Posted by Jose Loni on Friday Jun 12, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
Doing lower ab workouts and why this may actually be setting you up for failure is a question you may be wondering about. Most people focus on lower ab workouts when they want to get ripped abs thinking it’s logical – there’s a flabby problem area so let’s work in that area to fix it. But your body doesn’t operate that way. Flab means there’s fat so you need to lose the fat first and no amount of isolation exercises can burn that fat away.
A lot of ab machines and exercises are out there claiming they can solve your flab problem. However, because they work solely the ab area, you don’t see any visible difference after using their machines and workouts. In fact, they just don’t work because spot reduction really doesn’t work.
Focusing your training just in the ab area will not sculpt and give you six packs. Sit-ups, crunches and lower ab exercises can strengthen and tone but they will not sculpt. The fact is, you likely won’t see any visible changes.
To sculpt and reveal those six packs, you need to get your whole body moving and do cardio activities, which will jumpstart your metabolism into burning fat continuously, allowing you to lose the fat cover around your ab muscles.
Some exercises you can do include jogging, squats, lunges, brisk walking, push-ups and even dancing. Doing these specifically trains the large muscles, which uses up more energy. The more trained these large muscles become, the more efficient they are at burning fat.
Doing short, quick bursts of intense training like a circuit program of jumping jacks-brisk walking-sprinting-walking makes our muscles work extremely hard. They start building up waste carbon dioxide and lactic acid, which the body must now get rid of.
At the same time, the processes of clearing away lactic acid and carbon dioxide waste products and re-supplying of oxygen to nourish and replenish muscle stores require a lot of energy. These processes raise your metabolic rate, resulting in stored fat being mobilized for use.
Exercises that specifically train our abs will not work. Instead, focus on kick starting your metabolism through multi-joint exercises and interval training. By training your metabolism, you train your body to become a fat burning machine that will give your ripped hard abs.
Posted by Kareem F Samhouri, DPT, CSCS, HFI on Thursday Jun 11, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
The iPod Video and the iPhone have revolutionized the way personal training is offered around the world. In truth, many people now see the iPod as a replacement for having someone demonstrate exercise in the gym. Through the technological boom, the use of digital video, and the increased awareness of health around the world, it’s no wonder that the iPod workout is taking over.
Many forms of multimedia are now usable on an iPod, due to the creation of video on this device. In fact, some fitness professionals are even creating video courses to simulate a classroom leaning environment while working out. This can offer an even greater value to someone that wants to learn the science of training at the same time.
One example of the “portable personal trainer” that is taking place involves an email delivery service, where you receive a couple of workouts for the week. You can then download the corresponding videos to your iPod, from which you can carry the exercises to the gym. Previously, the large majority of online fitness training stemmed from home workouts and/or e-books. Through the use of video, that is accessible on an iPod, new horizons have been reached and new levels of long-distance fitness coaching are available.
Most fitness professionals would agree that choosing a personal trainer is a careful decision that requires thought and analysis of skill set. With the opportunity today to be trained by some of the best fitness professionals in the whole world through cutting-edge technology, there is no longer a reason to settle. After all, this is your body, and you only get one.
Exercise videos allow visual demonstration of difficult positions and movements with exercise, while also allowing a fitness instructor to explain target areas and bad habits of others. Through the implementation of iPod workouts in the fitness field, it has become important to recognize previously imposed technological limitations no longer exist.
Posted by Jose Loni on Thursday Jun 11, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
by Jose Loni
Is it possible to get six pack abs by doing lower ab exercises? The answer is no. Doing lower ab exercises will not get you six pack abs. To get well-defined abs, we need to focus on increasing our metabolism through our diet and increasing our exercise program.
Doing lower ab exercises can strengthen the lower abdominal, hip and back muscles, thus preventing injuries, but exercises focusing on that one area alone cannot tone and expose those abs.
Spot reducing does not work. Directly exercising on the problem area of the lower abs is not effective in burning fat at that spot. We need to do overall body exercises to affect our whole body to get rid of the excess stomach fat.
We can raise our metabolism through disciplined eating habits that include consuming healthy foods like lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, which are used up more easily by the body. As a result, our body can now tap into the stored excess fats and use those up for any other energy needs.
Lowering caloric intake by eating small meals 5-6 times throughout the day helps keep our energy up and our blood sugar stable. Energy is used to digest food so the frequent meals help burn even more calories.
Engaging in overall physical activity is a great metabolism booster. Our muscles are positively affected by resistance training, in particular, causing them to work harder and consume more energy. As a result, our body gets more efficient at locating and using up excess fat as fuel.
