Keeping a Workout Journal for a Six Pack (jonathanfrugoli posted on February 10th, 2012 )

For some people, fitness comes naturally. They already have the six pack abs as well as other muscles. Then there are those who need the extra push in order to get the six pack abs that they desire. One tool that can help you is a journal. With a journal, you can track your progress. Journals are also helpful in planning your workout routine. A simple tool like a journal has more benefits than you expect. While many people do get into shape without a journal, it does make it easier for you.

Large parts of getting that six pack that you desired for so long involve nutrition and an exercise routine. It is important for you to be organized. Keeping a journal will help you a lot in organization. With a journal, you can write down the hours that you have free. After that, you can write down the set of exercises that you can do. As you go along, you can add new exercises to your routine. While you are at it, write down the types of foods that you can eat. A meal plan is very important in fitness. A large part of the physical condition depends on your eating habits. People with written meal plans are more likely to stick to their new eating habits.

You can keep track of your progress with a journal. Comparing yourself to where you were when you started can be very motivating. This works best when you write down everything about your workout session. If you talk about how you feel throughout the sessions, that will push you to continue. There is nothing like looking back on your first workout while comparing it to your most recent workout session when you did everything you did on the first day and then some while barely breaking a sweat.

Keeping a journal is very useful for getting in shape. It helps you organize your plans and your goals. People that try to wing it without a journal do not progress as much as people who are more organized. People without journals are more likely to get frustrated and revert back to their old lifestyle. Journals actually provide you with a little bit of perspective. They will also help you in those stressful days when you forget a lot of stuff. If you forget something important, your journal will remind you.

 

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Great Ab Workouts (jonathanfrugoli posted on January 21st, 2012 )

The main function of your abdominal muscles is to support your spine. Without those muscles, your body would simply collapse over to due to gravity. Whether you’re trying to get a ripped six back or simply strengthen and tighten your core, these exercises will give your ab muscles an excellent workout.

Plank on Elbows

Assume a push-up position. However, instead of pressing your palms to the floor to stabilize your upper body, rest on your elbow. Your elbows will be bent at about a 90 degree angle. Focus on keeping your back and legs straight. Next, tighten your stomach muscles as if you were anticipating a punch to the gut. Hold this for 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat two to three times.

Leg Raises

Assume a push-up position with your hands resting on the side of a weight bench. Arrange your body so that it is at about a 45 degree angle with the floor. Next, brace your tighten your stomach muscles as you slowly raise your right leg upward keeping your knee bent. Lower the leg back to the floor to complete one repetition. Repeat 30 times and then switch to the second leg.

Basic Crunch

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Next, place your hands at the side of your head. Slowly lift your upper body up toward your knees. Just before you reach your knees, lower yourself back to the ground. This is one repetition. Repeat 50 to 100 times for three sets. Remember not to “pull” on the back or side of your head as you raise yourself upward. This can cause an unwanted neck injury.

Basic Side Crunch

This exercises focuses on your oblique abdominal muscles. Lie flat on your back with your knees slightly bent. Next, keep your upper body still, while allowing your knees to fall to one side. Next, raise your body upward toward your knees slowly. Just before you reach your knees, lower yourself back to the ground. This is one repetition. Repeat 25 to 50 times for three sets. Finally, allow your knees to fall to the opposite side and repeat the exercise as described so you work the obliques on the other side of your body.

Leg Raises

This exercise works your lower abdominal muscles. Lie flat on your back with your hands down by your side. Next, keeping your legs together, raise them upward until they are perpendicular with the floor. Your legs and torso will form a 90 degree angle. Lower your legs back toward the floor for one repetition. Do not allow your legs to touch the floor during the exercise. Repeat 20 times for three sets.

