The Greatest Mistake of Abs Training You Should Avoid!

In this article, I will be discussing on what are the abs training mistakes that most of us made during our quest on getting a six-pack abs.

So what are the common mistakes every man or woman made during their abs training?

The greatest mistake that most people make during their six-pack abs quest is that these people spend too much time doing abs workout. This means that during their training session, they only pump on their abs. Like for example, doing various abs exercises like crunches, reverse crunches, leg lift etc. These abs specific exercises are good but it's definitely not the way to get your six-pack abs.

Most people are making so much effort trying to get their abs define by doing many reps of those abs exercises. But end of the day, they are wasting their time doing these. Instead if they choose to do a well-designed full body training program, they could get better result as their metabolism rate would increase faster which burns more fats in return.

Why doing countless of abs exercise will not work at all?

This is the most important concept of all as most people do not even know why they cannot get their abs defined by doing only abs exercise. Mainly because when you are doing abs exercises, it helps to build your abs muscle. But what if it is hidden behind layers of fats? You are actually making your stomach more obvious.

Believe it or not, you already have the so-called six-pack abs in your stomach. It's only the belly fats above it that is covering it. So the main key factor to let your abs be defined is actually losing those belly fats. To lose your belly fats, you need to reduce your body fats percentage to as low as possible, for guys around 7% and women around 18%.

So how to remove your body fats percentage?

To reduce your body fats percentage to the lowest, you need to increase your metabolism rate. You can either increase your metabolism rate by doing exercises that involve working on large muscles or have a healthy nutrition diet that speeds up your metabolism rate. This is why pumping on those abs exercises will not help in burning fats.

To have the best training program for abs, you should concentrate specifically on major muscle strength training (Upper Legs, Upper back, and chest) and some interval training. However, for abs specific exercises, I would include it into my training session for only two times a week with only five minutes per session.

Why is interval training better than slow boring cardio?

There have been a lot of personal trainers recommending long duration and slow cardio workout for best fat burning effect. Doing slow cardio does help but it is definitely a waste of time. If you are looking for lasting fat loss, that is not the way. This is because during the slow cardio workout, you will only be burning calories. Instead if you are doing proper interval training with only 20 minutes a session, you can get a greater metabolism boost which helps you to burn fats even when you are resting!

So this covers the main abs training mistake that most of us tend to make.

Remember you need to lose your belly fats first before your abs muscle can be seen.

I recently came across a program that focuses on this concept on abs building. It covers a full body workout program and a nutrition diet that allows you to get rid of those ugly belly fats and reveal the hidden six pack abs. I had applied this abs program with some of my clients and huge result was seen. Thus i highly recommend anyone that is serious about losing their belly fats and getting their six pack abs to check out Truth About Abs, Here is my review: Truth About Abs Review.

Wayne Revlon is a fitness consultant as well as a personal trainer for many years. He had help countless of people to achieve their fitness goals and attain their six pack abs body. He had set up absbuilder.com as a guide for people to learn how to get a firm and washboard abs. Learn more about how to get a six pack fast at absbuilder.com.

Rock Hard Abs Convert that Keg into a Six Pack

Whether you're straight, gay, black, white, puny or super-sized, just about everyone wants to have a great set of abs. In fact, we'd venture a guess that an ab-lined trunk is the number one choice for most people if they could be endowed with just one stellar body part.

Sure, a lot of meatheads would still choose big biceps... but that's only because they have bloated midsections and no chance at chiseled abs. And let's face it, the desire for a well-defined abdomen unites the sexes in ways that relationships, group sex and naked Twister just never could. Why do you think God invented the belly shirt for women and Calvin Klein underwear for men, for Christ's sake? Duh! The Lord knew what he was doing, that's why.

But if matters of divine intervention just aren't your cup of tea and you need more logical proof, consider this; Any physical attribute that says 'I'm young, sexy and ready for any action you wanna bring my way' packs a wallop in the scheme of success with all matters of sexual prowess. Can you think of another visible male body part that can say that much with a mere peek? Good abs scream, "I'm a SEX GOD and can go ALL NIGHT!" Doesn't that mean anything to you flabby-gut couch jockeys out there??

If it does, we're sure you'll be reading on.

If not... go in peace, portly son, and eat a bag of Cheetos for us while you're at it!

It's all a matter of priorities. You either want the physical edge with the ladies and the stud status that can bring, or you're content with the same boring TV dinner that is your wife or current girlfriend because you're too lazy to better yourself and she doesn't deserve it. That is, of course, unless the lady in your life is in better shape than you. If that's the case, you're just biding your time until Julio the pool boy swoops down with his net and skims the suit top right off your woman.

There's really no good reason to wait around to build your abs, let's not disagree on that much. But since nobody goes to the gym strictly so he can build his midsection, it needs to become a priority and part of something bigger. That balancing act between what is most important at the time and what is ultimately important in the big picture is what you need to rectify before you receive the bounty of goods, shaped like the underside of a tortoise shell, that will replace the flab you now have.

Good abs are obviously best appreciated in the spring and summer months of the year. Since that's the case, you'll need to focus on them all year long, but with special emphasis on a seasonal basis. We say, "good legs in the winter and good abs in the summer" as a general rule of thumb. However, if you live in either Florida or southern California, you'll want to scratch that thinking because if your front porch is shaded by palm trees of any variety, you'll need to prioritize your abs all year long.

Something You Never Knew About Abs

Abs aren't like any other muscle in the body. If they are like any muscle group, they are closest to calves in the way that they respond, but truly, they aren't even like calves. The abs are a muscle group that have a high threshold for stress and strain. They can take a beating and recover rapidly. And unlike smaller body parts, such as biceps or triceps, the abs can take a tremendous amount of stress and actually benefit from it. Whereas,

you might take your arms to failure once or twice a month to get them to respond to a different sort of stimulus, it's going to take you a lot of imagination to come up with ways to actually beat your abs at the endurance game. You know the saying "more is better"? Well, in this case, it's true.

Endurance isn't something most people equate with building good muscle mass. In fact, it's usually just the opposite. But the truth is, it is through endurance that you will build your best abs. Endurance, however, by its very name and definition, takes time to cultivate and accumulate. It's not like you can expect to be able to do a thousand crunches tomorrow night right off the bat, even using poor form. You have to work up to it.

But here's the Catch-22 that makes ab training so frustrating:

As you work up the steam and endurance through practice, your abs will become stronger and stronger and require more and more resistance and endurance in order to benefit and continue showing results. So essentially, the harder you work, the harder you'll have to work to see the same progress!

Now when we talk about resistance, it isn't so much in terms of adding more weight to your ab workouts, it just means that the abs are a demanding and often times a harsh mistress who never seems satisfied with your less-than-paltry efforts. Get used to the fact that your abs will continually demand more and more of you (read: drain you dry) the more you go after good midsection conditioning.

Sound familiar? Get over it! No one wants to hear your social sob stories!

So why does this happen? The abdominals are a muscle group that quickly re-oxygenate themselves following periods of intense stress having been placed on them. That is to say they recuperate extremely fast from the stress placed on them, and are ready to go again in a matter of a minute or less. Try that with your quads and you'll end up amputating your legs from the knees down. Don't do it with your abs and you're destined for a mediocre midsection.

If you're not ready to go when your abs are, it can actually hinder your progress because the abs require constant cumulative stress over a period of at least 20-30 minutes for any benefit to occur. Hence, the need for accumulated endurance. The only way to get endurance is to practice endurance. Long story short? Your first few weeks are going to seem like the longest, most excruciating kidney stone passing in the history of the modern world. Your only solace will be found in the fact that you'll feel it in your belly and not your nether regions. Thank goodness for small miracles

The Unadulterated Truth

When anyone looks at a good midsection, they think, 'If I just do hundreds of sit ups, I'll get there like that guy did'. Truth is, he's only partly right. That's because there are several truths to consider when putting together a routine that will actually work for you. Forget or deny these truths and you'll surely fail.

Truth #1: There is no end to good ab training in the big picture, just as there is no room for backing off on intensity and stress in the smaller, single workout picture, there is no room for it in the big picture either. Endurance is the key in the short term and longevity is in the long term. If you do not remain consistent with your training, you'll lose it as rapidly as you got it!

Truth #2: There is more to the midsection, and to making it look like a million bucks, than just the few vertical slabs that run East to West across your belly. Truly impressive abs require the inclusion of many exercises, other than crunches, that are designed to target other areas of the total midsection. There are three whole other parts to consider!

Truth #3: Diet is almost 80% of your success in the end. You can train your ass off from morning until night and have abs so strong you could crush a V-8 can in the up position, but if it's shrouded beneath a layer of ugly flabby fat, all your hard work is basically invisible. And we all know, if it can't be seen, it just doesn't exist. Just ask anyone!

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE

The abs are comprised of 5 parts:

oUpper Rectus Abdominus

oLower Rectus Abdominus

oSerratus

oIntercostals

oObliques

The rectus muscles are the parts of the midsection that most people equate with "having abs". They are the vertical muscles that, depending upon your genetic make-up, comprise 4-5 different sections that run across the width of the abdominal cavity. They are typically broken up in the middle and either staggered like bricks or evenly dispersed straight across like tiles. Everyone is different in how they are configured genetically and it's not something that is negotiable. Hey, you can do a lot with the human body, but choosing how your muscles are laid out is not an option.

The Obliques are the muscles that run from along the lower part of the ribcage and down to your hips. They comprise what most people call the 'waist'. Insanely drugged out bodybuilders have hugely developed obliques, but typically not by choice. It just happens as a matter of not watching the waistline, straining and not taking care to keep these muscles stress free. However, they do need to be worked; just not too extreme. They need work only to tie in and make the rest of the abs flow together well. They are part of the sum total of a totally amazing abdominal picture.

The Serratus and Intercostal muscles are the finishing touches on the whole picture. They lace together like lattice over the top of the ribcage just below the pectoral muscles. They come in at a 45 degree angle toward the middle of the upper rectus abdominus like two sets of fingers diagonally interlaced.

