Log onto internet and do a search for protein... What do you find? A list a mile long of different brands of protein. This article isn't focusing on the brand, more so on the type of protein. Yes, I said "type".
Some of you might not know there are different types of protein with different purposes. Heck, there might be a few people out there who have never even looked at the ingredients on a tub of protein.
This article will shed some light on the subject and break down what type of protein you need and when. Timing and the right type of protein is the key when looking for the best results.
Whey Concentrate
Whey concentrate is one of the most basic forms of protein that is found in many protein tubs on the shelves of supplement stores. People who are looking for an inexpensive protein source will find tubs of strictly whey protein concentrate with a lower price tag.
This is a great starting point for beginners and those looking to add protein to their diet without making your wallet lighter. Some people will find though that they have a hard time digesting the concentrates and will end up feeling a little gassy and bloated.
Whey concentrate can be used both pre and post workout and can also be used as a snack in between meals. This is not a preferred source of protein to be used at night.
Casein Protein
If you are looking for a protein that will slowly breakdown over the course of several hours that you can use as a meal, or better yet right before you go to bed then casein protein is definitely the way to go. Before bed if you take in casein protein you will stay anabolic throughout the night and will be able to utilize the protein in your body.
Casein takes anywhere from 5-7 hours to fully breakdown which keeps your body absorbing and utilizing the nutrients even while you sleep. People also use casein during the day to help stay full and to keep a constant supply of protein in your body to supply the muscles with proper nutrition for hours after drinking the shake.
Another positive to this source of protein is its high glutamine content. Glutamine helps boost the immune system and speed up recovery. This is the preferred source of protein to use at night before bed.
Whey Isolates
Isolates are one of the quickest absorbing proteins (but not the quickest-we will get to that soon enough). People will find this source of protein to be a bit on the expensive side (more-so than whey concentrates), but not near as expensive as the protein we will be touching on next.
These proteins are perfect for those with low carb diets. Many of the protein tubs on the market these days that are strictly whey isolates have very low if any carbs/sugars. Isolates are great pre and post workout as they are absorbed quickly and can supply the muscle the nutrients needed to help recover and grow.
Hydrolysate Protein
Hydrolysate protein is the most expensive source of protein you will find on the markets these days and is the highest quality of protein available. They provide highly absorbable peptides that can have a great anabolic effect (highest absorption rate of the proteins available).
Hydrolysate protein is also much better on the digestive system compared to whey concentrates. This protein can be used both pre and post workout.
Soy Protein
Soy protein (even though not a huge seller for bodybuilders) is a good source of protein for those looking for a vegetarian source of protein. This is a useful source of protein and comes with many benefits to its user. It is loaded with glutamine (to help with recovery), arginine (help dilate blood vessels to allow nutrition to get into the muscles quicker), and BCAA's (help with recovery).
Soy supports a healthy cholesterol profile due to the isoflavones found in the product. It has also been found to boost thyroid hormone output. By doing so, it speeds up the metabolism which aids in fat loss. This type of protein can be used both pre and post workout or anytime throughout the day if needed to get in a meal/snack containing protein. This source is not preferred to use at night.
Milk Protein Isolate
Milk protein isolates contain both casein and whey proteins. This source is full of amino acids (similar to soy protein). This type of protein is mostly used in a blended protein source where multiple types of protein are used. Milk protein isolates are not a preferred choice if looking for a protein but can be used anytime during the day, but is not a preferred source to use at night.
Egg Albumin
Now we are going back old school-to a place where protein powder was nonexistent. Egg whites (whether separated from the yoke or found in a container) are an excellent source of egg albumin. The amino acid profile on these are great and has been used since back in the day to help build lean muscle mass.
Egg albumin is not commonly bought in the powder form, but rather bought in a carton or container and cooked. Many blended protein sources as well as meal replacements will have egg albumin in them. This source of protein can be used anytime throughout the day, but is not a preferred source to use at night.
