InfoPedia

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Over the years I have seen a lot of flimsy ideas of how to get a set of six pack abs. The most common scams are special machines that will do it and sometimes some kind of drink. I remember at one point Slim Fast seemed to be showing chubby people suddenly spawning a set of six pack abs.

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Anyway I wanted to put this notion to rest that there is some magic to getting a six pack. Sure there is some genetics involved in sculpting perfect abs but the two most important factors are diet and exercise.

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What? Did you think there was a shortcut?

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The diet part is fairly simple; you need to drop any extra fat. You have probably heard this before but there is no such thing as spot reduction when you are losing weight. You will lose weight proportionately, generally, as you lose weight. What you may find is that you have a large stomach and if that is the case of course you will lose that fat faster than you lose the fat on your legs but that is just because that is where the fat deposits will be easiest for your body to use.

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As you probably know from reading other posts of mine I subscribe to the idea that people eat too many carbohydrates generally but I still do not support the Atkins diet generally. I believe that you must increase your protein to 20% of your diet, keep fats at about 20% of the calories of your diet and then have carbs as the other 60% of the calories of your diet. If you still have trouble losing you may be a bit sensitive to carbohydrates and you can up the protein a little.

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As for exercise, to get a set of six pack abs you will have to do two things; get in an hour of cardio a day to increase your metabolism and start really dropping the fat and secondly make sure that you do your abdominal exercises at the start of your workouts.

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For cardio exercise it does not really matter what kind of cardio exercise you get but it is always best to vary your exercise so that you do not overtrain any one muscle group. I never see people speak of this in regards to cardio training but I have found in the past with my bicycling that when I am riding a lot my legs get sore but the rest of my body recovers fine. So maybe try to alternate some kind of biking, swimming, hiking, running, brisk walking and even using a rowing machine if you have a chance. Do cardio almost every day, five or six days a week is good, seven days a week is pushing it a little too much in my eyes.

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Next is the abdominal exercises themselves. There are three places to target for your abdominals, the obliques, which are on your sides, your upper abdominals and your lower abdominals. Doing abdominal exercises is something that some people believe you should do every day but I really believe you are doing well if you just do them every second day or three days a week.

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For your obliques you can do twists. Simply sit on a bench with you body straight up and down and put some kind of a light bar or broomstick across your shoulders and then do twists twist from one side to the other as far as you can go for two sets of 100 reps. The key is to not use much weight at all as gaining muscle on your obliques will widen your midsection which is not something most people want to do.

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To work your upper abdominals you want to do some kind of sit ups or crunches. I am more a fan of crunches as they are easier on your neck and mower back. Lie on your back with your legs up on the seat of a chair so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle to your body and then just lift your shoulders a few inches of the ground and then let them down again. This should put stress on your abs and you should feel it pretty intensely after just a few reps. be sure to do this exercise slowly and for at least three sets of 30 reps.

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To work your lower abdominals you need to do something that raises your legs in the air as opposed to lifting your upper body into the air. The exercise that I prefer for this is a kind of reverse crunch that I do not have a name for. I lie flat on my back and hold something behind my head to keep my upper body stable and then I just bring my knees up towards my chest and back down to the ground again. If you get really strong this way you can try just lifting your legs straight out and up but sadly I am not that strong.

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If you follow this plan you will se results very quickly and depending on how much fat you have to lose you can see rock hard abs fairly quickly. The other great thing about strengthening your abs besides looking better is the fact that strengthening your core makes you stronger overall and help out with your balance and even your stamina.

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Bill Nadraszky is passionate about health and fitness. To learn more read the fitness book review. Or visit the greatest Fitness Tips weblog.

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You have probably seen plenty of advertisements extolling how Electronic Abdominal Stimulators can melt your belly fat fast and quickly. Most of these advertisements will also claim that their electronic abs stimulators can also flatten your tummy to reveal your six pack abs muscle. They even claim that by using electronic abs stimulators for X minutes is better that 300 sit ups or crunches, so you can say bye bye to diets and exercise forever. Too good to be true?+##+

On the other hand, you may also have come across many articles and messages from the health and fitness industry or from your fitness personal trainers who refute the advertisers claiming that the only way to get a flat tummy with well defined six pack abs muscle is through healthy eating and exercise. Now that is hard work isn t it? So you will rather take a chance with an electronic abs stimulator won t you?