All of these sub-groups of muscles within the muscle grouping itself must be trained in order to attain a great result. It's also the way to keep your trunk strong in a complete sense for other athletic endeavors where trunk strength, balance and coordination are important. That goes for just about every sport, genius!

THE EXERCISES

You must do at least 2 exercises per section of abdominal muscle sub-group in order to fully work the abs. We'll give you a few per sub-group to get you started. Just know, there are tons more variations out there; the world is your oyster. And if you're anything like us, (we puke when we eat oysters too fast) hopefully, you'll puke after each ab workout!

We also recommend that you work the abs at least 4 times per week to keep the heat on and keep the abs from totally recovering. They are a highly adaptable muscle and require consistency. Working the abs 4+ times per week will also help you build the endurance you need to keep improving and actually go the distance in a tough workout. Take just 30 - 45 seconds between sets and try to superset your exercises in a way that keeps the overall focus and intensity on the abs, but gives a slight break to each sub-group.

For example: When you do a set of crunches, also do a set of hanging leg raises immediately following to give the upper rectus a rest and the lower rectus a run for its money!

Make sure to go at least 15 reps or to failure when you can. You won't overtrain your abs like you would another body part doing this. You'll just make them harder and better!

Upper Rectus

*

Crunches (with knees raised or on an ab slant board)

The point is to lift with your upper rectus only. That means finding a spot on the ceiling with your eyes and sticking to it! Keep your lower back anchored to the floor or ab board. Use knees raised initially, and move to ab slant for a tougher workout!

*

Weighted crunches in kneeling position

Hold upper cable pulley with rope attachment and a slight amount of weight. Keep elbows alongside your ears and don't move 'em! Use your abs to crunch down over yourself in a kind of praying monk position.

*

Nautilus Crunch machine

Most gyms have these, where you sit in a chair and immobilize your lower body while crunching over your abs.

Lower Rectus

*

Hanging Leg Raises

You can use elbow cuffs or just your hands to hang from a high bar. Straighten your legs and become motionless, then, raise your knees by curling from the tailbone and tucking your butt. Bring your knees as high as possible or until your hang time ends.

*

V-Up/Knees into Chest

Using the end of a flat bench, balance on the long end of your butt right about at your tailbone. Lean back with your upper body, grab hold of the bench sides, and balance on your butt as if it is the bottom of a V. Tense your upper rectus, and pull your knees to your chest.

Obliques

*

Unweighted Broom Twists

Use a broomstick, sans natty hair for this. Any common dowel will do, but do not use a barbell or even a naked straight bar since it will be too much weight! Stand with your feet 24 inches apart, bend your knees, tuck your butt underneath you, lace the dowel over your shoulders like a squat bar, keep the lower body still and twist at the waist. This is really one of the only "safe" exercises for your obliques. Some gyms have a seated apparatus that does the same thing, but requires that you use weight. Don't do it!

*

Cross Knee Crunches

When you do a standard crunch this time, you'll be leading with the right elbow, touching the left knee and the left elbow reaching out for the right knee. All crunch work is okay for obliques because it won't tend to bulk them out into huge baboon-like formations.

Serratus/Intercostals

*

Lying Side Crunches

Use the exact same position as a standard crunch, but drop your knees to the side. Keep your upper back flat against the floor and lift up over the top of your ribcage, keeping your legs and feet still and plastered down.

*

Weighted Kneeling Crunches

(to the side)

See Upper Rectus section and do some pulls to the side. You'll have to kneel down a bit further from the pulley station, but you'll get the hang of it. Do these separately from the other exercise intended for the upper rectus.

*

Decline 180's

Using a decline bench, come up into the crunch position (keep lower back against pad) but swerve rapidly from side to side in a 180 degree motion. Come back to center and head back down to the start position.

If you do all of these exercises on a rotating basis, careful to do at least 2 exercises per area of the abs in each workout, and employ things like supersets, giant sets, and utilize an apparatus like the ab board, hanging leg raise elbow cuffs, pulleys, etc., you'll develop pro quality abs in no time. But remember... that's not the final piece to the ab puzzle....

DIET

We mentioned that diet is about 80% of the success of any living human being in being able to parade their chiseled abs unashamedly. Well, it's true! And it didn't stop being true just because we showed you some of the best exercises.

Here's what you have to do:

Eat less sugar and starch - that's all the candy you pile into your mouth at lunch or during "American Idol", all the potatoes and pasta you inhale at dinner after 6pm, and anything else that isn't nailed down that is empty food. Yeah, we know, pasta was all the rage a few years ago, but how many Italians do you see with great abs over in the old country, huh?

Eat more protein - protein is the ultimate precursor to boosting the metabolism. Boost the metabolism and you'll drop ugly body fat that is shrouding your abs. Get at least 1-2 grams per pound of your current body weight, not what you hope to weigh.

Eat more veggies and less fruits - Fruits are great for you, if you're a 10 year old and don't put on weight. But once you stop growing in height, all fruit does for you is pack in sugar that you don't need and probably won't use much of. Juice is especially bad because at least whole fruit has fiber! Eat more leafy green vegetables and avoid the starchy ones like corn and peas. (That means tortillas too, pal!)

Quit drinking milk - Geez! You stopped being able to digest dairy when you were about 14! Give up the "builds strong bodies 200 ways" schtick and lay off the dairy. It leaves an unsightly film on your ab wall and is really... well... childish, we think!

Do Cardio - This, combined with diet, is the fastest way to get lean and see your hard earned muscle come to life! Do cardio at least 3-4 times per week, at a minimum time of about 30-40 minutes.

Do cardio, keep a good diet, do your ab exercises religiously and you won't be disappointed. We promise! And if you aren't snagging at least 20 more female prospects per year, as "Future ex-Mrs. So-and-so" candidates, then you're probably reeeaaalllly ugly! Oh well, at least you can run your own fingers over your abs and be content.

About the Author: Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com, a leading online provider of Steroid Alternative. For more information, please visit http://www.getanabolics.com.

Hip Hop Abs Reviewed - Is The Hip Hop Abs Program For You?

Lets quickly take a look at what Hip Hop Abs is:

The Hip Hop Abs Program is an abdominal toning system, which features an instructor by the name of "Shaun T." Hip Hop Abs is focused around dance moves which target your mid section. Apparently the secret to Hip Hop Abs is the revolutionary "absolute engagement(TM)" technique. This allows you to tilt, tuck, and tighten your way to a six-pack abs without having to do a single sit-up or crunch. This is great, but doing dance moves to target your mid section won't help you in the long run if your goal is too see your abs and lose some weight along the way. The focuses for any program relies on nutrition and the right times you do cardio.

I have been reviewing many products for my clients. I must say the product can work but requires some good effort. If you haven't worked out before no matter what program you try, it will help some what. The fact is that all the exercise in the world isn't going to get you into the best shape of your life, nor will it get you a six pack. That's where many people go wrong; you need to incorporate good eating habits with any program. The fact is that the program does come with some nutritional help but I feel it isn't enough to really give you an understanding how important it really is. I have had another client ask me about another program called the truth about six pack abs. I had a chance to look at it and I have been very pleased with it.

The program covers many exercise that target the mid section, and it illustrates them with easy to follow pictures. Most of the workouts can be performed at home just like Hip Hop Abs but the advantage "the truth about six pack abs" program has is the element of nutrition and cardio timing. Being a nutritional expert and personal trainer I found the nutritional aspect very informative. You won't find low carb diets you read in most nutritional books. The meal plans are very balanced and they are much geared towards your health. So not only will you look great you will feel great too.

This is something people never recognize. They think health is how good you look on the outside but it's actually how healthy you look on the inside. I always stress the fact that nutrition is 90% of any fitness and weight loss program. And the fitness program is usually 10% of your efforts. So now that we established this, how well do you think you can do on your weight loss journey if you have all the right nutritional info? A heck of a lot better than you probably did in the past. Why do you think we fail when we try to get into shape? Well for most people it's a lack of knowledge in the area of fitness and health and that's why people come see me.

Cardio is important too and Hip hop abs does count as some form of cardio, but the right type of cardio and when you do it is what's going to burn the fat off. Many people do cardio and in most cases they have been doing it all wrong. Haven't you noticed the same people doing cardio at the gym have been the same weight for who knows how many years? Obviously it's not working for them! Well In: the truth about six pack abs" program it teaches you what type of cardio to implement and of course what forms of cardio work. It illustrates what cardio you need to do and the most important part is when, which is the most important part of your weight loss success.

Doing 100's of crunches or tummy tucks, tilts, is not going to help you lose weight. Yeah you might see your abs, but faintly. You won't see your abs if it's surrounded by fat, which is what you need to lose before you can actually see them. If you want to see your abs you really need to know when to implement your cardio and you need to know how and what to eat. That is the sole reason why so many other plans fail and why people end up so frustrated with themselves and their attempts. I'll be the first to congratulate you for your efforts but some programs simply don't work. Not only that they don't give the right instructions for weight loss. What we need is the right knowledge on weight loss, not more misleading fitness programs.

So who will benefit from the truth about six pack abs? Well it's been designed for anyone who wants to lose weight and flatten their tummy. The program is created to accommodate both male and female, which means there are two different programs available. Many of my clients are following the program and have had great results with it. Hey I'm not saying Hip Hop Abs isn't going to work, but it definitely wont if you don't know what to eat, or when you should be doing your cardio.

Here's my Review;

The truth about abs program and its bonuses is well worth the price of $39.95, and is much cheaper than Hip Hop Abs which retails for 4 payments of 19.95 plus shipping 12.95. So you are looking at over $90, plus you need to wait until the program arrives in the mail, about 2 weeks or so. And let's face it how long can our motivation last for until the program decides to show up at the door.

The truth about six pack abs can be downloaded immediately from the vendor's website. What this means to you is that you can apply the program almost immediately. If you upgraded to the deluxe version you get the popular Eating Right Made Simple e-book for half price. This nutrition guide is the ideal companion to "the truth about six pack abs" program, and is the real secret to the program.

"The truth about six pack abs" is not like most books. It is 117 pages of rock solid material that if followed will definitely provide a means to your Six-Pack dreams and weight loss dreams.You need to make the commitment to read the material, and of course take action. And there's no need to perform workouts daily, 2-3 times a week for 30-45 minutes will show very good results. Just decide you want to change and do what is required by the program and you will surely see results.

