abdominal exercises

3 Things You Should Know To Get Fast Abs

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Fast abs are possible, with some common sense and a lot of effort. The problem with getting those abs toned quickly is that most people want them with little effort and use little common sense in the ways they try to get them.

1. Abdominal exercises are strenuous, and can cause straining and even injury if not done properly and in moderation.

You say that all exercise is strenuous?

This is true. But there is a big difference between walking around the block quickly and running a marathon.

Think about all those people who go out and shovel snow each winter, with little or no exercise during the summer months. They sit and watch television most evenings, instead of doing a small basic exercise routine. They don’t even get up and stretch regularly. Then a heavy snow falls, and they go out and give themselves strokes.

No one should embark on a specific regimen that isolates muscles, without first exercising the whole body. A general exercise plan is where you start.

2. Not everyone has the same muscle groups, hormone levels, or hereditary factors, and they shouldn’t expect the same results.

When you look at those posters of washboard abs, are you looking at 6 packs or 8 packs? There is a lower abdominal muscle called the pyramidalis, and not everyone has this muscle. Building the lower abs will give you different results if you don’t.

Women and men have different testosterone levels. Even men and men have differing testosterone levels. Testosterone is essential to building muscles.

For a long time weight lifters and athletes compensated for this factor by taking steroids, until they found out how bad that is for you. Still, some body builders and athletes took it to boost their performance, until they made it illegal. Now they disqualify people from competitions who use certain supplements or prescriptions, including steroids.

If your testosterone levels are not high, you can get a well toned magnificent body, along with those fast abs, but you won’t get a lot of bulk in those muscles. This is a plus for most women, who do not want to build, and it looks very attractive on many men, as well.

3. Some of us have hereditary factors to consider.

An irregular metabolism is the first, which can be influenced by a variety of factors. Thyroid and pituitary glands may under or over function along with the pancreas, to mention a few. The problem may not be severe enough to require medication, but it will affect they way you gain and lose weight, and how fast you can do it.

A visit to the doctor for a physical can be helpful if you are just starting out or are having problems you don’t understand. This can clarify a lot of issues and keep you from getting discouraged, as well, if your results aren’t quite the same as you anticipated.

4. Herbal supplements may help.

If you are in the prime of health, and still not turning that body into lean muscle, you may consider some of the many herbal supplements that are on the market today. Green tea will help you lose weight. There are natural hormone derivatives that won’t harm your body, also.

The last piece of common sense is that exercise is good for you. Don’t overdue it and strain yourself, and you’ll be more likely to get great fast abs along with a healthier looking body.

Impart your own personal tips by entering your comments below.

The Top Six Pack Abs Muscle Exercise

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If you’ve been dying to make your spare tire into a six-pack, you are not alone. Sculpting abdominal muscles seems to be a national obsession. Just look at the amount of infomercials on television in the last few years that have products claiming to create the washboard stomach of your dreams!

Fortunately, there are effective six pack abs muscle exercises that you can do in your very own home, with very little equipment that will sculpt your body the way that you want!

Before we start describing the six pack abs muscle exercises, there are a few tips we need to cover. First, know that in order to create the washboard stomach of your dreams…you need to commit to doing the exercises! This is not something that’s going to happen overnight, folks. Practice makes perfect, and regular exercise makes a perfect set of abs.

Secondly, spot training like these ab exercises work…but only if you don’t have a huge layer of fat covering up your stomach. If you are overweight, you need to commit to doing aerobic workouts too to whittle down your overall weight. Only then will you be able to see the benefits of your six pack abs muscle exercises.

Finally, get a journal, spreadsheet, wall calendar..whatever you like…to track your progress. Invest in a tape measure (they are really not that expensive) and record your waist size weekly. On the weeks that you feel you aren’t getting anywhere, look back to your measurements. Those will show you the real picture!

Now on to the six pack abs muscle exercises!

1. Abdominal Crunch

You can perform this lying on the ground or leaning on a large fitness ball. This old standby will sculpt your abs like no other exercise out there. Place your hands lightly on the sides of your head and lean your head back. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and then lift your chin towards the ceiling. Even though it sounds odd, the tongue part is really important!

2. Alternating Leg Extensions

Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Bring both of your knees up into the air, and then extend one leg out in front of you. Keep the other knee pulled in. At the same time, bring your opposite shoulder towards the bent knee. Try to touch your elbow to your opposite knee. Switch sides and repeat.

