How To Get Six Pack : Fitness Solutions

Wondering how to get a six pack? Well, you’re not alone. Lots of people want great-looking ab muscles. Why shouldn’t they: ‘perfect’ abs - the result of a lean, well-sculpted midsection - are the ultimate sign of peak fitness and outstanding sex-appeal for both men and women!

The problem is that, for most of us, it’s just not that easy to get a six pack. Some people are born with naturally low bodyfat levels and great-looking, maintenance-free abdominal muscles. The rest of us have to work our butts off in order to achieve the same results.

The good news is that just about anyone who’s willing to make the effort can get great abs — often within just a few weeks (depending on your current bodyfat levels). In fact, if you’re already working out, chances are that you’ve already got a six pack. It’s just covered with a layer of fat!

How to Get a Six Pack in 3 Simple Steps

Most people who have great-looking abs follow a proven 3-pronged attack that just about always works. It doesn’t involve any silly ab gadgets or magic fat loss supplements. It’s also not necessarily ‘easy’ but it is extremely effective. Here are the 3 steps:

1. Shed bodyfat

If you want great-looking abs you have to get most of the extra fat off of your body. It’s as simple as that. You may have the strongest, most well-sculpted ab muscles in the world. But if they’re covered by a layer of blubber no one will ever know.

In order to really ’see’ your abs you’ll need to get your overall bodyfat levels down to about 7-8% (for men) or 13-14% (for women).

The most effective - and fastest way - to shed bodyfat is to eat a very ‘clean’ diet, strength train at least 3 times per week, and perform some type of cardio at least 4 times per week.

A ‘clean’ diet is one based around lean proteins, vegetables, legumes, some whole grains, some fruits, a little healthy fat and LOTS of water. All refined sugar and fried foods should be completely avoided.

Tom Venuto provides a great fat-burning, muscle-building eating plan in his Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program.

In terms of exercise for fat loss, here are the most important things to keep in mind:

• weight training workouts should be brief and intense (40 minutes or less)
• keep reps/set in the 8-15 range
• perform no more than 4 sets per body part and 15 sets total
• use basic, ‘compound’ movements (not ‘isolation’ exercises!) — the best choices are squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pullups, barbell rows, dips, barbell curls, etc.
• effective fat-burning cardio is either short & intense (like interval training) or long and low-to-moderate intensity (like jogging)

2. Build strong abs

Here’s a little secret: if you already work out with weights (especially if you perform full-body free-weight exercises like squats, deadlifts, pullups, powercleans, etc.) you probably have very good abdominal muscles! Most ‘big’ free-weight exercises require you to utilize ’stabilizer’ muscles, many of which are in your lower back and abdominal region. In fact, many pro bodybuilders and fitness models do little or no ab-specific exercise because their abs do so much work just helping them lift heavy weights (or their own bodies) into the air.

But, since you want to learn how to get a six pack fast, you should probably be performing a good amount of ab-specific exercise. Forget about useless movements that target upper abs, lower abs, inner abs, outer abs, etc. You really only need to do 3 movements to work your entire ab region:

• The Bicycle Maneuver
• Hanging Leg Raises
• Forearm Plank

Of course normal crunches are great too but the bicycle maneuver incorporates the basic crunch movement and recruits even more abdominal muscles. Many fitness experts agree that the above are the best ab exercises — both for creating nice-looking abs and also for developing functional core body strength.

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Do Crunches. Lie on the floor (with or without a mat) and cross your arms in front of your chest. Bend your knees up as far as they go. Do not place both hands behind your head. Placing both hands behind your head can cause lower back problems in the long run as it places unnecessary stress on that part of your body from pulling on your head and neck. Another alternative is to cross your arms in front of your chest and lightly place your finger tips behind your ears, without pulling on your neck. Now raise your shoulders (upper torso) towards your knees, using strictly your abdominal muscles. It is very important not to lift your entire back off the floor, as this can cause back strain, and the extended movement does not help you develop six pack abs any faster. The most important part of the crunch is the initial flexing of your abs as you lift your shoulders off of the floor. As soon as you begin lifting off the floor exhale through your mouth, ending with a gasp once your shoulders are off the floor. Then pause for a second once you are at the top of the crunch and exhale the last bit of air from your diaphragm while flexing your abs. The proper breathing and flexing make all the difference. Now lower back down slowly and controlled while inhaling through your nose, just until your shoulder blades touch the ground. Do not let your head touch the ground and repeat.