Conclusion
So as you can tell there are many different options of protein for you to choose from. My personal recommendation is start with something simple like a whey concentrate and see what results you get with that before you start buying something like the hydrolyzed protein where you will be spending considerably more money. Some people find concentrates give them great results and stick with that. Some people are lactose intolerant so they need something like a whey isolate. Whatever you choose, give it some time to give you results. Protein isn't a "feel" type of supplement-meaning unlike a stimulant, you aren't going to see and feel results immediately. Give it at least a month and then evaluate your results and go from there.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
FAT BURNERS
Fat burners are supplements that essentially contain certain herbs and chemicals that either increase energy, stimulate metabolism, and/or suppress appetite. There are hundreds of fat burners to choose from, all with the claim they'll help you lose weight.
Everyday we are exposed to commercials on TV, or ads in magazines, or hear celebrities endorse what helped them lose weight, or the hard body at the gym saying what fat burner they use. With the advantage this day and age of so many options of fat burners everybody could find the right product to help them attain their weight loss goals.
One thing about fat burning supplements that is often missed, however, is the key word: SUPPLEMENT. Fat burners are not the magic pill that literally "burn off fat", but they supplement burning off fat.
"Supplement" is defined as - something added to complete something, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole. Notice that supplement does not mean replace. Often people take fat burning supplements believing that will replace the need for exercise, a disciplined diet, or other necessary life style changes needed to lose fat. If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.
Fat burners could provide huge benefits to supplement the correct lifestyle, so here are 5 ways NOT to use fat burners, and why.
1. DO NOT Exceed Recommended Serving!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate and approve products like fat burners before they go on the market. Rather, the FDA only steps in if a health risk is found once they are already in the market. In other words, every fat burning supplement starts off legal, and only gets banned when people abuse it. Every manufacturer wants their product to be the best product so they could sell as much as possible. They are a business after all. So if you just use common sense there must be a good reason why they put a limitation on how much a serving is, and why they explicitly write "DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED SERVING" on the package. Fat burners usually contain various ingredients in various proportions and excessive intake of certain ingredients can cause problems.
2. DO NOT Take Fat Burners Forever!
Your body needs a break from any substance you take, even if they're made from natural ingredients. This is because your body always wants to maintain a natural balance, or "homeostasis"- the tendency to maintain internal stability in response to any situation or stimulating disturbing its normal condition.
When you first stimulate your body, it feels it and responds accordingly. But if taken long enough, gradually your body gets accustom to the change so the stimulant is no longer effective.
Adding to this is your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic process to compenstate1. As a result, if you abruptly stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower and you'll gain weight as you it returns to normal metabolic rate.Fat burners were never designed or intended to be a regular part of a diet. They're intended to help reach a goal. Whether that be to prepare for a competition, to lose the baby fat, to look good for an upcoming vacation, to recover from a very chocolaty Valentines Day, to jump start your new years goal, or any other specific goal. .
3. DO NOT Expect The Same Effects As Another Person's Experience!
No two fat burners are the same. There are a multiple of ways to mix of ingredients in various fat burners to cause a different affect. In addition to this, no two metabolisms are the same. Each person stores fat and burns it differently.
You need to find which product works best for YOU. Your friend may have gotten great results from a certain product, but when you try that same product approach with an objective mind set. If you experience the same effects, great! If you don't, do not continue to use that same product hoping that eventually you'll attain what your friend did. Try something else, you've got a lot to choose from.
Find the fat burner supplement that's best suited for YOU.
4. DO NOT Take An Appetite Suppressant Then Put Temptation In Front Of You!
When you already struggle with restricting certain foods, exposing yourself to your weakness is too strong of a force for any supplement to overpower. An appetite suppressant can really help you control cravings and feelings of imaginary hunger.
Appetite comes from many hormones and neurotransmitter2. These can be stimulated by many factors, including emotions, smells, sights, and atmosphere. If you're taking an appetite suppressant it's probably because you already have trouble controlling your appetite, obviously.
Taking temptation out of your life is the first step for you weight loss goals, supplemented by the appetite suppressant. Going to Chinese buffets, baking cookies, filling your cabinets with chips and crackers, and other temptation will never let the appetite suppressant do it's job.
Get those evils out of sight, and let the fat burning supplement get it out of your mind.
5. DO NOT Expect To Counter Act An Eating Offense With Fat Burners:
Everyone knows calories in versus calories out determines whether we gain, maintain, or lose weight. Knowing that fat burners cause a thermogenic affect, which raises calorie expenditure, sometimes people think they could take fat burners to counteract the consequences when they eat fried chicken, French fries, brownies, or (my personal kryptonite) ice cream. Unfortunately it's not that easy.
