So without further delay…

The No-Crunch Six-Pack Abs System:

Step 1- Is to burn the fat that sitting on your abs

A.) Eat well and elevate your metabolism

Drink between 2-4 cups of water as soon as wake in the morning and then drink between 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity.

Eat as soon as wake in the morning and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feeds per day (3 meals, 3 snacks – half the size of your meals, workout nutrition)

Focus on a wide range of lean proteins, natural fats, fruits and veggies

Sample One-Day Menu:

Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, Greens

Mid-Morning Snack – Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice

Lunch – Chicken, or Shrimp Caesar Salad

Mid-Afternoon Snack- Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice

Dinner – Grilled fish and salad/veggies

Pre-Bed Snack- Protein Shake

Take a whole food based multi-vitamin and fish/flax seed oil.

Reduce carbohydrates:

Step 1- Eliminate white carbs and instead use 100% whole grain carbs, replace refined sugars with natural sugars.

Step 2- Reduce all whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast

Step 3- Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies

Step 4- Replace all fruits with green veggies

B.) Workout to lose fat and increase your metabolism

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday- Perform Total Body Circuit Strength Training

Sample Total Body Circuit Strength Workout- 20 Minutes (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down)

50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit- You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 s of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5 minute circuit up to four times for a 20 minute total body workout:

1. Reverse lunges
2. Press up
3. Squats
4. Inverted rows
5. Medicine ball wood chop

Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday- Perform Interval Training

Sample Cardio Interval Training Workout- 20 Minutes (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down)

30-30’s- Alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and 30 seconds of active recovery. Perform this 1 minute round up to 20 x for 20 total minutes.

Step 2- Abs are built for stabilization, so train them that way

Here is one of my favourite core routines I use at our boot camps. It doesn’t involve sit up’s
but instead just pillar stabilization exercises. Once you master these awesome exercises and follow everything else you’ll have 6 pack abs in no time.

Tabata Style Pillar Workout

This killer 20 min whole body core workout uses just pillar stabilization exercises. The pillar involves working the core, hips and shoulders.

Alternate the exercises below betweens 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Repeat this 30 second exercise 8 times for a total of 4 minutes followed by 1 minute rest and transition before changing to the next exercise.

To perform these exercises correctly tighten your abs whilst squeezing your glutes (butt) and keep a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.

Exercise 1- Plank (static or dynamic)

Exercise 2- Left plank (static or dynamic)

Exercise 3- Right plank Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise 4- Back pillar (static or dynamic)

Let me know how you get on.

Till next time…

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit

                          

But for many people it doesn’t matter how many crunches or sit-ups we do it never seems to happen. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me the following question:

“Everyday I do hundreds of sit ups and crunches but I still have fat around my midsection. How come?

Well before I reveal the 6 pack system, first I’m going to debunk some very important myths regarding how to get 6 pack abs.

Myth 1. You must lose weight to see your abs.

This is not entirely true, the focus should be on fat loss rather than weight loss.

The reason?

Your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (muscle, bone, water, organs etc). The key is to minimize your fat mass and increase your lean body mass to ramp up your metabolism, a body that starves fat and builds muscle like clockwork.

So if you lose 8 kilos of scale weight but lose some lean muscle in the process you will slow down your metabolism, decrease performance and lose muscle tone.

However…

If you lose 8 kilos on the scale but keep your lean muscle you increase your performance, increase muscle tone and lose mostly body fat.

The scale has far too many variables to account for that lead to frequent fluctuations such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women the menstrual cycle. I firmly believe one should NOT keep a scale at their home- it is such an anchor, particularly for women. Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking.

Myth 2- Doing lot’s of abs training will burn stomach fat

Spot reduction doesn’t work. You can’t train a region of the body and expect to lose body fat in that area. Nearly everyone you see does crunches but only a few people will do total body workouts so why isn’t more people walking around with flat stomachs and fat arms, legs etc. Spot reduction doesn’t work!

Everybody loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when you create a calorie deficit through proper dietary habits and the correct training methods. So the best way to train is to focus your training around burning as many calories as possible by training your whole body every workout and not just your abs. Big exercises that work more than one muscle at a time like push ups, chin ups, squats, lunges etc burn far more calories than working one muscle at a time like crunches and sit ups. So make sure you focus your training around these big movements and only do specific abs work to supplement the rest of your training.