Do Sit Ups. Lie on the floor, feet on the floor, knees up and fingers placed behind your ears or hands crossed on your chest. Sit all the way up, lifting your lower back off the floor along with your shoulder blades.Lower yourself down. Repeat. Once this becomes relatively easy for you (i.e. you can do a quite a bit with ease) start adding more challenges. Find an incline bench or do these with an exercise ball. Once you “graduate” from that, do weighted sit ups. Hold a weight on your chest while you do these. As these become easier, hold heavier and heavier weights.

Do Leg Lifts. Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands at your sides. Lift your legs straight up (not bending your knees at all) until they’re at a 90 degree angle (or close). Lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor. For more challenge there is equipment at most gyms that will allow you to raise yourself up using your arms as support and dangle your legs. You can perform leg lifts there too. If you’re using this piece of equipment, you can make it easier by just raising your knees to your chest. It’s more difficult to raise your legs to a horizontal position with your legs straight. This helps firm up the lower abdomen. If you’re truly a monster, try doing leg lifts with a medicine ball hanging from your feet. Or hang from a pull up bar and raise your legs in front of you all the way up to the bar.

Do Jackknife Sit Ups. Lie down flat on the floor. Place your hands on the ground to your sides for balance; you can pick them up as you get used to the movement. Simultaneously raise your knees and torso so that your knees and face meet on an imaginary line extending from your pelvis to the ceiling. You should be able to kiss your knees at the top of the motion. Your legs will naturally fold bringing your feet towards your hips, much like a jackknife. Lie back down (i.e. “spread out”) and repeat. Place a weight between your feet when you think you can handle it.

Static Hold and Side Statics. Put your body into the push-up position but with your elbows on the floor, and your whole body flat. This position is known as the static hold position and it trains your core (including your abs) to hold the body in place which is the real purpose of your abs. Hold this position for as long as possible. Beginners should be aiming to start off with at least 45 seconds, while seasoned ab workers are known to achieve over 5 minute static holds. To perform the side static hold, roll onto one side of your body and lift into the same position as before, but this time only one arm will be on the ground with the other arm pointed straight up the air and your non weight bearing leg resting on your bottom leg. Once again, hold this for as long as possible.

Train Your Oblique Muscles. It’s not as important to work on your oblique muscles at first, but eventually you’ll want to start working these too. These are the muscles to either side of your stomach. There are multiple ways to do this and anything that includes twisting your torso against a resistance counts. There are twisting machines at gyms, you can twist while you do sit-ups, you can do side bends, you can twist side to side with a medicine ball in hand, etc. Be aware though, that many beginners tend to have weak obliques compared to their abs (it simply isn’t used as much in daily life) so go easy on the sides at first.

Whether it’s the New Year, the start of spring or the thought of peeling off layers for the summer, you might be thinking about how to start or restart a healthy low fat diet. Or perhaps a medical condition requires you to follow a low fat diet.

Whatever your reasons or motivation, here are 10 things you can do to get started:

1. Be realistic. If weight loss is your goal, don’t set yourself up for disappointment or, worse, health problems. Make this a positive experience and start with small, achievable goals. Sustainable weight loss means losing no more than two pounds a week. If you choose to go on a crash diet, your body will ultimately balk: your metabolism will slow down and it will become harder to shed pounds as your poor body goes into preservation mode.

2. Clear out your refrigerator and pantry. Leftover holiday pies and cookies should be tossed, and so should any full-fat cheeses and other full-fat dairy products. Cast out any seasonal candies, be it Halloween, Valentine’s or Easter candy. For a more general sweep of your kitchen, take a look at my article on the low fat kitchen. Remember, you can eat or prepare only the foods you have at hand. You can’t polish off a pint of ice cream that isn’t there.

3. Restock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy, wholesome ingredients. Again, the low fat kitchen article can give you plenty of ideas. Basically, substitute low-fat or fat-free products for their full fat counterparts. Buy whole grain pastas, breads and grains; and stock up with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Try to eat at least nine servings (4 1/2 cups) of these a day. Here are some great low-fat foods worth seeking out.

4. Monitor portions and serving sizes. Portion sizes have grown ever larger. Examine food labels and nutrition facts, and understand what exactly constitutes a serving size. It’s usually less than you think. Be aware that a food package often contains more than one serving, and that the nutritional analysis label refers to one portion, not necessarily the whole package.

5. Always eat breakfast. Obviously I don’t mean doughnuts! As well as being an important source of vitamins and minerals, a good breakfast comprising whole-grain cereal with fat-free or low-fat milk, fruit and yogurt will keep your blood-sugar levels stable and sustain you until lunchtime. Here are some great ideas for low-fat breakfasts.