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So who is telling the truth? Ok, instead of joining in the controversy, this article points out what the authorities such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration has got to say. Below is an excerpt from U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Consumer magazine July-August 2002. You can read the full report at http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/402_abs.html :-

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In May, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed complaints against three manufacturers of these devices, alleging that they have made false claims in their advertising, seen in heavily aired infomercials on national cable television, shorter television commercials, and ads in the print media.

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The unfounded claims cited by the FTC include the promise of “six pack” or “washboard” abs without exercise, claims that the devices will give users a trimmer waist or cause fat loss, and that use of the device is equivalent to (or better than) regular abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups or crunches. The FTC complaints also allege that the advertising claimed falsely that the stimulators are safe for all to use, and did not disclose adequately the possible health hazards for some people.

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Q. Why does the FDA regulate electrical muscle stimulators?

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A. Electrical muscle stimulators are considered medical devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Under this law and the agency’s regulations, the FDA is responsible for regulating the sale of all electrical muscle stimulators in the United States. Therefore, firms must comply with appropriate FDA premarket regulatory requirements before they can legally sell their stimulators. Most electrical muscle stimulators (EMS devices) that have been reviewed by the FDA are intended for use in physical therapy and rehabilitation under the direction of a health-care professional. If a company wants to sell EMS devices directly to consumers, the company needs to show the FDA that the device can be used safely and effectively in that setting.

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Q. These electrical muscle stimulators are advertised not only to tone, firm, and strengthen abdominal muscles, but also to provide weight loss, girth reduction, and “rock hard” abs. Do they really work?

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A. While an EMS device may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone or firm a muscle, no EMS devices have been cleared at this time for weight loss, girth reduction, or for obtaining “rock hard” abs.

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Q. Is the FDA concerned about the unregulated marketing of these devices?

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A. Yes. The FDA has received reports of shocks, burns, bruising, skin irritation, and pain associated with the use of some of these devices. There have been a few recent reports of interference with implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Some injuries required hospital treatment. The FDA is also concerned because many of these devices have cables and leads. If those cables and leads do not comply with electrical safety standards, there is the possibility that users and other household members could be electrocuted. The FDA is currently investigating firms that are illegally marketing EMS devices.

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Q. What does FDA regulation accomplish?

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A. Before they may legally sell their devices, firms that market EMS devices must be able to demonstrate that these products are as safe and as effective as similar devices that are legally marketed. Devices may be marketed only for uses that are established for the device or for uses that the firm can support with data. At this time, the FDA is not aware of scientific information to support many of the promotional claims being made for numerous devices being widely promoted on television, infomercials, newspapers, and magazines.

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Q. Does that mean that it’s unsafe to use an electrical muscle stimulator that has not met FDA requirements?

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A. Using a product that has not met FDA requirements isn’t necessarily unsafe or dangerous. But it could be. Unregulated devices also may have safety problems associated with cables and leads that can lead to accidental shock and electrocution of users and other household members, including children.

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Q. If I use an electrical muscle stimulator, will it give me the same kind of effect that lots of sit-ups, stomach crunches and other abdominal exercises will?

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A. Using these devices alone will not give you “six-pack” abs. Applying electrical current to muscles may cause them to contract. Stimulating muscles repeatedly with electricity may eventually result in muscles that are strengthened and toned to some extent but will not, based on currently available data, create a major change in your appearance without the addition of weight loss and regular exercise.

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Now, who is telling the truth about electronic muscle stimulator being able to melt tummy fat and reveal your six pack abs? Well, you be the judge and come to your own verdict.

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Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of models, actors and male pageant winners. See more of his articles at http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com.

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Who doesn t want to show off a flat stomach and great looking abs this summer? As bathing suit and beach time come closer more and more of us are lying in the living room floor doing crunches or working out on various machines at the gym tying to find the fastest way to get our abdominal muscles to show. But there is one big mistake most people make when it comes to developing great looking abs that can sabotage all their hard work.

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What is that mistake? Not including cardio and eating well. The idea behind this is simple. Even the best-trained abdominal muscles won t show much if they are hiding behind a layer of fat. And where does our body tend to store fat? You guessed it in the abdominal area or the belly.

