The Quick and Easy Way to Tone Up Your Abs - Part 2

All About Abs - Nutrition
First Class Eating Habits = First Class Abs 90% of Ripped Ab Gurus Have Fantastic Nutritional Habits
Why Nutrition is 90% or More of Your Success
Let me explain this particular concept as it seems that the current direction is to buy fat burning pills, ab machines and do daily training. The problem is with all that training and other facts is they will never have as much influence on the layer of fat covering your abdominals as a good metabolic meal will that helps your body burn away fat every day.
Turning your body into a fat burning furnace should be your #1 priority.
Eating 5-7 meals per day is critical in order to make your body a calorie burning machine; you must supply it with 5-7 small but frequent meals. The reason you do this is because you will be continually burning calories to utilize the food. Be cautious of portion size. Eat too much of anything and you’ll never see those abs!
The more meals you have, the more your body must use energy to burn it. It’s like a furnace. You will RAISE your metabolism simply by eating more frequently.
You see if your nutrition isn’t nearly perfect, your body will always store some fat. And that fat will most likely be kept in the abdominal region. The only way to get to the sub-10% body fat region is with rock-solid nutrition. Countless people cannot do this. Their eating habits are never correct, they don’t track what they eat and they do not have the discipline necessary to eat correctly all of the time (with some cheat meals in there of course). The group of people who can do that are competitive bodybuilders.
Does this mean you can’t do it? Heck no! You just need to be acutely aware that having a ripped abdominal region is about a low percentage of body fat. To get that low, your nutrition needs to be impeccable. The more disciplined you are, the more fat you’ll burn and the more muscle you’ll keep. The lower your body fat becomes, the more your abs will show.
It’s just that simple but it’s not that easy. In the next few steps, you are going to learn exactly what you need to do in order to turn your body into a fat burning machine.
Step 1: Calculate How Many Calories a Day You Need to Lose Fat
Listen, figuring out how many calories a day you need to lose weight really isn’t too hard. And with the formula I’m about to give you plus a very cool website, you can easily track where you are and what you need to do daily to reach your goals. So lets’ begin!
IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, THEN LOSING, MAINTAINING OR GAINING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE!
Step 1:
Take your current body weight in pounds (lbs) and multiply by 11.
Example: 194 lbs x 11 = 2134 calories This is what I need to just keep what I have, without moving. But remember, you do move. So you have to then calculate your metabolic factors into this… so off to step 2...
Step 2:
Figure out your metabolic factor according to the table below.
But first, some definitions to help you determine where you might fit in:
Slow Metabolism: You basically look at food and you seem to put on pounds. You can gain weight by eating salads but it’s difficult to lose the weight.
Moderator Metabolism: You can gain weight if you try. You can lose weight if you try. You really don’t have trouble losing weight depending on what you want to do.
Fast Metabolism: You are the skinny guy or gal who can eat *ANYTHING* and it makes no difference. Gaining weight is difficult. Losing weight can happen overnight. Just by watching T.V. you seem to shed pounds.
Metabolic %
Under 30 years old Slow Metabolism- 30% Moderate Metabolism- 40% Fast Metabolism- 50%
30-40 years old Slow Metabolism- 25% Moderate Metabolism- 35% Fast Metabolism- 45%
Over 40 years old Slow Metabolism- 20% Moderate Metabolism- 30% Fast Metabolism- 40%
Example: 2134 calories x 35% (33 years old and with moderate metabolism) = 746.90
I took my calories needed above just to sit here and not move and multiplied it by my metabolic factor and I find that I need an additional 746.90 calories because of my specific metabolism.
Step 3:
Put it together. 2134 + 746.90 = 2880.90 calories I need 2,880.90 calories to maintain my current weight with my current activities.
Note: You can also adjust your metabolic factor if you do something that might take you to the next level. If you are a moderator metabolism person but you do distance running, it might make more sense to put your self in the fast category since you burn a lot more calories.
Step 4:
Lose Weight: I would take 2880.90 – 500 = 2380.90
Note: 500 calories a day is just a general term everybody uses to say that adding this amount is within safe limits. Eat too much, and you end up storing fat. Cut too many calories and your body just goes into starvation mode and ends up retaining more fat. 500 is a safe, recommended guideline. You can also eat 15-20% below your maintenance calorie levels to get a more accurate and aggressive plan. Avoid eating below 20% for very long as your body’s will start to slow down.
