• Six principles of six-pack eating

• Eat your way to a six-pack

• Cut back

• The science of weight loss is fairly straightforward: "You simply have to burn more calories than you consume," says trainer Richard Levy. "Try to cut 500 calories a day from your diet. Your body will sense the drop in food and compensate by using stored fat as energy."
  

• Little and often

• "Eat little and often to prevent you craving the wrong foods. Aim for six meals a day: this will keep your blood sugar stable," says Pip Hartnell, chief nutritionist at Pure Packages. And never skip meals. Going without food for more than four hours causes the body to suppress its calorie-burning capacity.
  

• Ditch the booze

• "Kick the booze. Not only is it high in calories itself, it also reduces the amount of fat calories you burn, boosts your appetite and drops your testosterone levels," says personal trainer Ross Chouler.
  

• Choose your carbs

• "Eat the right kind of carbohydrates," says Hartnell. "Avoid processed carbs such as white bread and go for the slow-release variety of beans, lentils, oats, brown rice, whole wheat and rye."
  

• Pack in protein

• "Make sure you get enough protein," says Hartnell. "Your body uses 20% to 30% more energy to digest it than it needs for carbohydrates. And if you're looking to build muscle, you need to eat two grammes of protein per kilo of bodyweight." Try to tuck away some protein-rich food (fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, milk, tofu, pulses) at every meal.
  

• Eau yes!

• "Drink plenty of water," advises Hartnell. "The body can mistake thirst for hunger, so make sure you're drinking at least 1.5 litres of water a day. If you exercise, increase this to two litres per day."
  
  Words by Sarah Hecks

How To Get Six Pack Abs With An Abs Training Program

he Perfect guide to get Six Pack Abs With an Abs Exercise program

Building Six Pack Abs is simpler than you think. The best tip is that weights are not needed. Just think what a relief that is.

Abs of steel can easily be developed with a combination of interval training, targeted exercises as well as supportive training.

Lets begin with what food to eat

This is the best thing to focus on and is important part of the puzzle, all jokes aside. You can have the best and impressive set of abs, but if they’re covered with a layer of fat, you won’t see them. Remember to begin your day with 4 to 5 small meals because this jump starts your metabolism. And don’t start eating the food that is preventing you from seeing your flat abs: white bread, pasta, soda, candy, dessert, pizza, and sugars in general.

Begin to 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, and water.

Interval Training

Interval exercise is an integral part of an Abs training. This is because it is the greatest way to reduce the layer of extra fat that covers the abdominal muscles.

This exercise involves fast bursts of hard action followed by rest periods.

Keep running as hard and quick as you can for 25 to 35 seconds, and then walk at a fast pace for 3 minutes. Repeat this 4 times in a session.

Do this routine at least three times a week.

This type of training works because it greatly shoots up your body`s metabolism. This in turn increases the rate at which the body burns fat and fuel.

Targeted workout

The best targeted exercise for making Six Pack Abs are leg lifts.

Sit down on your back with your hands back on your head. And Use your abdominal muscles only, lift your legs up to approximately 50 degrees from the floor and hold them up there for 8 seconds (basically as long as you can ). After that let them down slowly without touching the floor.

The you should continue with 3 times 10 reps increasing this to 3 times 30 reps. Avoid doing this exercise every day. But instead do it every second day. Because remember that your muscles need a resting period to recover and to build up.

Supportive training

Do three times 7 reps of chin ups or pull ups. You are probably asking yourself how this exercise is a good way to tone Abs. Your abdominal muscle supports other muscles during training.
A good tip is that a well designed training program is the best way to develop hot abs of steel without the risk of injury. This also ensures that you get the best results in the shortest time frame possible.

Learn the secret ways to get six pack abs in this review of the ebook that has taken the world by storm: Six Pack Abs , and for more great resources on how to get ripped abs go to this site ripped abs

Body Work

Body Work
By Jon Levy Photos by Ken Karp If you’re looking to get stronger, the solution is staring you straight in the mirror. No matter how much money you spend on gym memberships or fancy workout machines, you may be overlooking one of the best pieces of exercise equipment around. It’s not only free, it’s also something you already have. Yup, it’s your own flesh and bones. Without any added weight, your body can provide all the resistance needed for a thorough strength-training workout. And compared with free weights and machines, Your body’s safer, easier to use, and more practical for developing the type of functional strength you need on a tennis court. One of the primary benefits of body-weight exercises is that they force you to be aware of, and maintain control over, your entire body. Your core is engaged in each movement, and good posture is a must. Many times when you use free weights or machines, you work muscles in isolation, which can increase their size and strength but doesn’t train them to work optimally in real-life situations. Saddlebrook Resort’s Pat Etcheberry, who trains professional athletes from all different sports, including tennis players such as Justine Henin-Hardenne, explains the difference: “You can be the strongest weight-lifter, but if you’re going to be a tennis player, you have to have functional strength you can apply in a situation on court,” Etcheberry says. “Just sitting on a machine doing leg extensions or presses is not the way you’re going to move on court. The only time you sit down is on the changeovers.” Most people are familiar with push-ups, squats, and crunches, the staples of body-weight training. But there are a host of other exercises emphasizing agility, flexibility, endurance, and cardio exertion that will develop a higher level of functional strength and body awareness. Here are a handful that can be done by themselves or in conjunction with your regular workout regimen. HINDU PUSH-UPS This is a twist on the standard push-up; it incorporates flexibility and stretching in your back, hips, and shoulders. (1) Start with your legs spread wide, hands in front, and your backside up in the air with your eyes looking back at your heels. Your body should form a triangle, or an upside-down V. (2) Keeping your legs straight, bend your arms and drop and drive your hips forward so you’re in the down position of a push-up. (3) Straighten your arms while keeping your hips close to the ground and arch your back so that your head is pointing to the ceiling. You should feel a good stretch in your back and abdomen. Then raise your hips up until you’re back in the starting position. Try doing sets of 20 and increasing that number as you get stronger. HINDU SQUATS This is a great exercise for strengthening the knees and developing lower-body muscular endurance. (1) Stand straight up with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward or slightly outward. While inhaling, reach forward with your arms and then pull your fists to your chest (like a rowing motion). (2) Keeping your back straight, start to exhale and squat down, letting your arms drop behind your hips. As you squat, your heels should rise off the floor as you balance on the balls of your feet. Squat as low as you can so your glutes practically touch your ankles. Don’t bounce. (3) Rise up, reaching forward with your arms until your heels are back down on the floor. Repeat the cycle, doing as many reps as you can. These squats should be done at a nice pace and rhythm so your lungs get a workout, too. It may take some time to get comfortable with this motion, so go slowly in the beginning. BOOTSTRAPPERS This simple exercise is surprisingly effective at working the legs. (1) Start in a squat position with your heels off the ground, your weight on the balls of your feet, and your hands on the floor in front of your shoulders for balance. Your backside and hamstrings should be just above your heels. (2) From this position, straighten your legs until your heels touch the ground. (3) Return to the starting position with your glutes touching your ankles. That’s one repetition. You may feel some pull in your hamstrings, a sign that you need to improve your flexibility there. This exercise will benefit your knees and quads. Work up to three sets of 25 reps. BURPEES Like most body-weight exercises, there are several variations of the burpee. Any way you do them, they make a great cardio and total-body workout for developing strength, power, and endurance in a limited amount of time. (1) Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. (2) Drop down into a squat position and put your hands outside and slightly in front of your legs. (3) Kick your feet back so you’re in the starting position of a standard push-up. Do a push-up and immediately return your feet to the squat position and stand up so you’re back at the starting point. That’s one rep. Repeat and do as many as you can. If you want to make it more challenging, combine the push-up and kickback from the squat into one movement. Also, instead of simply standing back up to complete a rep, you can explode up into a jump to add a plyometric element to the exercise.