3. Reverse Crunch

This really helps target the lower abdominal muscles. Lie with your arms out toward your sides and palms against the floor. Lift your hips and bent knees off of the floor by pulling in your lower abs. Then return them to the floor.

These six pack abs muscle exercise should be repeated on alternating days, or every day, depending on your fitness level. Remember to track your progress and give yourself time to sculpt your middle.

“Make My Stomach Flat!” – 3 Best Exercises

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Have you ever felt frustrated with all the gadgets, diets, pills and exercise programs out there -promising you a flat stomach? With all of the scams, FDA recalls, etc., you’re probably wondering: how can I safely make my stomach flat fast?

Just think about all the reasons you want a flat stomach.  Maybe it’s to feel sexy, hot and attractive, youthful and energetic. Maybe it’s to be able to fit into your favorite skinny jeans or look good on the beach. Maybe you just want to be fit and healthy.

Whatever your reason, you’ve probably heard that diet and exercise top the list if you’re serious about getting a flat stomach.

But is that really all there is to it?

You probably already know that getting a flat stomach takes hard work, a great eating and smart exercise strategy, but…

In this short article, you’re going to learn the three missing tips from most “make my stomach flat” advice that will help you get a flat stomach even faster…

#1: “Make MY Stomach Flat, Not One Size Fits All!”

When you turn on the TV, browse the Internet or look in a magazine, you see hot bodies everywhere. And if you’re like most of us, you then compare your body to theirs and get tricked into feeling like taking their pill or using their complicated gadget will give you the bodies you see flaunted in your face…what a set up!

The truth is that it’s unfair to compare yourself to other people because we’re all different. We all have different genes, different levels of metabolism, and different physical responses to exercise. That’s why it’s very important to look for the programs that help you to customize an eating and exercise strategy for your body type…And help you find out what your body type is.

This will ensure that your time and effort give you the best results for your body type- not the fitness model on the screen! Stay away from “one size fits all” programs.

#2:  Diet and Exercise Are Not the Most Important Factor

Don’t get me wrong, obviously, diet (eating strategy) and exercise are absolutely required to any successful “make my stomach flat” goal.

The problem is that knowing this will not give you results. Everyone knows this but we still have an obesity epidemic.

I know you’re thinking, “what’s more important than diet and exercise to help me make my stomach flat?”

FACT: Like with any goal, you have to activate your mind and even more importantly your emotions toward your goal. Otherwise, it’s a failure waiting to happen.

To do this, come up with a specific goal that you can measure. For example: lose 2 inches off my waist, lower my body fat by 1%, etc.

Note: generic, immeasurable goals like: “I want to have a flatter stomach” won’t work. What’s “flatter”? How do you measure “flatter”?

Don’t wait come up with your goal. Do this now before you forget!

Now, when can you realistically meet you goal (e.g. “lose 10 inches off my waist in 2 days” is not realistic)

You still with me? Great!

Now that you got the mental piece, the specific, measureable, realistic, goal with a deadline, it’s time to fire up your emotions.

You ever notice how your emotions can override anything you mentally want? Well, let’s use this to your advantage!

Use as much emotion as possible here. This will help fuel you when the hard work seems too much.

Having intense positive emotion driving your efforts ensures that you’ll stick with the program…and get results!

#3: Don’t Try to Make Drastic Changes

Since you’ve made it clear down here, I’ll assume you’re really motivated to make your stomach flat. So, I wanted to give you one more tip most people won’t tell you.

Getting a flat stomach is simple but not easy. And if you’re like most “make my stomach flat” seekers, you start off energized and fired up. You start of doing everything right. But, for most people, it doesn’t last long.

I want you to succeed. So here’s a trick: start off slowly!

Instead of attempting to do everything right (and then falling off with no result), just do one or two things right. And every week, slowly add more things.

For example:

  • Week 1: Cut out soda
  • Week 2: Do a few body squats , drink more water

Pretty soon, these small steps will add up to big steps without overwhelming yourself.

Give it a try.

When I decided I wanted to make my stomach flat, I knew it would require me to work really hard. But like anything you work hard for, the payoff is really worthwhile. So keep these missing tips in mind and start eating right and working out today!

Do you have your own flat stomach technique? Share it by leaving your tips below.

Exercises for Washboard Abs

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Most of us are still wondering what the right exercises for washboard absare, much less how to do them. Find out the most effective exercises for toning, strengthening, and ripping your abs.

Before you begin exercising, make sure that you’ve got a diet and workout plan in place. Exercises are important, but getting washboard abs requires a healthy diet and cardio workout, as well.