Step 5:
You must track what you are eating so you’ll know if you’ve made your goal for the day. And tracking food does not have to be complicated with weights and scales.
It's a shame that so many people just start training and never figure out what they need to eat daily to reach their goals.
You can keep doing the math over and over as you reach a goal.
Step 2: Calculate How Much Protein You Need a Day to Keep Muscle
Often overlooked, protein is the key component to building muscle but keep in mind; it’s also the same fundamental that will help you keep muscle. What this means to you is that if you get enough protein during this ‘cutting’ phase, you’ll burn more fat and keep more muscle. You want to keep as much muscle as possible because you want those abs to show.
As discussed before, having a low body fat percentage is core to the ripped effect but having abs to show is common sense. Protein has many functions that you’ve learned about in the Beginner’s Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding, one of which is to help promote and maintain muscle.
Step 1:
Take your body weight in pounds Example: 194 lbs
Step 2:
Find your body fat % Example: 15.7% (which is .157 for the step below)
Step 3:
Take your body weight in pounds and subtract the % body fat Example: 194 lbs - (194 x .157 = 30.45 lbs of fat) = 163.54 lbs of lean body weight
Step 4:
Take your lean body weight and multiply by 1.14 Example: 163.54 lbs x 1.14 = 186.4g of protein a day
Step 5:
Divide your daily protein requirements by 5-6 meals and that is what your protein target is for each meal. Example: 186.4/6 meals = 31.07g of protein per meal As you will see, a person who is 286 lbs of lean body weight will require a lot more protein. And a person who is 286 lbs should not be consuming the same amount of protein if their percentage of body fat is 35%. But why use 1.14 for protein requirements?
The RDA recommends .75g of protein. But that's been shown to be too low for active athletes.
Some sites will recommend 2.0g of protein. But that seems a bit high and your body will have trouble absorbing that not to mention you will probably have a lot of excess calories which can lead to fat gains.
1.14-1.5 is the most efficient range for most active, healthy adults. This range will help build muscle but not lead you into a high protein diet. Feel free to adjust within that range if you feel you need more protein.
Step 3: Divide Up the Calories in 5-7 Meals Per Day (Ratios)
At this point you know how many calories a day you need to burn fat and how much protein you need to maintain the muscle. Your goal is to burn fat, not lose weight and certainly not lose muscle! What’s next?
Just divide up your daily calorie requirements by 5-7 meals a day in order to determine the calories per meal and your protein goals.
That might seem like a difficult tasks but once you start using some type of fitness tracking program (like FitDay) it becomes very easy to hit your targets and understand portion control.
If you don’t track what you are eating, then dividing this up will be nearly impossible unless you eat the same things every single day (boring).
There’s nothing fancy to this step.
Preparation Ideas:
* Grocery shop for the entire week so you have an ample supply of food
* Prepare things in bulk so putting together meals is quick and easy
* Use Tupperware as it’s easy to clean and easy to control portions
* Use the grocery list from the Beginner’s Guide to pick and choose foods that are proteins, carbohydrates and good fats
Step 4: Review the Nutritional Fundamentals
On page 68 of the Beginner’s Guide there are some nutritional fundamentals that you must master overall in order to get your nutrition dialed in and it working for you. When you turn your body into a fat burning furnace you need to review these key concepts.
* Eat about 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level. If you use a more aggressive calorie deficit, then do not keep calories too low for too long; increase calories to maintenance or maintenance +10-20% 1-2 days per week. * Getting your ratios correct (50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fats) * Eating 5-7 meals per day * Having a lean protein source with every meal * Getting the good fats and avoiding the bad fats * Drinking enough water * Eating as many natural and unrefined foods as possible * Keeping your total fats and saturated fats low. A little bit of good fats (seeds, flax, fish) is better than a no fat diet.
Stay tuned for Part 3 that will discuss Ab training and the question that everybody wants to know - How Many Times Per Week to Train Abs?
Copyright 2006 Marc David
If you can't wait, the Beginner's Guide to Abdominal Training is just one bonus book in the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_David