The program comes with an 8 week money-back-guarantee. If you are not happy you can get a refund without any questions asked. So it's risk-free to give it a try. I have not yet met anyone who has returned the program. If you are serious about getting in the best shape of your life, like all of my clients have I recommend this program. This program will save you time, money and best of all frustration. I personally guarantee this program works; it's worked for many of my clients and they are very excited about their new transformation. You will be too when you follow the truth about six pack abs program.

5 Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat & Get Six Pack Abs

Dean Boukaras is a person who has dedicated his life to educating and helping as many individuals as possible reach their absolute physical best. I truly want to impact one person at a time by spreading the health and fitness truth through http://www.bodybyweb.blogspot.com

Nice Abs - 3 Killer Secrets for Stellar Abs

Are you looking for the best way to get nice abs?

Getting nice abs can be a difficult task if you are not using the right tools. When most people try to get nice abs, they try to do it by doing hundreds of crunches and by crash dieting. This approach is sure to end up with a lot of frustration and very few results.

Getting nice abs requires a very specific approach that is probably not what you expected. Nice abs do not happen overnight. If you really want nice abs, you will have to put in the time and effort to make it happen.

Here are some guidelines for what is takes to really get nice abs:

1. Decrease your overall body fat percentage.

This is the most important part of getting nice abs! You might great abs, but if they are under a layer of abdominal fat then you will never see them.

Lowering your body fat percentage is an absolutely crucial part of getting nice abs.

For men, you will need a body fat percentage of 2. The right food choices for nice abs.

In order to lower your body fat percentage to get nice abs you have to make good food choices. This can be accomplished by following these guidelines:

Decrease your overall number of calories.

Depending on your body size and caloric needs, this will be different for each person. However, the general rule remains the same. If you eat less food, you will decrease your overall number of calories and be on the way to getting nice abs!

Eat 4-6 small meals per day.

This is an important step to getting nice abs because it helps to regulate your blood sugar. When you eat a big meal, your blood sugar spikes. Your body responds by releasing more insulin, which then stores the excess blood sugar as body fat.

Consume high quality protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats.

Eating chicken, fish, turkey, etc. are all great sources of high quality protein.

Complex carbs are great for getting nice abs because they require extra energy during digestion. Simple carbs (also known as high glycemic) are broken down very easily and cause your body to release more insulin to stores the excess as fat.

You can find healthy fats (omega 3's) in a lot of fish, which is also a great source of high quality protein.

As you can see, having a great diet is key to lower your body fat and have nice abs!

3. Total body workouts.

Instead of doing lots of crunches and hoping nice abs will be the result, try doing total body strength training workouts. Total body workouts should include lots of multi joint exercises for your chest, back and legs. Doing core work is also a great idea. More core work will not get you nice abs all by itself, but it will help your body develop a strong base.

Total body strength training for nice abs is important because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. This is also known as increasing your metabolism! So instead of trying to do lots of crunches to get nice abs, try doing more intense total body strength training instead.

If you follow these guidelines, you will find that getting nice abs isn't so hard after all. It just takes some hard work and dedication!

Want to Reprint this Article on Nice Abs?

Reprinting is welcome as long as the content, links, author bio, and resource box are all included and remain completely unchanged.

Looking for some more tips and tricks? Check out Tom's website at http://www.TheFatLossZone.com for a complimentary copy of the original 59 page ebook titled "Super Simple Fat Loss". Tom's free newsletter from The Fat Loss Zone is jam packed with tips and techniques guaranteed to get you on the fast track to having a slim and sexy physique.

The Abs Diet Recipes - Eat Your Way to Six Pack Abs Diet Recipe

Can you get six-pack abs from eating? Well if Men's Health USA Editor-in-Chief and creator of the Abs Diet and the Abs Diet recipes David Zinczenko is to be believed, then you certainly can. The Abs Diet is a diet plan that promises to be different from the other diet plans that are in existence. This is because, instead of telling people what not to eat, the Abs Diet prescribes foods that should be a regular part of your meals in order to achieve a fit and healthy body. The cornerstones of the Abs Diet are 12 so-called power foods that, when eaten in proper amounts, can help people lose weight or stay in shape. These 12 power foods are incorporated in every Abs Diet recipes.

Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that most diet foods are just plain boring. The Abs Diet plan promises to change that through creative combinations of healthy, nutrient-rich foods. Some of the Abs Diet menus or recipes can be so interesting in fact that you probably wouldn't feel that you are dieting at all if you're eating it. And because it focuses on serving the right portions instead of depriving people of certain foods, Healthy abs diet meals will not leave you hungry or starving or craving for foods that you can't have. In fact, it promises to keep your taste buds happy while peeling away the fats from tour midsection.

If you want a 6 pack abs from eating you should refer to the abs diet recipe below. The more of abs diet meals you consume, the more chances of you increasing muscle which contributes to getting a 6 pack. Here is what to eat to get six pack abs:

Almonds and nuts -like sunflower seeds, avocados and pumpkin seeds.Almonds are the best nuts for an abs diet recipe. Eat as much of them as up to even 2 ounces a day (2 Oz is approximately 24 almonds)
Whole grain Bread and cereals -Examples include brown rice and whole grain pastas,wheat,corn and oats. These foods contain belly bursting fibers. avoid white foods like white rice and corn meal because they are high in carbs.
Beans and Legumes -Examples include peas, bean dips and lentils. All beans are low in fat and are rich in fiber,proteins and iron that is helps in building muscle and losing weight.
Protein powder or whey powder. This ab power food may not be found in the regular food market but can be found at healthy food stores. Whey powder is a muscle building power food so if you need that 6 pack, you should put it into consideration.
Green vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, yellow peppers, green peppers and yellow beans. Vegetables in general are rich in fiber and they contain fewer calories, one of the reasons why dieters or people who want to lose weight and get a 6 pack love them.
Dairy Products that are fat free or have low fats like low-fat milk, fat free or low fat yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese with low fats too.
Olive oil -will help you burn fat and control your food cravings too.
Instant Oatmeal that is unsweetened or unflavored. Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber which is good if you want to lose weight and get a 6 pack.
Peanut butter -that is natural and sugar free.
Eggs-Protein from eggs is very high and that is why eggs are recommended for people who want to build muscle. eating too many eggs is not good but remember that the protein found in eggs is more effective at building muscle than protein from other foods. Vitamin B12 found in eggs is necessary for breaking fat too.
Raspberries/Berries -examples includes fruits like apples,grapefruit and strawberries. Raspberries are rich in anti oxidants .
Lean Meats like turkey (the best lean meat), chicken and fish. This foods helps in building muscle and improving the body's immune system.

What to eat to get six pack abs foods are also called abs power foods. Another great thing about healthy Abs diet plans is that they are all easy-to-prepare. That means you can spend less time in food preparation and more time working out to get those six-pack abs faster. If you want to burn body fat while getting some abs, Make sure most of your meals contains that abs diet recipes I have talked about here. I always recommend working out to people who are interested getting in total shape and toning up to get some abs. For more resources and information on how to get a ripped 6 pack, Visit six pack abs [http://homefitnessworkouts.com]

Eric N. writes about weight loss and health. He recommends resources that can help you get ripped abs fast through exercising and proper diet. Visit [http://homefitnessworkouts.com] to find out how you can loss body fat and get the fitness that you deserve.

Six Pack Attraction - Why are People Attracted to Six Pack Abs?

There are many reasons why people are attracted to ripped abs. One of the most popular reasons is that guys like to be seen with a six pack to impress the girls.

To get a ripped abs is not that difficult. All you need is discipline, determination and a plan. To have a ripped abs you must first have to lose belly fat. The best way to lose belly fat is by fat loss diet and abs workout.

The best form of abs workout that can promote fat lose is weight training. This is because weight training helps to build abdominal muscles. Having more muscle helps to increase metabolism. Increased metabolism helps to burn calories which in turns burn fat. So the main objective is really to build muscle and burn fat.

No matter what your reason is for trying to get your six pack abs, there are some important things to keep in mind while doing it. It is easy to become confused about what you hear or read concerning getting a six pack abs as there are many myths floating around. Knowing truth from myth can help you to make good decisions regarding your plan that will help you to get six pack abs fast.

You cannot skimp on the importance of proper abs diet when it comes to getting a ribbed abs. The myth in the minds of most people is that fat is bad. The truth about six pack abs is that not all fat is bad, it is actually healthy to have a proper ratio of fats to other food groups for a well rounded physical development.

Protein has a very important role in building abdominal muscles. On average, you need 1 g of protein for every pound of bodyweight. Protein is just one of the important nutrient needs for the muscle and fitness. It is important to maintain a proper carbohydrate/protein ratio in your diet.

While you are working to get those dream abs, you have to maintain a healthy workout routine, combining proper diet to lose stomach fat first, proper abs workout principles with adequate rest will give your the edge you need to create the body that family and friends will envy.

Another myth is that working fast or for long periods will help get the ripped abs you desire. The other truth about six pack abs is that you will get your results quicker by alternating workout days with rest days. You should also include the abs workout/rest sequence during your training to build muscle and burn fat.

Many make the mistake of thinking that the more reps you complete in your abs workout or the more time you log in, the faster you lose belly fat in your midsection. But the principle of getting a six pack abs is not to spot train your abs only.

You should not be working more than 10 mins on your abs at any one time. Getting a ribbed abs require a total abs fitness workout plan. You should concentrate on the form and intensity of each rep in all your abs workouts.

Sorting myth from truth about six packs abs can help you design your plan so that you will have a healthier more productive result. Training your mind to follow the truth is like training your body. You must have discipline on two levels, the body and the mind, in order to get six pack abs fast.

To learn the more truths about six pack abs and abs workout secrets that to get that six pack abs fast, visit http://www.absworkoutsecrets.com now.

Ian Kuro is the creator and founder of ABsolute Workouts where he provides valuable tips and resources on how to get lean and muscular six packs. Visit http://www.absworkoutsecrets.com for your free workout plans now.