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So, what can we do about this little layer of extra fat that s hiding all our hard work when it comes to great looking abs? Eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain rice and bread and lean protein such as fish and chicken will provide your body with the necessary fuel and nutrients without adding to the fat layer.

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In addition to the healthy diet, you should also do some sort of cardio exercises every day to start burning the existing fat off. Ride an exercise bike for 45 to 60 minutes, go for a run or swim for a while. Any type of cardio exercise will do. Other ideas are going for a hike or a mountain bike tour.

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As you burn more calories than you consume in the food you eat, your body will use the energy stored in your body fat to keep you going, thus melting this little layer of fat that s hiding your abs away.

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Before you know it you ll be able to show off some great looking abs and feel great as a result of eating healthy and doing cardio workouts that not only burn fat, but also improve circulation and strengthen your heart.

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For more great Home Workouts and to sign up for free workout tips, visit http://www.homebasedworkouts.com

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One of the most sought after results that people want from their workouts today are a nicely defined six-pack. A six-pack, if you don t already know by now, is what people call the abdominal muscles, which, when in perfect shape will show 6 clear sections when a person s midsection has a low bodyfat count.

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I ve always believed that a nicely defined six-pack is the ultimate accessory when you re at the beach and that women like to touch lean abdominal muscles but let s not go there now. You can be big, muscular, and intimidating, but highly visible abdominal muscles command attention and demand respect.

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Everyday, we see people in the gym who will do crunch upon crunch in their quest for perfect abs. Before I proceed further, let me first say this - ALL HUMANS naturally have abdominal muscles (and I bet they look pretty good too!). The problem is, you ll never see them as long as they ve covered in fat, which almost always is the case. You may not have love handles or a flabby stomach, but chances are likely that you re still carrying a certain amount of bodyfat covering your abs if you are still unable to see your abs clearly.

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All the crunches in the world will never bring those abs out since it only burns a few calories and works very little overall muscle. Though crunches are one of the best exercises to strengthen and build up the abdominals too widespread is the message out there today that it takes you hundreds of crunches everyday until your face turns blue if you wish to even see a hint of your abs. This piece of advice fails to take into account that the reason you don t see your abs are simply because of excess fat, and not weak muscles! Doing all the crunches till the cows come home would strengthen the abdominals muscles but still not address the problem of the layer of fat over your abs.

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The Solution?
It s pretty simple, actually. You need to get rid of the fat covering your abs. Burn fat and also strengthen your abdominal muscles so that they look good when they are revealed. This, can only be done with a weight loss plan, and exercises that target your abdominals. There is NO other way, and that s as simple as I can say it.

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So, think twice before you decide to hog the abs machines at your gym for a full 20 minutes. Not only will you piss ME off if I was waiting for my turn, but most of your efforts could be diverted into doing something else more productive.

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Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author’s personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.

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If your abs look good, your whole body looks good. Having Big arms and chest is one thing but having rock hard defined abs is so another.+##+

Everyone knows that nothing turns heads like a defined full set of abs. And hey, chicks love em. What more needs to be said.

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Contrary to popular belief, the abs or Rectus Abdominis is really only one muscle. It stretches from the top of your pelvis up to your ribcage. The “six-pack” as it is called is merely sections of this one muscle.

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Dispelling the Ab Myths:

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The action of any muscle is simply to contract. And as you can’t contract half your bicep or quad, it makes sense that you cannot contract half your abs as well. Therefore the myths about “upper ab” and “lower ab” training are total nonsense. I’m not discounting those training methods but the simple fact is that if you can’t see your lower abs, it just means you’ve got fat covering them, not that you need to work them harder.

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Say goodbye to hanging knee-raises, straight-leg raises, and any other type of leg raises for building your abs. They simply don’t work. The primary role of your abs is to stabilize your body. When you raise your leg for example, your hip flexors pull on your spine and arch it forward/downward. Your abs stabilize this action by resisting and essentially keeping your back from breaking. Take note that this is the static action of the abs. It doesn’t build or strengthen. Leg raising exercises only feel like they are effectively working your abs because of the repeated strain and exhaustion of your muscle producing catabolic, lactic acid build up. Search for “lactic acid” at http://www.muscle-body.com for more information.