MORNING MUSCLE

Written by Jim Stoppani, PhD

Wake up and smell the hypertrophy with this supercharged supplement stack.

Your mother may have said, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." If you're a bodybuilder, that advice is pretty close but not exactly right. When it comes to gaining muscle mass, the most critical "meal" is actually the supplement stack you down within seconds of waking. That's because you don't want to lose precious minutes preparing eggs or oatmeal, much less the time it takes to digest those whole foods. By then, because of the fast you endured while sleeping, you've already lost lean tissue to catabolism. Instead, you need nutrition that can quickly get in your stomach and to your muscles. You also want to take advantage of your naturally high testosterone levels in the morning by supplementing with something that can help put that T to work, driving more gains. Using the Morning Muscle Stack as soon as you wake up will help you accomplish all that, without a lick of cooking.

WHEY
When you wake up, your body is essentially coming off a 7 to 9-hour fast, and it's breaking down muscle protein to convert it into fuel. The best way to halt this process is to take about 40 grams of whey protein.

Whey is the fastest-acting protein you can consume, especially if you choose a whey protein isolate or, even faster, a whey protein powder with whey hydrolysates (whey proteins broken down into smaller fragments for speedier entry into your bloodstream).

The amino acids from whey rapidly enter your blood to be used for fuel, instead of muscle proteins. Those aminos not used for fuel will go to your muscles to rebuild them.

Whey protein also contains peptides that enhance blood vessel dilation, which means you'll have greater blood flow to your muscles to enhance the delivery of not only the aminos in the whey but also more testosterone. This is important when you wake up, since that's when your T levels are highest. DOSE:40 grams of whey protein in a shake.

HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT CARBS
During the night, your liver uses its glycogen (the storage form of carbs) to fuel your body. Once these glycogen stores reach a critically low level, the liver signals the body to attack muscle protein for fuel. So in the morning you want to drink the fastest-digesting carb you can get your hands on—what's known technically as high molecular- weight carbs. They'll get to your liver even faster than Gatorade and will restock your liver glycogen levels so your liver turns off the signal to the body to use muscle protein for fuel. That will switch you from being in a catabolic phase to an anabolic phase. All that whey plus high T levels equals muscle growth.

Molecular weight is a term that refers to the mass of one molecule of a substance. HMCs, then, are made up of very large molecules that are very heavy compared to other molecules. HMCs such as Vitargo are typically made from waxy maize starch—yes, corn. They pass rapidly through the stomach to the intestines where they're absorbed, enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver. This also helps blunt levels of cortisol (the catabolic hormone that competes with testosterone's anabolic actions and encourages muscle breakdown), which are high when you wake.

DOSE: Mix 40 to 60 grams of HMCs into your whey protein shake.

CARNITINE
This amino acid-like supplement is mostly known for its ability to help transport fat into the mitochondria of cells, where it's burned for fuel. Now science tells us that carnitine can also increase the amount of androgen receptors in your muscles, to which testosterone binds to instigate growth. Having more of these receptors means more T can do its thing.

Since T levels are at their peak when you roll out of bed, taking carnitine can help get a higher amount of that T working to boost muscle growth.

Research also shows that carnitine can enhance blood flow to muscles, which further guides the testosterone to where it needs to be. Taking carnitine with your whey-and-carb shake is smart because the insulin spike caused by the carbs and protein will help shuttle more carnitine into your muscles. DOSE: 1 to 3 grams as L-carnitine, acetyl-Lcarnitine or L-carnitine L-tartrate. M&F

61 WAYS TO FIGHT FAT

Bill Geiger and Eric Velazquez

How do I lose thee? Let me count the ways. We give you 61 (plus a few bonus tips for you dedicated online readers). Losing those last few inches, bringing out that six-pack or moving the slider to the left on the scale are among the hardest things for people to do — even you crafty gym veterans. But with this compilation of tips, unwanted bodyfat could be a thing of the past.

WEIGHT TRAINING

Be an Iron Man. There's no overstating the importance of resistance training. Adding muscle to your frame through lifting weights causes your body to speed up its metabolism. For every pound of lean muscle you forge, count on losing an extra 35—50 calories per day, or up to 1,500 calories a month or 18,000 calories per year while resting. That's approximately 5 pounds of bodyfat you can eliminate at rest.

FAT FACT: Depending on a number of factors — weight loads, rest periods, intensity, exercise selection, etc. — the average weight-training session will yield a caloric burn of 400—600 calories.

Limit rest periods. Don't spend your time between sets chatting up the chick on the treadmill. To add a calorie-burning element to your weight training, limit rest periods to 30—45 seconds. Resting 30 seconds between sets has been shown to increase caloric burn by 50%, compared to a three-minute rest period. You may not be as strong heading into your next set, but the added calorie burn may be worth it.

Speed up the pace. To help amp up your calorie burn between sets—and to accomplish more in less time — incorporate supersets or drop sets on weight-training days or perform your exercises circuit-style. You can also speed up your workout by doing your ab moves between other exercises, rather than waiting until the end of your routine.

Expect progression. Don't get stuck in a rut with the same weights and exercises. Expect that after 4—6 weeks, your body will have adjusted and will be starving for something new. Aim to make incremental increases to your weight loads, try new exercises, shorten rest periods, incorporate advanced techniques like supersets, change from barbells to dumbbells, anything to keep your body guessing and improving.

Compound interest. Build your routine around multijoint movements like presses, rows and squats to recruit the most muscle and burn the most calories. Isolation moves, or single-joint exercises, such as leg extensions, biceps curls and triceps extensions, should represent only a small portion of your routine.

Be free. Free weights force your body to recruit more total muscle because they call on stabilizer muscles to balance the weight, a superior advantage to the predetermined range of motion that machines have to offer.

Go rest, young man. To repair itself (which is where the real gains occur), the body needs rest. Get at least eight hours of sleep per night to allow your body to recover and grow muscle, which ups your overall calorie-burning potential. And depending on the volume of your training, allow a few days before working the same muscle group again. This also prevents overtraining, which can strip your body of muscle.

Go for the afterburn. Resistance training also burns more calories after exercise. One study found that after a 30-minute full-body workout in which subjects trained with their 10RM weights, resting metabolic rate was elevated by 20% for two days following the exercise session. In a 180-pound man, that percentage equates to an average 400 extra calories burned per day.

