WARNING: Be wary of so-called internet fitness gurus who sell abs workout information for $39.95! I'll teach you how to get a six pack abs for free! From the desk of Justin Leonard:
My program, Abdominal Secrets Revealed, will teach you virtually everything you need to know in order to obtain great abs in the shortest amount of time possible. Best of all, it's completely FREE! If you're serious about your goals and you want to better the way your abs look, you've come to the right place. Be sure to sign up for the FREE Leonard Fitness Newsletter where you will find even more abdominal training secrets. On absecrets.com, you will learn the following:
Let's get started... The proper way to train abs is widely debated by experts. The truth is, what works for someone else may not work for you. It is important to note that everyone has a different body type. Thus, results will vary from person to person. Abs Workout Tips There are several exercises you can do for abs. Many of the people I work with don't realize that most abdominal exercises are either ineffective or not needed. There are several noteworthy abdominal exercises. Here are two: Crunches - Most already know how to perform this abdominal exercise. It's basic, yet highly effective. Abdominal crunches can be performed on various surfaces. From the supine position, contract your abs then return to the starting position. The neck position should elevate only a few inches from the ground. Never crunch the neck. It should literally remain in a static position during the entire movement. Crunches should be performed in a continuous and controlled fashion.
Side Crunches - Side Crunches are basically the same as regular crunches, except the main focus is on the oblique muscles (aka "love handles"). A similar technique applies, only the crunch ends with a twist to either site of the abs. When done correctly, you should feel the burn in the oblique muscles.
The following is a basic abs workout for beginners:
Be sure to hold each repetition (aka "rep") for at least three seconds. As you contract the abs, breathe out (simultaneously). It should take less than 20 minutes to complete a moderate to rigorous abs workout. Nutrition Modification You don't have to diet, you just have to use diet modification. Diet modification involves eating the foods you love, but in a way that allows you to fine tune the midsection. "Dieting" requires too many inconvenient nutritional sacrifices. Let me show you how easy it is to lose weight without any sacrifices. Reduce Calories. What is the best way to diet for awesome abs? For many, a caloric reduction is ideal. When you eat and don't burn enough calories, you store the excess as bodyfat. A caloric reduction will help to minimize the amount of excess calories available for the body to store as fat. Protein/Meal replacement drinks. The use of meal replacements or homemade nutritious shakes can be an effective tool in caloric reduction. These convenient meals may actually help to curb the appetite. They are usually high in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Watch sodium levels. Another beneficial nutrition technique is to reduce the amount of sodium added to food. Do not try to eliminate sodium completely, but try to avoid adding salt to food that already has salt in it. A sodium reduction can make a significant impact in the way your abs look. Listed below are three nutritional programs. They are provided as general guidelines and should never be tested without approval from a doctor or licensed or certified nutrition expert. Each plan is intended to accommodate individual needs. For example, if you only have time to eat four times per day, then start with program #1. Or you can start with system one, then aim to graduate to program two or three.