It is correct that most of the fat burners on the market are thermogenic. Thermogenics refers to creating heat to increase metabolism, therefore reducing fat3.
Thermogenic products usually raise the body's temperature by no more than one degree. However, this slight increase in thermogenics is made manifest during exercise, burning off more calories during exercise and on top of that giving you a more energized workout.
So if you eat that donut at the office, you'll still have to get to the gym to work it off.
Everyday we are exposed to commercials on TV, or ads in magazines, or hear celebrities endorse what helped them lose weight, or the hard body at the gym saying what fat burner they use. With the advantage this day and age of so many options of fat burners everybody could find the right product to help them attain their weight loss goals.
One thing about fat burning supplements that is often missed, however, is the key word: SUPPLEMENT. Fat burners are not the magic pill that literally "burn off fat", but they supplement burning off fat.
"Supplement" is defined as - something added to complete something, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole. Notice that supplement does not mean replace. Often people take fat burning supplements believing that will replace the need for exercise, a disciplined diet, or other necessary life style changes needed to lose fat. If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.
Fat burners could provide huge benefits to supplement the correct lifestyle, so here are 5 ways NOT to use fat burners, and why.
1. DO NOT Exceed Recommended Serving!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate and approve products like fat burners before they go on the market. Rather, the FDA only steps in if a health risk is found once they are already in the market. In other words, every fat burning supplement starts off legal, and only gets banned when people abuse it. Every manufacturer wants their product to be the best product so they could sell as much as possible. They are a business after all. So if you just use common sense there must be a good reason why they put a limitation on how much a serving is, and why they explicitly write "DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED SERVING" on the package. Fat burners usually contain various ingredients in various proportions and excessive intake of certain ingredients can cause problems.
2. DO NOT Take Fat Burners Forever!
Your body needs a break from any substance you take, even if they're made from natural ingredients. This is because your body always wants to maintain a natural balance, or "homeostasis"- the tendency to maintain internal stability in response to any situation or stimulating disturbing its normal condition.
When you first stimulate your body, it feels it and responds accordingly. But if taken long enough, gradually your body gets accustom to the change so the stimulant is no longer effective.
Adding to this is your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic process to compenstate1. As a result, if you abruptly stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower and you'll gain weight as you it returns to normal metabolic rate.Fat burners were never designed or intended to be a regular part of a diet. They're intended to help reach a goal. Whether that be to prepare for a competition, to lose the baby fat, to look good for an upcoming vacation, to recover from a very chocolaty Valentines Day, to jump start your new years goal, or any other specific goal. .
3. DO NOT Expect The Same Effects As Another Person's Experience!
No two fat burners are the same. There are a multiple of ways to mix of ingredients in various fat burners to cause a different affect. In addition to this, no two metabolisms are the same. Each person stores fat and burns it differently.
You need to find which product works best for YOU. Your friend may have gotten great results from a certain product, but when you try that same product approach with an objective mind set. If you experience the same effects, great! If you don't, do not continue to use that same product hoping that eventually you'll attain what your friend did. Try something else, you've got a lot to choose from.
Find the fat burner supplement that's best suited for YOU.
4. DO NOT Take An Appetite Suppressant Then Put Temptation In Front Of You!
When you already struggle with restricting certain foods, exposing yourself to your weakness is too strong of a force for any supplement to overpower. An appetite suppressant can really help you control cravings and feelings of imaginary hunger.
Appetite comes from many hormones and neurotransmitter2. These can be stimulated by many factors, including emotions, smells, sights, and atmosphere. If you're taking an appetite suppressant it's probably because you already have trouble controlling your appetite, obviously.
Taking temptation out of your life is the first step for you weight loss goals, supplemented by the appetite suppressant. Going to Chinese buffets, baking cookies, filling your cabinets with chips and crackers, and other temptation will never let the appetite suppressant do it's job.
Get those evils out of sight, and let the fat burning supplement get it out of your mind.
5. DO NOT Expect To Counter Act An Eating Offense With Fat Burners:
Everyone knows calories in versus calories out determines whether we gain, maintain, or lose weight. Knowing that fat burners cause a thermogenic affect, which raises calorie expenditure, sometimes people think they could take fat burners to counteract the consequences when they eat fried chicken, French fries, brownies, or (my personal kryptonite) ice cream. Unfortunately it's not that easy.