The Quick and Easy Way to Tone Up Your Abs - Part 1

All About Abs
What You Really Need to Know About Abdominals: Two Key Concepts You Must Meet to Let Out the 6 Pack
Introduction - Understanding the Abdominals
Congratulations!
You are about to learn about a region of the body that almost everybody wants but somehow the secrets escape them. The weight loss industry may be a billion dollar a year market but a close second is all the late night infomercials about abs, 6 packs, 6 second abs and how to get ready for the beach and show off that region.
When it comes to abdominal training there are two basic areas of confusion. First, the myth exists that a 'specific' region exists like the 'lower abdominals.' Many people will claim their upper ab region is developing just fine but the lower abs are not responding to training. They are looking for a magic lower ab exercise that will target that region. If you do a search for any muscular images of the abdominals, it's clear that the rectus abdominus (a long winded name for the abs) is just a single muscle running from the sternum to the pelvis. These 'lower abdominals' simply don't exist.
The reason the lower region seems to be less responsive to training is that it is a natural fat storage area! Simply put, your entire ab region is probably responding to overall training but the lower region is simply not showing because it is covered up by a layer of fat. That area just happens to be the place that fat is the last to go. Very simply, the lower abdominal area is benefiting from your crunches and reverse crunches. The problem is, you just can't see it!
TEST: If you don't believe this then try this simple test: lie down on the floor in a typical crunch position. Place one hand on your lower abdominal area and the other on your upper abdominal area. Now perform a slowing crunching movement. You will feel both areas contract simultaneously as you curl up.
The second area of confusion revolves around exercise selection. Almost everybody still continues to perform hanging leg raises, knee-ups or similar exercises in an attempt to target the 'lower abs.' While these exercises do affect the abdominal area, they are not the best selection.
It's easy to clear up this exercise selection confusion if you understand the differences between the hip-flexion and trunk-flexion. A muscle called the psoas and related muscles (this is located deep against the spine) are responsible for hip-flexion while your abdominals are responsible for trunk-flexion.
Hip Flexion: Occurs when your lift your knee (or knees) towards your chest. For example, when you do a hanging knee-up, you will feel a burning sensation in the lower abdominal region (this alone convinces most people it's working that area). What is actually happening is the psoas is being stressed. You'll never be lean enough to see this muscle! Of course the abdominals are involved in this exercise for stabilization but it's not the primary muscle and so it's not the most effective. Other concerns revolve around the psoas being overworked that can lead to back problems.
Trunk Flexion: Occurs when you perform an exercise where the pelvis and sternum approach each other during the movement. At this point, you are in a state of maximal trunk flexion. Going any further and you'll engage the psoas muscle and you will be using hip-flexion (like in a full sit-up). When you train your abdominals you need to flex (or contact) your trunk.
FACT: For effective abdominal training, stick with trunk flexion movements (crunches and reverse crunches).
This series will focus on trunk flexion exercises so that tension is directly on the abdominals as that is the primary muscle we want to work. [Other muscles involved in stabilization will be involved but will not be the primary focus.]
That's all! The abdominals are just a muscle like everything else. There's nothing special about them that makes them any harder to obtain or develop then any other muscle group. Still, there are thousands of messages on community forums and fitness gurus everywhere get hundreds of messages a day regarding this. Not to mention the countless ab technology products that appear in stores every year promising a faster, easier way to get ripped abs. The purpose of this report is to tell you exactly step-by- step what you need to do to get ripped abdominals.
The Myths of Ripped Abdominals: - Countless crunches - Working them out every day - Strange machines or dangerous exercises - Fad diets - Fat burner pills - Marathon cardio sessions - Targeting lower and upper regions
The Secret of Ripped Abdominals: - Low percentage of body fat - Having the muscle to show
Did I just blow the end of the story for you? Hopefully not.
Key Concept #1: You Must Have a Low Percentage of Body Fat For starters, if you have a layer of body fat covering the region, you will never be able to show the abs. For men, this is the LAST place the fat will disappear from which makes it the hardest body part to show.
You "get abs" from reducing your body fat and you reduce body fat mostly through diet and cardio..
And yet, somehow this concept escapes people. In order for the abs to show proudly, you must have a low percentage of body fat! There's really not a whole lot more to it.
Men: 10% or lower Women: 15% or lower
Why is that so difficult for most people?
Simple. In order to get your body fat that low you must be absolutely focused on your diet and fat burning metabolism. 99% of people (including myself) are not as perfect on the diet as to burn off our natural body fat stores. So in order to get rid of that last layer, you must burn off the last remaining body fat stores. And to do that you must have great nutrition habits (above and beyond just being active).
Key Concept #2: You Must Have Abs to Show
First off...
If you are 110 lbs and just skin and bones and 3% body fat but no muscle really, then it's not a surprise why your abs aren't popping out every time you take off your shirt. There are a few people I've run across that are well below the 10% body fat limit and yet they are puzzled when their abdominals don't show. That's almost as easy as 1+1. You MUST have abs to show!
You can have a low body fat percentage but if you don't have anything to show, you'll just see a flat stomach (which is good) but no definition and certain no 'packs.' There are also individuals who have 15% body fat but their abs are so developed they can show off a 4-pack. While they don't have that low of a body fat percentage to classify as 'ripped' they do have great development and certainly the muscle is there. Just think what it might look like on them if they were to be 10% or lower?!
That's where ab exercises come into play. Performing key abdominal exercises is a key to developing the trunk region to the fullest. Many people are looking for the illusive lower ab exercise or performing exercises they believe to target a certain region but are really working the wrong muscle. Having abs is as simple as doing the right core exercises. That will be part of the 6 months of ab training at the end of this series.
Now that you understand some key concepts in order to get the abs to show, let's figure out how to eliminate that annoying layer of fat around them...
Stay tuned for Part 2 that will discuss why nutrition is 90% or More of Your Success.
Copyright 2006 Marc David
If you can't wait, the Beginner's Guide to Abdominal Training is just one bonus book in the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_David

