Ab Workout

If you are serious about getting a six pack and changing your body shape, all you have to do is make some small changes to your lifestyle. Firstly, the popular saying ‘you are what you eat’ is very accurate. You should make sure you are eating the correct number of calories per day and the right types of food. A healthy balanced diet would include having your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day,  plenty of starchy food such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Keep up your intake of dairy foods as well as protein such as meat, fish, eggs and beans. As nice as they are, try to keep your intake of sugary drinks and foods to a minimum.

The benefits of lean strong abs go beyond the measuring tape

It is a common misconception that the less you eat the better it is for you to lose weight. This is not the case. In order to stay healthy men should consume approx 2500 calories per day and women, 1940 per day. If you are increasing the amount you exercises you may even find that you need to eat more than you usually do.

You should start by looking into the basic abdominal exercises. Develop a circuit of 3-5 different exercises. You should complete 10-15 repetitions of each exercises in sets of 2 to 3. Get some good music that will keep you motivated and enjoy the workout. For the best results you should also include a cardiovascular routine. High intensity cardio is best for weight loss (e.g. uphill running and sprints). If you are fairly new to exercises you should take it easy to start with. For long term results it is important that you try to enjoy your exercises sessions. If you don’t, you are unlikely to keep up the routine. Variety is the key, this will stave off boredom and keep you motivated. Why not ditch the gym one day a week and go for a run instead.

Improving strength in your abdominal area doesn’t just help you to look better, it will also help to improve your posture. This regime can also help reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. You can add years to your life by just taking a good look at your lifestyle and fitting the above changes into your daily routine. It’s not rocket science, all it takes is a bit of motivation and you will see the changes happen.

Bikini Body Workout

This Bikini Body plan combines strength moves with fat-blasting cardiovascular work to give you the sexy abdominal definition everyone so longingly craves. By following a strength and cardiovascular routine designed to hit as many muscles as possible, you are sure to get leaner much, much faster. Try to do this twice a week and follow each session with an additional 30 minutes of any cardio work you enjoy; such as jogging, skipping, biking or power walking. You will certainly be sporting a slimmer, firmer beach body in less than a month.

Tight 6 pack abs for a smokin bikini body

So what do you need? You can do these exercises in your living room so the main thing you need is a pair of 5lbs to 10lbs dumbbells, a sturdy chair and two cushions. You could substitute the dumbbells for cans from your kitchen cupboard. But a set of dumbbells is never a bad investment and they can be bought very cheaply.

1) Bicep-Curl with Elevated Leg Lunge – This works your legs, butt, abs, back and arms – Begin with five minutes of cardio, then stand 3ft in front of your chair with your back to it. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms by sides, palms facing forward, lift you left leg behind you and rest it on the chair edge. Slowly bend your right knee and lower into a lunge as you curl the weights up towards your shoulders. Lower your arms and return to the start, leaving your foot on the chair. Repeat this ten times, then switch legs and repeat again. Do these sets twice over.

2) Chop that wood - Works your legs, abs, butt, arms, back and shoulders – Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one weight with both hands. Bend your knees and squat, bringing the weight down to floor level outside of your left foot. Stand up; bring the weight close to and across your body, then over your right shoulder. Squat again, swing the weight down towards your left foot in a wood chopping motion. Do these ten times, swap sides and repeat again. Does this set of ten twice over.

3) Kneeling to pray for a better body – This works your back, shoulders and the backs of arms – Stand with left side facing a bench, with a weight in your right hand. Lean forward with your back flat and rest you left hand and knee on a bench or hard chair. Let your right arm hang down to the floor with the palm facing in. Slowly pull your dumbbell up, pause, then lower your arm. Do 15 of these, then switch sides and repeat. Do two sets for each side.

Now take a five minute cardiovascular interval and enjoy a jog, cycle or walk.

4) Press that Chest – Works your arms, chest and shoulders – Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lean back on a couple of pillows so that your upper back is about a foot off the floor. Hold a weight in each hand at your shoulders, palms facing forward. With your abs engaged to support your back, press your arms straight up and bring the dumbbells together, squeezing your chest muscles. Bring the weights back down and repeat. Do 2 sets of 15 repetitions.

5) Tricep Dip One Leg at a Time – Works your thighs, abs, back and the backs of your arms. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat. Place your hands behind you, fingertips pointing towards your feet. Straighten your arms to lift your hips off the floor and extend your left leg up about 45 degrees. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your butt towards the floor, without letting it touch, pause then straighten your arms to press back up. Do these 15 times then switch legs over and repeat. Do each side twice.