 

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Getting a Deal on Fitness Machines (jonathanfrugoli posted on December 4th, 2011 )

If you are looking to get fit, and possibly even thinking of working out from home, there are some things you should know that could help you get a deal on fitness machines. For the fraction of the cost of a long term gym membership, you can furnish your own home fitness studio with the latest treadmill and exercise technology to give yourself the best workout available.
If you are simply looking to get toned, a gym membership may be the right direction for you. However if you are wanting to pack on some serious muscle and improve your cardio exponentially, forking out for a quality machine will do you a world of good. This makes finding good money-saving deals on equipment a very important task also, because some of the models can be a bit expensive. This can be circumvented however if you know where to look, and you can walk away with a great piece of equipment for a fraction of the cost.

Deals can certainly be found in abundance online, also ads are sometimes placed selling used or discounted workout equipment. Choosing exercise equipment can be quite dizzying if you don’t know how to sort out all the legitimate deals from the bogus offers (usually someone trying to sell off shotty gear), this is often fixed by simply using your common sense and buyers intuition.

If the online route has not garnered you any success at scoring a great deal on some fitness equipment, it may be time to do some local networking. Sometimes you can get incredible discounts from yardsales and garage sales, so do not be afraid to approach those as a possible source of deals. Ultimately it is up to the individual to decide which offers are real money-savers and which are just hot air, but the fact remains that home exercise is easier than ever to do, and with a little elbow grease you can have a great home gym without blowing your budget.

 

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Best Vacation Spots To Show Off Your Abs (jonathanfrugoli posted on November 15th, 2011 )

Not everyone can get away with showing off their abdominal muscles. The people who can get away with showing off their six-pack abs will want to find a place where they can let others enjoy the work that they have done. People may choose to let women on the beaches see their bodies. The general idea is to show his body off in places where other women can see it. This may seem shallow, but beaches are often places where people open display their body. The people who openly display their body are proud of it, although there are many times when the casual observer will suggest someone wear a one piece suit or put a shirt back on. People who do not have the physique to show off their body often know that they do not have it.

The best vacation spots for a person to show off their abs are found in the places where there are beaches or swimming. Florida and California are obvious places. Other spots include the beaches of Spain, Southern France and certain spots in Italy. There are many places in Australia that are good places to show off a person’s muscle-building skills. Current trends often dictate that people take a vacation closer to their own home. If someone wants to impress local women, many state parks have lakeside beaches. The visitor may not get to surf or swim, but he will find attractive women who will take a look.

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Sample Ab Diet/Exercise Routine (jonathanfrugoli posted on October 19th, 2011 )

Summer is around the corner which means it’s time for you to get your body ready for bathing suit season. A few changes in your diet and exercise routine is all that is needed. The most common problem area in both men and women is a flabby stomach. When polled, both groups wished they had flatter, tighter abdominal muscles. If this sounds familiar, there’s no need to worry. There are a few simple things you can do to reach your goals of a flatter, tighter stomach before summer arrives.

Diet

Eating well greatly impacts the way your boy looks, especially when it comes to your belly. You probably already know you will need to minimize sugars and foods high in fat and calories. What you probably didn’t know is that carbs are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to stubborn belly fat. Limit your intake of bread and pasta and opt for lean meats, such as fish and turkey, and vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, instead. Don’t forget the importance of healthy snacks! Nuts and berries are two of the best choices when your goal is a flat stomach.

Exercise

It doesn’t matter how many crunches and side bends you do if you still have a layer of fat laying on top of those muscles. The key to losing weight is cardiovascular exercise, such as running or spending time on the elliptical trainer. Aim for 40 minutes of cardio a minimum of 5 days per week in order to see real results. In addition to cardio you will need to also include strength training moves with weights, or by using your own body for resistance. If you belong to a gym consider hiring a personal trainer for one or two sessions. A professional trainer will be able to show you how to properly use the equipment, as well as make suggestions for which combinations will work best for your body. To focus exclusively on your abs, make sure you do the following:

-Upper and lower crunches
-Bicycles
-Planks
-Crunches while using a medicine ball
-Side bends with weights

Remember, you must focus on every muscle group in your body in order to obtain a lean look overall. Expect to see results within 6 to 8 weeks of beginning your exercise and diet routine. Always check with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise routine.