Myth 3- Sit ups and crunches are the N0.1 exercise for abs

The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk flexion exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror “burn.” However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position, your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.

So, we focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital- front to back, frontal- side to side, and transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also know as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your superficial ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these inner ab muscles is the key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention, yet another benefit to performing pillars over primitive crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain.

Myth 4- Long bouts of cardio will burn fat and reveal your abs

Real world case studies and scientific studies prove that aerobic training for fat loss alone isn’t the most efficient way to train. Whole body resistance training is the best way to train for fat loss. Furthermore HIIT (interval training) has been scientifically proven to burn nine times more body fat than ordinary exercise. At our boot camps we combine resistance training and interval training to combine the best of both worlds.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part 2 of The Six Pack Abs System.

Till then.

Dan Clay

                          

Part 1 Fitness Myths

Fitness Myth #6 – Training the abs last.
Many people believe that you must train the abs last to avoid fatiguing the stabilizing muscles of the core. Although this sounds like a fair statement this has never been scientifically proven. If you think about which section of the body is the most important (the core) and what is most peoples biggest weakness (the core) it doesn’t make sense to train the core last when you’re already fatigued.

Fitness Myth #7 – Bodybuilding programs for fat loss.
Bodybuilding programs are for bodybuilders. Unless you are using drugs these programs will not work for you! It still amazes me how many people are still reading bodybuilding magazines, following their programs using “body-part splits” and “blitzing muscles”. The people writing most of these articles are’ nt even bodybuilders, they’re marketers from the supplement companies trying to deceive you, what looks like an article is probably an ad, look closer!

Fitness Myth #8 – You can out train a poor diet.
No matter how hard you train if your diet is poor, you will not see the results your training for. With the right nutrition you will be able to fuel your workouts far more effectively giving you a greater return in results.

Fitness Myth #9 – More is better.
Too much of a good thing can be detrimental to your training.
If you’re training;
• Too frequently
• For too long
• Without enough rest
This will lead to overtraining. Overtraining can lead to sickness, depression and injury.

Fitness Myth #10 – High reps cut.
There is no such thing as a “cutting phase”.
If you progressively lift heavier weights your muscles will grow, if you lift the same size weight as your previous workout your muscles will stay the same size, if you lift less weight than your previous workouts your muscles will get smaller. The only thing that determines whether you get the “cut” look is the size of your muscles and how low your body fat percentage is.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit

                          

Fitness Myth #2 – As you age you gain fat.
There’s a common myth that as you age gaining fat becomes unavoidable. This simply isnt true – the reason you gain fat is because your metabolism has slowed down due to a lack of exercise and bad diet choices.

Fitness Myth #3 – Steady state cardio is best for fat loss
The problem with steady state cardio for fat loss is;
• It doesn’t burn many calories whilst performing the exercise and burns very little if any after.
• It causes the body to reduce its release of the fat burning hormones and enzymes.
• The body adapts by becoming more energy efficient, meaning your body has to work less to perform the same workout.

Interval training is far better for losing weight because you will burn far more calories and will keep your metabolism revving for up to 24hrs after you finish training. Interval training is short bouts(10-60 seconds) of high intensity exercise broken up with periods of low intense exercise. The good thing with this is that you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, so there’s no need to spend 45-60 mins pounding away on a treadmill, you can be done in 20-25 mins and that’s including your warm up and cool down.

Fitness Myth #4 – Stop exercising & your muscles turn to fat.
I’m not sure where this one comes from – it’s one of those myths that gets past around but when you really think about it it’s ridiculous. Muscle is working tissue which is designed to move your body around, fat is stored energy – it’s as simple as that. The reason people put on fat when they stop training is because the loss of muscle tissue will cause a drop in metabolism, and if your still consuming the same amount of calories where else are the calories meant to go?

