Fat Burning Diets And Workouts Do's And Don'ts

4 Fat Burning Cardio And Diet Mistakes


To burn fat you must be in a calorie deficit simple right? This deficit is accomplished by reducing the number of calories you eat each day or increasing your energy expenditure through exercise. To burn fat fast a combination of both is best.

What’s important to keep in mind with your fat burning diets and workouts is that you must make certain adjustments to make sure you are actually burning fat and not lean muscle.


* Mistake #1 - Losing Muscle And Fat *

This is a common problem, rather than getting leaner, you can lose a combination of both muscle and fat. In order to stop this and just burn fat, increase your protein intake, Reduce your modified carbohyrate intake, Stick to fruits, vegetables, and raw nuts for carbs limit your cardio workouts and keep your weight training heavy.

Doing light weight, high rep workouts are the primary reason why you lose lean muscle.

Keep in mind that a good rate for fat loss is about one to two pounds a week. More than that and there is a good chance that you’re losing muscle.

* Fat Burning Fact *

In order to burn one pound of fat, you have to create a total caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. The normal approach is to aim for 500 calories a day so that you total the 3,500 calories over the course of one week.


* Mistake #2 - Not Changing Your Workouts *

I'm a big beleiver in variety in my workouts. The human body has a great defense mechanism against change. Stick with the same workouts(exercises, sets and reps, tempo, weight etc.) and your body will quickly adapt and you will stop burning fat and adding lean muscle.

By changing your workouts, doesn't happen. Change your exercises. Always strive to lift more weight. Use complexes doing one exercise right after the other as an example: Do a set of Bench Presses then go straight into a set of Bent over Rows. Rest and repeat. Use timed sets. Set a timer for say 15 minutes, using the example I just gave you see how many reps you can do in the 15 minutes next workout try to top it.

* Mistake #3 - Not Using Weight Training *

When it comes to fat burning all too often the advice is marathon treadmill workouts or overdone aerobics classes. With this approach you are really cutting your fat loss efforts short.

Weight training Increases Your Metabolism

Weight training has been proven to give a long lasting boost to your metabolism long after your workout is over. Weight training will help you maintain your total amount of lean muscle, creating a permanent increase in metabolism.

Muscle burns calories at a higher rate. So by having more lean muscle your metabolism will be working at a higher rate even at rest.

Cardio training will only cause a short rise in your metabolic rate for an hour or two after your workout, taking away from the overall calorie-burning benefits compared with resistance training.


* Mistake #4 Low Intensity Cardio Workouts *

Use high intensity Interval training, a higher heart rate burns more calories. For example, you burn 100 calories in 20 minutes of low-intensity work compared to 160 calories in 10 minutes of high intensity, and you also burn more total fat in less time during a high-intensity workout.

Think Interval Training, using sprints as an example, sprint for one minute and then walk or jog for two are best for burning fat.

Combining high-intensity sprints (anaerobic) for 1 minute with walking or jogging for 2 minutes also boosts your metabolism long after the workout is done, so you're still burning fat and calories hours after your workout is over.

There are alot of subtle changes that can make a big difference in getting to your health and fitness goals. If you think about and are aware of what you are eating on a daily basis I would bet making some healthy substitutions you could easily lose 500 calories a day. When it comes to diet it is Never about skipping meals it is about making healthier choices.


With your workouts always use heavy weight (what is heavy to you), use compound exercises(squats, deadlifts, clean & press, dips, rows etc.) this is where you get the best results in lean muscle gains and fat burning. Always workout with intensity. Keep your muscle building and fat burning workouts short. If you are using compound exercises you can work your whole body in 3-5 exercises.

How To Have Low Body Fat And Rock Hard Abs

That six pack abs look you know the lean muscled, low body fat and rock hard abs look we want. There is so much information online and all the infomercial ab gadgets, celebrity diets and the latest lose your stomach fat get rock hard abs magic pill that will burn off your excess body fat overnight?

So Why Doesn't Everybody Have Flat Rock Hard Abs?

Because most people take the wrong approach. They fall for the latest hollywood diet or infomercial gadget. But mostly it is simply looking for the quick fix. After thirty years of eating the wrong foods and sitting on the couch you can have less stomach fat and rock hard abs in 3 easy workouts.

Hey it's your money but probably a bad idea.

Despite regular workouts and trying every new supplement rock hard abs? No. And that excess stomach fat still there.

Wait whats that? You spent how many hours on the treadmill this week? And you have been doing it for how long? But you are reading this article so I guess your still carrying around that excess stomach fat? And rock hard abs? still a dream.

So What's The Best Way To lose that excess stomach fat and get rock hard abs?

Build Muscle. Plain and Simple. The more muscle you have the more fat you burn. Now when I say build muscle I'm not talking about huge pro bodybuilder muscles.

I'm going to give you 3 tips to start building lean muscle, lose your stomach fat, have low body fat and get rock hard abs.

1. 95% of the exercises you use in your workouts should be compound exercises. It doesn't matter if your goal is to build muscle or lose fat.

*upper body - bench press, pushups, dips, rows 1-arm dumbbell rows, seated cable rows, bent over barbell rows, pullups, chinup, overhead dumbbell and barbell presses, barbell or kettlebell clean & presses

*Lower Body - front squats, back squats, overhead squats, bodyweight squats, regular deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, jump lunges.

*Core and Ab exercises (important, but are 2nd priority, abs and core will be worked with the compound exercises). You might be surprised how much work your abs get during a set of front squats.

The other 5% of your exercises can focus on single joint exercises (isolation exercises). These exercises are only accessory exercises.

2. Train hard and intensely 3-4 days/week for 45-60 minutes per workout. Max workout time is 60 minutes (45 would be best) as training too much beyond this point can trigger excess catabolism. You want to stay anabolic, but you still need to train your body hard and intensely enough to build muscle and lose fat.

Try a super-set workout to maximize the intensity. My favorite combinations are opposing upper and lower body exercises, such as squats coupled with pullups as a superset, or bench press coupled with bent over rows.

Don't underestimate the effectiveness of these types of workouts done with heavy weights and a high intensity. The first time in my life that I experienced significant muscle gains were when I started doing these types of workouts.

These are mainstays of almost any effective workout adjust caloric intake whether your goal is fat burning or to build muscle.