6. Drink water, and plenty of it. Water is essential for digestion, and also helps us feel fuller for longer. Sometimes we confuse thirst for hunger, so keep a bottle of water by your side and sip it frequently—you’ll probably end up eating less.

7. Replace at least one meat dish with a vegetarian meal each week. That’s not an excuse to reach for a box of mac and cheese, however. A hearty three-bean chili might be just the thing, or perhaps some pasta with roasted vegetables.

8. Eat fish at least once and preferably twice a week. Fish is naturally low in fat, and fish that have higher levels, such as salmon, contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

9. Get moving. It’s one thing to watch our intake of fat and calories, but to complete the transition to a healthier low fat lifestyle, we need to burn calories by doing some regular exercise. You don’t have to become a gym rat or necessarily invest in a fancy treadmill. Find a friend or persuade your partner to join you for a brisk 30-minute walk; exercising with a buddy will help keep you motivated. Again, set realistic goals. There’s no point starting a rigorous regime that you can’t keep up with. Do consult a doctor beforehand, especially if you have been mostly inactive until now.

10. Eat healthy snacks. When you do get an attack of the munchies, make sure you reach for nutritious snacks such as fruit, low-fat yogurt, whole-grain crackers, air-popped popcorn or raw veggies. An occasional cookie or square or two of chocolate are not the end of the world. Keep them as special treats, though. If you have made over your pantry then it shouldn’t be a big issue.

These basic guidelines will help you more naturally eat a low fat diet and lead a healthier lifestyle. You don’t need to deprive yourself of anything. Remember, some fat in our diets is actually necessary.

• Our focus — YOU. We’re built on the idea that people come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities, and have different schedule and lifestyle requirements. Whether you’re a grandmother or an endurance athlete (or both!), Fitness Solutions can provide individualized service that will help you meet your personal health and fitness goals. Whatever your interests, whatever your needs, we’re here to help.

• Comfortable, friendly environment. We’re not a large health club that sells long-term contracts. Rather, we intentionally keep our club small and friendly, the kind of place where we greet you by name when you walk through the door. You’ll love our state-of-the-art equipment, spacious steam room, group exercise studio, and full-size kitchen. If you’re looking for a first-class facility with a comfortable, homelike atmosphere, Fitness Solutions is the place for you.

• Expert trainers and dietitians. Unlike most other clubs, our personal trainers are nationally certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, and our dietitians are registered with the American Dietetic Association. Fitness Solutions is run by people who are passionate about health and wellness. They have proven track records with women and men of all ages and conditions, and they’ll take an active role in helping you reach your best. Here you’ll get assistance from experts who really care.

• Wide array of programs. Fitness Solutions is committed to maximizing health and wellness. We’re confident that we can develop a fitness plan that works just right for you. We offer a full range of programs — from personal training to group exercise, from one-on-one weight management counseling to fun, informative cooking classes for children and adults. Whether you’re looking for exercise, nutrition, or massage, you’re sure to enjoy the Fitness Solutions experience.

Make an appointment or just stop by to talk with us about all that Fitness Solutions has to offer. You’ll be glad you did!

By now you’ve probably noticed the new kids on the bottled water block of your local grocery store. Next to your spring and glacier waters there’s an oasis of “vitamin-enhanced” waters.

Vitamin-enhanced water… hmmm, on the surface it sure sounds like a super idea, right? Well, no. These products are all wet. They take this week’s prize for the most blatent Healthy Food Imposters.

Case in point:

Dasani Plus, Vitamin-Enhanced Flavored Water Beverage

Take a look at the front label. It seems to imply the product is extremely healthy. You can’t help but imagine this water is enhanced with super vitamins that will defend and protect your health!

But read the fine print and it becomes clear that the only thing this water will defend and protect against is being healthy. See for yourself.

(8 fl. oz., 0 calories, 0g fat, 25mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein, 10% Vit E, 10% zinc)

Ingredients (chemical additives are in bold) Filtered water; Natural Flavors; Citric Acid; Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Benzoate and EDTA (to protect taste); Phosphoric Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Ginseng Extract, Zinc Gluconate; Sucralose; Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E); Yellow 5; Red 40

Decoding the Fine Print

We dislike being manipulated by sneaky marketing types. But it’s obvious to our food sleuths that this manufacturer designed the front label with the average unsuspecting shopper in mind. It’s chock-full of trickery.