Overload. Training with the progressive-overload principle helps rev your metabolism. Pushing your muscles beyond what they're currently trained to overcome forces them to adapt and regenerate themselves so they're ready the next time such a stimulus is encountered.

Think "Ronnie." Train like a bodybuilder to help improve your hormonal milieu. Doing 3—5 sets of 8—12 reps with relatively short rest periods has been shown to increase testosterone and growth hormone release, improving your anabolic environment and metabolism.

Train abs for endurance. If your goal is to have a slimmer waistline, don't train your abs with heavy loads. Use a weight that allows you to get at least 15 reps per set, allowing minimal rest between sets (less than 60 seconds). Or use only your own bodyweight as resistance while maximally contracting your abs on each repetition.

Cyclical gains. Although it isn't impossible, you shouldn't attempt to get really lean and gain significant amounts of muscle mass simultaneously. Instead, periodize (cycle) your training for better overall results, alternating between phases when you focus on strength, mass and leaning out.

CARDIO

Cardio, cardio, cardio. This helps you with the simple philosophy behind fat loss: Burn more calories than you take in. If your goal is fat loss, incorporate 4—6, 30—60-minute sessions per week into your training schedule.

Of iron and sweat. If your goal is to lean out, follow your weight training with cardio. Since lifting depletes glycogen stores, your body is more likely to use fat as its first fuel source during cardio. Also, the combination of the two results in a higher caloric burn postworkout.

Tread heavily. What's the best exercise and intensity to burn maximal fat? Researchers found that jogging on the treadmill at about 70% of your maximal heart rate, or MHR (subtract your age from 220 and multiply by 0.7 for your heart rate in beats per minute), was optimal, burning about 40 grams of fat per hour of exercise. Going above or below this intensity burned significantly less fat, as did pedaling on a stationary cycle, regardless of intensity.

Run hungry. If you can stomach getting up earlier, perform cardio before your first meal of the day. Your body is most likely to use fat as the first energy source because your glycogen stores are depleted. If you're concerned with muscle loss, take 10—20 grams of whey protein before your session, but stay away from carbs.

Post-cardio burn. Following aerobic exercise, your resting metabolic rate remains elevated for anywhere from 60 minutes to about 12 hours, depending on the intensity and duration of the exercise session.

Move outdoors. Try your next outdoor run on sand, which is more difficult than running on harder surfaces like cement. It's easier on the joints as well, but wear shoes to avoid stress fractures and protect your feet from glass. Running on grass is also a welcome relief to joints and arches.

Taper off. Instead of starting slow and building up speed, do your high-intensity cardio early in your workout and taper off to a slow finish to burn significantly more fat. After a 2—3-minute warm-up, immediately kick it into high gear (80%—85% max heart rate) for 15—20 minutes before slowing down (60%—65% max heart rate) for the last 10—20 minutes.

Vary your cardio. Whether you're lifting weights or doing cardio, the trick is to keep your body from adapting to what you're doing. Regularly changing your cardio mode is the best way to keep your body responding to your efforts.

Interval for success. Unless you're a highly conditioned athlete, you can't maintain a very intense pace for very long, so the best way to improve your aerobic fitness and burn fat is with intervals. That is, you alternate very intense periods of work with lower-intensity sessions in which you recover.

No butts. Smoking deprives cells of the oxygen they need to maximize metabolism, keeps muscles from repairing themselves after exercise and makes cardio a lot tougher. Plus, your smoke-scented clothes are sure to irritate fellow gym rats.

Fidget to fight fat. Are you a fidgeter? Maybe you should be. Several studies have shown that toe-tappers, while completely annoying at the office, will burn more calories over the course of the day than the stationary man.

NUTRITION

Stay hydrated. Active individuals actually require more water and should aim to consume roughly 1 gallon per day to avoid becoming dehydrated. And if you're one of those people who hates drinking water, consider this: Dehydrated individuals burn less fat than their well-watered counterparts.

Eat more frequently. Eating 5—6 small meals a day as opposed to "three squares a day" causes your metabolism to work constantly. Eating larger meals, on the other hand, slows your metabolism and forces leftover calories to be stored as fat.

Eat protein. Since muscle-building is the fastest route to slim down, you want to make sure that your protein consumption is enough to keep up with your weight training. Eat too little protein and your gains could be much slower. Get 1—1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day to help your muscle gains along. Use protein bars and shakes to supplement your whole-food consumption and stave off cravings.

Get leafy. Those who eat a salad before dinner tend to consume less calories overall during dinner. But don't sabotage yourself — stay away from high-fat dressings like ranch, blue cheese and Caesar.

Skip happy hour. Alcohol consumption can temporarily blunt testosterone levels, hindering muscle repair and growth and blunting sexual drive. Also, the calories from alcoholic beverages — in the neighborhood of 100—200 each without cocktail mixers — add up faster than you may think.

Cut out soda. Instead, rely on water and other flavored drinks like Crystal Light to get your fluids every day. If you drink one soda per day, you're adding 1,750 calories per week to your diet. Also, studies have shown that those who regularly consume diet sodas tend to gain weight in the long run because of overindulgences elsewhere.

Calories out! The goal in any fat-loss or weight-loss program should be to burn more calories than you consume. Aim to cut total calorie consumption by about 250 calories per day. Yes, that means you'll have to figure out how many calories you eat in a normal day. Get on it. The math will pay big dividends later.

Got the munchies? If you can do without the butter and salt, plain popcorn is a winner. Two quarts has the same number of calories as just 20 potato chips. By substituting 1 cup of plain, unbuttered popcorn for a 1-ounce bag of chips, you'll save 135 calories and 10 grams of fat.

The magical fruit. Subjects who ate half of a grapefruit with meals or drank 8 ounces of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 4 pounds (with some losing more than 10 pounds) in 12 weeks without dieting.

Carb smart. Keep your carbohydrates low to moderate when trying to lose weight. If you rotate low- and high-carb days, you'll be able to keep your energy levels up while running a caloric deficit. Good, clean, fiber-rich carbs include oats, potatoes, rice and whole-grain bread. Also, limit high-carb drinks like fruit juice to postworkout, when your body needs carbs to speed recovery.

Operation Dinner Out. Be diligent when ordering in a restaurant. Have your meats grilled without oil or grease. Ask for steamed vegetables with no butter. Get a salad (no cheese) with either low-fat dressing or vinaigrette.

Avoid simple sugars. Too much sugar in your diet can wreak havoc on your metabolism by spiking your insulin response and promoting the accumulation of bodyfat over time. Immediately after exercise, however, is an ideal time to ingest simple sugars; otherwise, steer clear.

GI Low. For most of the day, your carb options should be of the low-glycemic variety, meaning they're digested and burned more slowly. Athletes who eat low-GI carbs burn more fat throughout the day.

Eat more fiber. Fiber, both soluble and insoluble, is essential to health and helps decrease bodyfat. Adults should consume 35—40 grams of fiber per day, with about a third of that coming from insoluble fibrous sources. Along with whole grains rich in beneficial fiber, consume high amounts of fibrous vegetables, such as broccoli, to attain your daily intake. High-fiber foods also promote satiety.