It is correct that most of the fat burners on the market are thermogenic. Thermogenics refers to creating heat to increase metabolism, therefore reducing fat3.
Thermogenic products usually raise the body's temperature by no more than one degree. However, this slight increase in thermogenics is made manifest during exercise, burning off more calories during exercise and on top of that giving you a more energized workout.
So if you eat that donut at the office, you'll still have to get to the gym to work it off.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
ABS Done Right
I see people all the time doing heavy squats, or bench presses galore, but their gut just hangs inches below their waist. They just have absolutely no abs that they can show. You see, a lot of people try to do crunches by the thousand each night, but pig out right after on junk food, etc.. Of what I have seen, everyone wants a six-pack of abs, but no one is willing to pay the price.
To start you off with what the abs are, there are two basic muscle groups involved. The Rectus Abdominus, which starts near your Pubis, all the way through the 5th through 7th ribs. That is the six-pack muscle. You have External Obliques also. They are the muscles on each side of your torso, right next to the Rectus Abdominus. The Intercoastals are also involved, the two muscle and tendon fiber planes between the ribs.
How can you get the abs you want?
The abs are the central, most visible part of your body. Everyone loves a six-pack (I hope!). A six-pack is harder to get for men, because of a disproportionate number of fat cells they carry. It has been said that you have to be at 13% body fat to have a six pack, but the way I see it, why would you try to just get by at 13% when you could just diet right and look even better (and make getting the six pack easier) if you brought yourself down to, say, 9% body fat. Like I said, everyone wants it, but not all of them are willing to pay the price. Although, not everyone has to pay the price. I was always jealous of the people who were born skinny and didn't really have to work for their six-packs. Some people are like that, but some are born overweight, and have a body type which makes it hard for them to lose weight. Don't worry, because anyone can do it if they want to.
Chances are, if you are that skinny person, you probably have a hard time gaining muscle. Most really skinny, or really small people have trouble gaining the muscle, because they don't have the muscle mass to show right off the bat. If you are overweight, chances are, you are pretty strong, because you have that much extra weight to carry around, but you have fat covering those muscles with no definition. So I will try to explain how to exercise for both groups of people. Skinny, hard gainers, and heavy, hard definers.
For skinny Guys:
It isn't much different than most heavy gainers. You should really exercise your abs whenever you work out, but you should pack the weight gainers. If you have real trouble gaining mass, you need to gain weight. Consume a lot more food (In slow steps, don't just eat 10 eggs one morning and get sick, but gradually start eating more), and do a lot less reps than those with more mass. Less reps means you are doing more weight for less reps, really lifting for power, which builds up mass, and that is what you need. You should really work your abs when you have the weight on, building them up with more weight than you had. For skinny kids, the hard thing is gaining weight. When you have a really hard stomach, and you want to start letting it show, then you should start to try and lose some of the weight you put on (Only fat, not muscle). You should lose, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding", only about 2 to 2.5 pounds of fat per week. I would suggest taking Glutamine (If you already don't) because it is said to keep muscle in your body. But the worst thing to do when trying to lose weight is to stop exercising. Never stop, or you lose a ton of muscle. Try doing a lot of cardio or aerobic exercises to burn off excess fat calories.
For Heavy Guys:
For heavy guys it is pretty much the opposite. Heavy guys don't need weight gainers, and the real massive bodybuilders really shouldn't use weight when exercising their abs, because that adds mass, and if you are bigger, or more massive, you really don't need that much more. A perfect example is Nasser El Sonbaty. He is a huge person, very big built, short arms, barrel chest, and massive muscles. Heavy guys should focus on Toning their muscles. Toning meaning more reps, less weight. I hate to say it guys, but you have to stay off the junk food. A lot of heavy people, its seems, just think about food and get bigger. Heavier guys should really work on increasing their metabolism a LOT! Squats are probably one of the best, if not THE best exercise to boost your metabolism. The same goes with big guys. Don't lose too much weight in one week. You should take Glutamine, and, if you really have a weight problem, you should take metabolic enhancers, like Ripped Fuel (Only if you are 18), Metabolic Tyrolean, etc. And again, you should do a lot of cardio, aerobics, and stretching. Stretching is great for big guys, keeping them flexible and agile.