Top Secrets of Flat and Sexy Abs - Get Your Scoop Here

I am going to uncover the top 8 secrets of flat abs in this article. They will change the way you approach your abs building plans and they will make big changes to the way you exercise and eat. Without further ado, here are the top 8 secrets of flat abs:

Abs specific exercises are obsolete on its own

If you are doing only abs specific exercises and no other exercise, your chances to get flat abs are very slim. This is because your abs may be hidden by a layer of fat that prevents your abs from being visible in the first place - this brings us to secret number 2:

In order to see your abs, you have eliminate tummy fat

The second secret is the key to getting flat abs. The only way you will ever see your abs and get a flat tummy is if you eliminate all stomach fat from your belly. Do this by eating a fat burning meal plan and by doing exercises that is designed to burn fat.

With cardio, less is more

If you thought that the more cardio you do, the better it is for getting flat abs, you are mistaken. If you do too much cardio, you risk the chance that your body may start to burn your lean muscle mass for energy. You need lean muscle mass to burn body fat and boost your metabolism. So the best amount of time you should spend doing cardio is 20 minutes 3 times a day.

The best type of exercise for flat abs

The best type of exercise for flat abs, is not abs specific exercises, but it is: weight training! That is because the act of building muscle (from training with weights), burns a huge amount of fat and it also boost your metabolism so that you burn calories even in your sleep. And the more lean muscle mass you have the lower your body fat percentage - making weight training the best exercise for burning fat and thus also the best exercise for your abs.

The best abs exercises for a toned tummy

The 5 best abs exercises that you should concentrate on is the bicycle abs exercise, plank exercises - both the traditional and the side plank, crunches and reverse crunches. DO those exercises the most and forget about the other abs exercises.

The best combination of foods for flat abs

The best flat abs food combination is wholegrain carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. It helps you to burn fat, it keeps you full all day and it also gives you lasting energy to perform your workouts.

The best meal frequency

Eat 6 small, healthy meals more often - it will keep you fuller for longer while also boosting your metabolism.

The top fat burning foods

These foods are excellent fat burners: chilies, green tea, oats, lean protein, almonds, and fat free dairy.

Now that you know the secrets of flat abs, you can go ahead and implement them. Doing so will help you to build flat abs.

Most of these secrets have I learned from the truth about abs program. It is a great program, if you want to make sure that you get a six pack. Check out the truth about abs pdf. Be sure to read the truth about abs review, before you buy to make sure that it is the right program for you.

How to Get Abs - Misconceptions and Tips on How to Get Six Pack Abs

Less then 7% of Americans have six pack abs and in a recent survey 90% of women said they preferred the "lean and athletic" look to the "big and bulky" look. So why doesn't everyone have a great set of abs? One of the main reasons that people with abs are a rarity these days, is almost everyone goes about it the completely wrong way. Don't cheat yourself out of the results you COULD be getting, learn how to get abs the correct way.

Most common mistakes when trying to get visible Abs:

1. If you workout your abdominals everyday by doing 100 crunches you will not get abs.

The abdominal muscle group is just like any other muscle group, like your chest or legs, and should be worked accordingly. You wouldn't do 100 reps of bench in one sitting would you? Your abs however can be worked almost everyday just like your calves. It is important though to take days off to recover. Remember your muscles only grow when they are resting!

2. If you don't incorporating cardio into your workout routine you will not get visible six pack abs.

You keep working and working at getting your abs to show but all that seems to happen is your belly gets bigger. Does this sound familiar? The reason is not because you don't have abs, it's just that you have a layer of belly fat hiding your hard work. When incorporating a cardio routine along with weight training (including abs) you will burn fat much faster and will get your abs to show in the shortest time possible. Even by just adding a slow jog or walk every other day you will see dramatic results.

3. Even if you have a good workout routine and cardio routine but eat crap food all day, you will not get abs.

Like all workout routines, nutrition makes 80% of your results. This is even more relevant when you are trying to get abs. If you eat fast food, sodas, and Twinkies all day you will not lose fat, you will not gain muscle and you will not get abs. You have to put as much work into your diet as you do your ab exercises and cardio. By eating healthy 6 days out of the week you will burn through your belly fat, put on lean muscle, and get that visible six pack you always wanted at least 20 times faster then someone who doesn't have their diet in check. Remember that if you consume more calories then you burn you will not lose fat no matter what!

4. Fat burning pills are not magical and will not give you six pack abs effortlessly.

As great as it would be to take a fat loss pill, only do one ab workout a month, sit on the couch, and get the visible abs you always wanted, its not going to happen. Fat loss pills are just taking advantage of people desperately wanting to lose weight. Do not fall into this trap and end up wasting your money on worthless pills and drinks. Most of the time you are just getting a pill jammed with tons of caffeine and other ingredients that you probably don't want in your body.

These are just a few of the things you need to keep in mind when trying to get six pack abs. There are many more tips, techniques and pitfalls when it comes to getting visible abs but these tips will get you on the right track. Remember there is a big difference between building up your abs and having Visible abs. You might end up getting a very strong core and great abdominal strength but your abs will not be visible if you are carrying a lot of belly fat, and this isn't our goal.

I was in football in high school, power lifting in college and have been bodybuilding for about 4 years now and abs were never my number one concern. I figured it was time to make getting a nice set of visible abs a priority. I wanted to do it right the first time and I thought I had all the knowledge I needed to achieve my goals. After a month of hard work and dedication I thought all hope was lost because nothing seemed to be working. I then found a great resource on how to get abs [http://fitnesslifelive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=214&Itemid=66] the correct way. Honestly I kind of laughed at some of the techniques I was using and only a month later after learning some get tips and things not to do I could see my top 4 abs while completely relaxed.

Weather you are 18 or 81, male or female you CAN get those six pack abs [http://fitnesslifelive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=214&Itemid=66] you always wanted. Everyone just needs the right guide and a little effort and you can achieve anything. Enjoy life more with your new confidence and health.

The Absolute Undoubtable Best Workouts For Abs

Are you frustrated about the fact that you just can't seem to get perfectly chiselled abs? This may not be much comfort, but you definitely aren't alone in your predicament. Many people are continually frustrated by that stubborn layer of flab around their stomach that just doesn't seem to go away despite all the efforts they put into their regular workout routine. Some people have even tried almost all types of workouts for abs to no avail.

Many exercisers successfully work their way down to their ideal weight, but then find themselves still having to deal with that stubborn abdominal fat. As a result, there are those who have actually given up on the idea of ever getting a perfect set of abs. But, before you decide to give up on your dream abs, here's a bit of good news that might encourage you: The only thing standing between you and your dream abs is misinformation.

Yes, getting a flat belly is within your reach, but only if you let go of the common misconceptions surrounding workouts for abs. Many people get frustrated simply because they approach abs workout in the wrong way. One of the most common misconceptions that prevent you from getting the perfect set of abs is the belief that doing countless sit-ups every single day will make your abs pop out of your skin. In truth, this is just a complete waste of your time.

Your abs is just like any other muscle group in your body. Therefore, you need to work it in the same manner as you do with your other muscles. You need to give your abs hard and direct training with enough rest in between sessions. A good rule of thumb is to do another abs workout only when your abs is no longer sore from the previous session. You should also remember that the most effective way to work your abs involves not only a good workout routine, but also a good nutrition plan.

Nutrition

One of the most important things for you to understand as regards developing your abs is that what you eat will greatly affect how your abs look. This means that your workout will not be able to provide any real benefits if you continue to practice bad eating habits while you exercise. Your abs may be built in the gym, but they are ultimately sculpted in the kitchen.

How do you make sure that your belly is sculpted properly? Simply put, you will have to create a daily calorie deficit. This means you have to cut down on the calories that you take in day by day. Of course, you will have to do this gradually. Cutting down on your calorie intake drastically is counterproductive. It will cause your body to go into shock and store fats in an effort to protect itself from the shock of getting too little calories all at once.

The best and healthiest way to decrease calorie intake is to do it bit by bit. You would do well to keep a food diary and write down everything that you eat. Count the calories that you consumed on the day that you began your food diary and then plan the next day's meals such that you decrease your intake by, say, 50 calories.

Another excellent technique is to eat 5-6 small meals instead of three large meals in a day. This will help ensure that you do not experience hunger pangs and grab fatty snacks in between meals. The ideal ratio for each of your meals is one part fats, two parts protein, and three parts carbohydrates. This is, however, not a strict guideline and you can vary it a little bit. For example, it is advisable to take in more protein and carbohydrates after exercise. Finally, never forget to supplement your diet with a daily dose of multivitamins.

Exercise

Now that you have an idea of how to adjust your eating habits in order to promote abs development, the next step is to learn how to train the abs properly. Many people aren't quite sure whether a low intensity-high rep workout is best for the abs or if a high intensity-low rep routine would be much better. The best way to get the answer to this question is to gain a better understanding about your abs.

Just like your calves, the abs is composed of muscle fibres that are built for endurance. Think about it: Your abs support your body whenever you walk and you already know that a reasonably healthy person can walk for a long time without tiring. This means that the abs is made more for activities requiring endurance than for short and quick movements. With this in mind, it is safe to say that heavy resistance is needed to properly work the abs.

A good workout routine would involve a warm-up session of two sets of sit-ups followed by five more sets, this time with weights. It is best to gradually increase the weight with each set, thus forming a pyramid routine. Be sure to stretch your abs out and limit the weighted sets to less than 25 reps. To get maximum results from your abs workout, it would be best to work on your obliques first before working your lower abs and then finally, your upper abs. Here are the top exercises you can perform for this purpose:

The Obliques

1. Dumbbell Side Bend

This exercise is one of the best for strengthening your obliques as long as it is done with good technique. This is important simply because many of our everyday activities involve considerable twisting and side bending. What you should remember in doing this exercise is that the quality of your movement is a lot more important than the amount of weight that you use. In fact, it is best to use moderate to light weights coupled with slow and controlled movements in order to build strength quickly while avoiding injury.