Timed consumption. When you eat is just as important as what you eat. Many people who eat way too much at night should re-evaluate their eating patterns. Eat two-thirds of your day's calories before dinnertime to avoid overeating late in the day.

Prepare. Watch what you eat around work. If your workplace serves nothing healthy, tote food or snacks along with you. If you're attending a workplace function in which only junk food is served, pre-eat. Having recently eaten something that's healthy and adequate in calories to meet your energy needs, it's easier to say no to the junk and empty calories.

Get yolked. Eating eggs for breakfast was recently found to reduce hunger and food intake for up to 24 hours.

Slow down, Turbo! Successful dieters and fitness buffs will tell you that fast eating and bodyfat go hand in hand because you end up overeating. It takes about 10 minutes for the food in your stomach to signal your brain that you've eaten enough.

Don't be salty. Excess sodium consumption can make you look softer and cause you to burn less fat. Most people get way too much, anyway, especially if you eat a lot of processed foods. To help you look leaner and strip sodium from your diet, drink more water, cut back on highly processed foods and switch to potassium chloride to season your foods.

Got milk? Research has shown that individuals who consume high levels of dietary calcium in a 24-hour period had higher rates of fat oxidation that day than those who consumed lesser amounts. So stock up on low-fat versions of cheese, milk and yogurt; if you're lactose intolerant, choose dark-green leafy vegetables, legumes and almonds.

Go nuts! Eating a handful of almonds was found to help test subjects lose 62% more weight, 56% more fat and 50% more from their waistline after 24 weeks compared to those who followed the same diet without almonds.

SUPPLEMENTATION

Invest in a fat-burner. Consult your doctor before trying a fat-burner if you have any pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma or high blood pressure, as fat-burners can exacerbate those conditions. New products that combine multiple ingredients, such as Hydroxycut Hardcore and Lipid Fx, work well.

Have a tea party. Green tea, in beverage or capsule form, is a reliable fat-burning aid and is generally safe for most people.

Caffeinate. Drinking coffee before cardio will cause you to burn more fat. Subjects who consumed 300 mg of caffeine two hours before exercising on a stationary bike for 30 minutes were not only able to work out at a higher intensity (more total calories burned) but they also used a much greater percentage of bodyfat for fuel.

Aminos work, too. Researchers found that subjects who ingested about 3 grams of an amino acid mixture before one hour of moderate-intensity exercise on a stationary bike burned the same amount of total calories but more fat than those taking a placebo drink.

The Transporter. Carnitine, which helps transport fats to where they can be burned in the mitochondria of muscle and other cells, can help you burn more fat. One study showed that three weeks of carnitine supplementation increased carnitine levels in muscle and enhanced fat usage during exercise. Another study showed that just 10 days of carnitine supplementation (3 grams per day) increased the amount of fat burned.

Fat for fuel faster. Hydroxycitrate (HCA) appears to enhance fat loss, according to researchers. Subjects taking HCA were able to work out longer and harder, and the amount of calories they burned from fat during the hour of exercise increased. Try taking 250—1,000 mg once or twice a day.

Builder/burner. Creatine not only helps build muscle but can aid in bodyfat loss. Soldiers who took creatine (as opposed to the group that got a placebo) increased strength and muscle mass, but also averaged a 0.5% reduction in bodyfat percentage, with several subjects dropping more than 1% bodyfat.

Take CLA. Conjugated linoleic acid has come into vogue in bodybuilding circles as a fat-burner. Several studies in humans have shown modest effects on fat loss. Try 3 grams per day.

MOTIVATION

Recruit a partner. Weight training with the right partner can help push and motivate you beyond what you'd achieve on your own. He or she can also be a positive and healthy source of competition, if that's a characteristic that helps drive you in accomplishing specific goals.

Discipline. Tired of how you look? Then understand you're the only one who can change it. Resolve to do it and do it. Create a plan and carry it out, budgeting time for the gym, food prep and rest for the week.

But be flexible. While you should be rigid about your workout times and food intake, don't lock yourself into lofty goals such as "I will lose 10 pounds in my first two weeks." You're setting yourself up for a fall. Instead, aim to shed up to 2 pounds per week after weeks 4—5. Anything earlier or greater than that should be the fat-free icing on your cake!

Be a fitness nerd. Watch and read everything you can get your hands on (such as Muscle & Fitness) to learn more about the body, exercise and nutrition. The more you know, the better off you'll be in the gym.

Join a league or run a race. Many people lack the drive to keep to a regular routine. Giving yourself a reason to get into shape (or stay that way) is a great way to stay on course with your goals. Signing up for a 10K or joining a league in your favorite sport is often motivation enough not to miss your next gym session.

Cheat. To avoid going insane with anger over what you can or can't eat, allow yourself 1—2 cheat meals per week, depending on how dedicated you can be. Small indulgences make dieting more tolerable, keeping you on track longer.

Stay the course. The watchword for taking off that extra layer of bodyfat is consistency. Stick with it, even if the first week or two are tough — by the third week, you'll start to form a habit.

Be goal-oriented. To succeed, keep track of your goals. Make them attainable, and write them down to increase your chances of success. Set small goals — such as dropping 5 pounds or losing 2 inches off your waist — that are measurable and attainable. Once you hit those goals, set new ones to keep yourself motivated.

Picture this. Get motivated by hanging up a picture of yourself today next to one from a magazine of what you want to look like. Dream big, but be realistic: You can have a far-improved physique in a month, but more dramatic changes take more time.

Chart progress. Weigh yourself naked just once per week, at the same time of day, preferably on the same scale to ensure accuracy. M&F

9 FAT-FIGHTING SUPPLEMENT COMBOS

These nine super supplement combinations will crank up the heat on your fat-loss efforts and help you lean out by summer

By Jim Stoppani, PhD | Illustrations by Garth Glazier













You've heard the phrase two heads are better than one? The same logic applies to many things: socks, hundred-dollar bills and Beyoncé Knowles, to name a few. It also holds true for supplements in many cases. Where one supplement can help burn fat, taking it along with one or more others can really ramp up the effects. With that in mind, the following nine combinations might provide that extra edge you're looking for.


1 THE CHEAPSKATE COMBO: CAFFEINE AND GREEN TEA EXTRACT
There are a lot of effective fat-burners on the market today, but for some people, such as college students and others on a tight budget, the sticker price alone can be more than they normally spend on food. But fat-loss supplements don't have to be expensive to be effective. Caffeine and green tea extract are added to almost every fat-burner on the market today because they work well. If you purchase them alone without the bells and whistles, however, you'll find a potent fat-burner combo that costs you only pennies a day.

One of the major ways caffeine boosts fat loss is through its ability to bind to fat cells and enhance the removal of fat from them while inhibiting the storage of more fat. Caffeine also works to increase fat-burning during rest and exercise.