When you start researching for abs related documents, you run across several advertisements about how their equipment will help you achieve what you want with no efforts. But when this is given a little more thought you realize the myths behind each claim. In my opinion, a little common sense will go a long way towards helping you reach your goals. Things such as consistency and persistence will always win out over short term bursts of activity and sensible diet and exercise. The are many misconceptions that people have about achieving six pack abs and optimizing their ab workout routines.

Seperate the fact from the fiction for your Ab workout

Let’s look at some of the commons myths about abdominal exercises and products related to them:

• Abdominal exercises to get a six pack abs: If you have a huge layer of fat sitting around your waist line, you definitely have to spend a lot of time doing high cardio work outs and full body weight training. You have to gradually increase your metabolism to burn of the fat and grow some muscle instead.

• You do not have any muscle there: There is muscle sitting in your abdominal region but it is completely surrounded by fat. So your goal is to burn off that unwanted fat first.

• Diet pill helps you achieve a six pack abs: Diet pills might work but the solution is definitely short lived. There are more side effects of these pills like diarrhea, deficiency, unwanted dependency on the pills.

• Complete cut down on carbohydrates: Carbohydrates act as fuel to your body for any sort of intense exercises which in turn is needed to increase your metabolism. You cannot completely cut down on carbohydrates; instead have some complex carbs with fiber such as veggies, oatmeal, brown rice satisfy your hunger and gives good amount of energy too to work out.

• Slow Cardio sessions: You do not need slow cardio sessions in order to get six pack abs. The whole point in doing cardio is to increase heartbeat rate and hence burn off fat. You can do a high intensity cardio session to achieve that too.

• Working out at the Gym everyday: This is the most common myth. If you do not give the right amount of rest that your body requires, your body would not respond to any of these work outs.  Maintain the right diet and even if you work out 3 days in a week, it should be good.

• Steroids: Steroids are anabolic hormones that help building the muscle and not really burning fat. So it is better to follow a good diet and proper exercise regime to get a 6 pack abs rather than using steroids.

There are several such other myths about abs workout. Do your research to get your basics about abs right and stick by it.

When you look at magazines the models with 6 packs always stand out the most. Results like this can be achieved by following various abdominal exercises. For best results you should develop a circuit of these exercises and complete them daily. If you are really serious about seeing some body changes you should combine these exercises with a healthy diet and a regular cardiovascular regime.

The following two exercises will help to get you started. Why not give them a try now?

Abdominal Crunch

Most people have heard of this exercise, even if they have not already tried it. This is an excellent exercise to help strengthen the abdominal muscles. To start you should lie on the ground with your back to the floor. Both feet should be off the floor and your legs should form a right angle. Your shoulders should be raised slightly off the floor as well.

You can acheive your goals one step at a time

Take a big breath in and at the same time you should take your knees in towards your chest and lift the upper body to an angle of 30 degrees.

When your elbows reach your legs you should hold that position for a second and then slowly return to the original position. Pause again and then repeat the above. Make sure you hold the contraction in your abdominal area the entire time. Don’t allow your shoulders to touch the floor as this will lessen the benefit of this move. Many beginners let their shoulders drop to the ground but for the best results you should follow the instructions above.

It is important that you don’t strain your neck muscles while doing this exercise. It will help if you can keep your chin up from your chest. If required you could gently support your head by placing your hands at your temples.

Double Crunch

The double crunch is actually a combination of two separate exercises. The crunch and the knee raise. This will help to work the lower abdominal muscles.

To start with, you should lie down on the floor (back to the floor). You would have your legs in the air and then bend your knees so that your calves are parallel to the ground. Take a big breath in and suck in that stomach. With your eyes focused straight up above, lift your body off the ground so it is about 45 degrees to the ground. Be careful you don’t pull your neck muscles. Hold that position for two to three seconds and then return to the start position slowly and gently. Each set should have 10-15 repetitions of the above. It is recommended you complete 3 sets.

Losing weight is no easy task and although you may have suffered a wake-up call to say enough’s enough, it is time to shed a few pounds, actually getting started is a different story and something that thousands of people struggle with on a daily basis.

First things first, get outside. Fresh air, even in the cold and rain, can really pep up your senses and make you see yourself and the world in a different light. Too many hours spent in front of a computer screen or television, starts to close down your mind and make you lazier and less-motivated than ever.