Eating for the six-pack:
In order to get a six-pack, you don't have to starve yourself, or go on some marathon, just to lose weight. You really don't even have to cut out all the fats you ate before, as long as you were maintaining your body weight. If you ate 90 grams of fat a day, and stayed at 175 pounds, you wouldn't need to cut back on all the fat. A lot of bodybuilders think they have to eat no body fat. The thing is, you just need to cut back on the amount. If you ate 4,000 calories a day, and maintained your weight, just cut back a little bit on every meal, and you will only be eating about 3,000 calories. Get my drift? You lower your caloric intake by decreasing the amount you eat. The only way to lose weight is to lower your caloric intake. If you eat 10 pounds of vegetables, you are still putting on 10 pounds. If you eat smaller, that is best way to lose the weight. But don't think you can pig out on all fat if you just cut back. You have to eat as little fat as possible. Try to stay away from saturated fat, because that is the hardest for your body to burn off. Also, be sure to try and keep the same amount of protein in your body as you were before, as it is very important in your muscles.
GOOD FOODS/DRINKS:
Protein:
There are plenty of good, low-fat protein foods out there. If you are a big egg eater, or a big meat eater, and are trying to stay away form all that fat, you can. Foods such as Tuna fish (Try to get all-white, because it has a little bit more protein, with only about a gram of fat per serving), Yogurt (Low-Fat), and skim milk are good sources of protein. The best way to keep the amount of protein you have is to use 100% whey protein, or protein drinks, such as Myoplex that give you good nutrients, too. Whey protein is excellent because it is easily used by your muscles. Only a certain percent of protein inside food is usable by your body (Also mentioned in Arnold's Book), and whey has an excellent percentage. Egg Protein is also very useful. If you already use Whey protein in your daily food intake, increase the amount, unless you are taking the maximum listed on the label. Some say take 1-4 times daily. If you only take 2 servings normally, try taking 3 or four, to get more protein, while you stay away from saturated fats in meats. Even though it is relatively high in fat, cottage cheese is a great source of protein. With just one ore two servings a day, you should be ok.
Celery:
I don't know why, but I don't really consider Celery a vegetable. I guess it's because celery is basically just water. That's right, celery is almost all water. In recent studies, it has actually been said that celery is 98-99% water, and you actually lose weight just by eating it! You lose the weight because you work the muscles in your mouth, eating basically nothing, as water has nutrition facts of 0% all the way down. That is why, when you really want to start dieting, to really eat a lot of celery, because it is very healthy for you.
Water:
Like I said earlier, water is basically just nothing. Your muscles need hydration to help them grow. Try to stay away from purified water, or any of those natural spring waters, because they lack the minerals of basic Earth water from a faucet.
Protein Shakes:
By protein shakes, I mean the kind you make with the protein powder you have. To be honest, it's by far the nastiest stuff I ever tasted (At least chocolate is). It gets very lumpy, and can only taste a little decent if it is in milk (I tried it with water, and I thought I would throw up). Of course, I am way too cheap to buy a powder mixer, so I just bear with what I have. The normal EAS whey protein has about 20 grams of protein per serving, and only a few grams of fat. There are also protein bars and meal replacements, but most of those can get pretty high in fat (At least for what I eat), but if you find a low fat bar, or you are content with the amount of fat in one of them, then by all means, try them.
You can pretty much keep your own diet at a low-fat, lower-intake level by yourself. All you have to do is look at the nutrition facts on the side of the container. Also, you should keep a track of what you eat, and how many calories, including protein, carbs, and fat.
Exercising the Abs:
BASICS:
First off, there are some basic exercises that you should know on training the abdominal muscles. They are your bread and butter exercises to start off with.
Crunch- The crunch emphasizes the upper-abs area. A crunch is done laying on the floor with your legs up at a 90 degree angle, calves parallel to the floor. You can put your hands behind your head, arms straight out, or you can have them folded over your chest. I like to fold them over my chest so I don't try to cheat bringing my arms down, and thus bending my neck, but you can do this however you like. After you are all set, just slowly crunch your body forward, bringing your chin as far forward as possible to feel the maximum burn.