Green tea extract contains compounds known as catechins. One of them, called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is responsible for the majority of green tea's fat-burning effects. EGCG has the ability to inhibit an enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter involved in regulating metabolic rate and fat-burning. By stopping the breakdown of norepinephrine, you can keep metabolism and fat-burning elevated for longer, especially when caffeine is used to free up fat from fat cells. Research studies confirm that green tea extract can significantly boost fat loss.

>> Combine them like this: Go with 200—400 mg of caffeine anhydrous (5—10 cents) with 500—1,000 mg of green tea extract standardized for EGCG (15—30 cents) in the morning and an hour before workouts. On rest days, take a second dose in the afternoon. Total daily cost is about 40—80 cents.


2 ONE-TWO FAT-FIGHTING PUNCH: FORSKOLIN AND CARNITINE
To maximize fat-burning, you need a supplement that goes directly to where fat is stored and frees it so it can travel in the bloodstream to muscles and other tissues of the body where it will be used for fuel. You also need to make sure the fat is carried into the machinery that burns it, the cell mitochondria. This supplement combo helps on both fronts.

Forskolin, the active compound in the herb coleus forskohlii, gets the first half of the job done well, working to enhance fat loss by activating the enzyme adenylate cyclase. This enzyme causes a cascade of events that leads to the activation of another enzyme, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). HSL increases lipolysis, or the ability of the fat stored in fat cells to be released into the bloodstream, where it can travel to tissues such as muscle. In fact, one study from the University of Kansas (Lawrence) reported that overweight men who took forskolin lost significantly more bodyfat than test subjects who took a placebo during a 12-week study.

Carnitine takes care of the second half of the job. This amino-acidlike supplement helps the fat that gets to tissues travel into the mitochondria of those cells, where it's burned for fuel. Research confirms that carnitine supplementation improves fat-burning during exercise and rest, and leads to greater fat loss.

>> Combine them like this: Take 20—50 mg of forskolin and 1—3 grams of carnitine (as L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine or L-carnitine-L-tartrate) with breakfast, preworkout meals and postworkout meals.


3 SPICE UP YOUR PHYSIQUE: RED PEPPER AND GINGER
Sometimes increasing your body's fat-burning potential is as easy as using certain spices in your food. Adding a little red pepper or ginger is an easy way to spice up your meals and increase your metabolism. If you like spicy food, then boosting fat loss can be as simple as eating. Capsaicin is the chemical in chili (red) peppers that makes them spicy. It boosts bodyfat loss by increasing metabolic rate and fat-burning through its ability to raise levels of norepin-ephrine. It also works to significantly decrease hunger and thus your overall caloric intake.

Ginger is a root with numerous properties that make it an effective treatment for inflammation, nausea and motion sickness. It's also a valuable aid for fat loss. Research shows that both fresh and dry ginger increase metabolic rate and lactic acid production by muscle. Since lactic acid stimulates growth hormone (GH) release and GH increases lipolysis, this is another fat-loss benefit of ginger.

>> Combine them like this: Look for ways to add red pepper or ginger to your meals. Red pepper obviously goes well with traditional Mexican-style foods, but it can also be used to spice up eggs or cottage cheese. You could also use red pepper—based hot sauces and salsas on foods. An easy way to get ginger on your plate is next to your sushi or sashimi in the form of pickled ginger. You can also buy ginger root and slice it into a stir-fry, or use a generous portion of dried ginger.


4 GENETIC ENGINEERING: SESAMIN AND TTA
Some supplements work to enhance fat loss by increasing the activity of the genes that control fat-burning and fat storage. Sesamin and TTA are two such products.

Sesamin, a lignan from sesame oil, is a powerful antioxidant that's also a potent fat-burner. The active form of sesamin has been found to turn on a specific receptor found in muscle, heart and liver cells known as peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor alpha (PPAR alpha). Activating PPAR alpha turns on genes that increase fat-burning and decrease fat storage.

Tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) is a specialized fatty acid that has sulfur bound to it, which prevents it from being burned for fuel by the body but allows it to regulate the burning and storage of dietary fats. TTA works by stimulating PPAR alpha as well as PPAR delta and PPAR gamma, which provides other effects such as diminishing total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels while boosting insulin sensitivity. This means you need less insulin released than normal, which can further aid fat-loss efforts.

>> Combine them like this: Take 500—1,000 mg of sesamin and 250—1,000 mg of TTA with breakfast, lunch and dinner.


5 MINERAL MASH-UPS: CALCIUM, SELENIUM AND ZINC
Most guys think of minerals only as something with health benefits in their multivitamin/mineral supplement. Yet several minerals are critical for helping you to become and stay lean. Getting ample amounts of these three will do the trick.

By now you may be familiar with the fact that calcium can help with fat loss and prevent fat gain. Calcium regulates the hormone calcitriol, which causes the body to produce fat and inhibits fat breakdown. When calcium levels are adequate, calcitriol is suppressed. Calcium also aids fat loss by decreasing the amount of dietary fat that's absorbed by your intestines.

The trace mineral selenium is critical for thyroid hormone production, and is a component of the enzyme that helps convert the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3), which is responsible for keeping metabolism elevated. Low selenium levels can impair thyroid function and promote hypothyroidism, or low levels of thyroid hormones.

Zinc is important because being low in this mineral can interfere with thyroid hormone production, leading to a lowered metabolic rate, which makes it harder to drop bodyfat. Zinc deficiency is common in hard-training athletes, especially when they cut calories in an effort to get lean. One study from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) found that subjects who were on a low-zinc diet had significantly slower metabolic rates. When they took a zinc supplement (25 mg) for 20 days, their metabolisms jumped to higher levels than before they followed a low-zinc diet. A recent study from Andong National University (South Korea) showed that zinc deficiency lowered levels of leptin, a hormone that keeps metabolism elevated and hunger suppressed.

>> Combine them like this: Take about 1,000 mg of calcium and 200—400 mcg of selenium per day with food. The best way to take zinc is as ZMA on an empty stomach before bed to provide 30 mg of zinc and insurance against slow metabolism syndrome.


6 AMINO ACID BURN: GLUTAMINE AND ARGININE
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and a few provide potent anabolic effects. But did you know that some also have impressive fat-burning properties? Glutamine and arginine are two such amino acids, and their fat-burning effects are magnified when they're combined.

Research shows that glutamine can increase fat-burning and metabolic rate. In a study from Iowa State University (Ames), test subjects who took glutamine with breakfast increased the number of calories and amount of fat burned for energy compared to when they took an amino acid mixture (glycine, serine and alanine). In a follow-up study from the same lab, scientists showed that glutamine taken before exercise resulted in more calories being burned than when subjects took the aforementioned amino mixture. In addition, glutamine is effective at boosting GH. While GH is very anabolic, it also works to increase lipolysis, which frees fat from fat cells.

Arginine's ability to boost nitric oxide (NO) levels is well known, but that same property also makes it a quality fat-burner. Research shows that NO can increase fat-burning due to its ability to enhance lipolysis. With the greater metabolic burn from glutamine, the freed fat is much more likely to be burned for fuel. Also, arginine increases GH release, which also enhances lipolysis. Confirming arginine's ability to improve fat loss is a 2007 study from the University of North Carolina (Wilmington) that showed that female athletes who supplemented with arginine for four weeks lost bodyfat and simultaneously gained muscle mass without otherwise changing their dietary intakes.