Motivation is the key to Weight Loss success

So now you are outside and filling your lungs with fresh air, it is time to get walking. Put your walking boots or trainers on and set off on a gentle stroll. Down to the shops, along to the river, through the woods or scouring a beach, just walk, clear your mind of the daily clutter and just breathe in the fresh air. Try to walk for at least an hour, think about what lovely, healthy food you could cook yourself for dinner and plan out a few meals ahead. Mentally prepare a healthy shopping list and when you return home, write it down before it goes out of your mind. When you get back home, pour yourself a pint of water, gradually sip it and enjoy the refreshing feeling it gives to your walk-refreshed body. Now make a mental note to try and drink at least 2 – 4 pints of water each day, as well as taking a daily walk.

You will be pleasantly surprised, within a few weeks of this routine, your clothes will be feeling looser, your mind will be more active but best of all, you will have greatly improved your self esteem.

Whether or not you like to step on the scales is personal preference, it can be a great motivator in kick-starting or maintaining your weight loss regime by proving to you that what you are doing is working. However, it has a major downside to it as well and this is the fact that lots of people get addicted to weighing themselves and start to do it every time they go to the bathroom. Your body weight naturally fluctuates throughout the day, you are lighter in the morning after a night of fasting and you will be heavier at different times of the day, dependant on whether you have just finished a big meal or recently visited the toilet. Therefore, using scales is recommended no more than once per week to accurately measure your weight loss on a realistic basis. You should also try not to be disheartened if you find you have not lost any weight or have indeed put on; just make the extra effort to do better next time.

When your abdominal definition is nonexistent and your stomach is squelching out over your jeans, it’s easy to get complacent and think ‘oh well, I’m no athlete!’ and continue to do nothing about it. The danger here is that your muscles can very quickly deteriorate, particularly around your middle and before you know it, you could be looking at all sorts of health related problems. So how do you turn this attitude around? Begin by considering that you are in fact an athlete and that you are not a helpless victim surrendering to the cruel realities of life, but in fact a person on a mission to take control.

The great thing about working on your abs is that it actually takes very little effort to yield surprising results.

You too can have ripped abs

You’ve suffered your wake up call, so now is the time to realise you control your own ab definition and you alone can work to improve it. Get started right now by following these exercises to work out your abdominals. Try to do ten reps of each exercise 4 or 5 times a week. You will begin to see results within a month.

Ab Workout for Upper Abdominals

Lie flat, bend your knees and tuck your feet under something to keep them down. Fold your hands across your chest and gently tuck your chin in. This will lift the back of your head up.

Continue this into a roll until your back is vertical and your chest is against your knees. Pause, then roll back, placing one vertebra at a time on the surface until your head is back down on the mat. Do 10 reps.

Ab Workout for Lower Abdominals

Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees and cross your feet at the ankles. Reach back over your head and slide your hands under something weighty to lock them down  and resist your weight as you lift. Bring your knees up until your upper legs are perpendicular to the surface with which your lower legs are parallel.

Pause for a second to make sure you are balanced and stable and then thrust your lower body straight up towards the ceiling. Your buttocks will follow your knees and feet and you’ll feel the lower abdominals engage.

When you’re up as far as  you can go and you’re up on your shoulders, roll back down ever so slightly. Pause and then return slowly to a sitting position. Remember to keep your knees bent and avoid arching your back. There is no need to rest between repetitions. Use a folded towel or a mat under your bottom if you’re uncomfortable.

Ab Workout for Oblique Abdominals

Lie flat on a surface. Bend your knees and tuck your feet under something to keep them down. Fold your hands across your chest.

Tuck your chin towards your chest. Rotate your torso to one side. Roll up slowly until you’re upright. Use a folded towel or a mat under your bottom if you’re uncomfortable.

Pause and then, still in rotation, roll back down, placing one vertebra at a time on the surface until your back is on the floor. Pause, then rotate to the opposite side and begin an upward roll.

Do you really want to know why the majority of people give up on their abdominal workouts? It really is no secret, but it needs to be addressed if you want to achieve the pinnacle of success and that is those lean, sexy six pack abs that seem to be staring at you from every health and fitness magazine on the market. You can do crunch after crunch and pay for expensive gym memberships, but without combining it with this one ingredient, you’ll soon lose your motivation because you aren’t seeing results. Want to know what the secret ingredient is? Of course you do!