Six Pack Abs - How to Get Great Abs in Just Minutes a Day!

When you get out of your shower and peek over at yourself in the mirror, do you see sexy six pack abs or something scary that made you wish you hadn't looked at all?

Fitness has reached the point where it is as sexy and trendy as ever and getting ripped abs is as common a desire as any. The real question is, what plan must be followed to get ripped, 6 pack abs? Today is your lucky day, we're going to show you give you some tips.

The first part of the blueprint to success for six pack abs is to lose as much excess weight as possible from your body, regardless of its position. You can't get six pack abs with a double chin and, generally, six pack abs don't accompany those with flabby underarms. Lose weight and do it as well as you possibly can before considering the possibility of having six pack abs.

Don't go into your decision of how to lose weight to attain your six pack abs without choosing the right diet to lose weight in the first place.

You may be thinking, what difference does it make, isn't losing weight the only goal in a diet? Well it may seem as so, but you don't want to lose what you may need for those abs. For instance, a South Beach diet is a bad idea for a six pack abs wannabe; you need those carbs for your stomach!

After you have lost the weight it is time to start working strictly on strengthening your abdominal muscles to make a six pack possible. If you are thinking this means hundreds of sit ups and crunches you are not far off, but there are a myriad of other exercises as well.

The main goal to remember is every exercise you add into your fitness plan needs to be centered on one thing, six pack abs!

Finally, if you are in the crowd that wants six pack abs or no abs at all then you may be out of luck as some of our genes don't make it possible.

Your goal should be simple, a flat stomach and good looking abs that put you on display in a good light. Remember, this process is going to be long and hard so make sure that your goals are attainable, know what is possible from your body and work until you get there!

For more more tips on how to get a six pack fast, get a Free copy of Chad Kiser's wildly popular report on Six Pack Abs available at http://SixPackAbs.com-411.com/signup.

More information on ab exercises for a six pack is available at the Squidoo Lense on Ab Exercises.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chad_Kiser

Your Abs Start In The Kitchen

It’s amazing.

Every year I see the same routine over and over again. You’ll see a person with a little bit of a spare tire run over to the ab machine and diligently start knocking out crunch after crunch after crunch… only to discover weeks later that their waist hasn’t shrunk an inch.
What’s going on?

