abs crunches

Working Against Your Genes and Getting a Flat Stomach

by

There is a science to getting a flat stomach and it’s called GENETICS. Your genes have a lot to do with the way you look. In like manner, your genetic makeup also determines how your muscles are formed and what it would take to define them well.

That’s why fitness regimens really do vary because that’s how our bodies were designed – each being unique and distinct. Look around you. Body shapes and muscle definition are really different for every individual.

No wonder the work involved in getting a flat stomach varies from person to person.

We inherited our genes from our parents, so it is most likely that we look very similar to them and our close relatives. Your genes not only establish the way you look, but also the way stored fat is burned when you exercise. Differences in metabolism could be the reason why you burn fat slower than your peers.

Be that as it may, you can still up the ante by including high-intensity cardio exercises and rigorous abs training in your fitness program to effectively burn stubborn body fat.

There are so many cardiovascular workouts for getting a flat stomach. You’ve got running or jogging, which has been a favorite physical pastime for years. Swimming, yoga, martial arts, dancing, boxing, and rowing are all very good cardio workouts as well.

You can do one or mix it up by doing at least three kinds every other day. The possibilities are endless really. What should remain constant is warming up right before engaging in any of these activities and cooling down afterward.

As for targeted abs workouts, there are just so many exercises to choose from. You have regular floor crunches, ball crunches, leg lifts, curls, bicycle exercises, sit ups, weighted sit ups, and a lot more. All of these will help you a great deal in getting a flat stomach.

Pick the ones that you think work best for you and don’t be afraid of a little trial-and-error. You’ll find out soon enough if you try each one for a period of time. If you start to feel that your abdominals are tighter or if they even look better in the mirror, then that only means the exercise you’re doing is working best for your body type.

You may not look exactly like your favorite Hollywood celebrity or don the same washboard abs as your much admired athlete. But getting a flat stomach can still be a reality regardless what your genes say. Just keep eating right, perform intense exercises to burn stubborn fat, and really work your butt off.

How have you conquered your genes to a flatter stomach? Share your own story below.

Men’s Abs – The Truth Behind The Hype

by

Perfect men’s abs are everywhere – TV, magazines, billboards. Toned, ripped abs are the hallmark of male physical perfection. Our culture has become obsessed with the abdominal region, and while self-improvement is a good thing, unhealthy fixation is not.

Every day, people all across the world head to the gym for hours of crunches to get stellar abs. Go into the fitness section of any bookstore and you’ll see dozens of books promising to reveal the secret of six pack abs.

Do you know what’s real and what’s just hype?

Before you being an abdominal workout routine, here’s the facts:

  1. The only way to “spot reduce” fat is with surgery.
  2. For your abdominal muscles to be seen, your body fat percentage must be less than 10%.
  3. Reducing fat and building or maintaining muscle requires a long-term regimen of diet, cardio, and toning exercise.

The “Spot Reduce” Fat Myth

Some machines, diets, and gimmicks will tell you that it is possible to use their product to melt the fat right off your belly. Doctors and fitness experts agree that it is simply not possible to reduce fat in one specific area, such as men’s abs, without the aid of surgery. While you can target certain areas of your body with exercise, this will only make them stronger – it will not reduce fat.

Many men are confused, thinking that they can remove belly fat through sit-ups, or increase abdominal definition with diet. Professor Peter Lemon, of Kent State University, has studied the link between food and exercise extensively, and regarding the theory of spot fat reduction he says: “It’ll never work. You might improve abdominal strength, but that alone won’t get you the results you want.”

Body Fat Percentage

No matter how strong your abs are, if they’re covered in fat you won’t be able to see them. In reality, many men’s abs aren’t in too bad shape to begin with – they’re just covered in fat! Click here to calculate your approximate body fat percentage…

Dr. Lentz, another fitness expert, says “In most men, fat around the abdominals is the last thing their bodies burn off. Aerobic exercise is what gets your body to start burning it.”

You should start with about 30 minutes, 3 times a week of something like:

  • Power Walking
  • Bicycling
  • Rowing
  • Martial Arts

Long-term Regimen

To reduce fat and build your abs, you need to change your diet and increase your metabolism. A good way to start is by lowering your fat and sugar intake, increasing the amount of protein you consume, and beginning a cardio workout routine. After you have that down, then you should begin a targeted abdominal training exercise program.

Just stick to your diet, perform regular cardio workouts, and keep training those abs. Soon that potbelly will disappear, and you’ll have rock solid abs, too. Click here for the program that helped me finally get abs after years of struggle…

What other myths have you realized? Share your personal views by adding your comments below.

3 Parts of a Complete Advanced Workout for Abdominals

by

Targeted abdominal exercises are great – they zone in on those “difficult-to-reach” abdominal muscles and work your muscles hard. However, if you’re really serious about getting six pack abs, you’ll need an advanced workout for abdominals.

I used to have this notion that if I just did an insane number of sit ups everyday, I’d get the rock-hard abs of my dreams. I later on discovered that no matter how many sit ups I did, it just simply wasn’t enough.

Doing sit ups like a mad man is clearly not the answer to getting six pack abs. I know this now, and YOU should be aware of it, too. What most fitness experts are saying might come as a surprise, but they’re actually right – abdominal exercises alone are not the sole solution for great chiseled abs.

To get the most out of your advanced workout for abdominals, you need to consider these 3 important aspects:

1. Full body workout. Think about it: what good can those six pack abs do if the rest of your body isn’t in sync? Have you ever seen athletes do nothing BUT abdominal muscles training? I don’t think I ever have.

Working your ENTIRE body as opposed to just one area is the best way to go. Why? Think of your muscles as a web of intricate power lines that store and produce energy. You can’t expect the rest of your body to function at its maximum potential if you only work out one part.