Sit-Up- These are basically the only exercise that primarily emphasize the overall abdominal wall. Sure you have weighted sit-ups, etc., but you should really start out with just a normal sit-up. Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. I like to lock my feet under a chair when I do these. Again, you can either fold your arms over your chest, or have them behind your head. This time bring your whole body up, bringing your chest to your knees. Try to do these slowly, and hold your body up at the point where your muscles tense (Right above the floor), and never lay back down after one rep. Don't just go up, rest, go up, rest. Do as many as you can. I still do sit-ups, even though, in the New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, it says (Well, Arnold says) that sit-ups really only work your hip flexors. He says the same about leg raises, but I still feel a burn in my abs doing both.
Leg-Raises- You can do these either on a bench, hanging in the air, or on the floor. Lay (Or hang) down with your legs straight out and off the floor about 45 degrees. Now, keeping them locked, bring them as high as you can up toward your head (you won't go that far, but that would be where they go if you could). It is important that if you are hanging, bring your legs higher than parallel, because you only work the hip flexors if you don't.
Reverse Crunches- These are done the exact opposite way of the crunch. Hence the name, reverse crunch. I like to lay on an incline bench, or just flat on the floor, though incline helps me get better tension. Have your legs bent at 90 degrees, calves parallel to what you are laying on. Bring your legs (Still bent) back, bringing your knees close to your face. Repeat that step until you can't do any more. You can also try doing the crunch and reverse crunch at the same time, crunching while you bring your legs back, but I don't particularly like that (Which is probably because it's hard for me to do for some reason).
Those exercises are the very basic for the abdominals. Once you have gotten those exercises down, all the rest are basically just variations of them, so they won't be very hard to get. It really helps learning those first, because you can build a lot to work with in your abdominals by learning those exercises first.
MORE EXERCISES:
I'll start off with giving you different variations of the crunch. The crunches are basically the same movement, just with different equipment exceptions sometimes, such as:
• Rope Crunches
• Cable Crunches
• Incline/Decline Crunches
• And for the obliques, you can do twisting crunches.
For Rope and cable crunches, they are basically the same, except one uses a rope pulldown, and one uses a cable. To do these, kneel on the ground, holding either a rope or cables, and crunch your body downward, focusing on your abs, not your back. These are a great mass building exercise.
Incline and decline crunches are basically self-explanatory. Do decline crunches on a decline bench, and incline crunches on an incline bench. You have probably never heard of the incline crunch, but they are one of the best exercises for the upper abs. I usually hold weights up near my head and crunch downward (One weight in each hand). It really burn the top of your abs.
Twisting crunches are an oblique targeted. In the same position of a regular crunch, just twist your body to one side, and repeat the same to the other side.
Other Exercises:
Roman Chairs: You need a Roman Chair to do these, obviously. Just go as far down as possible, and crunch your body up.
Seated Leg tucks: Sit on the edge of a bench, legs hanging over the side, your but barely holding you on the bench. Leave your top abs crunched down, like you were flexing them. Keep them like that while you bring your legs up to your chest, like a reverse crunch. This kills your whole abdominal wall. You can do these on Incline/Decline boards also.
Obliques:
Seated Twists: Take a barbell behind your neck, and rotate your hips from side to side. This gets very tiring and burns your obliques a lot.
Bent over Twists: The same as seated Twists, except you are bent over doing them. Arnold's Exercises:
These are a few of the exercises are mentioned in Arnold's Encyclopedia:
• Side Leg Raises: Lay on your side, and lift your leg as high as you can. This targets your obliques. Repeat doing the other leg.
• Bent-Knee side leg raises: The same as a side leg raise, except you bend your knee.
• Vacuums: These are very complicated. Breathe out until you can't blow out anymore. Hold your abs sucked in as long as you can. Try doing it from 30-60 seconds. Try these kneeling, seated, etc.
Ab Killer:
I have done all these exercises, but the best exercise of them all isn't listed above. If you are ever in the gym, ask your trainer or a worker there about a physio ball. A physio ball is a great piece of equipment to do many exercises on, but the one I am talking about is the crunch. You see, a physio ball forces all your muscles to stay tense while you work a certain muscle or muscle group. If you were doing a bench press, all you focus on is your chest, triceps, and deltoids. Your back is at rest, as well as the rest of your muscles. On the physio ball, all these muscles stay tense while you work your abs.