3. Eat clean (the real key to losing stomach fat and getting rock hard abs) with quality whole foods. REAL foods instead of highly processed over-hyped supplement powders and bars.

The quality of protein (and additional nutrition from vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants) are best assimilated by the body from real whole foods. Instead of from processed protein powders, chemical-laden bars, and meal replacements.

Okay 3 plain and simple (but effective) steps to lose that stomach fat and get rock hard abs

Forget about the hyped up workouts in the muscle mags that only work for pro bodybuilders or people on steroids. Forget about the over-hyped supplement "stacks" that pay the bills for almost every muscle mag... Instead, make these tips in this article part of your lifestyle, and you'll see muscle gains and a leaner, ripped body with trim rock hard abs like you've never seen before! Now Go Get Started Now get That Six Pack Abs Look

Fast Track Fat Burning Workout Burn Stomach Fat

A Fast Track Fat Burning Workout To Flatten Your Abs

Imagine looking in the mirror in a few short weeks and you have not only lost__?__lbs of fat(fill in the blank) but you now have that six pack abs look!

Here is a fast track fat burning workout(no marathon aerobic workouts here). What you will need is 1 kettlebell and your bodyweight that's it.

Most of us tend to store fat, at least partially, in our abdominal area. This is one of the most stubborn places to lose fat from. But in trying to flatten your abs have you taken the best and fastest approach?

Are you using total body exercises in your fat burning workouts? Yeah I didn't think so.


Rule#1 If you want to flatten your abs, firm your butt, gain lean muscle, whatever, the most effective and efficient way is with total body fat burning exercises! Hands down.

What I am going to share with you here is not only the fast track approach to fat burning and to flatten your abs, but how to shape and tone your entire body.

Here are 3 total body fat burning exercises you can easily do at home to help flatten your abs and burn fat fast.

1) Mountain Climbers

Start in push-up position. Brace your abs bring on knee towards your chest. Return the knee to the starting position and repeat for the other knee. Do this in a swift tempo as though you are running.

2) Burpees

Stand up in a normal position. squat down. Put your hands on the floor and throw your feet back so you are in the push-up position. Do a push-up(if your conditioning allows) return to starting position. Yeah you got it the old squat thrust from high school.

3) Kettlebell Swing (No kettlebell? Get one or use a dumbbell)

Stand up straight with your feet just slightly wider than your shoulders while holding one kettlebell(we are doing a two handed kettlebell swing). Flex at the hips as you swing the kettlebell between your legs. Then quickly and explosively flex your butt and swing the kettlebell up to chest level. Perform the kettlebell swing for about 10 reps.

After you have finished with the kettlebell Swing, rest for about 20 to 30 seconds(adjust your rest times to your conditioning level). Then start again and do the whole fat burning circuit as many times as you can in 15 minutes.

Do this circuit of total body fat burning exercises 2-3 times a week. On off days from your weight training workouts. You are weight training aren't you? No! Start!

Make this a regular workout and in a short amount of time(along with a healthy eating plan) and that six pack abs look will be yours.

Remember total body fat burning exercises like I have just showed you are the fast track to get that six pack abs look.

Get Six Pack-Abs with Kettlebell Workouts

Get Six Pack-Abs with Kettlebell Workouts


For years fitness “experts” have been telling us to do endless crunches and sit ups to get great six pack abs abs.

Combine that with the latest low fat diet and hours upon hours of slow boring cardio and - BANG! Instant Six Pack Abs, right?

Did you ever consider that your kettlebell workouts might be the best at getting you those six pack abs?

It’s amazing how, if you say something over and over and over again, people - even the most well-informed and educated people - will believe it as the truth.

But as Turbulence Training Kettlebell Revolutionists we know better, right?

So when I get asked, almost on a daily basis, how to lose fat and get six-pack-abs, my answer seems to confuse the “general population”…

1. Perform full-body exercises.

2. Train your abs the way they were meant to be trained (by forcing them to stabilize your torso, not move it or rotate it).

3. Use some form of interval training instead of long boring cardio.

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF ALL…

4. Eat REAL, clean food focusing on fruits & vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats limiting grains and refined carbs to a minimum.

That about sums it up how to get six pack abs in a nutshell and it doesn’t get any simpler than that.

When it comes to kettlebell workouts, getting those six-pack abs is easy if you follow the rules above.

And one of the best kettlebell exercises to get those six pack abs is the Turkish Get-Up or TGU.

Simply put, TGUs involve you laying on the ground holding a Kettlebell vertical with one arm and then performing a series of movements to get you standing upright.

It sounds simple enough, but rest assured, if you use a heavy enough kettlebell and use proper technique, it’s as hard a kettlebell or any other exercise as they come. And it will challenge you like no other Kettlebell exercise out there.

There are 2 variations on how to perform the TGU. Take a look at the video below and see which variation suits your abilities best.

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Remember, we do kettlebell workouts to simplify our lives and to give us an alternative to going to the gym and wasting the precious time it takes for us to drive, park, change, etc, etc. Time that can be spent doing more meaningful and impactful things - like spending time with our families & friends.

The truth about training to get six pack abs and a low % body fat is that our results aren’t so much dependant on what we do IN THE GYM, but what we do the other 23.5 hours in the day.

Are we getting enough sleep?

Are we able to handle our stress levels? (Notice how I said, “handle” and not “eliminate” stress. Fact is that stress is a part of life and it’s next to impossible to completely eliminate stress. Learning how to properly handle stress is more realistic.)

Are we eating whole, natural foods?

Don’t get me wrong, exercise plays a vital role in getting lean. After all, it’s still just a matter or calories in vs. calories out - of EAT LESS, MOVE MORE.

But if you’re doing kettlebell workouts and training at least 3 times per week, then, from an exercise standpoint, you’re on the right track!

Thanks to Chris Lopez of the Turbulence Training Kettlebell Revolution for this great tip to get six pack abs with kettlebell workouts.

My 20 Minute Workout For Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gains

Whatever your fitness goals are muscle building, fat loss, cardio or all of the above keep your workouts short. There really is no need to do hour long marathon workouts. There is a better way.

If you have read any of my other articles you know I believe in doing total body workouts. Weight training, kettlebell training and bodyweight exercises are use3d in my workouts for adding variety.