If you fail to address the issue of losing whatever belly fat you may have, your abdominal workouts, even though you still are strengthening those stomach muscles, will soon become tedious and boring. And when that happens, you will give up and quit. It won’t matter how many different exercises you do or how much you invest in exercise equipment: if you don’t make a concerted effort to lose the belly fat, all of your efforts will go to waste.

Lose the spare tire for six pack abs

Hopefully, by now, you are asking yourself the “How do I start losing my belly fat so that my abdominal workouts give me what I want?” question. Glad you asked! Let’s take a look at some simple tips that will help you achieve that goal. Now remember, you’ve probably have heard about most of these before, but at this point, it certainly can’t hurt to hear about them again.

First, let’s look at some things that you don’t want to do. The first piece of advice is simple. Don’t think that by starving yourself you’ll be any closer to losing fat! In fact, your body will do just the opposite and start storing even more fat. Along with that, if you start to drastically reduce the amount of calories you consume, not only will you notice a lack of energy to do your abdominal workouts effectively but once again, you slow down the metabolic rate of your body: not good when you want to lose that fat! And, of course, don’t expect results quickly. You need to have patience to see results. Got it? Good.

Now, let’s cover some tips on how to lose your belly fat. Once again, most are common sense tips but have been found to be highly effective when coupled with good abdominal workouts to help you finally shed that fat around your middle. First of all, let’s briefly refer to your eating habits. You know you need energy, so don’t skip breakfast. This meal gets your metabolism in gear for the day. Instead of 3 meals per day, try to do 5 or 6 smaller meals in order to keep the metabolism chugging along. Also, be sure to pay attention to the amount of sleep you get. Many studies have already proven that lack of sleep can fool the body into storing fat. Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated during the day.

You also need to add some type of cardiovascular routine to complement your abdominal workouts. It doesn’t have to be complicated though. A simple, fast walk 3 times per week to begin with would suffice. Make sure you break a sweat when you walk and challenge yourself, or you will get no benefit from it. The last piece of the puzzle to help you get rid of that fat is to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine. In, other words, weights (of course, that doesn’t mean that you need to go overboard: safety comes first and, should you ever experience any problems or think that something just doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor). Again, this doesn’t have to be complicated and no, you don’t have to become a body builder. What you accomplish with strength training is that you build more muscle tissue that burns fat! And that is your goal, right?

If you just stick with these common sense tips and develop the appropriate mindset, you will finally start to see the desired results from your abdominal workouts. What you will also find is that the more results you see, the more motivated you will become to continue your exercise routine. And most importantly, have patience. Your success won’t come overnight, but if you follow the above advice then rest assured, you will be successful!

When you start thinking about an abdominal machine, your first thoughts might be about all of the different types of ab machines you see at your local gym or health club. Now let’s take a look at a simple type of abdominal machine that has been around long before the advent of high-tech, modern exercise equipment. And just to satisfy your curiosity, the answer to the above question is a resounding “Yes”!

Have you ever heard of an exercise ball? Most of you probably have. Other names of this unique, but incredibly simple piece of equipment might be Swiss ball, the abdominal ball or the stability ball. But what you may not know is that the Swiss Ball was first used in 1909 by a Swiss physical therapist, Dr. Susanne Klein-Vogelback, in helping children recover from various injuries.

Simple ab workout machines

Let’s take a brief look at why you should consider adding an exercise ball as your next abdominal machine. One of the biggest reasons is that unlike standard ab machines, an exercise ball starts to work your stomach muscles from the minute you either sit on it or lay on it. Why? Without going into great detail, your body instantly tenses the abdominal muscles to keep you balanced even before you start to perform any exercises.

Another benefit of an exercise ball is clearly the financial one. When you start looking at the price of a quality home abdominal machine, it’s not uncommon to be looking at exercise equipment that can cost several hundreds of dollars. In comparison, a good exercise ball can be purchased for about the cost of a nice dinner for two at your local establishment. Want even more benefits of an exercise ball?.

Once again, unlike a standard ab machine, you have nothing to adjust in order to fit, no matter what size you might be. Ever try an abdominal machine where the exercises just don’t seem to be giving you the maximum effect because you may not fit correctly? Sure you have! With an exercise ball, that problem is alleviated. Exercise balls are made in different sizes, with the capacity to hold up to one thousand pounds, so needless to say, everyone is going to fit!