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What Really Works:

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What does strengthen your abs is what strengthens any other muscle in your body. Contraction! In this case - Decreasing the distance between your rib cage and your pelvis.

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So we come back to the good old sit-up. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

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Firstly, forget about the cool all-the-way-up sit-ups you see in the movies. Your abs are fully contracted when your shoulders are about 5 to 6 inches off the ground. So don’t bother trying to impress or outperform someone by touching your elbows to your knees. It does nothing for you. Crunches as they are sometimes called are the way to go.

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Secondly, don’t wedge your feet under something to help you get up. You don’t need to do this if you are doing crunches properly anyway. Your legs should be at 90 degrees to each other and your knees at 45 degrees to your waist. If you need to, use something to press your heels back against to stabilize yourself. This way you will use your hamstrings instead of your hip flexors which will keep the focus on your abs.

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Thirdly, keep your hands lightly held against the side of your head or crossed on your chest. Don’t clasp them together behind your head or neck. If you do you will be tempted to pull with your hands to get the last few reps out, which will put unnecessary strain on this fragile part of the spine.

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Alternative:

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Another good exercise for abs is kneeling crunches. You will need special equipment to perform this exercise. This is where you kneel and contract your abs so that your upper body arches forward/downward. You hold a rope attached to a pulley with weights for extra resistance. Most gyms will have a rope attachment to the triceps pull down to perform this exercise. The idea is to lock your arms against your upper body so that you pull down only with your abs and not your arms.

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Ab Training Devices:

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In 2 words - Forget it.

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You don’t need them. Most of them do nothing for you. Building muscle is hard and it hurts. Most of these devices are designed to take the pressure off your body making the exercise seem easy and con you into thinking you are really targeting your muscles. Don’t believe the hype. Ab training is definitely hard work but definitely worth it’s reward.

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The Secret:

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The difficulty in obtaining great abs is not so much building the muscle. It’s cutting enough fat from your body for them to show. You probably know by now that spot-reduction of fat simply doesn’t work here. In order to show those abs you need overall fat loss. Check out http://www.muscle-guide.com for more info.

You can find more great Muscle Building information at http://www.muscle-guide.com+##+

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Abs are not only about the washboard stomachs we have grown accustom to seeing on the professional bodybuilding stage. There’s a lot more to it then meets the eye. The actual anatomical make up includes the Rectus abdonomis, the external abdominal oblique muscles, serratus anterior and the internal abdominal oblique. Most of us tend to train our abs as a finishing touch on our overall appearance but we forget the main function of the abdominals. The abdominals are responsible for permitting our bodies to bend forward and back as well as to the side. Their main function is keeping our posture but they also aid in keeping our body stable when partaking in different activities and of course in both upper body and lower body lifts while bodybuilding.

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By fully understanding the functions of our abdominals we can then implement effective ways of training them. As you read earlier our abdominals allow us to “flex our trunks” or in other words bend forward. The best way to effectively train them is to replicate this movement while in the gym. The reason most bodybuilders train their abs is definitely to increase the overall definition of the abs. There are a number of ways to go about obtaining this. One theory is to eliminate the fat that covers the abdominals. This can be achieved through both dieting and cardiovascular activity. Another way to help define your abdominals is to do abdominal exercises intensely with very high repetitions. The reason for this is that you don’t want to add any unwanted mass to your abs. Cardiovascular conditioning is easily the most important aspect used to help a bodybuilder achieve defined abdominals. Bodybuilders use cardio as a tool to help shed unwanted fat. The key to effectively using cardio is to know exactly when to implement it into your routine. If you start doing it to early you will curtail all the gains you’re desperately trying to make, but if done to late you won’t have enough time to get your abdominals in the shape needed for competition. A good starting point is about 11 weeks out from your competition. This will give you enough time to cut your body fat and water retention.

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The most misunderstood and under utilized tool for bodybuilders looking to obtain shredded abs is definitely dieting. I would go as far as saying that dieting alone is responsible for over 80% of a bodybuilders overall physique. If you look at it as, what you put in your body will either dictate whether your body gets bigger or smaller you’ll certainly understand what I mean. The general rule of thumb is that your body needs to have 4-6 small meals that are high in protein, spaced out over a 2-3 hour span to keep your metabolism high and prevent fat storage.