Your advanced workout for abdominals should be reinforced with a full body exercise routine. Here are some full body workouts that you can choose from:

  • Kick Boxing
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi
  • Pilates

2. Healthy diet. Following a low-fat diet is the 2nd aspect to a complete and advanced workout for abdominals. Consuming less fat will help you get leaner, and a leaner body can easily get muscle definition.

While maintaining a balanced diet, you can include a variety of power foods like the following:

  • Lean meats
  • Tofu
  • Beans
  • Vegetables and Fruits

3. Midsection targeting. Targeted ab exercises is at the core of any successful advanced workout for abdominals. They not only tone your abdominal muscles, but also they define them. When done every other day, you’ll begin to see results in no time at all.

There are a variety of abdominal muscles exercises to choose from. Here are just a few examples to get you started:

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

So, eat well, get a full body workout often, and target your abdominals with core-specific exercises. Combining all three aspects will definitely ensure the best advanced workout for abdominals.

Did I miss out on anything? Add #4 to the list by entering your comments below.

Stomach Crunches Help

by

Stomach crunches help tone your abs, which, in turn, support your spine. They also help you develop toned, sexy abs. If you’re doing crunches, but not getting the results that you expect, then follow this checklist to get back on track.

  • The Crunch
  • Healthy Diet
  • Cardiovascular exercises

The crunch movement can be broken down into a series of distinct phases:

1. Preparation

Warm up before you start doing crunches. A brisk walk will do the trick well. Make sure that you exercise on a comfortable surface, like an exercise mat.

Lie on the floor, with you back and feet planted firmly. Your knees should be bent. Place both of your hands behind your head.

Locate and isolate your lower abdominal muscles. Contract them – they should move up and in. This will help to stabilize your back as you lift. Don’t tense your neck, and try not to bend your lower back.

Now take a deep breath. Don’t forget to breathe using your diaphragm.

2. Lift (Stomach Crunch)

Slowly lift your upper back, shoulders and neck off of the floor. Keep your head supported with your hands, but don’t pull on it. Get to an angle of about 30 degrees off of the floor.

You need to restrict the lifting to the abdomen only. Don’t use your hands, or arms, to lift yourself up. Don’t tense your neck either – use your hands to support your head.

Make sure that you look ahead, almost at the ceiling. This will help you keep your neck and back in line. Keep your chin off of your chest, pretend there is an orange under your chin.

While lifting, keep your abdominals tensed, and breath out slowly. Exhale, until you come to the end of your breath. This will help you keep proper tension in your abdominals while you incline in a safe manner.

3. Return

Breathe in as you descend. Don’t forget to support your head just as before. Don’t use your arms, and keep your chin off of your chest. You should breathe at a rate that will finish when you reach the floor.

Additional Advice:

If you still aren’t seeing results, you may have to reexamine your diet. Crunches only tone your abs, they won’t strip the fat off of them. With a proper diet, you can melt that fat away. Avoid fatty foods, get lots of protein, and moderate carbs.

Cardiovascular workouts are an important base for any exercise program and diet. Go running, walking, or swimming. This will make your exercises more effective, and help burn off fat.

Stomach crunches help to tone abs, but only when properly performed. Now, you should know what has been holding your abs back.

Learned something that I have missed here? Feel free to add them by leaving your comments below.

Top 2 Guidelines for the Fastest Way to Tighten Abs

by

I wouldn’t be surprised if you and every other fitness fanatic wanted to know the fastest way to tighten abs. In this ab-obsessed society, it seems like anything less than a flat, sexy stomach won’t cut it anymore.

Rightfully so! Building abs is not just for looking good, but it allows you to feel good as well.

Working on your abs is just one facet of complete physical fitness, but it’s definitely a worthwhile undertaking. It promotes such discipline and an overall wellness that you will need to work the rest of your body successfully.

As you read further, you will discover that there are many simple techniques that you can do to get a six pack. The fastest way to tighten abs is to follow these to the best of your ability.

1. Making the Right Investments. Abs training is a lucrative market, with all these machines coming out in the market today. The fastest way to tighten abs is to invest in exercise equipment that is long-lasting, promises full-range, and won’t break the bank.

The best investment you can make in abs training equipment is buying a stability or exercise ball.

You can use this in a wide range of exercises and other fitness activities as well. They don’t cost a lot and they ensure that you’re getting your work done without the massive strain on your back, neck, and shoulders.

2. Maintain Correct Form and Execution. Whichever exercise you are performing at any given time, you need to use the proper form. Why? You can get the most out of your workout if you do them correctly use the right exercise tools.

Stability ball exercises, for example, are best performed with a, you guessed it, stability ball. Sure you can do them on your bed or even on the floor, but you won’t get maximum results. You might even injure yourself in the process.

Performing a stability ball exercise correctly is the fastest way to tighten abs. Here’s why:

  • Defines muscles really well
  • Helps stabilize and control your hips and pelvis for balance
  • Tones the stomach
  • Works hard-to-reach obliques
  • Works deep down to the innermost layer of abdominal muscle
  • Works lower abs

Increasing your reps from week to week as you progress is best. Your form and execution must still be regular and spot on, regardless how many you end up doing.

Here’s one stability ball exercise that should keep you “on your toes.”

Lie flat on the floor while keeping those legs straight up and slightly apart. Place the ball in between your ankles or shins and hold it there as you inhale. As you let out the air, lower your legs without arching your back or touching the floor. Lift the ball back to your initial position and start again.

Truly, the fastest way to tighten abs is to keep these two important guidelines in mind. By doing it right and getting the essential tools for abs training, you’ll see results faster than you can say “I got six pack abs!”

Help add a 3rd guideline based on your experience. Share them by entering your comments below.