Let's face facts sticking to an exercise program is not easy. after a hard day at work sometimes the thought of going home to workout isn't that appealing. That's why I like to and always tell people to use variety in thier workouts.

By combining weight training, kettlebell training, bodyweight exercises whether you use all 3 in a workout or a combination of them really does stop the boredom of doing the same old workout all the time.

As an example I wanted to show you the workout I did yesterday. In this workout I used weight training exercises and bodyweight exercises in a modified complex workout. I often will structure my workouts to be done in comlexes.

What is a complex?

Complexes are pairing 2 or more exercises and doing a set of each before taking a rest. Normally I don't use more than 2 exercises per complex. That's my personal choice you may want to do more.

My 20 minute workout.

Complex #1

1A - Dumbbell Clean and Press - 4 sets of 5 reps 1 set of 4 reps - this is done with 2 dumbbells doing a clean before each press. This is one of my favorite exercises it is really a total body workout on it's own.

1B - Mountain Climbers - 1 set of 18 3 sets of 16 1 set of 14 - as soon as I put down the dumbbells I go right into mountain climbers.

Stand Alone Exercise:

2 - Deadlifts - 4 sets of 5 1 set of 4 - deads are another of my favorites and really get your whole body working. So I normally do these as a stand alone exercise.

Complex #2

3A - Dumbbell Rows - 4 sets of 6 reps - these are single arm rows a good lat exercise

3B - Pushups - 4 sets of 12 reps - yep plain old push-ups a very effective and neglected exercise (as are most bodyweight exercises

Well that was my 20 minute total body workout yesterday. Muscle building, fat loss and cardio work. remember on the complexes no rest in between exercises. Try to cut down on your rest periods as your conditioning increases.

Your Guide To Get That Six Pack Abs Look

Your Guide To Get That Six Pack Abs Look


Getting that six-pack abs look through weight training and interval training has become one of the popular choices to keep the body fit and healthy. This is because it does not only guarantee a fast way of adding lean muscle but also the body's endurance and strength as well.

Experts say that for anyone to develop six-pack abs and lose unwanted bodyfat, weight training and interval training using compound exercises and intensity in total body workouts.

Your muscles exert force against different forms of resistance like free weights, kettlebell training and interval fat loss training which greatly aids to the development of six-pack abs as well as total body fat loss.

Strength training as the key to six-pack abs

Your best chance for getting that six-pack abs look is strength training. To start with, it is ideal to do strength training exercises at least 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes or so to prepare the muscles for more rigorous physical movements.

Weight training is still the best workouts to up your metabolism which will keep your body burning fat off long after your workout is over.

Aside from preparing your body's muscle for more extreme physical exercises, strength training not only give you firm muscles for a great looking physique but will give you trmendous energy levels. Studies show that strength training is very important for fat loss and getting that six-pack abs look because it can increase the endurance and strength of the developed muscles that can allow you perform tasks daily with lesser exertion and effort.

This can also improve the working capacity of the muscles but also aids the body's coordination, balance, and blood circulation as well as the strength of the joints, ligaments, and bones.

Experts say that to be able to develop muscle and achieve six-pack abs through strength training, should always make it a practice to warm up properly before you start strength training and after you should always gradually wind down for a cool down.

Stretching is very important for beginners because it can reduce soreness after the exercises and can help prevent cramped muscles while increasing the range of your motion.

Doing workouts to get that six-pack abs look can do common stretching exercises such as warm-ups that include flexibility and stretching exercises to keep the muscles supple, increase the joints' range of motion, heart rate and body temperature, and blood flow to muscles, enhance flexibility, and improve coordination. Cool-downs are also important to return the heart rate as well as the blood pressure to resting mode gradually. Since they are composed of slow walking and stretching, it can relax the sore muscles during and after the exercise.

After warm-up and stretching, the strength-training exercises using compound exercises.

Squats

Deadlifts

Presses

Bench Presses

Rows

Pull-ups

By concentrating on compound exercises you use more muscles in the body at the same time. You might also be surprised to learn how much work your ab muscles get by using compound exercises.

Getting Six Pack Abs and losing body fat is not about doing endless reps of crunches and ab specific exercises. Total body conditioning compound exercises, kettlebell training and interval fat loss training plus healthy eating is the fastest path to six pack abs.

6 Pack Abs In 2009: Excess Stomach Fat Is More Dangerous Than You Think

Stomach Fat even more dangerous than you thought.

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly determined that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around it. Besides, a side effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.

The only solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound strategic nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I've actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I've spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.

The entire solution... all of the nutritional strategies, as well and training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.

Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork... it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It's really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS. A lot of people have emailed me with questions about whether they need any special equipment, if they're too old or too young for this program, etc. I've made a page that should answer all of your questions...

I would like to thank Mike Geary How To Get That Six Pack Abs Look for this article

Total Body Exercise Workout Get That Six Pack Abs Look

Total Body Exercises To Get That Six Pack Abs Look

Get that six pack abs look? What does that mean?

Simply put to get that six pack abs look means losing that unwanted body fat. By losing that body fat you will get that sleek, toned, athletic and fitness model look.
The no more crunches way to losing unwanted body fat and get that six pack abs look.

By doing total body exercises you not only will tighten your abs but you will firm up your butt, have slender thighs and get rid of those flabby arms.

That's what you see when you get that six pack abs look.

Total body exercises include squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, etc which indirectly work your abs burn more fat and will get that six pack abs look faster and more efficiently while bringing you permanent results.

Get that six pack abs look no more crunches, twisting crunches, and ball crunches today.

Instead, use what I call "total body exercises to get that six pack abs look".
Here are 3 good ones:

1) The Stability Ball Rollout
2) The Hanging Knee Up
3) Stability Ball X-Body Mountain Climber with Feet OR Hands on Ball
In fact, you could use these three total body exercises to get that six pack abs look in a triset at the end of your workout to relly give your abs more work.

A) Stability Ball Rollout - 10 reps
- No rest.
B) Hanging Knee Up - 8 reps
- No rest.
C) Stability Ball X-Body Mountain Climber (Hands on Ball) - 10 reps
- Rest 1 minute & repeat 1 more time for a total of 2 trisets.