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As you can see, nothing I’ve written here could be considered rocket science but many bodybuilders don’t take full advantage of this information. If you follow these simple guidelines you will achieve the washboard abs you’ve always dreamt of.

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Michael Russell

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Your Independent guide to Body Building

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There s a reason why you re reading these words right now. My bet is that you re hoping to get the TRUTH on how to sculpt toned and defined abdominals.+##+

Am I right?

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That s what I thought.

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I m also going to put a wager on my belief that you re seeking the absolute best results possible in the shortest amount of time and the easier the better.

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I m on a roll, aren t I?

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Well, before I explain how to unveil your best abs in 12-weeks or less I must first point my finger at the TOP 3 myths associated with your abdominals, in order to erase any false belief systems that are imprisoned within your mind that can only hold you back from the eight-pack you desire and deserve!

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Myth #1: By performing abdominal crunches you ll lose body fat in that area alone.

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When you perform any exercise for your abs what you re actually doing is disrupting the muscle fiber breaking it apart.

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Then, assuming the intensity of the workout was high enough and after allowing the appropriate amount of rest your hidden eight-pack of abs becomes a little bit stronger and harder.

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A percentage of the calories you burn during the workout and for several hours afterwards will come from fat that s stored within your body, but you absolutely have no way of knowing exactly where that fat is going to escape from nor can you control the process and you won t lose body fat in the abdominal area alone.

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Too bad!

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Allow me to explain there are unwanted but necessary compartments all over your body that excess fat enters for storage purposes. When there’s a need to release a certain amount of fat for your energy demands then your mind instructs the body fat to come off from wherever it sees fit.

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Unfortunately 9 times out of 10, the most stubborn areas (one being your stomach) is the first place that fat runs to and the last place it likes to walk away from.

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However, if you re consistent and force your abs to become stronger and firmer on a regular basis by working out on a progressive program (a full body program that includes abdominal training), while also eating properly then you definitely won t be upset as the layer of fat resting between your slabs of abs and skin will shrink, becoming thinner and your once hidden eight-pack will shine through!

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Myth #2: To get the best possible results from your abdominal workout it s crucial to perform at least 50 repetitions in a set.

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I m not sure when or why this myth broke into the minds of many fitness enthusiasts. Perhaps it s just become accepted over time that in order to develop a sliced and diced waistline it s imperative to literally burn-out by performing endless reps and sets of abdominal work.

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My friend, nothing could be further from the truth!

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A question for you;

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When you train your chest, do you perform 50 to 100 reps in a set?

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My guess is no.

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So, it doesn t make any sense whatsoever to grind out absurdly high reps for your abs since this muscle group contains a high percentage of what we Fitness Guru s call fast twitch muscle fiber.

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It s predominantly this type of muscle that makes up your back, chest, shoulders and arms as well.

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Consequently, this fast twitch muscle fiber becomes stronger and firmer most effectively when stimulated with lower reps (12 - 20) and at a much higher level of intensity, rather than the alternative.

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Myth #3: Dieting is the fastest and most effective way to increase abdominal definition.

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You can definitely lose the stomach bulge in a hurry on a diet! For when you drop your food intake quickly and drastically your body doesn t have a choice but to lose fat from all over, including your abs.

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But as you lose the fat may I ask what you could be sacrificing?

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How about muscle?

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Actually, almost an equal part of muscle to fat!

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That isn t good news as when the protein (muscle) is eaten away within your body for the needed energy requirements due to a lack of other essential nutrients, the condition causes you to become less active and as a result your metabolism slows down, which makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible for you to keep the fat off your stomach.

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There s always a catch, isn t there?

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You ll also lose shape, strength and a healthy appearance in the process it doesn t even matter how result-oriented your abdominal workouts are - your abs won t get stronger and firmer, it just won t happen!

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I won t even get into the strict lifestyle that would make you a completely miserable person if you had to stick with a super-low calorie consumption for years.

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Instead, here are the TOP 3 tips on how to eat right for MAXIMUM fat loss results that will allow you to create toned and defined abs in 12-weeks or less!

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Tip #1: Eat 5 to 6 small and balanced meals a day.