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Different Ab Exercises You Can Do (jonathanfrugoli posted on September 11th, 2011 )

Having a nice set of abs is the desire of many who wish to get into better shape. Cardio exercises can strengthen the muscles and reshape this bodily region. Not only will having a flatter midsection make clothes fit better, but a better sense of self-confidence can also be achieved. Here are some of the best cardio exercises or abs:

Jogging

Many people may not believe that this is an ideal activity for sculpting the abs, but it is actually quite beneficial. Jogging works the entire body and reduces body fat. Excessive fat is what covers the abdominal muscles, so reducing total body fat can uncover a sleek six pack.

Plank Oblique

This is one of the most simple fitness activities to perform. Begin by laying the body face down on the floor. Use the forearms to hoist the upper body off the ground while keeping the feet firmly planted. Tuck the right knee up toward the shoulder. Return it to the starting position and repeat the same motion with the left knee. Continue to alternate between each side when doing this exercise.

Mountain Climber

To do this workout, bring the body down into a standard push-up pose, keeping the arms straight and both legs stretched behind on the floor. Once in this starting position, bring the right knee toward the chest. Then, in a rapid motion, draw the right leg back to its starting position and simultaneously bring the left knee briefly toward the chest. Continuously alternate the legs in a rapid fashion when performing this routine for best results.

Reverse Crunch

Some people may prefer to perform this workout while holding a ball in between their feet. Start by laying face up on the ground. Raise the legs so that the body is at a 90-degree angle. Using the abdominal muscles, bring the hips upward and back toward the shoulders. After performing this action, return the hips back to the starting position and repeat the motion.

These are some of the easiest activities to fit into any fitness routine. By performing these workouts and maintaining a healthy diet, a strong and slender abdominal region can easily be achieved.

 

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Best Diet Plan to Get Six Pack Abs (jonathanfrugoli posted on August 8th, 2011 )

Have you been doing a thousand sit ups everyday, but you still don’t have that bikini body? Or have you been running three miles before heading to bed, but you only have the calves to show for it? Many well meaning people have attempted to tone up their midsections through exercise alone, only to find themselves disappointed months down the line. While exercise is an important factor in increasing and maintaining muscle tone, it has limited power when it comes to erasing excess fat that may be hiding those ab muscles. The driving force behind six pack abs is a healthy diet consisting of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Unlike fat, the human body does not have reservoirs to store excess protein. This makes the consumption of lean protein essential for developing a six pack. Not only is it needed for the development of lean muscle, it also helps to regulate the blood sugar levels in the body. Foods such as chicken, fish, nuts, and eggs are all great sources of lean protein.

Many people have been led to believe that cutting out carbohydrates will help bring off excess weight. Not only is this misleading, it is also dangerous. Unlike other species, the human body actually has a need for carbohydrates. However, the difference between six pack abs and love handles lies in the type of carbohydrates that are consumed. Carbohydrates that help a developing six pack are high in fiber and tend to come from fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed whole grains. These foods will keep a person’s appetite satisfied for a longer period of time, help to maintain a consistent energy level, and eventually boost the metabolism.

Fats are also needed in reducing the fat stores in the body. Fat is the easiest of energy sources for the human body to use, aids in hormone production, and helps to build muscle. However, the difference between shedding excess fat and gaining it is in what type of fat is consumed. In order to remove fat from the body, saturated fats and trans fats must be avoided. Foods such as avocados, fish, nuts, and seeds will provide healthy fats such as unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.

Water is the nutrient that is perhaps most important. Drinking sixty-four ounces each day will keep the body functioning properly and the metabolism stabilized; thus, aiding in the fat loss process.

A clean diet of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins is needed in order to develop and maintain a six pack. If combined with exercise, these healthy calories will produce positive results. Just make sure that the only ones being consumed are the right ones.

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