You'll never have to do another useless crunch on a stinky, sweaty
dirty gym mat or hotel room floor EVER again!
Discover more total body exercises to get that six pack abs look at Weight Loss Fitness And Bodybuilding

How To Get That Six Pack Abs Look More Total Body Workouts

Busy Women - Total Body Workouts


Total body workouts forget any thoughts or information you read about spot reducing. Spot reducing doesn't work end of story. The only way to get a firm butt, slender thighs, tight abs and get rid of that saggy arm fat is by training your whole body each workout.

weight training, kettlebell training, interval training, bodyweight exercises and eating healthy are your keys. In this article I am going to concentrate on the training and workouts for total body conditioning. In other articles we will look at healthy eating for lean muscle gain, fat loss and increasing your energy.

By using total body workouts you will not only get faster and much better results (inlean muscle gains and fat loss) but your workouts will be much shorter. At home or at the gym wherever you workout your workouts should take you at most 40 minutes.

If you are spending more than 40 minutes you are probably not working out at the proper intensity level. Your weight training workouts will probably be the longest in terms of time. But this can also be shortened by cutting down your rest time in-between sets.

I am a big believer in variety in workouts. By variety I mean using all the training systems I mentioned above.

Let me give you a rundown on the 4 training sytems for total body workouts.


There’s different ways to build strength, add lean muscle and lose fat:

Today a begginner bodyweight only total body workouts.

• Bodyweight Exercises. Master your own bodyweight first. Pushups, pullups, situps,
squats, etc are the best place to start. Bodyweight workouts are what I would advise to anyone who is just starting an exercise program.

Here is a begginning Bodyweight program for total body workouts:
1) Prisoner Squats
2) Push-ups
3) Burpees

Stay with this 3-4 days a week for 1-2 weeks. I want you to just get your body and conditioning level ready to take on more diffucult workouts. Work up to 3-4 sets for 8-10 reps. As a beginner if you think 2 weeks isn't enough stay on it longer you will know when its time to move on.

Coming in future articles I'll be covering the following and more.


* Weight Training. Using free weights, barbell training specifically. You can build a
massive amount of strength,lean muscle and achieve great fat loss results with just a simple set of weights.

When doing Weight training Compound exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Presses, etc build the most strength, lean muscle and is still the best method for fat loss.
most strength the fastest.

* Kettlebell Training You can train at home, or go outside and get some fresh air. Kettlebell training is a form of training that will not only improve the appearance of your physique, it will give you strength and mental toughness that you did not know was even possible.

* Interval Training What most people don’t know is that intervals are the best cardio method for fat loss. An interval is a short period of exercise performed at a given intensity for a specific length of time. Each interval is separated from the next interval by a short rest or lighter activity. Intervals continue to burn calories and fat after the training session, and that’s something you won’t get from slower, longer sessions of cardio.

Get That Six Pack Abs Look

How to build some muscle to get that six pack abs look.

Even if your goal isn't to get six pack abs you more than likely are going for the flat, fat free toned abs. For too many of us it's a dream that seems to be a never ending quest.

Keeping with our total body conditioning workouts here are 3 exercises you can easily do at home to help with that six pack abs look.

1) Mountain Climbers

Mountain Climbers should be performed in 30 seconds. How you can go about this is to lie on the floor with top push-up position. In this way, only your hands and feet are touching the floor. Then, brace your abs by flexing one of your knees and bringing it towards your chest. Return the knee to the starting position and repeat the same routine for the other knee. Do this in a swift tempo as though you are running or as though you are climbing a mountain for about 30 seconds.

2) Burpees

Stand up in a normal position as straight possible. Then slowly progress into a normal bodyweight squat. Once you reach the bottom, put your hans on the floor and throw your feet back so you are in the push-up position. Do a push-up( if your conditioning allows) return to starting position. Yeah you got it the old squat thrust from high school.

3) Kettlebell Swing

Stand up straight with your feet just slightly wider than your shoulders while holding one kettlebell(we are doing a two handed kettlebell swing). Flex at the hips as you swing the kettlebell between your legs. Then quickly and explosively flex your gluteus maximus (your largest muscles on your bottom) and swing the kettlebell up to chest level. Perform the kettlebell swing for about 10 reps.

For a more detailed explanation and video of how to do the kettlebell swing check out Kbells The kettlebell Training Page

After you have finished with the kettlebell Swing exercise, rest for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then start with the routine of Mountain Climbers again and perform the whole circuit as many times as you can in 4 minutes.

You can perform this circuit of these 3 exercises 2-3 times a week on top of your regular workout. Make this a regular workout and in a short amount of time(along with a healthy eating plan) and soon that six pack abs look will be yours.

Remember total body tconditioning workouts like I have just showed you are the fast track to that six pack abs look.

6 Pack Abs: Are You Wasting Your Time With Cardio Workouts

Are Cardio Workouts Wasting Your Time?

A look into why typical long-duration steady-state cardio exercise routines are not the most effective way to lose body fat.

article by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist


Are you wasting your time with hours and hours of boring cardio workouts each and every week? Well, you should be warned that steady-state cardio exercise is not the best way to get lean and lose fat.

Many people (including many fitness trainers and health professionals) just assume that it's a "fact" that you need cardio exercise for fat loss. The truth is that although cardio can help some people to lose fat simply from burning extra calories and living a healthier lifestyle in general, cardio is not the end-all be-all of fat loss.

In fact, there are types of workouts that can be more effective for losing fat if they are done with the right intensity and with the right types of exercises. Resistance training workouts (weights, bands, bodyweight, etc) as well as certain types of interval training workouts can produce better results if done correctly.

The joints

One problem to be aware of is that excessive cardio exercise such as long distance running can have tremendous impacts on the joints. On the other hand, shorter, but more intense styles of interval training, as well as resistance training can actually strengthen the joints when done properly (instead of wearing down the joints).

The After-burn effect

Also, same-pace cardio does not have the same metabolism-boosting effect and "afterburn" effect that resistance training workouts or interval training workouts have on your body. In studies, it has been shown that a high intensity weight training workout or interval training workout such as sprints or hill sprints can increase the metabolic rate for up to 1-2 days following the workout. This means you burn more calories AFTER the workout compared to a typical cardio routine.