Interval training trains our body in an anaerobic manner, which makes the body build muscles that will be reactive and explosive. These types of muscles have a high metabolic rate and consume more energy. The increased metabolic activity of the muscles increases the body’s fat burning capacity and allows it to burn excess fat even several hours after the exercise session.
Doing lower ab exercises in isolation is simply not the answer to getting toned and visible abs. However, having a smart eating plan and regular physical activity can boost metabolism and send us on our way to achieving six pack abs.
About the Author:
Beware: Physical Therapist & Fitness Pro is giving away
fat loss workouts and they will
melt fat faster than anything you’ve ever seen!
Posted by Dan Solaris on Thursday Jun 11, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
With the advances in the production of fast and convenient gastronomic fare, it has become a real challenge for people to keep their weight down. Believe it or not, recent CDCP figures say 66% of Americans are above their ideal weight. Perhaps that’s why people with highly-defined midsections are becoming harder to run into at the beach.
It’s not that we’re not trying- the market is chock-full of diet products and exercise gadgets that are flying off shelves. Fad diets and workout schemes are also making a killing and this just shows how desperate people are to get lose weight and get six pack abs.
The reason a lot of people are getting frustrated in their fight against body fat is because they’re going about things the wrong way. A lot of novices, in their rush to get a sexy six pack snap-up belly fat isolation belts and do countless crunches and painful sit-ups only to give-up after encountering slow results from their efforts.
As any weight-loss expert will tell you, getting rid of unsightly belly flab naturally without the use of scalpels requires burning-off the vast amounts of calories we get from the food we eat. Getting lean enough to get a tight, well-defined stomach takes tons of hard work and discipline, but not really impossible for those that really want it.
Because most of the culinary delights we partake of each day are loaded with trans-fats and processed sugars, it’s quite impossible for us to lose fat by going about our daily routines without exercising. The vast amounts of surplus calories we get from the jelly donuts and cheezy fries can only be off-set by an effective exercise regimen every day.
Creating the daily calorie deficit needed to bring about fat loss and six pack abs requires a combination of body fat busting cardio exercises and weight-training to build all-around muscle tissue and increase metabolism. A high metabolism will let our bodies continue to burn fat even while we’re watching TV (without the buttered popcorn).
The development of muscle that results from regular exercise enforces the joints in our body by strengthening the tissues around them. The constant activity also leads to the production of natural lubricants that prevent friction and cartilage damage.
There is a definite correlation between high obesity cases and osteoarthritis in the U.S. Maintaining a regular exercise regimen will be the proverbial stone that can help solve both of those problems while paving the way to an attractive, well-defined midsection.
Posted by Kareem Samhouri, DPT on Wednesday Jun 3, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
Losing belly fat fast through exercise is the most effective way to get ripped abs. Utilizing exercises that cause oxygen deficiency can be achieved by having a regular scheduled exercise program, increasing exercise intensity and using interval training.
Anaerobically the body is functioning with lower amounts of oxygen, when this occurs there is an increase of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the muscles. The muscles are then forced to increase its metabolism to clear away lactic acid and carbon dioxide and prepare the muscles for the next bout of exercise.
The first thing to consider when wanting fast results is having a regular routine of exercise. By keeping to a regular consistent exercise routine, we will allow our body to always be trained and challenged to use its fat burning processes. The increased activity allows the body to increase its muscle activity and keep burning fat to fuel its physical activity.
When this occurs, the muscles need to keep repairing and providing oxygen to the muscles, which can occur for several hours after the exercise session. As a result, the body becomes more efficient at burning fat for a longer period of time.
Increasing exercise intensity has really been very effective in creating this oxygen debt in the muscles. By monitoring your heart rate and training within your target heart rate zone, you will be better able to effectively increase your metabolism.
Training with interval exercises really jump-starts the metabolic activity of the body. The quick intense exercise followed by a rest period causes more oxygen to go to the muscles to nourish, repair and clear waste products within the muscles.
When we increase the physical demands on our muscles, we force our body to adapt by increasing its metabolism. The overall fat burning that occurs supplies energy and nutrients to the muscles, which results in losing belly fat and the body becomes more efficient
The fast way to lose body fat is to cause an oxygen debt in the muscles by having a regular exercise routine, increasing exercise intensity and using interval training. By incorporating these factors in activities like running and resistance training, you will lose your belly fat fast.
Posted by Jose Loni on Tuesday Jun 2, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
Get flat abs in 30 days and change your life! Here’s how you can get flat abs in 30 days. Train your body with resistance training regularly to kick-start your metabolism, then watch what you eat. Combining these two factors will get you results fast.