For starters, each serving only provides 10% of the RDA for Vitamin E and Zinc. We hate to douse good intentions but that’s just not a very substantial amount. Sadly, what is substantial are the chemical additives pumped into this once-healthy beverage. We found:

• Three chemical preservatives – potassium sorbate, potassium benzoate, and EDTA.
• Two artificial chemical sweeteners – acesulfame potassium and sucralose.
• Phosphoric acid, a chemical additive found in most soft drinks.
• Two artificial color additives – yellow #5 and red #40.
Just to be clear, they took an unadulterated bottle of water and mixed in a bunch of chemical additives, insignificant amounts of vitamins, artificial coloring and a splash of fizz for good measure. Oh, then they upped the price and slapped a colorful yet misleading label on the bottle.

It’s a brilliant idea… in a marketing and sales kind of way. But for the uninformed consumer, it’s just plain wrong.

Reality Check

The bottled water aisle is one place where it a pays to be a super-savvy shopper who’s soaked up a little BrandAid know-how.

Don’t be fooled by the health hype on ANY brand of vitamin-enhanced water. Bypass the front labels, and go directly to ingredients list. Regardless of the brand, you’ll find all the clues you need to drink in the facts not the fluff.

Remember, when you’re armed with a little BrandAid know-how,
you’re in control at the grocery store.

And when you’re linked up with a proven diet based on your unique personality, you will lose weight. 

1. Step 1

   Look at the whole picture: If you are overweight, and want to flatten your tummy, the first thing you want to do, is to work on losing weight. Once some of those pounds are off, it will be easier to reach the muscles, that need to be strengthened.

2. Step 2

   Move: The best way to begin to lose weight and get a flatter tummy, is to get active. Walk every day, from a half hour to forty-five minutes, to speed up your metabolism.

3. Step 3

   Increase fiber intake: A high fiber helps diet, will help you to maintain glucose levels, promote heart health, helps you stay full longer, to aids in losing unwanted belly weight.

4. Step 4

   Eat almonds: Almonds are high in fiber, magnesium and minerals, antioxidants your body needs to product energy and build and keep muscle. Eat about 20 a day.

5. Step 5

   Do yoga or Pilates: Yoga and Pilates can help to develop your core. A strong core involves strength, balance and range of motion. Developing your core, will strengthen your back and stomach muscles, which will give you great posture and help give you a flatter tummy.

Why many diets don’t work

Boredom is one of the main reasons that people give up on their diets. Most diets consist of rabbit food and other uninspiring things. No wonder they are hard to stick to. Hmm!

The basic thing to remember is that to lose weight is simple in theory - the golden rule follows: you must consume fewer calories than you use. Simple isn’t it?! In theory yes. Remember that fat contains more calories per gram than carbohydrates. Cut down on fat and you will cut down on calories. So eating occasional sweet snacks, instead of crisps or fatty snacks, will help.

Weight loss - be patient!

Also be patient - dramatic results cannot be achieved healthily in the course of a week and should not be expected. Fad diets can be dangerous, are invariably hard to stick to and just result in the weight being put back on at some stage.

Remember to exercise - start off gently at first and always consult your doctor if in any doubt, but a healthy lifestyle will help contribute to a healthy and lean body.

Cut back on calories

Discover where you can cut back on the calories in your diet but without starving and having unimaginative food - wherever possible replace fats with sugars. So instead of having butter on your bread, have jam. Instead of crisps have a small chocolate bar once or twice a day. Have leaner meats instead of red meat. If you reward yourself with fish and chips or something similar, do not feel guilty!

More dieting advice

There is no big secret to losing weight, you just have to burn off more calories than you consume. Therefore, just incorporate some exercise into your weekly diary, preferably 4 times a week and providing you exercise hard for about 1 hour and eat sensibly but not DIET, as you feel deprived you will lose weight.

You will be able to eat chocolate, crisps, takeaways, chips, providing you eat a balanced diet.

I lost 8 pounds in one summer and everyone noticed it was great. All I did was walk around my block for 1 hour just before I took a shower at night. That way exercise is the last thing you do and you burn what ever it is you ate for dinner. I also tried not to eat anything past 8 o’clock that way my body can digest everything and its not sitting there.

My tricks for dieting without dieting:

- Add foods to your diet, rather than taking them away. Set a goal to eat five servings of fresh, raw vegetables and drink a gallon of water each day. This made me healthier in general (prettier skin and hair!) and also filled me up, so that when I went to eat favorite foods like bread and chocolate, I’d choose a smaller portion.

- Start each day with a bowl of raw, leafy greens (spinach, mustard, arugula, or kale) dressed with soy sauce and lemon.

- Try not to eat too many foods with preservatives in them, especially gums and thickeners.