This occurs because these higher intensity forms of training (such as weight training done at high intensity and interval cardio) stimulate muscle tissue to a greater degree and subsequently, the body must do more work to repair and rebuild the muscles throughout the body. This requires more energy and thus the "afterburn effect" of a raised metabolism and higher calorie burn in the 24-48 hours after the workout.

Compare this to a slower, steady-state cardio workout and the studies have shown that this afterburn effect only lasts 1-2 hours instead of 1-2 days as with the higher intensity workouts.

The Fat-Burning Hormonal Effect

Another aspect we must explore is the hormonal effect that certain types of exercise have on your body. With long duration excessive cardio exercise, you can actually go into a catabolic mode and the body starts to produce excess amounts of cortisol. This is not good and can lead to muscle loss and a reduced metabolic rate.

On the other hand, resistance training and high intensity interval training can stimulate muscle building and fat burning hormones in your body due to the stronger effort required by your full body musculature. This is yet another reason that weight training and interval workouts can create a leaner, more toned look in the body compared to focusing mostly on cardio routines.

The Skinny-Fat Appearance

Have you ever noticed someone that does a lot of cardio seemingly almost every day, yet still has that "skinny fat" appearance?

I see it all the time... basically this is where someone appears skinny in their legs, arms, chest, and back, yet has a visible gut in their belly, with excess stomach fat.

This is one of the typical results of someone that spends way too much time with cardio exercise routines instead of focusing more on resistance training and intervals


Ab Truth Are you at last ready to make a change or is it just going to be same old you next year?

6 Pack Abs In 2009 How To Flatten, Tone And Trim Your Abs

6 Pack Abs In 2009 - Today let's talk to Mike Geary of The Truth About Abs and get some tips on how to flatten, tone and reduce the fat around our waist.


Q: Now Mike, there's so many things out there as to what works and what does not work...if you had to pick 3 things that work time and time again to get flat abs, what would they be?

MG: The first and most important thing to get control of in order to get flat abs is cleaning up your diet. Exercise is important, but your diet is king when it comes to losing body fat so that you can see your abs.

There's so much confusion these days about what a healthy diet that promotes fat loss really is...after all, we are bombarded by conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not, and you have all of these gimmicky diet books about low carb, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, atkins, south beach, liquid diets, and hundreds more. There's so much conflicting info, that the average consumer doesn't even know where to start when it comes to eating for fat loss.

The second thing that works time and time again, is to focus on the intensity of your workouts and focus on working the body as a whole in order to get the best metabolic response to lose that stubborn stomach fat. In order to really get lean, the workouts should have a high intensity, with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves.

For the third thing, let's talk about actually training the abs specifically. When it comes to training the abs, if you want real results, I always recommend forgetting about the crunches and situps for the most part. They are ok for someone that is really deconditioned, but most people that already have some training under their belt need a much better stimulus for their abs than crunches. Crunches are one of the abs exercises that actually provide the least amount of resistance, and remember that resistance is what develops and tones the muscles.

I provide a ton of great abs exercises in my book, but one of THE highest resistance exercises for the abs, is hanging leg raises (but NOT the way you see most people at the gym doing them). The key to doing these and actually working the hell out of your abs is to curl your pelvis up as you raise your legs. Almost nobody ever does this right. To be honest, the majority of people cannot do this at first, but I provide some strategies in my book as to how to progress to doing these correctly.

Q: What are people doing wrong when it comes to developing the coveted "6 pack abs"?

MG: Well, I know this sounds funny to most people, but the MAIN thing that people are doing wrong to get those flat 6-pack abs is...are you ready for this? They spend entirely too much time focusing on training their abs! WAY too much time spent on abs exercises. Sounds crazy, but it's true.

Remember, having a flat and visible six pack of abs is all about getting down to a low body fat percentage. In order to do that, your workouts must focus on stimulating a fat burning hormonal environment in your body, and increasing your metabolic rate. That just does not happen when you focus too much time training a small muscle group like the abs.

Instead, you must use the majority of your time focusing on training the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest. That's what stimulates your metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will get you truly lean and sporting a flat sixxer!

Q: Which exercises are the top exercises that people need to do if they are to get maximum defintion with their midsection?

MG: When it comes to developing the abs themselves, I again refer to any kinds of hanging abs exercises, as well as some good floor abs exercises like lying leg thrusts (all described and illustrated in my book).

However, maximum definition in the abs and midsection comes from losing bodyfat, and the most effective exercises featured in my program for that goal are various forms of swings and snatches (unique dumbbell or kettlebell exercises that almost nobody ever does in normal gyms), squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, sprinting, and other full body exercises and calisthenics. If you want great looking flat abs, focus on those instead of focusing so much on training the abs directly!

Q: When it comes to diet Mike, people really have tried millions of ways to get one thing...and that is fat loss. What recommendations have you used to successfully help your clients lose fat and keep it off?

MG: I have included a fully comprehensive discussion of this topic in my book, which accounts for almost half of the book, but I'll try to make some nice simple generalizations to get people started on the right path immediately. The most important thing is that your diet is as natural and unprocessed as possible. It almost always comes back to the overprocessing of food that makes it unhealthy, and makes it totally wreck your metabolism and hormone balance in your body.

For example, why eat refined grains, when you can eat whole grains. Why eat refined sugar, when you can get natural sources of sugar from a high nutrient whole food like fruit. Why eat highly processed, refined, and hydrogenated vegetable oils (these are THE worst thing in the modern diet), when you can eat natural sources of healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fish, eggs, coconut milk, organically raised meat, and so forth.

The point is to not fall for some gimmick like low carbs, low fat, high protein, or any other combination that has you focusing on one macronutrient vs. another. Your body needs all macronutrients to thrive and obtain a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Trying to cut an entire food group out just works against what your body needs. I get into much more detail on this vitally important topic towards losing body fat (especially that stubborn stomach fat) for life in my book.

Thanks to Mike Geary for answering our questions and giving us some great information on how to have 6 pack abs in 2009.

See Also

Abtruth
it is a page I put up that gives the total review of the Truth About abs, articles by Mike and more of his insight about training and nutrition for six pack abs.

Six Pack Abs Enough With The Excuses

Stop With the Lame Excuses and Procrastination and Get Your Butt in the Gym!
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

How many times have you said "Oh, I'm too busy... I'll get started on my weight loss plan tomorrow", or "I'll just wait until after the holidays to start working out and getting in better shape"?