>> Combine them like this: Take 5—10 grams of glutamine with breakfast, before and after workouts and before bed. Take 3—10 grams of arginine (as L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine ketoisocaproate, arginine mallate or arginine ethyl ester) 30—60 minutes before breakfast, 30—60 minutes before workouts, immediately after workouts and 30—60 minutes before bed.

7 POTENT PROTEIN: WHEY AND SOY
You know the importance of using protein powders for stimulating muscle growth, but did you realize they can also encourage fat loss? Using whey and soy protein powders to supplement your protein needs is a great way to shed bodyfat while maximizing muscle growth.

Several studies show that bodyfat loss is enhanced when the diet is supplemented with whey protein powder. One major reason for this may be due to whey's ability to significantly decrease hunger. A study from the University of Surrey (UK) found that subjects who drank a whey protein shake 90 minutes before eating a buffet meal ate significantly less food than when they drank a casein protein shake. The reason for this appears to be the 60% greater rise in the hunger-blunting hormones cholecystokinin and glucagonlike peptide-1 following whey ingestion.

If you're up on your protein information, you know that soy isn't just a protein for women—it has numerous benefits for male bodybuilders. One is enhanced fat loss. Research from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) has discovered that soy protein contains peptides (small proteins) that influence the brain to keep your resting metabolic rate elevated to help burn more bodyfat, as well as decrease hunger to help you eat fewer calories throughout the day.

>> Combine them like this: Immediately before workouts, drink a shake containing 10 grams each of whey and soy proteins. Right after workouts, drink a shake containing 20 grams each of whey and soy protein powders. In between meals, snack on a shake containing 10—20 grams each of whey and soy proteins.


8 HUNGER HELPER: GLUCOMANNAN AND 5-HTP
Face it: To get lean, you have to drop calories and carbs. But one problem with this solution is the hunger that comes with it. The good news is that some supplements can help keep hunger at bay.

Glucomannan, a soluble fiber derived from the root of the konjac plant, absorbs a large amount of water in the digestive tract, causing you to feel full. One study from the University of Connecticut (Storrs) found that subjects who supplemented with glucomannan lost significant amounts of weight and fat whether or not they exercised.

For some guys, dropping carbs is a difficult task. Serotonin levels tend to dip when dieting, especially with a lower carb intake. This makes carb cravings come on strong, especially at night. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is what the essential amino acid tryptophan gets converted into before it forms serotonin and melatonin in the body, which will help curb your carb cravings and relax you before bed. One study from the University of Rome found that obese subjects who took 5-HTP ate fewer calories per day and lost 11 pounds in 12 weeks; test subjects who took a placebo reported that they had difficulty limiting their food intake and lost only 2 pounds.


>> Combine them like this: Take 1—2 grams of glucomannan before meals and 50—300 mg of 5-HTP in the evenings.

9 FATTY ACID BURN: CLA AND FISH OIL
Twenty years ago, when everyone was stressing the importance of a low-fat diet void of all kinds of fat, the term healthy fat was virtually unknown. Back then, doctors, scientists and nutritionists recommended staying away from nuts, avocados, olive oil, salmon and many of the other fat sources we now know we should include in our diets. Suggesting that taking fats can help you drop fat may still seem paradoxical to some, yet the following two fat sources will do just that when taken as directed.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been proven in numerous clinical trials to help shed bodyfat while adding muscle mass as well as boosting strength. One way that CLA works is by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme found around fat cells, where it picks up fat from the circulation and stores it as bodyfat. One study found that subjects who supplemented with CLA for six months without dieting or exercising lost more bodyfat (with the majority coming from the waist) than those who took an equal amount of olive oil. The CLA group also managed to gain muscle mass without exercising. Another study, from the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Canada), reported that subjects who took CLA while following a weight-training program lost more bodyfat and gained more muscle mass and strength without dieting than subjects who took a placebo.

Fish oil contains the essential omega-3 fatty acids that are now known to be beneficial for burning fat. One of the main mechanisms is through omega-3's conversion to beneficial prostaglandins, hormonelike substances that can promote thermogenesis. A study from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) found that omega-3 fatty acids also help prevent dietary fat from being stored as bodyfat.

>> Combine them like this: Take 2—3 grams of CLA and 1—2 grams of fish oil with breakfast, lunch and dinner.


COMBINING THE COMBOS
Although choosing one effective fat-burning combination from our list will help you shed fat, you can combine the combos for additive results. Your best bet is to employ all nine combinations if you can afford it. We suggest you start with the simplest ones such as Combos 2, 4, 5 and 9. Try them for several weeks, then add other combos one at a time such as Combo 3, then Nos. 1, 6, 7 and 8 if needed. Along with training and diet, it should all add up to one great physique. M&F

Get Six Pack Abs the Right Way

Getting six pack abs is not at difficult but most of the people are mislead to think that working on machines is the only way to achieve the body of your dreams. Now I am not at all saying that working on machines doesn't work at all.

But the idea that working on machines is the only way you can get a perfect body is totally a misconception.

If you really want to have six pack abs then you should know a very well known fact first and it is that everyone has six pack of abs. If you don't see it then the reason is that it is hidden under the layer of fat. So the first thing that you should have in your mind is that you don't have to work for six pack of abs but you already have them. What you have to work for is to loose the extra fat that is deposited on your body. Now this cannot happen overnight and so you must keep little patience.

Another thing required is to build a plan of action and no matter what just get stuck to it. Remember there is no need to go on weight loss pills or other fat burning supplements to get six pack abs quickly. Always remember the right way

is most of the times not the quickest of the ways. This will take time.

Some people spend lots of money on diet supplements while most spend a lot of time working in gym. The fact is however 90% of the weight loss supplements don't work while on the other side there is actually no need to do heavy exercises for hours on the fitness machine.

The Right way to get six pack abs is to keep the right balance between Nutrition and Exercise.

Nutrition

Now all the health experts are quoting these days "Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym" and this is exactly what people need to realise. Now nutrition is not the only important factor but it is indeed a major factor in getting a good shape for your body. Some underlined tips given by the experts is as follows:

-- Cut down on carbs, sodium, fast and fried food and of course alcohol

- Drink substances containing caffeine prior to exercise because caffeine increases your metabolism and enables you to burn more fat quicker and easier.

- Drink green tea because it increases fat burning and energy expenditure.

Working more towards these will increase your chances of having six pack of abs more quickly.

Exercise

Now when we are talking about exercise remember you should not overdo these exercise. Doing them regularly for 30 minutes a day would be just fine. Some of the most common can be

- conventional situps

- crunches

- lying bicycle

- Do cardio

For losing fat quickly on the abdomen, doing cardio is the most effective exercise.

Conclusion: Right Nutrition + Right Exercise = Right Way of Getting Six Pack Of Abs.