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By eating 5 to 6 small and balanced meals daily you’ll lose excess body fat, improve your energy levels and will experience less cravings throughout the day. This is a result of your accelerated metabolism, which allows you to burn more calories than usual and also from giving your body just what it needs in terms of food, instead of too much.

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It doesn’t matter if you’re eating an overdose of fat or carbohydrates, most of the extra calories that your body doesn’t require for immediate and stored energy will instead get deposited as body fat and there s a good chance it may choose your stomach as a home!

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Here s the facts if you’re only eating 1-3 meals a day, you re going for some time without food and your mind actually believes that your body is starving! So, the last thing your body is instructed to do in a case like that is to release fat. Instead, it hangs onto it for dear life to protect itself.

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If you happen to find it time consuming… difficult and expensive to eat more meals than you’re used to, then take a supplement. For example, soy or whey protein shakes count as a meal. They’re tasty, convenient, inexpensive and supply a high quality of protein that your body just loves!

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Tip #2: Only eat lower glycemic foods in the evening hours.

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By avoiding the higher glycemic foods in the evening, such as; pasta, potatoes, bread, rice and fruit and instead eating lower glycemic choices, such as; veggies, lentils, beans and salads you ll feel less sluggish and bloated, while also becoming more energetic.

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Not only that but you ll lose more unwanted fat off your abs. Let s not forget about that!

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You see higher glycemic foods; see http://www.glycemicindex.com are normally calorie-dense in nature and your body breaks them down quite rapidly into sugar for your energy purposes. Later on in the day when you re not as active, it s safe to say that your body doesn t need this rapid burst of energy.

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So, the extra carbohydrates (glucose) enters your body fat storage compartments instead of getting used for your daily activities.

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Furthermore, the higher glycemic foods cause the sugar in your blood stream to rise quickly and drop suddenly, which creates that sluggish and bloated condition. I m sure that s not how you d like to feel!

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Tip #3: Minimize your alcohol, pop, candy, hydrogenated and saturated fat intake.

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By minimizing your intake of alcohol, pop, candy, hydrogenated (margarine, deep fried foods) and saturated (butter, fatty animal meats) fats you ll love how your stomach will become tighter and harder in such a short period of time!

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More of the good fats such as olive, flax and canola oil will help to increase your energy and improve the condition of your eyes, hair and skin without causing you to gain body fat.

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It s so much easier getting at sugary foods and the bad fats nowadays, isn t it? Thanks to the media, fast food explosion and your local corner store. There are some sneaky ways to find and fit the good fats in, though. Try this!

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When you cook, instead of greasing the pan with margarine or butter (bad), try adding olive or canola oil (good) as an alternative. When you snack, go nuts! No, not crazy eat a variety of nuts that contain good fats, instead of Twinkies and donuts.

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Rich Tweten is a certified personal trainer of over the past 10 years, and author of No FAT Lies: The Absolute TRUTH on How to Lose Stubborn Fat for Life . For more information about his book-based program, cutting-edge online personal training website and to get your free e-course, visit: http://www.nofatlies.com

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If you live in the Vancouver, Canada area then feel free to contact him for more information about his personal training services by visiting http://www.shapeupsolution.com

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Obtaining six pack abs is a great accomplishment for anyone. However, there are a few factors you need to be aware of before you make rock hard abs your next fitness goal. It will take hard work but you can achieve six pack abs by knowing what you are up against.

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No Such Thing As Spot Reduction
First off, you cannot spot reduce your ab area. That means doing hundreds of crunches and ab work every day will not make your six pack show any faster. If you currently have a layer of fat in your mid-section, that fat is hiding your abs. Your primary focus will be on burning fat to lower your body fat percentage. Once you have burned off the fat, all of your hard work will be ready for display.

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Women Have It Harder
Unfortunately, if you are a woman, six pack abs will be somewhat harder for you to achieve. This is because women naturally store more fat than men for the purpose of bearing and nourishing babies. This means you will have to work harder at lowering your body fat percentage. Lowering your body fat percentage should be done with caution as well. A significant decrease in a woman’s body fat can lead to amenorrhea (lack of menstruation.) It occurs very often in female athletes.