To simply lose weight, and this really does work, drink as much water as you can. i know it might sound like everybody is saying it but it really does work! The extra water in your intestines helps digest your food, and flushes out your system! Try drinking a tall glass of water after dinner and eating to help. .

CELERY is a key snack! beacuse it burns more calories than it contains! Get Munching people!!.

Ya, The best thing to loose weight is to drink water. one or two glass in the morning before coffee or tea, then after each meal, before sleeping at night clean up teeth with toothpaste - brush after that drink 1 or two glass water. At this time after brushing water taste the best.

I did this and still loosing weight, I never give up food, I eat every thing in small qantity. Sometimes I never get a chance to walk much or exercise, this water drinking helps a lot, and lot..

Yes it is true! I am a classic over eater all my life. I just burned more calories off than I took in. I added exercise and some weight-lifting. I lose 85 lbs in 21 months!.

HOW TO LOOK LIKE A FITNESS MODEL, WITHOUT BEING ONE!

Jennifer Nicole Lee, Ms. Bikini America, Ms. Bikini Universe, and Author of the Finess Model Program™

You see “her” as you pass by the magazine rack. When you’re in the grocery store checkout line, “she’s” looking right at you from the fitness magazine cover…

Her abs are tight, her waistline whittled, her shoulders are perfectly rounded off with muscular mushroom caps, her teeth are bright white with a smile exuding unbreakable confidence, her hair is shiny, and she stands tall upon solid strong legs with sexy sweeping quads.

She is poised, polished and statuesque with an athletic yet feminine build, as she stands tall atop solid strong legs with sweeping quads. Wearing maybe a workout outfit or a bikini, she is the epitome of health, wellness, and fitness. Her image is respected- She is a Fitness Model ™- the picture of strength and beauty that so many women strive to attain.
You ask yourself “Could I ever look that good? How can I achieve that Fitness Model ™ look?”

Click to her a special message from Jennifer about the Finess Model Program™
Well, I’m here to tell you based on my personal experience that you can! The “Fitness Model™” physique or look, contrary to popular belief, is something that that ALL can achieve! Even if you don’t want to grace the cover of a health magazine or compete, you still can achieve the LOOK of a Fitness Model™ or Competitor.

With my concentration in fitness, I am qualified to be your mentor and coach- being Ms. Bikini America, Ms. Bikini Universe and the first ever Ms. Muscle and Fitness- I can and will give you quality content and top trade secrets that you MUST know to achieve this coveted cover girl body! I know what it is like first hand to spend thousands of dollars and not get the results that I needed.

Discover How You Can Join The Thousands
Of Others Who Have Already Used My Proven
“Cheating” System to Effortlessly Strip Away Countless
Inches From Their Own Hard-to-Lose Problem Areas—
All While Regularly Eating Ice Cream, Devouring Juicy
Burgers, And Indulging In Foods That Most Other
Dieters Can At Best Dream About

No, it’s NOT too good to be true, and in fact, I’ve got more than 300 medical research studies and countless more “real-life” success stories to prove it

Probably Nick Nilsson’s best book yet “Best Exercises” is a most amazing collection of exercises that you absolutely must get your hands upon. True to its title, “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” the exercises are not variations of exercises you’ve already tried in the gym. They are brand new exercises that somehow were missed when the world of bodybuilding was created. Can you imagine not having the bench press as a pectoral exercise? Can you imagine the amount of gains you would miss if you never worked the squat? Well if you haven’t yet gotten your hands on “Best Exercises,” you are cheating yourself out of immense gains.

When I first heard of “The Best Exercises” I must admit I was skeptical. I knew there would be some interesting information in it for sure, but would I really need it? If they were merely variations then would the book be worth it? I can now tell you my expectations of “The Best Exercises” were totally off the mark and I am glad for it, GLAD you hear!

Take, for example, the upper and inner chest, which was always a horribly lagging body part of mine. Like most bodybuilders, I’ve had few problems in developing my outer and lower chest but I’ve never managed to get good pec seperation and till a few months ago you could still count the ribs under my nonexistent upper chest.

I had searched for years for a good exercise with which I could hit my upper and inner pecs. Oh yes, I tried incline presses and V bar dips! They were good but not good enough. “The Best Exercises” gave me two brand new exercises to fit the purpose! With one of the exercises I am able to get an excellent contraction right in the region of my upper and inner pecs just below the neck. The other one stabs me with a sharp dart of delightful pain squarely in between my upper pec cleavage!

Click here to learn more about “The Best Exercises

You’ve Never Heard Of”