How To Get Six Pack Abs

Ok so you want to learn how to get six pack abs. There are a few things you need to keep in mind and add to your lifestyle to get great abs. First you need to eat healthy clean food, second you will need to workout on the muscles of your core, and thirdly you will need to increase cardio if you need to lose some fat that is covering the muscle.

Exercises to get six pack abs:

To really see definition in the core and abs you need to work your core at different angles and positions. There are dozens of exercises for abs. Here are some great ones to get started: Crunches, Hyperextensions, Sit ups, Incline Sit ups, Leg raises, Hanging leg raises, Jake knifes, Scissor kicks, Super mans, Side bends, Twisting sit ups or crunch, planks, side planks, back planks, stability ball work, ab roller, also remember to Sit and Stand with good posture always.

If you add these exercises to your workouts you will see major definition and at least a
Six pack of abs, if not an 8 pack of abs, as well as a strong lower back and oblique muscles and an overall strong core.

Foods to eat to get six pack abs:

You have to watch what you eat more that how much you eat. Eat healthy clean, natural foods to keep you body full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, carbohydrates, and water. Here are some good foods to eat: Tuna, chicken, peanuts, protein supplements, fruits and vegetables, real fruit juice, whole wheat or grain bread, fresh water.

Now make sure you do not eat any junk food and unhealthy food. Here are foods you should avoid if you want a lean strong six-pack. Do not eat chips, candy, pop, fast food, beer or alcohol, white bread, a lot of pasta, or any fatty meats or foods. Taking all the crap out of you diet will give you greater results in the gym.

Cardio to loss the extra fat to see your abs:

If you need to loss some weight of fat off your abs, you need to add some extra cardiovascular work to your routine. Choose exercises that will increase your heart rate and make you sweet. You must get cardiovascular exercise at least 15 minutes per workout 3 times a week. Also get at least 1 hour of accumulated activity everyday. Here are some good exercises to loss those extra inches around you mid section: Skipping rope is one of the best cardio exercises because you are forced to keep your posture and you use your whole body. Running up and down stairs or hill side, jogging or running, swimming, biking, rollar-blading or skating, dancing, shadow boxing, hiking, walking, and playing sports are also great activities and exercises to reveal your six pack abs.

So the bottom line on how to get a six pack abs are, you must work your abs and core muscles from many angles using a variety of different exercises. Secondly you must eat healthy nutritious clean food to grow and repair your body. And thirdly you need to do your cardiovascular work regularly if you need to loss weight or fat. Also remember to breath deeply and sit or stand with good posture, that way your core is always working.

How to Get Six Pack Abs - Why Ab Workouts Won't Help

A lot of people are asking what is the best ad workout to lose excess belly fats to getting six pack abs. This article will expose those conspiracies that people are spreading about How to get Six Pack Abs.

Many people believed that abs workouts will reduce belly fats, thus getting six pack abs.

Let's get this straight, NO! It's not going to. You may be going, "Huh? Then how do I get six pack abs?". Read on...

Biggest Lie:

Amazingly, a lot of people in forums are giving suggestions on getting six pack abs by doing hundreds of reps of abs workout. Please stop wasting your time.

Unless you clear those excess body fat, it is not going to work out.

Rumour #1: Abs Workouts Makes You Lose Stubborn Belly Fats And Get Six Pack Abs

WHAT?

Do not believe those people who say this particular workout or that particular workout helps loses stubborn belly fat and eventually give you six pack abs.

Abs workout DO NOT burn your belly fats.

Abs workout only TONES and Strengthens your underlying abdominal muscles.

Extra Tip: You need to focus on a full body strategic workout which will cause a much greater metabolic increase and/or fat-burning hormonal response from your training program.

Rumour #2: Cardiovascular workout gives you six pack abs and lose belly fats.

Cardiovascular workout won't create the greatest metabolic response either.

What you need is a rounded training program that focuses on training the entire body and resistance training and multi-joint exercise in a higher intensity fashion.

The Secret Key To Six Pack Abs

The secret key to losing extra stomach fat that covers your abs is to combine the high intensity full body training with a healthy balanced meal/diet.

That secret key to six pack abs is a better plan than just simply doing ab exercises.

Here's a Tip: Always remember that a smarter full body resistance training routine and a clean healthy balanced diet are the most important factors.

Yes, it's easier than it sounds to get six pack abs once you know how to do it.

Setting Up The Perfect Bodybuilding Workout Schedule

To put it into perspective, bodybuilding is the set of sprinkles upon a well-rounded cupcake that is life. Family, career, education, and other items should always come first, with bodybuilding being something we do to improve all other aspects of life. Because of this, real-life priorities have to always come first. The key to finding time to creating bodybuilding success, amidst the flurry of change and crisis that is real-life, is to plan everything out.

Analyze your schedule

Be realistic here. How much time do you have each week to devote to weight training? Are there things you do now which could be sacrificed, like television or Internet surfing time? Could that time be better spent in the gym? Use a spreadsheet program or a piece of paper and map out how you spend your waking hours. Then, begin finding spots on that map where weight training could (or should!) be included.

Analyze your goals

If your goal is to lose the spare tire and add a few inches to your arms, then you probably don't need to devote 2 hours per day to the gym. On the other hand, if you're training hard for a local show, then you may need 3 to 4 hours daily, making time for weight training, cardio, tanning, posing, etc. Plan the number of hours and days per week in accordance with your goals.

Gauge your experience

If you have trained hard with weights for twenty years, you might need more than 30 minutes daily in the gym to maintain and build muscle mass. On the other hand, if you're overweight and brand new to the gym scene, thirty minutes on the treadmill, five days per week, might be just what the doctor ordered! Take into account your training experience when planning.

Don't forget the little things

Food and gym clothing preparation, gym driving, and many other small uses of time quickly add up. Be sure to include them when planning your ideal weekly training schedule. And be flexible - always leave some time for those little things, which will inevitably go wrong.

Just as no two bodybuilders have the same exact nutritional, training, sleep, or supplementation needs, no two bodybuilders have the same scheduling requirements. Create one that works best for reaching YOUR goals, without disrupting your life too much. Remember, the best bodybuilding workout schedule is the one you'll stick with!

Ab Workout - Six pack Abs

Try this ab workout and you'll be on your way to six pack abs in no time.

It's important to remember that if you want a six pack that you need get your diet in check first.

No amount of crunches or ab work will give you the six pack look if you have a buck of fat covering your abs.

I don't recommend using any of those 'miracle ab machines' you see on TV at night, but I do recommend using a swiss exercise ball to increase range of motion and ab muscle stimulation.

Ab Workout Guidelines
Perform the ab workout Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Concentrate on performing each rep in a slow and controlled manner. Really squeeze and fully contract the abs, and exhale fully at peak contraction. Inhale on the way down.

Ab Work Set (#1)
Crunches (1 x 15)
Reverse Crunches (1 x 15)
Side Crunches (1 x 15)

Ab Work Set (#2)
Side Crunches (1 x 15)
Reverse Crunches (1 x 15)
Crunches (1 x 15)

Ab Work Set (#3)
Crunches (1 x 15)
Reverse Crunches (1 x 15)
Side Crunches (1 x 15)

Complete each exercise in the ab workout above in order, taking no rest between exercises until after you finish a complete set. Rest 45-60 seconds between each set.