Working as a fitness professional, I hear people every single day say that they want to improve their shape... whether they want to lose weight, build some muscle, get stronger, lose the fat on their belly get six pack abs... whatever it may be.

Can you guess what happens when I say to them, "Well, if you really want it that bad, then why don't you start today... seriously, why not start working out and eating healthy today and lets make this happen now". Well, what usually happens is that they say that they'll just wait until next month because they're "too busy" right now.

Come on... Give me a break! It's nothing but LAME EXCUSE after lame excuse as to why you don't workout regularly or eat right. This becomes an endless cycle of excuses and procrastination for getting your butt in shape. Once next month comes, now you have another excuse... work has been too busy, or you're just too busy working on the house, and so on.

Consider this... Do you really think that all of the people walking around out there in great shape with their kick-ass bodies are any less busy than you? Hell no! Chances are, they are easily just as busy as you, yet THEY find the time to keep themselves healthy and in great shape.

Let's make a pact and STOP THE LAME EXCUSES FOR GOOD! Start on your goal today!

The bottom line is... If you really want it, you'll find the time. It's all about priorities and getting in the right mindset.

If you are one of these people that's always using excuses as to why you don't have time to eat right or workout, then I have bad news for you... You are NEVER going to get in good shape for the rest of your life! You are going to continue to yoyo back and forth and struggle with your fitness FOREVER!

Sorry to be so "in your face", but sometimes we all just need a wake up call. I'll even admit that although I've got my fitness pretty well handled, I've needed these wake up calls in other areas of my life where I was struggling, and I've appreciated those people that showed me the way.

So what's it going to be. The start of a new you or the same old excuses and go out and buy bigger size clothes.

SEE ALSO

Ab Truth So How about it 6 pack abs in 2009 it's never too late to start.

Six Pack Abs Are You Doing It Wrong?

Six Pack Abs: The Myths and Facts About How To Get 6 Pack Abs


Let's face it we all notice the guy or gal with the slim and trim midsection. One of if not the most important body part to people is getting six pack abs. Good looking guys and women with slim and trim abs are admired and make other people’s jaw drop. So all you have to do is hundreds of crunches and other ab exercises and then like magic you'll have six pack abs.

The Six Pack Ab Myth
Most people who begin exercise programs are going about it the wrong way.

It's not your fault there is alot of misinformation out there. seems like not all that we hear from “experts” or overhear in the public or read in the magazines is right. Maybe the reason why we are not getting those perfect abs is because we are not doing it right. I will say most workouts I see people doing is a terrible waste of your time. So we need to know the myths and what is real to get those chiseled six pack abs we want.

Six pack ab Myth 1: Abdominal muscle is different from regular muscle.

Muscle is muscle. Abdominal muscle is the same as our biceps and lats. The only difference is the location. Abdominal muscles are not resting on a bony surface, instead it is against the stomach and intestines. There is no significant difference whatsoever.

Six pack Myth 2: Strong abs means a strong back.

The key to a strong back is a balanced abdominal muscles. You can work your abs, which will help your back muscles. Total body workouts for all around strength and fitness is the key. Infomercials give the false belief that by working out just one part of your body will give your health great benefits.

Working out and exercise should not just be concerned with one part of the body. What you need is an overall total body conditioning to be healthy.

Six Pack Myth 3: You have to train your abs at least every other day.

I love it when I hear personnal trainers telling their clients to get six pack abs you need to train them everyday. You need to train your abs hard enough twice a week like any other muscle group. The key is to choose exercises that fatigue your abs, so that they actually need recovery time. Include exercises that use the abs functionality. Since abs are used to stabilize the body, holding a push up position without letting your body sag will really feel and develop your abdominal muscles.

Six Pack Myth 4: To gain results, high repetitions are required.

The key to six pack abs is the exercises you choose that are not ab specific. As far as reps go the abs are no different than any other muscle. If your aim is abdominal endurance, the more crunches you do each time, the more you can do later on. It does not strengthen the abs very much but it does eat up most of your time.

Six Pack Myth 5: Hard rock abs can be attained by doing a lot of sit-ups.

Many doctors say that sit-ups and crunches are the work exercises and perhaps should never be done. A common mistake done during crunches, is throwing the neck out. Crunches and sit-ups cause the abdominal muscles to be pulled to tight, this excessive pulling put stress on the neck or what is known as throwing the neck out. The overuse of crunch type exercises may even lead to the reduction of thoracic extension and contributes to bad posture.

Six Pack Myth 6: It takes years to get great abs.

Everyone has ab muscles, you just need to train them in the correct manner. To start with you need to get rid of the fat surrounding your abs. Healthy eating is as important as exercise for getting that set of six pack abs. For some, it would take a few weeks. For other it may be longer. Different body type develop at different rates.

Too much information out there today has us doing the wrong exercises and workouts especially when it comes to getting a trim and toned stomach. If you want to get those six pack abs continue reading at Ab Truth

How Busy Women Are Getting 6 Pack Abs

The Busy Womans Guide For Six Pack Abs

The trend of getting six-pack abs among women

Getting six-pack abs has become one of the popular choices to keep the body fit and healthy among women. This is because it does not only guarantee a fast way of improving muscle but also the body's endurance and strength as well.

Experts say that for a woman to develop six-pack abs, she must undergo workout training where the exercises are designed for total body conditioning.

Here, the woman's muscles exert force against different forms of resistance like free weights, kettlebell training and interval fat loss training which greatly aids to the development of wonderful six-pack abs as well as total body fat loss.

Strength training as the key to six-pack abs

Women who are looking forward to having six-pack abs must undergo strength training so she can endure all the physical requirements of her goal. To start with, it is ideal to do strength training exercises at least 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes or so to prepare the muscles for more rigorous physical movements.

weight training is still the best course to up your metabolism which will keep your body burning fat off long after your workout is over.

Aside from preparing your body's muscle for more extreme physical exercises, strength training can also give a woman firm muscles for a great looking physique in the future. Studies show that strength training is very important for women who are gearing towards having six-pack abs because it can increase the endurance and strength of the developed muscles that can allow women perform tasks daily with lesser exertion and effort.