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More Ab Work Isn’t Necessarily Better
Most people tend to forget that abdominal muscles are just like any other muscle in your body. Overworking them will not create your six pack any faster. Your ab muscles will need the proper recovery time just like any other muscle group you would strength train. Muscles repair themselves and grow larger during recovery time. When you are exercising your abs, just remember to take it slow and focus on isolating each area: upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. Give your abs a break between workouts.

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By realizing the hard work involved with obtaining six pack abs, you are better equipped to meet the challenge. With proper nutrition and guidance, you are well on your way to the abs of your dreams.

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Find out what you can do to get six pack abs fast without the use of drugs, supplements, and without wrecking your metabolism. Visit “Can You Get Six Pack Abs Fast?“

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Eartha Haines is a blogger and fitness enthusiast. She writes for her own personal fitness blog at http://www.tryingfitness.com.

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Being overweight can lead to great many health problems, as well as just being uncomfortable and feeling hopeless if you keep trying, without success, to diet.

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Many people are searching for the best way to lose weight and how to get rid of stomach fat and improve their health, well being and appearance, as well as their general levels of fitness and energy. Many health authorities suggest that before embarking on a new health program of diet and exercise, you should have a health check by your doctor.

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Your doctor can also suggest good ways to help get all the family involved in your new weight loss and healthy living plan and to target the belly fat.

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Your doctor can help you to set sensible targets for your weight loss. A proper, sensible diet under the guidance of your local family doctor, with a sensible healthy eating plan and good advice on which ids the best type of exercise for you to start off, with can be a great advantage. With realistic weight loss targets and proper monitoring of your health as you move towards and achieve those targets your doctor can be a real benefit in your goal of a lighter, healthier you.

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Low fat diets still have a great deal to offer these days when it come to getting rid of belly fat and weight loss in general. Diets based on lowering the amounts of carbohydrates, recommend the intake of a variety of fatty foods, many dietitians have long been of the opinion that a low fat and high fiber diet is the best combination for weight loss and health.

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There have been many diet books covering the low fat weight loss diet. A low fat weight loss diet is generally considered to be one of the more sensible diets. However, you should always consult your doctor before starting a new pattern of eating.

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One of the easiest ways to start a low fat diet is to cut down on the amount of fried foods that you eat. An easy way to get a good start with a low fat weight loss diet is to buy a steamer. Lowering your intake of butter and margarine is another simple way to lower your intake of fat and help weight loss. When cooking meat it is possible to remove some of the fat before you start cooking and if you also grill the meat instead of frying it, you have removed a substantial amount of fat and possibly helped towards your weight loss goals of how to get rid of stomach fat.

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Cutting down on eating pastries is a great way to help weight loss and to get rid of stomach fat. Pastries can contain a large amount of fat, so just by choosing a lower fat alternative you can make a difference to your chances of reaching your target.

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A good low fat weight loss diet can be a very healthy way to lose those extra pounds and at the same time get rid of stomach fat!

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Download your free report entitled “Powerful Weight Loss Strategies” and discover how to lose weight naturally and easily. Also, be sure to download your bonus free report and discover how to get six pack abs quickly and easily.

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I have people come up to me all the time in the gym asking for fitness advice or tips. One of the most common questions is “What do I need to do to get a six pack?”. I usually then reply by saying all you need to do is some cardio and probably change up your diet. Then they respond by saying “I do all those ab workouts why don’t I see a difference?” then I proceed to explain why they do not notice a change in their appearance.

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No matter how many ab blasters or ab crunches you do, you will never see your abs unless you eliminate the abdominal fat covering them. Ab workouts are crucial to do, as a matter of fact I do them every day. Doing these abdominal workouts, strengthen and largen the abdominal muscles. Which is great if you have a low body fat percentage.

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Now there are two things you must do to reduce body fat percentage. Cardio is the first part I am going to discuss. Doing cardio burns calories which leads to a lower body fat percentage. Take about 20 minutes at the end of your workout and dedicate it to cardio. You will notice some changes in your appearance if you consistantly do cardio.

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Okay so that was the first part, the second half has to do with diet. If you eat right people will see that you eat right. Get on a diet that limits you to a certain amount of calories per day.

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So do some cardio, stick with a good diet, and throw in some ab workouts and you will be ready for the summer!

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Jacob Thomason Founder of http://www.traintilyougain.com