Now let’s move on to what you should look for when considering adding an exercise ball to your home gym. Just like with any other type of fitness equipment, they are not all created equal! The first thing you should pay attention to is the size. Most manufacturers will usually offer at least three different sizes based on your body height.

Here is a simple guide to assist you:

• If you are under 5ft 4inches tall, your best bet is to use the smallest size available, which will usually be a 55cm exercise ball.

• If your body height is between 5ft 4inches and 5ft 11inches, your best choice would be a 65cm exercise ball.

• And if you are tall, 5ft 11inches and over, buy the largest ball possible, which will usually be a 75cm exercise ball.

As you’ve noticed, there was no mention of weight requirements. The beauty of using an exercise ball as an abdominal workout machine is that you can easily adjust the air pressure until you reach the proper inflation for your body weight. Just think: no more tedious adjustments needed before you actually begin your ab workout!

The last thing that you should take into consideration when deciding which brand of exercise ball to invest in is just common sense. Make sure it is labeled as puncture proof and at the very least, puncture resistant. What you have to remember, especially since it will be used at home, is that you may not be the only one to use it, especially if you have kids. Kind of makes sense, don’t you think?

Hopefully, by now, you can see that you have alternatives when you start looking to add an abdominal machine to complement your exercise routine. Don’t be afraid to try something new in order to achieve the results you desire. Besides, you may just have a ball and get those six pack abs you want while you’re at it!

You are no longer a beginner and want to start adding more abdominal exercises to your routine: first of all, congratulations are in order because you have shown the commitment to get to this point without giving up. You may not be seeing all of the visible results yet but you are most likely feeling better, sleeping better and approaching each day with a more vigorous outlook. Now, pat yourself on the back a few times before taking a look at these new exercises that you can add to your abdominal routine. Are you done? Good. Then let’s jump right in.

In a previous article, you became acquainted with crunches, reverse crunches and the pulling in maneuver. Now you are going to add one or two more exercises to make the workout a bit more challenging and varied. After reviewing these new choices, try to stick with four or five abdominal exercises each time you work out. Remember to do three sets of each exercise with 12-15 repetitions per set before moving on to the next exercise. You can vary which ones you choose for each workout so that boredom doesn’t become an issue.

Do you look like this?

Let’s take a look at ab exercises that still have no need for additional equipment and can be done from the comfort and privacy of your own home:

• Bicycle Crunches – The bicycle crunch is one of the best abdominal exercises that you can do because it works all areas of your stomach and since you no longer are a beginner, you have sufficient strength for this maneuver. Remember: control your movements and your breathing to get the maximum effect. Begin by laying on your floor with your hands interlaced behind your head. As you start to curl forward, bring your right knee towards your left elbow and extend your left leg. Now repeat with the other leg to your other elbow. The key here is to keep your shoulder blades off the floor as you execute each repetition.

• Leg Lifts – Let’s bring a little variety to your abdominal exercises. This is a simple exercise to do but works both your abdominal muscles and helps strengthen your back. Once again, you’ll use the floor. Lay down with your back pressed against floor, arms at your sides and your knees slightly bent. To start the exercise, bring you legs straight up in the air fully extended. To complete the maneuver, keeping your legs extended, slowly lower them towards the floor but not all the way! Hold for a count of 2 and bring them back up. This exercise can be adapted in a variety of ways as you progress, by varying the hold counts and by adding ankle weights to even further challenge you.

• Half Plank – This is one of the abdominal exercises that uses no motion but strengthens not only your stomach muscles but the muscles of your back as well. It is done on the floor but now you get to roll over. From a kneeling position, lean forward to balance yourself on your elbows and knees keeping your body as straight as possible. What you want to do now is pull your abdominal muscles in and try and touch your belly button to your spine. Hold for 10 seconds to start and then release. Don’t hesitate to use pads for your knees and elbows if your surface is too hard or uncomfortable. As you become even stronger, you may consider using what is known as a Full Plank, the only difference being that you balance on your elbows and toes.

As stated above, keep your routine varied with different abdominal exercises but also learn to challenge yourself with the more difficult ones (again: only once you are 100% ready). That was the main purpose of introducing you to all of these new exercises. As start becoming more and more successful, your motivation will increase and you will probably want to do more. If you have been making these abdominal exercises just a small portion of an overall fitness plan to tone and burn away your body fat, rest assured, your visible results are not that far away. So again, pat yourself on the back: it’s  definitely allowed!