Next, with one example I'll explain how to apply the proper nutrients to the meals for best results. The indicated food choices are just a few of the possibilities. The following example applies to program #2:
Caloric intake should reflect physical activity levels. For example, if you are more physically active in the early hours of the day, caloric intake can be slightly higher because the energy demands are greater. Generally, calories should taper off toward the end of the day because the level of physical activity usually goes down. This may not be true in all cases. This technique literally forces your body to burn fat throughout the body, not just the abdominal region. If you follow this basic format, you should see noticeable results. The amount of food energy/calories that you take in cannot exceed the amount that you expend. Main points:
Four Useful Abdominal Tips Tip #1 Perform cardiovascular activity before your abs workout. When the body is warmed up as a result of cardiovascular activity, it allows for a better contraction on the abs when you work them. In essence, the warm up enables you to better feel the deep muscular burning sensation when your abs are trained. It also helps to prevent abdominal pulls or muscle strains. Tip #2 Minimize rest time in between exercises. Limit rest time in between each exercise to about 1 minute or less. This technique makes your workout more "aerobic" and keeps the metabolism high, possibly allowing you to burn fat at a greater rate. The term aerobic means "using oxygen." Tip #3 Focus on diet modification. Diet modification is the single most influential factor in how your abs will look. Supplementation should also be considered for maximum results. Abdominal Myths I must train abs for several hours for them to be defined. In reality, long workouts provide no additional benefit for your abs. It may even cause them to get weaker as a result of overtraining. As previously mentioned, it should take approximately 20 minutes to complete an ab workout. Fat burners will help me burn fat around my abs. Although they can be effective temporarily, fat burners do not target specific areas of the body. Fat is burned throughout the entire body. I mentioned earlier that most fat loss will come as a result of diet modification. I have to go on a strict diet to get good abs. In fact, through the use of diet modification, anyone can turn their abs into a decent work of art. You do not have to go on an extreme diet. Instead, simply work to be more cognizant of the types and amounts of food you are eating. My six pack abs will show up better if I use weighted abdominal training. Don't waste your time. Unless you are looking to build strength, weights provide no additional benefit for your abs. Abs will never grow as the larger muscles of the body do (e.g. legs or chest). The increase in abdominal thickness is minimal with abdominal training. Why is this? Well, it's because the abs are predominately a type 1 muscle fiber, which means that they are highly resistant to fatigue. If they were meant to grow in size, they would have type 2 fibers like the larger muscles of the body. Here's the truth... To get your abs to show up better, you have to sculpt them. The sculpting of the abs is best done with a combination of sound nutrition and exercise, not weighted abdominal training. I can eat fattening meals because if I workout, I can easily burn if off. In some cases, this is true. However, most people cannot do this consistently and get away with it. It's okay to eat fattening or high-calorie foods, but try to do it in moderation. I should do leg lifts and leg raises to target my lower abs. This is a classic myth. The abdominal muscle, scientifically referred to as the rectus abdominis, functions as one group. Lower and upper abs are not separate muscle groups. Need proof? Get into the crunch position and touch your "lower" abs. Now slowly lift your upper back off the ground to perform a crunch. Be sure to keep your neck straight and contract your abs. Did you feel that? The lower and upper portion of the abs contract in unison. Bottom line: You cannot target the lower abs. If I do hundreds of sit-ups everyday, I'll have toned abs. You can do 200 sit-ups a minute and still wouldn't have abs. Remember, exercise alone does not define the abs. However, exercise may make the abs more prominent once the fat has been removed from around them as a result of nutrition modification. Abdominal Questions & Answers How can I get a six-pack? Justin Leonard: Anyone can have defined abs with a few key concepts and techniques. Everyone actually has a good set of abs, it's just a matter of removing the fat and sculpting them through nutrition and exercise. How many sit-ups should I do to tone my abs? Justin Leonard: Remember that nutrition is what mainly "tones" the abs. Total body exercise should be your second choice in your quest for the prized six pack. What is the best way to lose fat around my midsection? Justin Leonard: The best way to burn fat over the "entire" body is through diet modification and exercise. The human body burns fat best when calories are reduced and you're consistent with a diet that doesn't exceed the demands of your daily physical activities. In addition, supplementation with thermogenic formulas, meal replacements, and whey protein may be beneficial. What is the best abdominal exercise? Justin Leonard: There is no one exercise which is better than another per se. What works for someone else may or may not work for you. You must experiment with each to find which is best for your individual body type. What is the best way to train the abs? Justin Leonard: Consider performing all ab exercises using high reps. The abs have a high level of resistance to muscle fatigue. Rest time in between sets should be kept to a minimum. How often should I train my abs? Justin Leonard: Opinions vary from training abs just once a week to every single workout. The key thing to remember is that everyone has a different body type and different goals. The truth is, you must test every option to find which method works best for your body. Did you benefit from absecrets.com? The Leonard Fitness Newsletter is "FREE!" Please tell a friend about Abdominal Secrets Revealed.
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Have
you ever wondered what it takes to get a well-defined midsection? Does it
seem impossible to get that prized six-pack you've always wanted? How much
do you want to improve the way your abs look, and what are you willing to
do to get them?