Spot Reduction:
A lot of people think that if they go home and do a thousand crunches every night, that they will lose the fat on their stomach, or if they do a thousand curls, they lose fat in their arms. Spot reduction is when you lose fat from a certain part of your body. Unless you do liposuction at the doctor's office, this is impossible. I just wanted to clear that up.
Thanks , I hope that helped.
To start you off with what the abs are, there are two basic muscle groups involved. The Rectus Abdominus, which starts near your Pubis, all the way through the 5th through 7th ribs. That is the six-pack muscle. You have External Obliques also. They are the muscles on each side of your torso, right next to the Rectus Abdominus. The Intercoastals are also involved, the two muscle and tendon fiber planes between the ribs.
How can you get the abs you want?
The abs are the central, most visible part of your body. Everyone loves a six-pack (I hope!). A six-pack is harder to get for men, because of a disproportionate number of fat cells they carry. It has been said that you have to be at 13% body fat to have a six pack, but the way I see it, why would you try to just get by at 13% when you could just diet right and look even better (and make getting the six pack easier) if you brought yourself down to, say, 9% body fat. Like I said, everyone wants it, but not all of them are willing to pay the price. Although, not everyone has to pay the price. I was always jealous of the people who were born skinny and didn't really have to work for their six-packs. Some people are like that, but some are born overweight, and have a body type which makes it hard for them to lose weight. Don't worry, because anyone can do it if they want to.
Chances are, if you are that skinny person, you probably have a hard time gaining muscle. Most really skinny, or really small people have trouble gaining the muscle, because they don't have the muscle mass to show right off the bat. If you are overweight, chances are, you are pretty strong, because you have that much extra weight to carry around, but you have fat covering those muscles with no definition. So I will try to explain how to exercise for both groups of people. Skinny, hard gainers, and heavy, hard definers.
For skinny Guys:
It isn't much different than most heavy gainers. You should really exercise your abs whenever you work out, but you should pack the weight gainers. If you have real trouble gaining mass, you need to gain weight. Consume a lot more food (In slow steps, don't just eat 10 eggs one morning and get sick, but gradually start eating more), and do a lot less reps than those with more mass. Less reps means you are doing more weight for less reps, really lifting for power, which builds up mass, and that is what you need. You should really work your abs when you have the weight on, building them up with more weight than you had. For skinny kids, the hard thing is gaining weight. When you have a really hard stomach, and you want to start letting it show, then you should start to try and lose some of the weight you put on (Only fat, not muscle). You should lose, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding", only about 2 to 2.5 pounds of fat per week. I would suggest taking Glutamine (If you already don't) because it is said to keep muscle in your body. But the worst thing to do when trying to lose weight is to stop exercising. Never stop, or you lose a ton of muscle. Try doing a lot of cardio or aerobic exercises to burn off excess fat calories.
For Heavy Guys:
For heavy guys it is pretty much the opposite. Heavy guys don't need weight gainers, and the real massive bodybuilders really shouldn't use weight when exercising their abs, because that adds mass, and if you are bigger, or more massive, you really don't need that much more. A perfect example is Nasser El Sonbaty. He is a huge person, very big built, short arms, barrel chest, and massive muscles. Heavy guys should focus on Toning their muscles. Toning meaning more reps, less weight. I hate to say it guys, but you have to stay off the junk food. A lot of heavy people, its seems, just think about food and get bigger. Heavier guys should really work on increasing their metabolism a LOT! Squats are probably one of the best, if not THE best exercise to boost your metabolism. The same goes with big guys. Don't lose too much weight in one week. You should take Glutamine, and, if you really have a weight problem, you should take metabolic enhancers, like Ripped Fuel (Only if you are 18), Metabolic Tyrolean, etc. And again, you should do a lot of cardio, aerobics, and stretching. Stretching is great for big guys, keeping them flexible and agile.