This can also improve the working capacity of the muscles but also aids the body's coordination, balance, and blood circulation as well as the strength of the joint, ligaments, and bones.

Experts say that to be able to develop muscle and achieve six-pack abs through strength training, women should always make it a practice to warm up properly before she starts strength training and after she has performed some weight exercises to prepare the joints for the pending motion during the weight lifting.

Stretching is very important for beginners because it can reduce soreness after the exercises and can help prevent cramped muscles while increasing the range of your motion.

Women who are doing workouts to get six-pack abs can do common stretching exercises such as warm-ups that include flexibility and stretching exercises to keep the muscles supple, increase the joints' range of motion, heart rate and body temperature, and blood flow to muscles, enhance flexibility, and improve coordination. Cool-downs are also important to return the heart rate as well as the blood pressure to resting mode gradually. Since they are composed of slow walking and stretching, it can relax the sore muscles during and after the exercise.

After stretching, the strength-training exercises using compound exercises can help women who are into the trend of getting six-pack abs:

Squats

Deadlifts

Presses

Bench Presses

By concentrating on compound exercises you use more muscles in the body at the same time. You might also be surprised to learn how much work your ab muscles get by using compound exercises.


Getting Six Pack Abs and losing body fat is not about doing endless reps of crunches and ab specific exercises. Total body conditioning compound exercises, kettlebell training and interval fat loss training plus healthy eating is the fastest path to six pack abs.

See Also

Ab Truth for workouts, exercises and healthy eating guiges.

Six Pack Abs Total Body Workouts Use Compound Exercises

Body Part Isolation vs. Complex Movements in Strength Training


Working as a fitness professional, there is one type of question I get all the time that shows that many people are missing the big picture regarding the benefits of strength training. This popular question usually goes something like this:

“What exercise can I do to isolate my _______ (insert your muscle of choice – abs, quads, biceps, triceps, etc)?”

It doesn’t matter which muscle someone is asking about, they always seem to be asking how to ‘isolate’ it. My first response to this question is always – “Why in the world would you want to isolate it?”

The first thing I try to teach my clients is that the body does not work well in muscle isolation. Rather, it works better in movements along a kinetic chain; that is, large portions of the body assist other portions of the body in completing a complex movement. In fact, there really is no such thing as true muscle isolation. There is almost always a nearby muscle group that will assist in some way with whatever movement you are doing. However, this article compares attempting to ‘isolate’ body parts via single-joint exercises to the much more effective strategy of performing multi-joint complex movements.

When you attempt to ‘isolate’ muscles by performing single-joint exercises, you are actually creating a body that is non-functional and will be more prone to injury. Essentially, you are creating a body that is a compilation of body parts, instead of a powerful, functional unit that works together.

Now if you really want to end up hobbling around in a body bandaged up with joint problems, tendonitis, and excess body fat, then by all means, continue trying to ‘isolate’ body parts. On the other hand, if you would rather have a lean, muscular, injury-free, functional body that works as a complete powerful unit to perform complex movements (in athletics or even everyday tasks), then you need to shift your focus away from muscle isolation.

Believe me, focusing on how well your body functions will give you the side effect of a body that looks even better than it would have if you focused on muscle isolation. For example, take a look at the physiques of any NFL running backs, wide receivers, or even world class sprinters. Trust me when I say that these guys pretty much NEVER train for muscle isolation (their strength coaches wouldn’t be crazy enough to let them), yet they are absolutely ripped to shreds! Just look at guys like Maurice Green or Terrell Owens and tell me who wouldn’t want a physique like those guys.

Another benefit to moving away from the ‘muscle isolation’ mindset to a more ‘complex movement’ mindset is that you will find it much easier to lose body fat. The reason is that by focusing more on multi-joint complex movements as opposed to single-joint muscle isolation, you not only burn a lot more calories during each workout, but you also increase your metabolic rate, and stimulate production of more fat burning and muscle building hormones like growth hormone and testosterone.

Let’s look at an example. The machine leg extension is a single joint exercise that works mainly the quadriceps, can potentially cause knee joint instability in the long run, and doesn’t even burn that many calories. On the other hand, exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, and deadlifts are all multi-joint complex movements that work hundreds of muscles in the body (including the quadriceps) as a functional unit, create more stable and strong joints in the long run (when done properly), and also burn massive quantities of calories compared to the single-joint exercises.

See Also:

Ab Truth stop wasting your time on countless reps of crunches and other ab isolation exercises. Only by total body conditioning will you get real results.

Lose That Stubborn Stomach Fat And Get 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 Truth About Abs

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,

Losing Stomach Fat For Flat Six Pack Abs

An interview with Mike Geary of The Truth About Abs that will reveal some of the key secrets to losing stomach fat and getting six pack abs much faster...

CB: Mike, you have a site, The Truth About Six Pack Abs. So... what the heck is the truth?

MG: Well, from what I see on a daily basis, one of the most common fitness goals people have is to get a flatter stomach and if possible, achieve some sort of a "six pack abs" appearance to their stomach. Unfortunately, most people struggle for years without ever achieving this goal. Instead, I see so many people waste so much of their time on worthless abdominal exercises, and falling for every gimmick product that comes onto their TV screen promising them a 6-pack in only 2 minutes a day while sitting on their couch.

To be honest, seeing so many people over the years waste their hard earned money on all of these worthless ab gadgets, machines, ab belts, and bogus fat loss pills was really getting under my skin.

That's why I developed my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program. Over the last couple years, this program I developed has gained popularity worldwide, and has now recently become the most popular abs program on the internet with tens of thousands of people in over 100 countries using my system.

So what's the truth? The truth is that people are looking in the wrong direction to achieve this goal... abdominal exercises are NOT the answer to six pack abs! Sounds counterintuitive I know. In fact, ab-specific exercises are the LEAST important training aspect in getting a six pack.

Most people think there must be some magical "underground" abs exercise that is going to finally get them their six-pack after years of struggling.

The fact is, the real solution to seeing a visible six-pack is bringing your body fat percentage down to a low enough level to where the abs become visible. Most people already have them hiding under there and don't know it. This is generally about 10% body fat or lower for men, and about 16-18% for women from my experience.

Heck, even my 7-year old nephew has a six pack... do you think he got that by doing "abs exercises"? No way! He has a six pack because his body fat percentage is extremely low since he's so active running around playing all day at his age.