This ab workout routine effectively works all three portions of the abs. Crunches for the upper abs, reverse cruches for the lower abs & side crunches for the obliques.

How To Get Six-Pack Abs Without Any Supplements

How To Get Six-Pack Abs
Without Any Supplements

There’s a good reason why commercials for weight loss supplements always show rock-hard bellies with sharply defined abdominal muscles: everybody wants it! The stomach is the number one area that most people would like to improve and the majority of those people will do almost anything to get those abs except for the one thing it requires: hard work. That’s why supplements are so popular: they promise the results people desire without physical exertion or sweating. Whether or not these supplements actually do any good is up for debate.

The majority of supplements available on the market today use “active” ingredients that are not approved by government agencies as being safe for human use. Many times these ‘special elements’ have no scientific evidence to back up their wild claims. Ingredients such as ma huang, ephedra, and aristolochia have been shown to produce adverse effects like heart palpitations, kidney failure, and, in the most extreme cases, even death. Herbal supplements have no regulatory agency in the United States and thus a manufacturer could put anything in a pill, call it herbal, and then sell it on the market without ever presenting any proof of safety or efficacy. Ingredients are only banned when enough people become ill to raise an alarm. Do you really want to be one of those people just to get the six-pack of your dreams?

The good news is that you can get a killer stomach without drugs or so-called herbal supplements. Through a carefully planned program of exercise, diet and hard work, you can change your belly into the abdominal muscles of your dreams. It may not be as easy as popping a couple of pills but the results are worth it and you’ll enjoy the reward even more since you earned every bit of it on your own.

The first thing you should do is find something to use as a record-keeper and plan book for your program. Exercise journals are fantastic for this purpose because as you enter daily information in the journal, you’re putting together a complete record that can be referred back to in the future. It can also be great encouragement for you to look at how far you’ve come in terms of weight loss and muscle gain. If you have a personal digital assistant (P.D.A.), find an application that allows you to track your workouts and personal statistics. There are dozens of companies that make programs for the P.D.A., so you are sure to find one that makes an application suitable for your handheld. If you prefer to remain low-tech, buy a basic school notebook and use one page daily to record information about your exercise program. The important information you should be writing down is as follows:

Date (including time of day)

Weight

Exercise for the Day

Daily Meals

Measurements (once weekly)

Tracking this information will assist you in figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t. Writing down your daily meals is especially important – research shows that the most successful dieters are the ones who keep an honest food journal every day. When you have an accurate count of your daily intake of calories, it’s hard to deny the truth and eat another chocolate chip cookie. Be aware of your calories and you won’t overeat. Another trick from successful dieters is to weigh in daily. While some may disagree, keeping a daily record of weight acts as a check on overeating and skipping workouts – the desire to see the number on the scale drop can prevent any diet misbehavior. The best time to weigh yourself is in the morning as soon as you wake up and have emptied your bladder. Try to weigh at the same time every day for the most accurate assessment of your weight. As far as measurements go, taking them weekly is appropriate – that allows enough time to see a real change so you don’t become discouraged. You may want to consider measuring biweekly if you prefer to see more dramatic changes.

Once you are prepared with your exercise log, it’s time to think about an exercise schedule. For the best results you should incorporate cardiovascular exercise with weight training and abdominal work. Exercising aerobically burns fat and calories, and decreases the amount of fat that lies over the abdominal muscles. Many times people do hundreds of sit-ups and never see a change in their bellies – that’s because unless you reduce the fat that covers the muscles, you can’t see the definition underneath. Excellent choices for aerobic workouts are swimming, interval training, and speed walking. You should ideally work out four to five times during the week. Strength training is also important because you need strong muscles in order to power your aerobic training. Additionally muscle burns more calories than fat and takes up less space, too. The final part of your program is the abdominal work itself. Traditional sit-ups are fine but try moves with a twist for an extra boost in metabolism. Pilate’s moves are great for tightening abdominal muscles as is belly dancing. There are a variety of moves and routines you can incorporate into your schedule to move you closer to your ultimate goal of six-pack abs.

Expect to spend at least three months working on your goal. Change doesn’t happen overnight, especially if you have more than five pounds to lose. Stick with it and manage your training log; before you know it, you’ll be sporting killer abs!

Abdominal Workout Routine

Abdominal Workout Routine
Here's a Free Abdominal Workout Routine —
Caution, You Need 5 Minutes to Spare
by: Paul Newland

This free ab workout routine is great if you do a lot of travel and also if you do a lot of sport and don’t always get time to get to the gym and train your abdominal muscles. The great thing about building your abdominals is that it can help prevent back injury and sciatica.

Before we get going, if you have a history of back problems, it’s always a good idea to consult with your health care practitioner.

This routine involves just 8 exercises that you perform one after the other and do 10 to 15 repetitions each. When you are starting out, you may only be able to perform around 6 to 8 of each exercise. Don’t worry, stick with it and in a couple of weeks you will be able to do the 10.

OK, here we go:

1. Elbow to Opposite Knee Sit-up While lying on your back and with your legs slightly bent, perform a sit up and each time you come up, touch your elbow to the opposite knee. Keep your hands beside your head and not behind.

   
   

2. Lying crunches While lying on your back and with your legs slightly bent, elevated and crossed, bring the upper half of your body to your knees. This is a short and sharp movement. Keep your hands beside your head and not behind.
3. Elbow to Leg Crunches Same as crunches, except this time you are bringing your elbow to each opposite knee before lying down and repeating the movement.
4. Leg raises With your legs outstretched and slightly elevated and with your hands underneath your backside, raise your legs to 12 inches (30cm) from the ground and back down to just off the ground.
5. Rowing Exercise Start by lying on the ground with your legs elevated just off the ground and extended and with your hands beside your head. At the same time, bring your knees and upper body together in one ‘rowing’ movement.
6. Cross-over Crunches Like crunch, raise only one elbow to the opposite knee at a time. Perform 10 – 15 repetitions on one side before changing.
7. Straight-leg Crunches Perform the crunch with your legs straight and extended vertically.
8. ‘Windmills’ With your legs wide apart, start from a standing position and with your back straight, reach down with your hand to the opposite foot. Extend the other arm vertically into the air. Repeat this ‘windmill’ action to perform 10-15 repetitions each side.

Finish the workout with a ‘cobra’ stretch — lie on your stomach, and with your knees on the ground and your hands in a ‘push up’ position, push up the upper half of your body so your back is arched. Only push up as far as comfortable. Next, with your arms still extended in front of you, move back so you are sitting on your calf muscles (with your knees bent) and stretch your shoulders — a wonderful and relaxing sequence to finish your free ab workout routine.

About The Author
Paul Newland is a health writer, sports training consultant and martial arts instructor and runs the http://global-longevity.com website. He is the author of numerous health information books and guides, including the Wellness Report, The Ultimate Sports Nutrition Guide and The Healthy Exercise Guide — available free through http://global-longevity.com.