|
Do
you want a flat stomach? I
don't know a person who doesn't!
People
spend millions, if not billions of dollars, each year in the quest for a
flat stomach. Right now
there are about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there.
There's the ab do-it, the ab rock-it, the ab roller, the ab
dolly, fast abs, 8 minute abs, and so many more.
You
would think that with all of these amazing new products that most people
would be walking around with that nice, lean mid-section they've always
wanted. Unfortunately,
that's not the case.
Most,
if not all of these products, will do little or nothing to flatten your
stomach. And that's because
these exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies
on top of your abs.
In
order to be successful at thinning your waistline you must have a basic
under standing of how the ab muscles function and how your body burns
fat. The first thing that
needs to be understood is the difference between fat and muscle.
Fat is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top
of muscle tissue. Muscle is
made up of fibers that contract or shorten to produce movement.
Fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat!
However, you can lose muscle and you can gain fat.
That's what happens to most people.
So
if your goal is to thin your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the
first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat
that are on top of your abs. We all have
a flat stomach; it's just some of oar’s are covered by excess fat.
The
most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of
strength training (with a extra focus on
mid-section), cardiovascular exercise
(short, hard workouts), and stable blood
sugar (keeps you from adding additional
fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).
I
should also mention that a flat stomach not only looks good but it also
prevents muscle imbalances between the hips and abs which cause more
than 80% of all lower back pain! So remember, a strong flat stomach
means a strong, healthy lower back!
1.
You must do some form of progressive strength training
The
primary function of the abdominal muscle is to flex your torso forward.
However, there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side
and muscles that rotate your torso.
Often times you see people on their ab roller every day doing
hundreds of crunches or sit-ups.
If
you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate
the following types of exercises:
•1-2
forward flexion exercises (reverse crunch, knee raises, crunch, sit-up,
etc.)
•1-2
side flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.)
•1-2
rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.)
Choose
at least 1-2 exercises that target the lower abs , 1-2 for the obliques
(love handles), and 1-2 for the upper abs. There are thousands of ab
exercises to choose from - way too many for me to list here, however, I
will give you a list of some of the better ones.
Great
Ab Exercises
Again,
there are tons of choices... just make sure you work them hard and
progressively!
The
abs, are muscles just like any other and should be worked at most 3
times per week. You also
want to make sure you are training them progressively, working them
harder each time.
2.
Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism
Cardio
workouts are important because they CAN, if done correctly, increase
your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more!
This means you are less likely to store any excess calories as
body fat because they are more likely to be used by your elevated
metabolism. Plus, you are
more likely to burn off some excess body fat.
Below
is a sample interval workout that can be done with just about any
activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, etc.).
Warm
up at easy pace 2-5 minutes...
Perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible)...
perform 1 minute of moderate work (recovery time-catch breath)...
Repeat this process 6-10 times...
Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes
3.
Stable blood sugar is the key
And
most importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar!
This is by far the most important factor when it comes to burning
away that excess body fat and keeping it off!
To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body
frequently; like every 2-3 hours. The
key is to give your body only what it needs at that time.
Your body burns calories 24 hours a day, so, why would you only
feed it once or twice a day? Give
your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole
grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.).
Many people are too hung up on how much
fat is in food, or how healthy of a choice it is.
Calories are calories and it doesn’t matter where they come
from. If there’s extra…
where’s it going? Yup, you
guessed it… body fat!
This
is not to say that what you eat is not important because it is, it just
doesn’t have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss.
Try to make healthy choices whenever possible, but don’t feel
like if you eat a cheeseburger it is guaranteed to be stored as fat
4.
Get the help of a professional
Unfortunately,
most people don’t know enough about the human body, nutrition, or
effective exercise to meet their health and fitness goals.
Ask yourself this one question, “Am I happy with my current
progress or condition?” If
you’re not, you should consider getting the help of a qualified
personal fitness professional. Don’t
depend on the information you get from magazines or from your local gym/
health club. A qualified
fitness professional can help you achieve your health and fitness goals,
and in less time than you would imagine.
If you are serious about your health and fitness goals, and you are
ready for that flat stomach, I recommend you start implementing the 4
strategies listed in this article.
These
4 strategies can help you take control of your metabolism and burn off
that excess body fat and having you looking and feeling great!
Be
sure to check out my friend David's new ebook below on ab training - it's a
great resource and it's full of dozens of ab exercises that not only
work but are far more effective than traditional exercises.
|