The most effective exercises for a set of washboard abs are:

  • Weighted Sit Ups
  • Ball Crunches
  • Full Body Crunches
  • Bicycles

Begin with 5 repetitions of each exercise and gradually work up to 20, several times per week. To avoid injury, start out slowly and step up your workout at your own pace.

Weighted Sit Ups

Required: A small weight or similarly sized object(a hardcover book or bag of flour)

  1. Lie down on the floor with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.
  2. Place the weight on your chest and hold it in place with both hands.
  3. Contract your abdominal muscles.
  4. Slowly lift your head and back up from the floor, while keeping your feet on the ground.
  5. Go up as high as you can and hold it for a second.
  6. Then slowly return down and repeat.

Ball Crunches

Required: An exercise ball

  1. Place your feet flat on the floor and sit on the exercise ball.
  2. Lie back slowly, letting the ball gently roll until your thighs and torso are in a parallel line with the floor.
  3. Begin raising your torso halfway up, while contracting your abdominal muscles.
  4. When you reach a 45 degree incline, stop and lie back down slowly.

Full Body Crunches

  1. Lie down on the floor.
  2. Bend your knees and place your hands across your chest.
  3. Contract your abdominal muscles.
  4. Bring your shoulder blades up off of the floor several inches while bringing your knees up at the same time.
  5. Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower yourself.

Bicycle

  1. Lie flat on the floor.
  2. Rest your hands up next to your head and bring your knees halfway up.
  3. Begin a bicycling motion with your legs.
  4. Alternate between touching your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee. Repeat.

When exercising, common sense and safety should be observed. If possible, exercise on an exercise mat or carpeted floor in a room with a moderate temperature. Keep yourself well hydrated. If you feel burning or tingling, perform less repetitions at one time.

If you follow these exercises for washboard abs and maintain a sensible diet and workout plan, soon you’ll have that washboard look you’ve always wanted.

What other exercises for washboard abs can you think of? Add to the list by leaving your comments below.

Countless Ways to Get Abs – 2 Key Concepts to Remember

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There are quite a lot of ways to get absand it can get a little confusing. Reading and hearing so-called “expert” advice coming from all directions – that can be daunting, for sure.

While some couldn’t stress hard enough that dieting is the primary and sole aspect to building muscle, others think that exercise is all you need. Then there are those who insist that crunches are just a waste of time, while others claim they are simply indispensable. Even the location of your workouts is under debate.

I could definitely relate as I, too, found myself in similar overwhelming situations before.

What if I told you that none of them were right? But, believe it or not, none of them were wrong either. It all boils down to PERSONAL CHOICE.

Combining various ways to get abs is the way to go and it’s up to you to decide which ones you think will work best for your body and your lifestyle. That is truly the best course of action, especially if you’re really serious about getting six pack abs.

The possibilities are endless, but there are only 2 things that you have to keep in mind for you to successfully carry out your personal fitness program:

  1. Follow a healthy diet; and
  2. Develop a regular fitness routine.

While these key concepts are pretty much standard, going about them may vary from person to person. Indeed, there are countless ways to get abs with a variety of diet options.

To greatly improve your diet, you have to consider WHAT you need to eat, HOW MUCH you need to eat, and HOW OFTEN you need to eat.

Basically, you need a diet that includes whole grains, lean meats and other rich sources of protein, fresh fruits, and a vast selection of vegetables. Instead of taking out fat from your diet completely, simply stick to essential and good forms of fat commonly found in nuts and fish.

How much of the healthy foods mentioned above are actually in your present diet? Do you think you’ve been eating far too much fat than you should? Are your meals mostly made up of processed carbs? Do you eat a lot of deep fried foods and dairy?

Reevaluating and weighing your food options are great ways to get abs. Asking yourself questions like these will help you customize your meals toward healthier practices.

This doesn’t mean you have to go totally Vegan and stay out of restaurants for good. Instead of ordering a big fat burger, maybe you could opt for a grilled sandwich or a fresh salad with a grilled meat garnish. Similarly, you can always go for olive oil based food instead of butter. Again, it just boils down to your choices and making the BEST one at a particular time.

The second component is just as important. Engaging in various cardio and targeted abs workouts will not only get you fast results, but it will also help you maintain an generally healthier lifestyle.

There are many ways to get abs, and all you have to do is line them up according to your priorities. A tailored fitness program works. Add in some determination and hard work, and you’ll definitely see results in no time.