5 Steps to Firmer Abs

Taryn — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:10:09 +0000

If you’re looking to firm up your midsection and ‘get abs’ like so many people are, it’s vital that you understand what steps you should be taking to arrive at your end goal on time.

Many people end up spending months and months working towards the goal to get abs only to find themselves disappointed when they just aren’t seeing progress.

You’ve heard that age old saying: “Abs aren’t created in the gym, they are created in the kitchen”, right?

So what does it take to get firm abs? Let’s walk you through five steps you need to know.

Step 1: Get Your Calorie Intake Set

If it comes right down to it, having abs has nothing to do with performing hundreds of sit-ups over and over again. While doing those may make you the ab workout champ, it’s not going to have you seeing six pack abs pop out in your mid-section.

To get the look you’re after, what’s required is a very low body fat percentage. Obtain this and then you’ll see definition.

This mean reducing back on your calorie intake so that you burn off more than you consume, which will then lead to fat being used as a fuel source.

Step 2: Choose Your Foods Wisely

The second thing that you must do is make sure that you’re choosing your foods wisely. You should be aiming to take in completely unprocessed foods that are rich in nutrients and will help you maintain stable blood sugar levels.

If you’re experiencing blood sugar highs and lows as you go about this diet, you’re headed for trouble.

Choose unrefined grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, oils, and lean sources of protein. All other foods should be omitted from your diet at this point.

Step 3: Weight Train

Weight training is another must-do in your program plan. Weight training will help to spike your metabolism, boost your lean muscle mass, and help add more tone and definition.

Furthermore, the abs will be called into play in almost any weight training exercise you perform while standing, reducing the need to work them separately on their own.

As long as you’re weight training with full body movements, you can be sure that your abs are getting a workout.

Step 4: Be Smart With Cardio

Cardio training is one thing that does often provide some confusion for many people. Cardio training will burn calories, but it’s not going to assist with fat loss like some people believe it will. The real secret to fat loss is a good diet plan – there’s no getting around that.

With cardio training however, if you perform interval training, you can boost your metabolism, which will have a very noticeable effect on your progress.

Alternate between high and low intensity bouts for 30-60 seconds each instead of slaving away for hours on end at a moderate intensity.

Step 5: Have Patience

Finally, make sure that you have some patience. Getting flat abs does take some time, so if you expect results overnight, you’re already headed for trouble. Be patient and results will come.

Easy enough right?? Now, get right to it! Stick to these simple 5 steps and that 6-pack will pop in no time!

5 Ways to Speed Up Your Six-Pack, By Ben Kallen

Taryn — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:33:54 +0000

This is a great article featured in the latest Beachbody newsletter. Don’t miss an issue, as there are great articles to further your health and fitness goals.

No matter what your age, body type, or fitness level, we’re pretty sure one of your main workout goals is to improve your abs. And why not? A flat midsection, with or without a visible six-pack, is the ultimate symbol of being fit and lean. (And yes, it looks great at the beach.) But it’s not just a matter of vanity—a strong core helps stabilize your entire body. That’s why every Beachbody workout program includes a variety of ab-tightening exercises.

Still, whatever you’re doing to get fit, there’s always room for improvement where the core is concerned. Here are five tips to help you to get those great abs faster than ever:

1. Work your entire core. Your “core,” the trunk muscles of your abdomen, lower back, and pelvis, is a whole system that supports your body as you stand up straight, perform everyday activities, and work out. And it’s important to strengthen all these muscles, not just the rectus abdominis (the main “six-pack” muscles targeted by crunches). At the very least, you should strengthen the spinal erectors of the lower back to balance out your abs, which will help your posture and reduce the risk of back pain. Think of total-core training as increasing your functional fitness—meaning you won’t just look better, but you’ll also be able to do things better too. (P90X’s Core Synergistics workout and ChaLEAN Extreme’s Extreme Abs workout are great examples of complete core workouts.)

2. ChaLEAN Extreme®Take it slow. When you’re doing crunches or other ab-focused exercises, it’s easy to speed up and lose proper form, especially when you start to get tired. Either you let momentum carry you through much of the movement or you pull yourself up with your back and shoulders. But you’ll get the most benefit (and the least chance of injury) from your workout if you concentrate on measured, controlled movements. And keep the abdominals contracted the entire time. After all, they’re the ones that should be doing the work. (Doing some Pilates-style movements—like ChaLEAN Extreme’s Pilates Roll-Up, in which you lift your upper body to a count of 8—is a good way to train yourself to slow it down.) When you can’t do any more reps with the proper form, it’s time to stop.

3. Don’t overdo it. If you really want great abs, you may be tempted to grind out crunch after crunch to the exclusion of other exercises, or to do more ab-centered workouts than your fitness program recommends. But directly working your abs too often can do more harm than good. Like any muscle, the abdominals need to recover between workouts. If you find you aren’t improving the number of reps you can do or the amount of weight you can handle, that’s a sign that you’re overtraining, and you need to cut back.

4. Don’t neglect the rest of your body. The more you work your entire body, the better it is for your abs. In fact, just about any full-body or compound movement, from push-ups to squats to deadlifts, takes a lot of ab effort. (That’s the whole point behind programs like Hip Hop Abs® and the upcoming RevAbs™, which give you great core results without focusing on crunches.) What’s more, working your full body will burn many more calories and raise your metabolism, which is important, because you also need to . . .

5. Lose the fat to make your abs flat. No matter how much you strengthen your abdominal muscles, the only way to get a flat midsection is to lose body fat. That’s going to require a diet that’s high in protein and fiber, low in simple carbs, and full of bulky, nutrient-dense foods that keep you full with fewer calories—and of course, plenty of water. If you’re on a meal plan associated with a particular workout, make sure you’re really following it and not fudging here and there. (Keeping a food diary can help.) When you combine an effective full-body workout with a proper diet, getting the flat abs you’ve always wanted is just a matter of time.

Set your goals and get there with a fitness program that is suitable for you. I’d be happy to help you determine what direction is appropriate for you. Send me an email at taryn@choose2befit.com and let’s get started.

Choose 2 Be Fit » abs

5 Steps to Firmer Abs

5 Ways to Speed Up Your Six-Pack, By Ben Kallen