To begin the exercise, stand with your feet at shoulder width position. Bend your knees slightly and grasp a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing your body and then place your left hand on your waist. Bend slowly to the right from the waist and then bring yourself back up. Now, bend slowly to the left in the same manner and then bring yourself back up. Make sure that your right arm is kept straight throughout the movement. Complete your reps and then repeat the exercise with the dumbbell held in your left hand.

2. Hanging Knee Raise to the Side

This exercise is perfect for working not only your obliques, but also your lower abs. What's best is that you don't have to find any special equipment for this. You can hang from whatever is capable of holding your weight for an extended period. Most people choose a pull-up bar for this purpose. Perform the exercise by hanging off the bar with your hands slightly wider than a shoulder width apart. As soon as your feet are lifted off the floor, pull your knees up and then bring them across towards the left side of your body. Pause for one second and then slowly lower your knees back down. Bring your knees back up, this time bringing them towards the right side of your body. When you bring your knees back down this time, you have completed one rep. Repeat the movement according to your desired number of reps.

3. Oblique Crunches

This is a great exercise for targeting your love handles. Plus, the fact that it requires you to perform rotation and spinal flexion also means that it works both your obliques and your upper abs. Here's how to do this exercise properly:

Lie on your back and then cross your left foot over your right knee with your hands positioned behind your head. Lift your shoulders off the floor and then curl your upper body towards your left knee. Be sure to keep your lower back pressed to the floor. Contract your obliques and upper abs as hard as possible at the top of the movement and then resist on your back down. Do 12-16 reps and then switch to the other side.

The Abs

1. Ab Crunch Machine

This is one of the very few times that we will recommend a machine exercise for your abs. To begin the exercise, pick up a light resistance and then sit down on the ab machine with your feet placed under the pads. Grab the top handles with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and your triceps resting on the corresponding pads.

Now, lift your legs up slowly while crunching your upper body. Inhale at starting position and exhale as you perform this movement. Be sure to move in a slow and controlled manner and focus on moving the weight with your abs while keeping your legs and feet relaxed. Pause for one second at the top of the movement and then slowly return to starting position. For this exercise, you should remember that too much weight can cause injury, so keep it light.

2. Weighted Decline Crunch

This is another excellent exercise for your abs. To perform, lie down on a decline bench with your legs held secure at the top end. Hold a dumbbell or weight plate between your hands and position it just above your chest. Slowly roll your shoulders off the bench while pushing the small of your back down. Contract your abdominal muscles at the top of the movement while you exhale. Hold the contraction for one second and then slowly bring your shoulders back down. Remember to keep your elbows in throughout the movement and avoid using momentum to lift your shoulders up.

3. Flat Bench Leg Pull-in Crunch

This is a variation of the classic leg pull-in exercise. It's an excellent choice for working your lower abs. Begin the exercise by lying down on a flat bench with your legs hanging off of one end. Place your hands under your butt with your palms facing the bench and then hold your legs straight out. Slowly bend your knees as you pull your upper thighs towards your midsection. Pause for one second at the top of the movement and then slowly return to starting position. You may also do this exercise with a dumbbell held between your knees for added resistance.

To develop your abs properly, you also need to include cardio in your routine. Start your cardio exercises slowly and then just increase the pace gradually. It is advisable to do 2-4 sessions of cardio each week, but be careful to never go beyond 45 minutes per session. These exercises will help you burn about 200-400 calories per day and possibly more than a pound of pure fat each week.

Results Expectation

Of course, while the above nutritional techniques and workout guidelines are guaranteed to help you get well-toned abs, you can't expect to see results overnight. As previously mentioned, unrealistic expectations are the common reasons why people get frustrated over their efforts to get a perfect set of abs. Consistency is the key to a successful diet and workouts for abs.

Another thing you need to remember is that some people are just blessed with better genetic profiles. These are the people who shed excess fat very quickly. For most people, however, losing fat is a very slow process. So, before you give up on your workout and nutrition routine, you should first consider how long and how hard you've been working towards your goal. If you do cardio only twice a week and you often cheat on your diet, then how can you expect to get your desired results? You really have to be dedicated to your routine and consistent about every detail of it.

Believe it or not, many of the fitness enthusiasts who now sport perfect figures started out in the same situation that you find yourself in right now. Some of them have also tried a variety of exercise routine to no avail. But, once they educated themselves on the proper way of developing the abs and dedicated themselves to achieving their fitness goals, they were finally able to move forward in the right direction. With the same kind of dedication and consistency, so can you.

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Hip Hop Abs - The Secret To Flat Abs

Everyone wants flat abs. In search of that elusive six-pack, many look for that perfect abs workout. There are machines that contract your abs for you. There are machines that allow you to sit and twist your waist away. There are machines designed specifically for performing crunches. The problem with focusing on the abs is that spot training doesn't work unless coupled with to cardio to melt the fat away from the lean muscle. Workouts that focus on the burning fat as well as defining the abdominals are the best abs workouts. There are several Beachbody cardio-focused workout programs that emphasize toning the abs.

Hip Hop Abs uses the Tilt Tuck & Tighten technique, developed by Hip Hop Abs instructor Shaun T, to chisel the abs while incorporating dance moves into the routine. The Tilt Tuck & Tighten involves tilting the shoulders forward, tucking the tail bone, and tightening the abs. It may take some practice to get the technique down while simultaneously trying to follow Shaun T's choreography. Still, it's hard to beat dance as a fun abs workout. Even though the workout may not seem so intense while you're doing it, your abs will tell you otherwise the next morning. All of Hip Hop Ab's workouts work on tightening the abs, but Shaun T has a few workouts that specifically target the abs.

Hip Hop Abs abdominal workouts that target the abs include Ab Sculpt 1, Ab Sculpt 2, and Last Minute Abs. These abs workouts focus specifically on toning the abdominal muscles and the oblique muscles. Even though they are all abs workouts, these routines also raise the heart rate. So while you are toning those abs, you are also burning the fat that's hiding all that muscle. Beachbody offers another workout that focuses on toning the abs and burning fat.

Turbo Jam uses a move called the Turbo Tuck to isolate the abs in its workouts. The Turbo Tuck entails tucking the tail bone under with the effect of a standing crunch. The Turbo Tuck is used to engage the abdominal muscles throughout Turbo Jam's cardiovascular workout. For this reason, the Turbo Tuck is an important part of many of the Elite 11 moves designed by instructor Chalene Johnson to be used in Turbo Jam. Don't be alarmed if you wake up the morning after a Turbo Jam workout with tenderness in your sides or lower back. It's not kidney failure. Instead, it's a sign that Turbo Jam is working those muscles that are traditionally weak. When Chalene says that you're going to work muscles that you never even knew you had, she wasn't lying. Chalene has several workouts that specifically target the abs.

Ab Jam is the one Turbo Jam workout that focuses entirely on the abs. This abs workout is divided into two segments. The first segment uses standing ab work to shape the abs. The second segment is a floor workout that is so intense it is difficult to get through on the first try. Some of the sculpting workouts from Turbo Jam also have separate abs workouts. Turbo Sculpt, Booty Sculpt +Abs, and Total Body Blast fall into this category.

There is no real secret to flat abs. Diet and hard work will get you there if you are diligent. Fun workout programs that include abs workout such as Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs will help you to stick with an exercise program and finally get those flat abs you've been dreaming of.

Finding the perfect workout routine takes time and effort. The Hip Hop Abs workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X workout routine is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.

3 Effective Lower Ab Exercises - How To Build Your Lower Abs Fast!

You will get much stress in your lower abs by doing leg raises from different angles. I see that most people

in the gym are working mostly their upper abs. Their are doing lots of sit-ups with additional weight and crunches with machines

or flat on the floor. These are good exercises to strengthen your middle and upper abs, but the problem is the weak lower abs

and incorrect training techniques.

Ab exercises for lower abdominals gives you the nice burn especially in your lower abs and the top on your thighs as well.

You don't need to do 20 different ab exercises to blast your abs, instead pick up 3 exercises, that works in each upper, middle and lower area.

If you have tendency to have problems to develop lower abs, always do the exercises for lower abs first and keep the focus of lower abs.

Training your abs is a little bit different than for example training chest or biceps, but not much. You don't need any special techniques to develop

lower abs as well as upper abs. I recommend you to follow strict technique and concentrate to slow controlled reps. Sometimes I see, that people are

doing the movement by jerking with their body.

1) Reverse crunches

This is on of my favourite and best lower ab exercises. I and many other athletes have achieved great result performing this ab exercises slowly and

under control. This exercises has many variations, but in my opinion it's best done lying on the bench press bench that allows you to take a firm grip

at the end of the bench.

This is a basic exercise for lower abs, that anyone can do it anywhere. You can perform this comfort at home by lying on the floor. Or hanging

by your hands from a bar or resting on your forearms on a hanging Leg raise bench instead of lying on a bench. The technique will be the same. In the example,

I'll show you how to build your lower abs by doing leg raises on a bench.

Execution: Lie on your back on the bench take a grip from the rack (at the end of the bench) behind your head with both hands for support. Bend

your knees so that your butt is slightly off the bench. Bring your knees up as fat toward our face as you can without lifting your pelvis off the bench.

Bring your knees towards to your face, rounding your back and crunching up toward the rip cage. Hold this position for a moment and squeeze the ab for full contraction.

Lower your legs slowly back to the starting position, until your lower back is resting on a bench.

2) Leg raises

Leg raises are the king of all lower ab exercises and it shouldn't be neglected! Even though leg raises works your abs only indirectly, you

should include leg raises to your workout routine. No matter what expert says, Many athletes including bodybuilders have gotten great results by doing leg raises.

Leg raises are not only emphasize your lower abs, but tighten your hips, buttocks and lower back.

You may want to bent knees during the exercises to lighten the stress to your hip flexors, (the muscle that raise and lower the legs). I use both variations.

There are more variations, how you can perform leg raises. Hanging leg raises are very strict and intense exercises, that hit your lower abs hard. To make it more comfortable,

support your back against the wall for example. To add more resistance, you can perform this exercises on a incline board. In the example, I'll show you, how to do leg raises in a vertical bench.

