How
to get Great Abs
Abs
Abs Abs Part 1
by
Chad Klingensmith
I've
gotten several inquires about how to attain the
coveted six-pack. The range of difficulty of getting
shredded physique with a washboard stomach will
vary person to person (especially in increasing
idling America). And why is everybody so infatuated
with abs anyway? I once saw a guy’s t-shirt
that had an arrow pointing to his gut and exclaiming
"fuel tank for the sex machine". Now a
sense of humor can more sexier than a six-pack!
To be painfully honest, getting shredded abs is
not going to be easy for anyone. But its not impossible.
Let me give you little story:
I
have to pictures on my wall of when I was back in
college. They both had beaches in the background.
Once was in Hawaii and the other in California.
My
Hawaii photo was taken on spring break. This was
one week after I competed in NCWA wrestling nationals.
I had spent the prior 2 months working my butt off
training. Tons of cardio to cut weight, weird dieting
of vegetables, grains, lean meats. I had to make
weight (165 lbs for competition) and I was already
skinny.
Anyway
to my unpleasant surprise I had a little stomach
in my Hawaii photo. This was even more surprising
since I just finished a 40 mile bike ride!
And
then a few months later I started lifting heavy.
During the summer I did a body part training program
with little cardio except wrestling practice twice
a week. It was early September and I decided to
visit Santa Monica on a whim (I live in Denver).
During this time I had to admit I'd been doing a
little bit of drinking too (hey it was my last year
in college). To my pleasant surprise, I had a shredded
six pack at this time. Why? My resistance training
had increased my metabolism rate and helped get
rid of extra body fat.
So
here are some tips for you guys (and girls)
1.
Resistance Training: I recommend resistance training
over cardio but both are very important. Heavy lifting
that promotes muscle hypertrophy should be the initial
approach of your program. I'll go into more detail
about this in part 2.
2.
Cardio: most people do this wrong. If you want abs
you can't go for a 20 minute nice easy jog in the
park and expect to incinerate a ton of fat. Your
cardio needs to be tough and challenging. You needs
to focus on INTERVAL training. My favorite is doing
repeat miles on the treadmill. You got 1 mile at
a very uncomfortable pace (but not to the point
you can't go on) get off the treadmill and immediately
hop on a stationary bike (or elliptical machine)
for a moderate 5 min recovery. Get back on the treadmill
for another mile. Repeat 4-8 times. This will help
boost testosterone levels and spike your metabolism.
Warning:
although I think swimming is an awesome cardiovascular
workout I strongly advise against this method of
training for fat loss.
3.
Dieting: this one is so complex I'm going save it
for part 3.
4.
Supplements: did someone ask for the magic pill
for abs? Almost as wishful as asking for the magic
pill for financially security or a significant other.
Alright I take that back. There are supplements
available that can expedite your fat loss training
regime. I just don't want you folks downing a bottle
of ephedrine everyday and doing nothing else. Here
are my favorite weight loss supplements (I linked
to where you can find them).
Hot-Rox
(http://www.discountanabolics/p/HRX) I used this
while I was getting ready for my last fight. I got
my body fat down to around 6% (it’s normally
around 8-9%). Hot Rox will increase your metabolism
for up to 24hrs. Be careful though. Too much of
this will give you the jitters. I recommend taking
a max 3 capsules early in the day.
Hoodia
Gordonni (http://www.discountanabolics.com/p/AP04)
This supplement is very effective appetite suppressant.
Might not be a bad idea to help cut down on holiday/winter
time binging.
Axis
Labs SesaMAX (http://www.discountanabolics.com/p/AX04)
- This nifty little supplement works to control
your appetite uses the lignan sesamin which is a
powerful thermogenic (fat oxidizing) molecule. The
SesaMax complex also contains flax seed oil which
help support healthy metabolic function, reduce
oxidative stress, and reduce cholesterol.
Now
if you are going to approach your ab routine correctly
you should be doing heavy resistance training (you
better not plan on sitting on the couch and popping
weight loss pills). I would recommend some protein
and ergogenic supplements.
Optimum
Nutrition 100% Whey –(http://www.discountanabolics.com/p/ON03)
- Out of all the proteins available I found this
one to be the most economical (much cheaper than
myoplex). It’s also excellent for dieting
since its really low in carbs.
Muscle
Milk (http://www.discountanabolics/p/CSMM) - this
is best tasting protein drink on the market. It
also contains a special MCT (medium chain triglycerides)
that help promote leanness. Muscle Milk is an awesome
product, but just one warning: don't overdo it.
I've seen many folks consume too much muscle milk
thinking that its “safe” since it’s
a protein supplement. Remember that muscle milk
does contain a lot of calories. One scoop before
bedtime is what I suggest (I'll get more into this
in Part 3 about dieting).
NE2
Nitric-Ester (http://www.discountanabolics/p/AX03)
- While you’re doing resistance training you
should consider nitric oxide supplements for quicker
recovery. It’s believe to be more powerful
than NO2 since it keeps L-Arginine molecule is coupled
with ester to keeping the arginine intact is it
passes through the large intestine. I found that
nitric oxide helped me become leaner as well.
5.
Patience, patience, perseverance
If
you think your going to get a six pack in two weeks
you are out of your mind. You can only lose about
1-2 pounds of real fat (any more is water and muscle)
a week. You should plan on sticking to your program
for at least 3 months.
Chad
Klingensmith is a American Council on Exercise Certified
Personal Trainer. Do you have questions about bodybuilding/weight
loss? Contact him at chad@discountanabolics.com. Chad
also encourages you to visit the “Ask Chad”
on the http://www.discountanabolics.com/forum/. http://www.discountanabolics.com
has a wealth of information about fitness along with
a huge selection of bodybuilding/weight loss supplements.
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Remember,
All Diet Source tools and charts provide general
information only. They are not meant to replace
professional advice. Always check with your Physician
before starting any weight loss or exercise program.