In a few weeks, you can have the results that you want. Plan to exercise with greater frequency, at least 3-4 times during the week. Change your training program to include weight training. The increased weight exercises force the body to really increase its intensity and work harder. As a result, the body expends more calories during the exercise session.
Start by doing resistance training that will use more body parts and muscle groups per movement. Also, increase the resistance and lower the repetitions. Try to do the exercises with minimal rest in between sets. This results in increased work output by the body.
The body has a way of finding energy sources for the muscles to use. After the consumed calories of the food we eat are used up, the body will search for the excess body fat and use that as the next fuel source. The metabolic activity of the muscles continue well after the exercise session is over as the body continues to repair, replenish and nourish the muscles to prepare for the next session of physical activity.
The greater number of workouts during the week allows the body to become very efficient at burning calories and burning the excess fat on the body. The result being the body will end up burning fat for most of the day as it prepares for the next exercise session.
Healthy eating is another key factor in controlling how much fat is stored. Choosing a proper diet that excludes sodas, sugary snacks and fast foods will enable you to control your calories and allow your body to burn calories and excess body fat more efficiently.
Consuming 5-6 meals during the day, will help you maintain your energy levels and keep from consuming more calories than you need. When you eat more calories than you can consume, your body will store that as fat.
A two sided approach to getting flat abs in 30 days. Increase your exercise intensity with resistance training that really pushes the body and large muscle groups to train hard and watch what you eat. By focusing on these two factors, the body will become a fat burning machine and you’ll have flat abs in no time!
Posted by Jose Loni on Monday Jun 1, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
Are exercise videos better than e-books? Technology has advanced so much in the past few years with email, e-books and anything internet-related. Despite that, exercise videos are easier to access and better than e-books. They’re also more dynamic and interactive and allow us to accurately go at our own pace with simple steps and great visuals – something that an e-book can’t do.
Well known personalities have helped popularize exercise videos over the years. There’s Jane Fonda, Suzanne Somers and the gregarious Richard Simmons.
They paved the way for the great selection of videos on pilates, yoga, tai chi, belly dancing and more on the market today. There’s a huge variety of exercise videos out there and that’s why they’re still popular.
First on the pro list is convenience. Exercise videos don’t require much trouble and effort on our part. We don’t even need to leave our homes and get hassled driving or dealing with the weather, traffic, parking, and gym sales staff. Just clear a space, press play and workout anytime.
Exercise videos are also better because they’re more interactive and dynamic. Exercise moves set to fun music by attractive trainers keep viewers’ interest high and inspire them to achieve their goals.
Then there are those who are still trying to get used to the routine of a workout. For many, the exercise movements may be awkward especially for those who are overweight. Some can’t get into the positions, while others can’t last the number of sets required. Others are self-conscious and embarrassed to show up in their camouflage workout clothes as compared to the regular lulu lemon gym rats.
However, there are people who crave human contact while doing their workouts. Many prefer the live setting to get feedback from their trainers and instructors. Others need the encouragement and support of people in the workout sessions to keep them going. While others, still, need that change of environment to inspire them to get results.
Seeing is learning. That’s why exercise videos are better than e-books. The step-by-step visuals, easy accessibility and great dynamics with interactivity all make exercise videos better. The less hassles we encounter, the more motivated we are to workout and to achieve our goals.
Posted by Dan Solaris on Monday Jun 1, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
The primary reason a lot of people decide to start working-our regularly is to lose weight and tighten their bellies. A less than solid stomach is a sign of lack of exercise and having a potbelly is one of the most potent confidence busters a person can get.
Of the total number of folks that are enrolled in health clubs and gyms around the world, only a small fraction are actually satisfied. Without expert instruction, it’s easy to get the wrong idea about which exercises to do. Most of those that don’t see fast enough improvements from their efforts lose motivation and give up after a while.
Since fat-loss and a lean, well-defined abdomen is the goal of most fitness buffs across the globe, more folks should be doing exercises that maximize movement of the midsection. The more muscles involved in movement, the faster the results and the easier it is to keep stay consistent with one’s workout program.
Developing the center or core of the human body is arguable the best way of forming the contours and striations that give that 6 pack appearance to the abdomen. Conventional workout sessions should be augmented with exercises for the core muscles in order to hasten calorie burn. The more calories burned, the faster the fat loss and abdominal muscles exposed.
Most gym goers give too much focus on the upper and lower abdomen and limit their core exercises to crunches, sit-ups and leg raises. Neglecting the other core muscles like the lumbar and obliques will lead to undue strain on the spine and cause back-pain.