Execution: Position yourself on your arms on a vertical bench. Hold your upper body steady by supporting your back on vertical pad. From a starting position, bend your

knees and bring them as high as you can as you would trying to reach the shoulders with your knees, until your hips are fully flexed. At this position, your hips are slightly off from the back support

and your abs fully flexed through full range of motion. While squeezing your abs hard, hold this position for a second or two and with your knees bent, lower them again to the starting position.

3) Bicycle exercise

This is the third and final lower ab exercise of the 3 best exercises for lower abdominals. Bicycle exercise on a floor will develop both, lower abdominals, obliques and intercostals.

This exercise is effective, because you hit each side separately. I always do this exercises at the and of my ab workout. It is best done without counting reps, instead do each set in 30-60 second

periods depending of the experience levels and goals. My advice is that you first train with less time and then gradually increase the time.

Good news is, that you don't need any special equipments or tools to complete this ab exercise. In any case the best option is to perform this exercises by lying on the floor. Use a special exercise mat

or carpet as a berth to make this exercise to be more comfortable.

Execution: Lying on your back on the floor, put your hands behind your head and place your knees to 45-degee angle, so that your soles are slightly off the floor. This is a starting position.

Now begin a pedal motion, bringing your knees one by one toward your opposite elbow. Bring your knee as far as you can, until it will touch to opposite elbow. Then bring your knee to the starting position

and simultaneously bring the opposite knee towards the opposite elbow.

Tips: Any variation of an exercise forces the muscles to respond in new and different ways. These ab exercises are confirmed to be the best lower ab exercises. The research has shown, that these 3 exercises

activates more muscle in your abs, than for example regular crunches. It has been tested with the EMG (electromyography) equipment, which tests the amount of muscle activity. There were tested 13 common ab exercises

and the above three are on the top 6, taking into consideration that these exercises build your lower abs and help you to get flat stomach.

You can have the best ab workout program for the lower abs, you can have the exercises for lower abs but you won't get any results, if you don't know the truth, how to get flat stomach and how to build lower abs. Click here [http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-get-great-abs] to learn more!

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Six Pack Abs - Top 5 Exercises to Help You Get Six Pack Abs

Exercise Tips:

There are dozens of unique exercises for abs that are specifically designed to help you get six pack abs. For the best results, you should use a combination of the top exercises for abs and alternate your schedule. Maintain a record of your daily abs workouts to keep you on track. As you begin to develop your abdominal muscles, you can increase the number of reps for each routine. In just a matter of weeks, you will begin to lose belly fat and get six pack abs.

Abdominal exercise and fitness experts have compiled 5 of the top abs exercises from a long list of abdominal exercise routines. Follow these instructions closely to properly perform each abs exercise. Choose 3 of these abs workouts and begin to lose belly fat today. As you progress, add 2 more abs exercises to your routine, and you will be on your way to achieving six pack abs.

Abs Exercise #1 - The Bicycle Exercise:

·         Lie flat on your back on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head. 

·         Bring your knees in toward your chest and lift your shoulders off the ground. Do NOT pull on your neck.

·         As you straighten your left leg, turn your upper body to the right. 

·         Your left elbow should make contact with your right knee. 

·         Alternate from side to side. 

Beginner abs workout: 8 reps 2 sets

Advanced abs workout: 15 reps 3 sets

The Bicycle is an all-purpose abs exercise that targets the entire abdominal region. It is a great exercise for athletes who want to get six pack abs.

Abs Exercise #2 - Basic Abdominal Crunch:

·         Start out lying flat on your back on an exercise mat. 

·         Cross your arms over your chest. 

·         With your feet flat on the floor, bend your knees 90 degrees. 

·         Use your abdominal muscles to pull your shoulders off the floor. 

·         Hold for 5 seconds, then slowly return your shoulders to the floor and repeat.

Novice abs workout: 6 reps 2 sets

Expert abs workout: 12 reps 4 sets

If performed properly, the crunch is one of the best overall exercises to help you develop six pack abs.

Abs Exercise #3 - Jackknife Sit Ups:

·         Place an exercise mat on the floor and lie flat on your back on the mat. 

·         Place your arms at your side with your palms flat on the floor. 

·         With your legs straight, lift your feet off the floor 4" with your toes pointed straight out.  

·         Bend your knees 90 degrees as you pull your feet in until they touch your buttocks. 

·         Straighten your legs until fully extended and repeat. 

Novice abs workout: 6 reps 3 sets

Advanced abs workout: 20 reps 4 sets

Jackknife sit ups are a great exercise to help you to get six pack abs, lose belly fat, and get rid of love handles.

Abs Exercise #4 - Swiss Ball Pull In

·         Lie face down on the Swiss Ball with your palms flat on the floor and your arms straight. 

·         Your body should be straight and parallel to the floor. 

·         With the ball under your toes, bend your knees 90 degrees as you roll the ball forward. 

·         Through the entire routine, keep your spine parallel to the floor. 

·         Push the ball back and repeat. 

Beginner abs workout: 6 reps 3 sets

Advanced abs workout: 12 reps 4 sets

Abdominal exercises that utilize the Swiss ball will help you develop good balance as you build strength in your abdominal muscles and flatten your tummy.

Abs Exercise #5 - Floor Superman:

·         Kneel on your hands and knees on the floor. 

·         With your shoulders straight back, keep your chest up and contract your abs. 

·         In a slow smooth motion, slide one leg straight back, extending your leg, knee, and foot. 

·         Extend the opposite arm straight forward simultaneously as you are moving your leg back. 

·         Hold both your leg and your arm in the extended position for 5 seconds. 

·         Return your arm and leg to the kneeling position. 

·         Alternate the routine from side to side. 

Novice abs workout: 8 reps 3 sets 

Expert abs workout: 12 reps 4 sets 

The floor superman will burn calories and activate several muscle groups including your abs and buttocks. This is a fat burning exercise that will flatten your tummy and help you develop six pack abs.

For more six pack abs exercise routines visit http://thebest6packabsworkouts.com/top-10-exercises-for-abs/ Find the top 10 six pack abs workouts at http://thebest6packabsworkouts.com/

How to Work Lower Abs to Improve Performance

In the search for ultimate performance, Weekend Warriors and Elite Athletes are becoming more and more aware about the importance of training the core. Although training the core itself is a complicated and very debated subject, one group of core muscles tends to complicate things even more. In addition to that, this essential part of the core is often completely forgotten: the lower abs.

Upper Abs & Lower Abs

A lot of people just don't know that they need to train lower abs. This is mostly due to this huge misconception that upper abs and lower abs are one unique muscle, with the same functions of flexion of the spine. Although this is true in part, it is also very false. Lower abs (LA) and upper abs (UA) form the rectus abdominis (RA), which is in fact ONE muscle. But what people forget is that RA has 8 different sources of innervations. This means that 8 different nerves can individually send a different message to these muscles. In simpler words, your LA can be, for example, activated concentrically (moving) while the UA can be activated isometrically (not moving) and vice-versa.

So even though LA & UA are parts of a same muscle, they can be used in different tasks. Both are used concentrically to create flexion at the spine, but the LA will flex the spine by moving the pelvis and the UA, on the other side, will flex the spine by moving the rib cage. LA will therefore affects mostly the lumbar spine (lower back) and the UA will affect mostly the thoracic spine (upper back). With that said, you can easily see how these two parts have different functions and therefore need to be trained differently.

Hip Flexion & Lower Abs

This brings me to my next point: even though some people know that there is a difference between these two distinct parts of the RA, not too many people actually know how to work lower abs effectively and safely. Most people think of hip flexion exercises, such as leg raises, to be lower abs exercises. Again, this is true in part, but then again it is so false. Leg raises, for example, are hip flexion exercises, as I have mentioned before, so they work mostly the hip flexors. But then, why do you feel your abs when performing a leg raise? Well, simply because your abs are working! I'll come back to this later on. For know let's focus on why hip flexion exercises can be a bad way to work your lower abs.

The main reason is simply that most people's lower abs are weak and often they are not even active at all. This can be due to many reasons. The two most common reasons are untreated scar tissue and poor nutritional habits, which causes bloating of the intestines. For further information on bloating and gut inflammation, check out my nutrition articles.

As I mentioned previously, lower abs control movement of the lumbar spine, not of hip flexion. Hip flexors are, as you can guess by their name, are those that control hip flexion. Now here's an important fact: the psoas (one of the major hip flexors) is attached directly on the lumbar spine. So when you are performing a hip flexion exercise, this muscle pulls and extends your lumbar spine, which puts stress on the spine and might lead to injury or chronic pain overtime. So how do you resist this extension of the spine? Simply with flexion of the spine; flexion + extension = stability. It's like when looking at the pH of a pool. If its too alkaline, make it more acid and vice-versa; acid + alkaline = neutral.

So which muscle creates flexion of the spine to counterbalance the extension created by the psoas muscle? You guessed right! Lower abs! So when performing hip flexion exercises, you are in fact working the LA at the same time, that is if they are activated at all.

And now, knowing all of this, can you figure out why performing hip flexion exercises with weak or inactive LA can be very bad for your back? It creates excessive extension, which will inevitably lead to pain, whether it is acute or chronic. And let me tell you that from my experience, only a very rare percentage of people actually have good, functional and strong lower abs.

How to Work Your Lower Abs

So how can we work the lower abs? Before exercise, two things must be taken care of: scars (if there are any) and nutrition. For a scar, simply massaging it a few minutes every night will do the trick. This will reactivate sensitivity of the area, strengthening the connection with your brain. As for nutrition, you must cut out all foods that could create bloating of the abdominal area (see in another article).

Once this is taken care of, a simple coordination exercise will help you relearn how to use this muscle.

· Lay down on your back, directly on the floor ideally, or on a mat if you are uncomfortable.

· Place both hands under your low back. Both major fingers should touch each other directly under your belly button.

· The first level is to flatten out your low back to apply pressure on your hands (you don't need to squeeze the blood out of your hands). This is done by tilting your pelvis backwards. Imagine if your hips were a big bowl of water, you would want to pour the water towards the floor.

· Once you are able to do this without any problem, move on to the second level. You must now keep the same pressure on your hands and lift one leg up and then bring it back down. The pressure on your hands must remain exactly the same at all times.