It’s the biggest misconception about ab training out there and I’m about to hit you in the face with it…

If you can’t control your caloric intake and expenditure… you’ll never see the fruits of your ab work. First and foremost:

Your abs start in the kitchen…
Think about it, if you can’t spot reduce bodyfat (which you can’t), then the overall reduction of total body fat must be paramount in order to reveal a nice midsection.
Body fat levels in the low teens and below are needed.

… and the easiest way to help assure that you’ll get there is to watch what you put in your mouth.

If you keep slapping Big Macs down your throat… you can kiss those ab dreams goodbye… ditto for the tubs of ice cream.

Keep it simple for yourself:

Try to get at least one serving of protein with each meal
Avoid High GI carbs (like white bread, white rice) except for immediately after your workouts
Make sure to include a hearty amount of fruits and veggies in your diet (anything that has a deep color to it is a great choice)
Try to up your water intake to one gallon per day to make sure that you’re hydrated
Remember, you can do all of the ab work you want, but if you don’t have your diet in check… it’s all for nothing.
Brad Howard's Fat Loss Black Book delves into the "meat and potatoes" of all of the misinformation generated by the diet and fitness industry today.
An industry veteran for years, his fat loss manifesto completely shatters all of the myths and misguided, outdated advice being propagated today.
FatLossBlackBook.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_Howard

You Need Fats in Your Diet

Nutritionists recommend that 30 percent of our diet comes from fats. Our cells require fats to work properly. Each cell membrane in our body is made up of 50 percent saturated fat. When we do not take enough saturated fats, our cells stop functioning properly.

People often think that the less fats we eat, the better. However, you do not necessarily need to reduce your fat intake. You only need to choose a fat that doesn’t contribute to weight gain, a fat that is beneficial to you. Yes, you can lose fat by eating fat. Having the right type of fats makes you feel full and stops you from craving for food.

The reason why most low-fat diets don’t work is that people cannot stay on the diet for long. They will have cravings for food and ultimately go on eating binges. All that hard work going on a low-fat diet then goes down the drain. The coconut oil diet can help you as it has the right type of fats.

Coconut oil is known as the “energy fat” and is favoured by dieters, athletes, and body builders. It is slightly lower in calories than most other fats and oils and is processed in the liver and converted directly into energy. The body needs fats to function properly. Taking most of the fats in your diet from coconut oil will make you more energetic and lower your calorie intake. Talk about killing two birds with one stone with the coconut oil diet.

Why is the fat in coconut oil so good? The reason is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. Fatty acids consist of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. One system of classifying fatty acids is based on the molecular size or the length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. In this system you have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA).
Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA. These MCFAs and MCTs make the coconut oil diet beneficial.

Medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested than the long-chain fatty acids found in other oils. This is because they are processed directly in the liver and immediately converted into energy. There is therefore less strain on the liver, pancreas and digestive system and, being easily digested, they also tend to improve the absorption of other nutrients. Therefore, the body functions more efficiently when you take the coconut oil diet.

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Diet Tips for Abs - Fat Loss for a Six Pack

In this article, I've posted the "diet tips for six pack abs" portion of our interview we recently did. Enjoy! Here it is...

CB: And finally Mike, 1 or 2 of your top secret nutrition tips for carving out those six pack abs. Open your vault of info!

MG: Well Craig, I think you'd agree that there has never been a more confusing time regarding proper nutrition for consumers. Every so called "expert" out there seems to disagree and contradict each other on what's the best way to eat for fat loss and overall good health.

One of the most important messages I try to teach my readers in this world of heavy confusion is that your diet doesn't need to conform to any of the fad diets... you don't need to go "low carb" or "low fat", or high or low anything for that matter to be successful in losing enough body fat to get lean enough to be able to see your abs. I like to try to simplify things for my readers. I think that balance is the key to success along with eating a diet that is made up of nutrient dense foods in their natural state (as unprocessed as possible).

In general, it is the heavy processing of foods that makes it wreak havoc inside our bodies. Most foods in their natural unprocessed state are inherently good for us. Of course there are always exceptions... a salad of poison ivy leaves is "natural and unprocessed" but certainly would not be good for us!

I'll leave your readers with a couple of the most important aspects of nutrition and diet that help to get you lean for life (and have any chance of getting those abs to show)...