So the most important aspect to getting visible abs is actually a properly designed full body training program, combined with good nutrition that can be maintained for life (instead of a short-term gimmick diet).

CB: For a beginner, how much focus needs to be on abs? What other exercises would you give them for fat loss?

MG: For beginners, I generally start them off with the most basic bodyweight exercises such as bw squats, bw lunges, bw step-ups, pushups, inverted body rows, along with basic dumbbell exercises like overhead presses, rows, etc. We also work on body stabilizing exercises like planks and side planks and a few stability ball exercises to make sure they've learned to properly engage their entire "core" area in stablizing the body.

CB: What type of cardio/interval training do you use for fat loss?

MG: The programs I design are almost entirely based on high intensity resistance training instead of cardio. In fact, my resistance training workouts get people sweating and huffing and puffing much more than any boring cardio workout ever will.

The bottom line based on research as well as my personal experience... cardio is NOT necessary for fat loss! In fact, some of the leanest people I know NEVER do traditional cardio. Personally, I haven't stepped foot on a treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike in about 8 years and I maintain single digit body fat year round.

Now don't get me wrong about the cardio thing... in reality, I actually work on exercises that are much tougher and more intense than traditional cardio... I prefer wind sprints, hill sprints, swimming sprints, speed rope jumping, etc to complement my resistance training... all of which are more anaerobic in nature than aerobic.

This type of training stimulates a vastly higher metabolic response in the body than steady pace cardio.

Of course, most people can't just jump right into doing wind sprints without injury until they've gotten themselves into pretty good shape first. I use various resistance training methods and interval training for most people before they are ever ready to even attempt any type of sprinting.

CB: Tell us about your favorite bodyweight exercises and how you use them in a fat loss program.

MG: I like to combine bodyweight exercises and free weight exercises into what I call "tri-sets" or "quad-sets" (aka - mini circuits). Basically, I pick 3 or 4 exercises that don't work the same body movements (non-competing) and combine them into high intensity mini-circuits for my clients.

A great example would be:

1. mountain climbers for 20-30 seconds
2. dumbbell squat & presses (combination squat then press overhead)
3. stability ball leg curl-ins
4. stability ball plank holds (a little harder than a floor plank)

This type of circuit can be done without much rest at all between exercises and we would repeat the circuit several times before moving to a new circuit. This creates a high intensity fat burning workout that works almost every muscle in the entire body.

The 2nd part of the abdominals interview will come shortly and we'll cover the most important aspect... nutrition for fat loss!

For More from Mike 6 Pack Abs In 2009

Six Pack Abs The Mistakes You Make Trying To Get That Six Pack

Stop Making It Harder on Your Body
and Start Working WITH Your Body


Think about this... if what you've been doing all these years hasn't been getting you the results you want, doing more of that same thing won't get you any further! If doing 4 hours of cardio a week hasn't worked for you, why do you believe that doing 7 hours of cardio will?

If doing 100 crunches a day hasn't gotten you the results you want, why do you think that doing 200 crunches a day will? Of course you remember that doing the same things over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity!

The truth is that all of these techniques are WRONG and ineffective ways to workout. In fact, doing excessive cardio is actually working against your results because you are stimulating excessive cortisol production in your body and breaking down lean muscle tissue... all of which leads to the slowing down of your metabolic rate over time and deposition of even more belly fat on top of what you already have.

Also, wasting most of your workout time with ineffective abs exercises such as crunches, situps, and torso twists actually goes directly against your fat loss efforts as well. You see, the time you waste with doing all of these fairly ineffective abs exercises, is really just keeping you from doing the truly effective full body exercise combinations that actually stimulate your fat burning hormones and increase your metabolic rate for as much as 24-48 hours after each workout. You don't get that with "ab workouts" or "cardio"!

When you get these types of full body metabolic-surge workouts right, the excess belly fat starts to melt off quicker than you ever could have imagined. Yes, it IS going to take a little work though. You're not going to be able to just be lazy and sit on the couch every day hoping for your dream body to come true. Don't worry though, it's a system that can be applied by anyone, regardless of your age or current conditioning.

95% of Women Make These Same Mistakes Over and Over
Over the last 10 years of training and consulting hundreds of women on nutrition, quite a few patterns started to emerge and I noticed most women were falling into many of the same traps. Some of them I mentioned above with the excess cardio, the time wasted doing crunches & situps, the bogus fat-burner pills, the worthless ab gadgets, the grocery store mistakes, and the failed diets time and time again.

Stephanie and Margo had also fallen into the same traps and struggled with their fitness for years due to these mistakes. But something changed immediately when they starting using the workout and dietary techniques that I revealed to them.

They finally started getting results and losing layer upon layer of ugly body fat after years of struggling to lose even a couple of pounds!

Stop making these mistakes in your drive to lose bodyfat and get those six pack abs. For the best in how to eat and the best workouts check out Your Six Pack Ab quest in 2009

Six Pack Abs How To Get Them

So what's the truth? The truth is that people are looking in the wrong direction to achieve this goal... abs exercises are NOT the answer to six pack abs! Sounds counterintuitive I know. In fact, ab-specific exercises are the LEAST important training aspect in getting a six pack.

Most people think there must be some magical "underground" abs exercise that is going to finally get them their six-pack after years of struggling.

The fact is, the real solution to seeing a visible six-pack is bringing your body fat % down to a low enough level to where the abs become visible. Most people already have them hiding under there and don't know it. This is generally about 10% body fat or lower for men, and about 16-18% for women from my experience.

Heck, even my 7-year old nephew has a six pack... do you think he got that by doing "abs exercises"? No way! He has a six pack because his body fat % is extremely low since he's so active running around playing all day at his age.

So the most important aspect to getting visible abs is actually a properly designed full body training program, combined with good nutrition that can be maintained for life (instead of a short-term gimmick diet).

Start off with the most basic bodyweight exercises such as bw squats, bw lunges, bw step-ups, pushups, inverted body rows, along with basic dumbbell exercises like overhead presses, rows, etc. We also work on body stabilizing exercises like planks and side planks and a few stability ball exercises to make sure they've learned to properly engage their entire "core" area in stablizing the body.

How to get six pack abs get more tips at Ab Truth