may have body fat percentages that differ a good bit.
There aren’t any good tests around that will tell you what body fat percentage you personally need to achieve to have six pack abs. The only way to find out is to try and see what happens. You need to keep pushing your body fat percentage down until you have the abs you want.
Yes I know. I still haven’t told you what body fat percentage you need to reach to see those abs. As you just saw, there are a few factors that affect things, so the best I can give you is a range of percentages taken from a range of sources. Here are the approximate body fat percentages you need to hit to really show off your abs:
Men: To make your entire six pack of abdominal muscles visible, you’ll need to get your body fat percentage down to somewhere below 11%. If you get it down below 8%, you’ll almost certainly have a clearly visible six pack.
Women: You need to get your body fat down to somewhere under 17%. 14% would be even better. These are higher numbers than the guys have to hit, but remember that you naturally have a higher body fat percentage, so your job is just as tough as for the guys.
Those numbers are difficult to reach, but not unattainable. Depending on whose results you use, the average American male has a body fat percentage of between 17 and 26%.
The average American female has a body fat percentage of between 22 and 36%. You have your work cut out for you, so make sure you pick a solid program and stick with it.
Tags: Abdominal Muscles, Body Fat Percentage, Body Fat Percentages, Butt, Excess Body, Extra, Fat Bellies, Fat Loss, Fat Men, Genes, Genetics, Great Abs, Many People, Pack Women, Reduce Fat, Woman, Women Body Posted in weight-loss | No Comments »
Are you yearning to have the best diet to get six pack abs? Well, it is considered smart and stylish to get six pack abs. No doubt, it’s healthy as well. But this would mean that you need to follow a strict ‘abs’ diet so that you can actually become as toned as you want to be.
Following abs diet is a great idea for ensuring that you have a stronger, healthier and toned body. After all, the whole world would admire your flat tummy as it is considered to be one of the sexiest things about the body.
You should take care to not get pains relating to the back and or any kind of injuries.
People don’t realize the importance of an abs diet so this article focuses on helping you understand that no amount of exercise would be sufficient for you to get your six pack abs unless this is complemented by your adherence to a proper abs diet. There is no doubt that you can’t continue with so much excess fat being stored in your body.
Oatmeals:
If your choice of carbohydrates to start your day must help you lose calories, oatmeal is your perfect meal. This complex carbohydrate source can do wonders to help you burn fat. No wonder, a host of bodybuilders as well as fitness professionals choose oatmeals when they are entering into competitions. Oatmeal provides everything in tokens that are extremely balanced. For example, half a cup of oatmeal would have 5 grams of protein, 3 grams of fats, and 27 grams of carbs.
Now you understand why oatmeal is always recommend as a perfectly healthy choice for those who want to lose weight. Yams (or sweet potatoes): These are the next best choice for consuming starchy carbohydrates that are natural, healthy and low in calories but ensures high nutrients as well. It keeps you feeling fuller for longer time because digestion becomes slower.
Whole Wheat and Whole Grain Products:
As whole wheat and whole grain eatables are an important part of good diets, it would be a good thing to ensure that your choice of breads and grains are 100% whole grain and whole wheat. If you have been consuming mainly white bread, this is one of the worst things to bring into your body. When your goal is to lose weight and burn calories, it is best to use only 100% whole grain and whole wheat.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables would also do wonders so start your abs diet right now!
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”.
Tags: Abs Diet, Adherence, Breads, Carbohydrate Source, Carbs, Complex Carbohydrate, Digestion, Eatables, Fitness Professionals, Flat Tummy, Healthy Choice, No Doubt, Oatmeal, Six Pack Abs, Starchy Carbohydrates, Sweet Potatoes, Toned Body, Whole Grain Products, Whole Wheat, Yams Posted in Health | No Comments »
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