1. Get enough quality protein in the daily diet - not only does it have a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat (so you burn more calories digesting it), but it also creates satiety so your hunger is satisfied longer. Plus it's a building block for maintaining and building lean muscle... And remember that the amount of lean muscle you carry is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism.

2. Think fiber! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits, and high fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat. I personally don't eat many grains as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits, but I am a bit of a fan of sprouted grains. I generally recommend looking for carbohydrate sources that have at least 2-3 grams of fiber per each 10 grams of total carbs. Remember that fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for getting lean.

3. Don't be afraid to eat fat! Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake in their diet and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as causing more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily. Good sources are all nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats, but are actually beneficial (but that's way beyond the scope of this article).

4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:

*artificial trans fats from margarines, shortening, and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods

*high fructose corn syrup, which is in almost all sweetened products on the market

Again, if you avoid processed foods, it becomes easy to avoid these two worst offenders in our food supply.

I always contend that once you get a handle on these 4 main points of your diet detailed above, the rest starts to take care of itself as you gain control over your appetite, blood sugar levels, hormone levels, etc. It all falls into place, and you eventually gain total control over how lean you want to get. Gain control of this part of your life, and those abs may be showing in no time!

Don't miss out on this free report detailing over 29 unique metabolism boosting secrets at Abs Diet Tips for a Flat Six Pack

Are you tired of boring monotonous cardio workouts? Expand your thinking and see: Beyond Cardio Workouts

For any ladies looking to firm up that butt, check out Best Workouts for the Butt

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary

Hot Abs Workout - Get Sexy Hot Abs Fast!

When it comes to exercises for hot abs, crunches may be the first thing to pop in your mind. In fact, some aspirers of great hot abs would only do crunches. However, there are five major abdominal muscles that need attention, and crunches do not exercise all of these abs muscles. In fact, the ideal exercise routine for hot 6 pack abs does not only involve the abdominal muscles. Cardiovascular and strength exercises should be part of the routine as well.

Work that Body!

To get ripped hot abs, ensure that the following are incorporated in your exercise routine:

1) Work all abdominal muscles. Crunches are classic, but your specific abdominal exercises should not be limited to these only. Examples of exercises that involve other abdominal parts are the following:
• Lying bicycle. From a lying position, bend your right leg at the knee while pulling your right thigh up at the hip. Curl your spine up to the right, letting your left elbow touch your right knee. Do the same routine from your other side, from the left leg.
• Standing towel circle. Stand up straight and hold a small towel (or resistance band) taut above your head. Contract abs and slowly whirl a large, wide circle over your head and around your torso with your hands.
• Seated jackknife: From a supine lying position, stretch your legs and arms and keep a pad or a form of support under the hips. Pull your legs back with knees bent. All together, bring your head, shoulders and arms forward to jackknife position pivoting on the buttocks. Hold the contraction.

2) Cardio is the way to go. Walking, running, jogging, swimming, and aerobics are good examples. Cardio burns calories and thus sheds the fat that hides your hot abs.

Belly dancing, particularly for women, is especially a good combination of cardiovascular and abs exercise. Not only can it tone the tummy and make it sexy, it is also fun!

3) Lift those weights. Building muscle through weightlifting is essential to get that great, fast abs as increased muscle mass means a faster and higher rate of burning calories.

Mind and Body Connection

If you do not believe that you can have that sexy abs, you are slowing or cutting down the results of your workout program. Imagine yourself with that hot abs and believe it. A good visualization exercise would be to imagine seeing yourself in the mirror – only you are seeing a sexier you with the exact kind of abs you have always dreamed of. Then, allow yourself to enter the mirror and merge with that image. Note how you feel. After getting in touch with all sensations, step out of the mirror and push it away.

Yoga can also improve your concentration and will power to stick with your routine. Meditation and daily affirmation can generally increase your results.

Follow these tips to get your desired washboard abs, complement it with a healthy abs diet, and watch the results. With these tips, you will soon be flaunting your hot abs with confidence!

Self-help expert Michael Lee has prepared a FREE extreme fat-burning course that reveals secrets on quick weight loss and how to lose belly fat fast at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/fat-secret.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lee