· If you are able to perform the second level with perfect control, move on to the third. You must now do the same thing as level two, but you know have both legs up and you bring down one at a time, always keeping constant pressure on your hands.

· The fourth level is then to move both legs up and down, keeping perfect control of your low back by applying pressure on your hands.

You must master each of these levels before moving on to the next. For each level, start with the legs completely bent, then move to legs bent at 90°, then with the legs straight.

Once you can perform level four with excellent control, you can say that you have good lower abs coordination. Once you can perform level four with the legs completely straight, you can say that you have strong lower abs. Once this is achieved, you are pretty safe to perform any exercise, including hip flexion exercises. As long as you focus on keeping a neutral curve in your back, you will work the lower abs during a hip flexion exercise.

So start practicing at the level that is appropriate for you and enjoy a strong and stable back. You can practice level one, two and three everyday, because it focuses more on the coordination aspect. Level four, on the other hand, focuses more on the strength aspect, so it is better not to perform it more than three times a week. Make sure that it is the lower abs that you feel during the exercise, so it is the abdominal muscles below the belly button.

With strong lower abs, your core will be much stronger and much more stable, giving your body a strong foundation from which you can create power and strength in the extremities (arms and legs). Strength and power from the extremities without a strong core is like a Ferrari engine in a Lada! Make sure your car can handle a big motor, train your lower abs and core.

Once you understand exactly how to use your lower abs, you will be able to use them in almost any upper abs exercise, since the hips are almost always involved in the movement. But if you can't control your hips because you don't know how to use your lower abs, these exercises will only be dangerous and will only work your upper abs.

Enjoy Ultimate Performance!

Andrew DeVyne

Andrew DeVyne is a personal trainer and an athletic development coach who specializes in performance enhancement, whether you are a beginner who never trained or an advanced professional athlete. He will make sure you achieve your ultimate performance level. To ask questions or receive weekly articles, exercises and nutrition tips for FREE, visit http://www.devyneperformance.com or [http://www.devynecode.com]

Abs Rocket Or Abs Knowledge - Which Should You Choose?

If you spend anytime at all watching TV you must have seen some abs related infomercial or another. Indeed, abs machines and gadgets are a hot product and the marketing around them is creative and impressive. One of the more prominent of these machines is the abs rocket which is a device for working your abs.

I have not tried the AbsRocket myself so this article just uses this specific machine as an example of a more general question: which way should you choose to lose belly fat and get sexy abs: a machine like the abs rocket or Abs Knowledge?

What is abs knowledge you may wonder?

What I mean by that is that you can either choose a machine and hope that it will lead you to your goal, or you can take some time to educate yourself on what it really takes to get flat abs. Abs knowledge can be acquired through getting and reading an abs program.

Why do I think that abs knowledge is superior to a gadget like the Abs Rocket? There are a few reasons:

Abs machines don't teach you anything about nutrition which is the most crucial thing you need to do in order to lose belly fat and tone those abs. An abs program will teach you how to maintain a healthy diet which will lead to long term results.
Abs machines break down while knowledge remains forever.
Abs machines tend to be limited to a narrow range of exercises and resistance levels while an abs plan will teach you how to do diverse exercises which do not require any limiting equipment and can be made as hard as you like.
Abs gadgets usually can't provide the same stimulus as body weight exercises and weight training which is something that any abs program will teach you how to do.
Abs programs usually cost much less than any abs machine.

Overall, I believe that you don't need anything but the right kind of knowledge to get excellent results and have the kind of stomach you've always wanted. Invest in a good abs training program. It's the best way to get results.

To read more on how to get great abs, visit this webpage:
The Best Abs Program.

John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. Today he runs a weight loss forum, publishes a diet and fitness newsletter and writes extensively on health issues. To read more about the abs rocket, click here: AbsRocket Reviews.

Mike Geary's The Truth About Six Pack Abs Review - 2 Major Flaws Found

I'll cut to the chase regarding The Truth About Abs.

I've reviewed The Truth About Abs and truly believe that it is THE best ab workout program available.

But I found 2 serious flaws with The Truth About Abs program that I wanted to share with everyone before they invested their money in this program. These were 2 flaws that I had to personally find solutions to fill-in-the-gaps. Simply put, you'll be wasting your money if buy The Truth About Abs the way it is. Continue reading to find out what I found and how I fixed them...

In the Truth About Abs, Mike Geary pulls no punches and gives you the truth on what it takes to get 6 pack abs. In fact, he overdelivers with his product, which can overwhelm not only the rookie, but the advanced gym-goer as well.

The Truth About Abs covers a TON of topics that include:

* The exact science behind getting defined abs - Why multi-joint exercises will always outperform single-joint exercises (after reading this, I realized that my current workout program was ENTIRELY WRONG!)

* The myth that cardio is the "answer" - Why doing too much cardio and crunches might actually stop you from getting a 6 pack (this totally goes against conventional wisdom, but the evidence is there to back every single word written in The Truth About Abs)

* Proper Diet & Nutrition - The two hidden monsters in our diet that are preventing us from burning fat, no matter how much we exercise (I was guilty of this one!)

* Advanced secret weapon exercises that aren't focused on your abs, but work your abs better than any crunch could (this blew my mind!)

* Over 50 exercises that will help you get a 6 pack...exercises you probably have not ever seen before!

So, you can see how I could have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information in The Truth About Abs. In fact, it took me 3 whole days of doing nothing but reading The Truth About Abs to get my hands around the exercises and diet habits enlisted by Mike Geary.

I have to tell you, Mike Geary knows his stuff and presents it in a way that is easy to understand. He is truly a guru, and The Truth About Abs is the real deal. But, even with this wealth of information, there are 2 obvious things missing from The Truth About Abs.

Honestly, I couldn't believe that Mike Geary didn't have this as part of his Truth About Abs program. So what was I to do? Like they say, necessity is the mother of all invention, so I had to create these two items myself.

And like I said previously, The Truth About Abs covers all the material in very good detail. But when I started to implement the program, I was running into stumbling blocks that were stopping me from getting the results that I wanted. So I created 2 tools to help increase the effectiveness of my workouts.

I'd like to share the 2 tools I created, so that you are aware of what can be done to help your workouts.

What was the first solution?

Like I said before, there is a TON of information in The Truth About Abs, and so much to absorb. There was no possible way that I could memorize the workout routines that Mike Geary put out in full detail. There were so many different exercises that I have never heard of, and didn't know how to perform correctly.

So I had to bring The Truth About Abs to the gym. Do you know how inconvenient that was? I had to flip through pages & pages trying to find the right exercise and how to do it. It was both embarrassing and inefficient.

To solve this, I personally recorded the workout routines on MP3 files, detailing each exercise in the same order as in The Truth About Abs. I walk through each exercise, and give you step-by-step instructions on how to properly perform each exercise.

To help myself out when I was at the gym, I recorded:

1. How to correctly hold the weight & proper body positioning - This way, I didn't have to think about it anymore...I just followed my instructions and to do the exercises correctly.

2. What muscle I should feel "working" - I know exactly where I should feel my muscles 'squeeze' and 'flex' to get maximum results.

Then I downloaded these files to my iPod (or any other MP3 player) which I followed along at the gym. No lugging around any books, flipping pages trying to find out how to do each exercise while somebody is waiting for my bench.

It's like having a trainer with me every step of the way!

What was the second solution?

In The Truth About Abs, Mike Geary lays out workout routines in great detail. His workouts are very creative, and truly involve your entire body to get you strong, toned abs.

But he doesn't provide a way to track your workouts!

If there was one tip that I could give to anyone who wants true results from their workout program, it would be this...TRACK YOUR RESULTS! Like the saying goes, "What gets tracked, gets results." That holds very true in this case.

I painstakingly created workout tracking sheets that I could just print them out, put them into a binder, and bring with me to the gym to track my results. Each sheet represents one workout. I took the exact workout routine from The Truth About Abs and put it into a format where I could track my performance for each workout.

Each exercise is already filled in, so I didn't have to remember which exercise to do. And the Truth About Abs workout tracking sheets are synchronized with the Truth About Abs MP3 files above to keep my workout fluid and efficient. All I have to do is fill in your results.

The funny thing is, I didn't even believe it myself, but I got stronger each workout when I started tracking my results. I lifted more weight and performed more reps simply because I knew what I did the last workout, and wanted to outdo it. Coincidence? I think not.

So, as you can see, The Truth About Abs provides a wealth of information to you. The core knowledge provides all the information you need to get six pack abs. But it is lacking in 2 areas: having an audio workout that you can follow along in the gym AND a way to track your workout performance.

But now you have the solutions for those 2 missing elements in Truth About Abs, which should jumpstart you on your journey for six pack abs. Use them in combination with The Truth About Abs and your goal of ripped, defined abs will follow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan Metcalf is a workout fanatic and diligently follows The Truth About Abs workout, which he truly believes is the best ab workout program available. But Stan found 2 major flaws with The Truth About Abs and personally created 2 key tools to fix them. In fact, Stan does not recommend buying The Truth About Abs without his 2 tools. Luckily for you, Stan wants to give them to you for FREE if you purchase The Truth About Abs through his website. To purchase The Truth About Abs through Stan's website and receive the 2 tools FREE, click here

Get Ripped Abs - 3 Simple Things Guaranteed to Work

So many people out there wanting to get ripped abs have the completely wrong mindset when it actually comes to getting ripped abs. I'm willing to bet that whatever you think you know about how to get ripped abs, hot abs, six pack abs, or whatever kind of abs is wrong.

Many people think the all mighty sit-up is the king of all ways when trying to get ripped abs. Wrong! If you are one of those people who feel that crunches, sit-ups, and cardio are the best way to get abs than you need to read this article to learn the truth. I'm about to save you a ton of time in the gym by getting you to understand how to truly get lean and ripped.

Why sit-ups and crunches suck.

Why do they suck? Because neither exercise focuses 100% on the abs throughout the movement, especially sit-ups. Most of the exercise hits the psoas muscles. By doing these exercises you could actually make yourself look fatter. The only thing to expect to learn from doing these exercises is how to get a sore neck, not how to get ripped abs.