Doing exercises on an unstable surface will cause other muscles of the body to be included in the effort of to keep balanced. A well-developed core means the ability to do natural movements of the body with less effort. Swinging a bat, driving a golf ball or throwing a football will be much easier and way more fluid.
For the countless folks aiming for fat loss and 6 pack abs, core based exercise together with cardio and resistance training lead to sure success in lesser time. Targeting body fat by maximizing calorie burn will ensure fast weight-loss and inches off your waistline.
Getting 6 pack abs is far from being an easy task, mind you. But equipped with an exercise regimen that develops the abdominal muscles quickly and boosts the metabolism to efficient fat-burning levels, anybody can get a lean, shredded physique sooner than through conventional methods.
Posted by Jose Loni on Monday Jun 1, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
When you do lower ab workouts and feel your abs burning, don’t kid yourself and start thinking that you’re on your way to ripped abs because you’re not. There is no such thing as spot reduction although a lot of claims and advertisements will have you believing that their product can do so. Those empty promises will not get you ripped abs but burning excess body fat by speeding up your metabolism through weight training will, satisfaction guaranteed.
While lower ab training is excellent for strengthening and toning your abs, working a specific area will not melt away the fats there. Excess body fat is lost through full body workouts so the more joints you get moving, the more fat you start losing.
Infomercials are great at showing off the latest wonder machines invented with beautifully sculpted models working them sideways or on their backs making it look easy to entice viewers to buy and get supposedly ripped abs.
But essentially, what you’re buying are their promises to make you look good. The rest is simply marketing. Machines that are area-specific don’t work because the concept of spot reduction doesn’t work. Targeting the abdominals serves to make that area toned and stronger but your abs will stay covered with fat.
What will melt those fats away is weight training. Working out the large muscles in the body will get the muscles more active, which leads them to use up more energy. To drive this increased energy use, the body now has to supply more fat to be converted to energy, effectively using up fat stores and revealing ripped abs.
Working the body out more causes the muscles to use up more oxygen than is available in muscle stores. So now, the body has to supply more oxygen to the muscles to keep them functioning. In addition, the body has to get rid of any waste materials collected in the muscles as a result of constant muscle work.
This whole cycle of replenishing and clean-up is very energy-intensive and can last a few hours after the workout, leading to an increase in the body’s metabolism and greater amounts of fat burned.
Spot reducing focusing on lower ab exercises will not give you defined six pack abs. TV ads and ab exercises will not give you the results you want. Resistance training to jumpstart your metabolism is the key to ab workouts. Turn on your body’s natural fat burner and get your killer abs fast!
Posted by Jose Loni on Saturday May 30, 2009
Filed under :weight loss plans
by Jose Loni
What’s the difference between free and free trial when it comes to online ab workouts? Both types of online ab workouts are worth trying because they get you started moving towards an active lifestyle. But you should remember that the workouts must include healthy eating habits as well as physical activity that include exercises to increase your body’s metabolism.
Out of the great variety of online ab programs available, there are those that provide free trials and those that provide detailed descriptions of how to do specific exercises. These options are both great ways to get you moving. There are also a lot of free online ab workouts that aren’t as accurate and only provide target area types of exercises for the abs. They usually don’t talk about the other important aspect of an ab workout program, which is proper nutrition.
Often, the companies publishing the ab workouts are not knowledgeable in training and will just market their products to the consumer, regardless if they are truly effective or not.
Know your goals, and know what the ab workout is training. In doing so, you can determine if the program being offered is effective or not. An example is if the program offers just abdominal crunches and don’t discuss other aspects of diet or metabolism. A program like that would not be effective in achieving rock hard abs and would just frustrate the consumer.
Free trial ab workouts on the other hand, usually give you a sample of a program that will either work for you or not. Either way, you can choose to continue with the program or not.
Usually, the good online ab workouts incorporate a full support network of knowledge from experts in the health field as well as explain the important factors of diet, exercise (type of exercises), stress and they provide updates and support that will help the client keep educated and motivated.
A reasonable online program is also one that educates about proper nutrition and its role in achieving your fitness objectives. This includes topics such as what foods to eat, which to avoid and how to attain nutritional balance.
The online program should also talk about the types of exercises you need to be doing to get to your goals. For example, target area exercises don’t work because spot reduction doesn’t work. Instead, it should teach you to focus on doing full body exercises to speed up your metabolism enough to burn fat to get to your goals.
So, whether it’s free or a free trial online ab workout, they are worth trying because it gets you off your butt and active. However, you must know what your goals are and see if the online program will get you the results that you want. Watching your diet and training to increase metabolism are factors that need to be considered to turn your body into a chiseled fat burning machine.