Fitness Myth #5 – Spot reducing.
Spot reducing means targeting a specific body part or muscle with an exercise to reduce fat in those areas. I’m always getting asked which ab exercise is best for losing that bit of extra weight around the mid-section. Unfortunately the body doesn’t work this way, when you begin losing weight you are unable to determine which area your body will lose fat. For example doing lots of sit-ups will not reduce fat around the mid-section, it will only strengthen and tone the abs.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part 2 of… The 10 Biggest Fitness Myths!

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Personal Trainer Sydney
Boot Camp Sydney

                          

Here is a video of a quick 8 minute ab workout routine, incorporate as many ab movement patterns into your ab workouts as possible.

The core is the link between your upper and lower body and needs special attention, gone are the days when core training meant performing hundreds of sit-ups off the floor, there are much more effective ways to train.

The rectus abdominal’s (abs) is the muscle known as “the 6 pack”. When training the abs it is important not to just perform trunk flexion exercises (sit-ups). The rectus abdominal’s are just one muscle of a whole group of muscles which is commonly referred to as the “Abs”.

The other muscles are: external oblique’s, internal oblique’s and the transverses abdominus.

All movement from the extremities rely on the core for stabilization and force production, it’s the most important area of the body. As the old saying goes “you can’t fire a canon from a canoe”.

Below are some general guidelines showing what a proper core program should look like, apply these strategies to your routine and you will have a shredded 6 pack in no time.

1. Interval Training.

This is short bouts of high intense exercise broken up with periods of low intense exercise. For example sprint for 10 seconds then rest for 10 seconds – repeat this for 15-20 mins, as you become fitter increase the reps or decrease the rest period. This will boost your metabolic rate whilst burning heaps of calories. Everyone has a six pack, it’s just that it’s usually hidden under fat.

2. Wood Chopping Exercises.

The rectus abdominals (6 pack) are designed more for anti-rotators of the trunk rather than trunk flexion (sit up’s). Otherwise the ab’s would look more like a bicep. Standing sideways to a cable machine, attach a rope to the high pulley. Pull the rope down and across your body, to just outside your left knee. Return the cable to the starting position, finish your reps and then switch sides.

3. Strength Training.

By increasing your lean muscle mass you’ll burn more calories sitting behind your desk and whilst you’re asleep, you will also burn a considerable more amount of energy whilst you’re exercising through greater energy demand from the increased lean muscle. Do large compound exercises working multiple muscles working every major muscle group in the body.

4. Fit-Ball.

By using a fit ball you’ll be increasing the range of motion from a neutral spine to trunk flexion (sit-ups), to trunk extension to trunk flexion. By doing sit-ups on an unstable surface you’ll also increase the amount of muscle fiber recruitment.

5. Diet.

If your diet is poor, no amount of training will work. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, nut’s, seeds, wholegrains, beans, legumes. If your eating meat and dairy make sure it’s lean and low in saturated fat. Keep sugar’s and alcohol to a minimum.

6. Train all Movements.

Don’t just do sit-ups, train all movement patterns. A good core program should include trunk flexion and extension, rotation, side flexion, reverse crunches and static holds. It’s not necessary to do them all in one session, pick one or two for each training session.

7. Less is More.

One of the most common mistakes people make is they do too many reps. The abs are just like any other muscle, so train them like you would other muscles. Doing hundreds of reps isn’t going to do much except give you bad posture. Add an external weight and keep the reps under twenty.

8. Stretch.

Like any other muscle the Abs need stretching. Lay face down with your hands under your shoulders, push up until your arms are nearly straight whilst simultaneously pushing your hips into the floor. This will increase the range of motion of the muscle and increase blood flow, therefore speeding up recovery between sessions.

9. Static Holds.

To develop a strong core you must incorporate exercises that incorporate the whole mid-section, including the hips. Stuart McGill (leading researcher on lower back dis-function) believes strength endurance is the most important factor in maintaining a healthy lower back. The plank is a good place to start, hold yourself in the press-up position, keeping your abs braced (tightened) and your butt squeezed tight. Start with a 20 second hold and increase this time by 10% a week.

10. Train the body as one integrated unit.

Use strength training exercises that will actively challenge the core. Some of the best core exercises around are ones that are working other muscle groups. By using exercises such as squat and deadlift variations, overhead presses, bent over rows and even push ups you’ll be creating awesome core strength.

If you have any questions please feel free to post them below.

Cheers,

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com