If you just can't kick the habit of doing crunches, than try this; only go about 1/3 of the way up and keep your eyes looking up at the ceiling. Just so you know, doing crunches is not the ideal exercise to get ripped abs.

In order to get ripped abs you need to squat and deadlift.

These have to be the two best exercises in developing your abs and they don't even work the abs directly; they work them indirectly. What do I mean? The abs help flex and stabilize your body during these two movements. Since you are using weighted resistance, these exercises are far superior to the crunch!

Getting ripped abs is easy when you perform these two exercises and than you can focus on the most important weapon in learning how to get ripped abs; Your Diet!

If your diet completely sucks than you are wasting your time in the gym. Don't even go, stay home and continue to look at your flabby stomach and wonder why all those hours put in the gym haven't given you any results.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off kind of harsh, but you need to realize that diet is king! Your diet is the single most important factor in how you get ripped abs. Once you nail down your diet than you can start focusing on your six pack.

By following these 3 simple rules you will be way ahead of 90% of the people out there. So, focus on heavy lifting and you won't need much cardio at all, if any. Besides, your traditional cardio isn't the best way in burning up your belly fat to get ripped abs.

These simple rules are just that; simple. But you might not think so right off the bat because you don't know what you can and can't eat, or what you should or should not do at the gym. Sometimes its just trial and error or you can follow someone who has already laid the foundation for you.

So, if you want to shortcut your path to success in learning how to get ripped abs [http://ripped-abs-now.com] then you need a program designed to show you how to simply & safely lose 1% body fat each and every week as well as a step by step guide on what exercises you need to perform and when.

You can get started Today by grabbing your FREE reports at get ripped abs [http://ripped-abs-now.com]

The Ultimate Secrets to a Flat Stomach and Six Pack Abs

With this article, I want to show you why you might be struggling to lose that stubborn stomach fat that is covering up your abs. These are the main reasons most people just can not seem to get those six pack abs that everyone desires. If you haven't already seen me around online somewhere, I'm the creator of one of the most popular abdominals and fat loss programs on the internet.

So in this article I want to highlight for you the main points and strategies that I use to make this program one of the most effective programs in existance for fully developing your abdominals as well as getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat that is covering them up.

Pay attention, because once you get this stuff right and start using these techniques regularly, you'll be showing off your ripped abs in no time flat, whether it's at the beach, at the pool, in the bedroom, wherever... Just think how great it's going to feel when people are complimenting you on your washboard stomach!

Alright, here's what make's The Truth about Six Pack Abs different:

1. The main focus of this program is NOT abs exercises... And, better yet, this program consistently get's better results by NOT focusing on abs exercises!

I know that sounds counterintuitive, but the fact of the matter is that abs exercises are ok, and you do need to do a certain amount of them to develop the abdominals as best as possible. But to be honest, most people that are trying to get better looking abdominals waste WAY too much time training the abs directly. What you really need to focus on is burning off the extra fat that is covering them up.

Let's get this straight right now... Abs exercises do NOT burn fat away from your abs! This can only be accomplished through a much more effective full body training routine that maximizes both your metabolic response and your hormonal response to your workouts. This is the main focus of my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program.

Now don't get me wrong. It wouldn't be an abs program if I didn't show you the most effective exercises for developing your abdominals. I also give you detailed instructions and photos on how to do them right. But like I said, the main focus of this program is the secret method that I use to compile the full body training routines and maximize your fat burning effect.

This is the main reason that this program will be much more effective for you than any other abs programs you've ever tried before. You've got my word on that.

2. This program uses none of your typical boring monotonous cardio routines.

In fact, you don't have to do any typical cardio if you don't want to! I actually recommend against it.

Seriously, almost every program out there tells you that you must do endless cardio exercise regularly to lose the body fat that is covering your abs. Most of them tell you to do 30-60 minutes of cardio exercise 3-4 days/week in addition to your strength training routines.

The truth is that this is not only unnecessary, but it can actually be counterproductive if you're really trying to get as lean as possible, as quick as possible. I go into this in much more detail in the book, but basically this all comes back to the aspects of your metabolic rate, how much lean muscle you have, the hormonal response in your body from the exercise, and the residual calorie burn in the hours and days following your workouts. And normal boring cardio routines are all wrong when it comes to maximizing these effects!

Now you're probably thinking that since I'm against typical boring cardio routines, then that must simply mean I'm a proponent of interval training. Yes, as a matter of fact, I believe interval training is MUCH better than typical cardio.

However, I also use a special exercise combination and sequencing in my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program that gets even more powerful fat loss and muscle defining results than interval training. And that's saying something, because interval training kicks butt! You'll find out how this system works inside the program.

Want proof that you don't need typical long-duration steady-pace cardio?

Well, first of all, I actually took a course recently that was devoted to scientific research into why steady-pace cardio exercise is actually not that effective at strengthening the heart. The focus of the research basically boiled down to the fact that the heart needs to be trained in a wide variety of ranges to actually be truly strengthened and ready for all the various stresses that life throws at it. Not only that, but steady-pace cardio was also proven in the research studies to be far less effective in the long term at reducing body fat stores.

To give you a real life example... Personally, I haven't done what most people would label "cardio" in probably well over 5 years, and I'm actually leaner now and have a lower bodyfat % now than years ago when I did cardio regularly. Not only that, but my heart is in the best condition ever, as I now consistently have the resting heart rate of an elite athlete at about 50 bpm (remember that lower is better). My resting heart rate used to be in the mid to upper 60's years ago when I used to do typical cardio and strength training routines like most people do.

This improvement in both body fat % and reduced resting heart rate is the direct result of the unique training methods I used in developing the programs in The Truth about Six Pack Abs.

3. This program does NOT revolve around having to use supplements or "fat-loss" pills.

Trust me when I say that for the most part, about 95% of supplements are a complete waste of your hard earned money. I've been approached by supplement companies in the past looking for me to promote their products for them, and offering me a lot of money to do so. Well, you know what I do? I tell them to shove it! Seriously, I won't promote something to my readers that I don't honestly believe in.

The fact is, I've learned over the years through my own experience, as well as hundreds of my clients and friends experiences with supplements, that they are really just selling you the dream that their pill or powder will be some "magical" solution to your struggle with getting that lean ripped body that you've been wanting for years. In reality, most supplements do nothing at all to help you improve your body.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not totally bashing supplement companies, but like I said, about 95% of the products they promote are worthless, and won't create any noticeable changes in your body. I will admit that there can be a place for meal replacements for people that can't find the time to prepare or pack all of their real food meals. I also admit that I do think a high quality, fast digesting protein like whey protein can be useful to mix into your post-workout smoothies.

But the fact is that real food is always better for you than processed supplements (as long as you pick the right "real foods"). Anybody that tells you otherwise has either been brainwashed by all of the propaganda and super-hyped up ads that the supplement companies have spread throughout every magazine on the planet, or they have financial ties to selling supplements in some way themselves.

I have dedicated myself to not being lured into the lucrative world of selling supplements. Even though I could make a lot more money selling supplements than by selling my abs program, it's just plain against my morals to rip people off like that.

Frankly, it amazes me that most people are more willing to spend $30, $40, even $50 or more on a bottle of pills or powder than to spend $30 on a comprehensive training and nutrition guide like this Truth about Six Pack Abs program, which will set them up for life on training programs and dietary secrets that will keep them lean and ripped for life. The only thing that bottle of pills or powder is going to do is give you expensive urine! You make the choice.

4. This program does not revolve around using any fancy "ab machines" or "ab gadgets".

In case you were suckered into buying any of these worthless ab belts, loungers, rockers, or any other worthless ab gadget or machine, I have bad news... You were ripped off!

The truth is that most of these machines and gadgets are not the best way to develop the abdominal muscles. Sure, some of them may help a tiny bit with strengthening the abdominals, but they are far less effective than some of the best floor, hanging, and standing abs exercises.

Also, more importantly, virtually all of these abs machines, belts, and gadgets do absolutely nothing to burn fat off of the abdominal area!

Again, losing the fat that's covering up your abs can only be accomplished with a smart nutritional program, and a well designed progressional training program that increases your metabolism and stimulates your fat-burning hormones in your body. Achieving this is simple once you understand the secrets I reveal in the Truth about Six Pack Abs program.

5. This program does not include some sort of fad diet or gimmicky diet trend.

None of that here. I promise you won't be given any more crap about needing to eat "low-carb" or "low-fat", or low or high anything, for that matter. The nutritional secrets I reveal in this program go against all of the authors and companies out there that are trying to lure you in with another one of their gimmicks.

The fact is that they need to come up with some sort of different "angle", so that their diet program appears unique and gives the media something to talk about. That's why there's always some gimmick, like low-fat, or low-carb, or high protein, or the "colors diet", the "low glycemic index diet", the fasting diet, the cabbage diet, and so on.

Instead, I wanted to give you the truth about what it really takes to eat a nutritious diet that not only will have you burning off that stubborn belly fat, but will also have you feeling full of energy every single day. If you don't already feel energetic and alive every single day, then you are missing out, because it is an awesome feeling!

The great thing is that once you start eating balanced and healthy all the time, you virtually eliminate cravings altogether. Personally, I used to crave sweets constantly before I adopted the nutritious diet that I currently eat. Now, I can honestly say I can't remember the last craving I had. It had to be more than 5 years ago... no joke!

Not only that, but I actually enjoy everything I eat way more than I used to years ago when I ate a lot of junk. Does that mean that I never eat burgers, or pizza, or beer? Of course not... We all have a social life. In fact, there are actually very healthy ways and variations to preparing healthier burgers and healthier pizza that I occasionally use.

I hope this article has given you some insight as to where you may be going wrong with your exercise and nutrition plans in striving for those elusive abs. See below for more info on losing stubborn stomach fat and developing ripped six pack abs.

Check out the Truth about Six Pack Abs Program at TruthAboutAbs.com

Michael Geary (CPT) is a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine, author of the internationally-selling book, The Truth about Six-Pack Abs ?2004-2006, and owner of BusyManFitness.com. Also see Mike's Six-Pack Abs blog