Eating for the six-pack:
In order to get a six-pack, you don't have to starve yourself, or go on some marathon, just to lose weight. You really don't even have to cut out all the fats you ate before, as long as you were maintaining your body weight. If you ate 90 grams of fat a day, and stayed at 175 pounds, you wouldn't need to cut back on all the fat. A lot of bodybuilders think they have to eat no body fat. The thing is, you just need to cut back on the amount. If you ate 4,000 calories a day, and maintained your weight, just cut back a little bit on every meal, and you will only be eating about 3,000 calories. Get my drift? You lower your caloric intake by decreasing the amount you eat. The only way to lose weight is to lower your caloric intake. If you eat 10 pounds of vegetables, you are still putting on 10 pounds. If you eat smaller, that is best way to lose the weight. But don't think you can pig out on all fat if you just cut back. You have to eat as little fat as possible. Try to stay away from saturated fat, because that is the hardest for your body to burn off. Also, be sure to try and keep the same amount of protein in your body as you were before, as it is very important in your muscles.
GOOD FOODS/DRINKS:
Protein:
There are plenty of good, low-fat protein foods out there. If you are a big egg eater, or a big meat eater, and are trying to stay away form all that fat, you can. Foods such as Tuna fish (Try to get all-white, because it has a little bit more protein, with only about a gram of fat per serving), Yogurt (Low-Fat), and skim milk are good sources of protein. The best way to keep the amount of protein you have is to use 100% whey protein, or protein drinks, such as Myoplex that give you good nutrients, too. Whey protein is excellent because it is easily used by your muscles. Only a certain percent of protein inside food is usable by your body (Also mentioned in Arnold's Book), and whey has an excellent percentage. Egg Protein is also very useful. If you already use Whey protein in your daily food intake, increase the amount, unless you are taking the maximum listed on the label. Some say take 1-4 times daily. If you only take 2 servings normally, try taking 3 or four, to get more protein, while you stay away from saturated fats in meats. Even though it is relatively high in fat, cottage cheese is a great source of protein. With just one ore two servings a day, you should be ok.
Celery:
I don't know why, but I don't really consider Celery a vegetable. I guess it's because celery is basically just water. That's right, celery is almost all water. In recent studies, it has actually been said that celery is 98-99% water, and you actually lose weight just by eating it! You lose the weight because you work the muscles in your mouth, eating basically nothing, as water has nutrition facts of 0% all the way down. That is why, when you really want to start dieting, to really eat a lot of celery, because it is very healthy for you.
Water:
Like I said earlier, water is basically just nothing. Your muscles need hydration to help them grow. Try to stay away from purified water, or any of those natural spring waters, because they lack the minerals of basic Earth water from a faucet.
Protein Shakes:
By protein shakes, I mean the kind you make with the protein powder you have. To be honest, it's by far the nastiest stuff I ever tasted (At least chocolate is). It gets very lumpy, and can only taste a little decent if it is in milk (I tried it with water, and I thought I would throw up). Of course, I am way too cheap to buy a powder mixer, so I just bear with what I have. The normal EAS whey protein has about 20 grams of protein per serving, and only a few grams of fat. There are also protein bars and meal replacements, but most of those can get pretty high in fat (At least for what I eat), but if you find a low fat bar, or you are content with the amount of fat in one of them, then by all means, try them.
You can pretty much keep your own diet at a low-fat, lower-intake level by yourself. All you have to do is look at the nutrition facts on the side of the container. Also, you should keep a track of what you eat, and how many calories, including protein, carbs, and fat.
Exercising the Abs:
BASICS:
First off, there are some basic exercises that you should know on training the abdominal muscles. They are your bread and butter exercises to start off with.
Crunch- The crunch emphasizes the upper-abs area. A crunch is done laying on the floor with your legs up at a 90 degree angle, calves parallel to the floor. You can put your hands behind your head, arms straight out, or you can have them folded over your chest. I like to fold them over my chest so I don't try to cheat bringing my arms down, and thus bending my neck, but you can do this however you like. After you are all set, just slowly crunch your body forward, bringing your chin as far forward as possible to feel the maximum burn.
Sit-Up- These are basically the only exercise that primarily emphasize the overall abdominal wall. Sure you have weighted sit-ups, etc., but you should really start out with just a normal sit-up. Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. I like to lock my feet under a chair when I do these. Again, you can either fold your arms over your chest, or have them behind your head. This time bring your whole body up, bringing your chest to your knees. Try to do these slowly, and hold your body up at the point where your muscles tense (Right above the floor), and never lay back down after one rep. Don't just go up, rest, go up, rest. Do as many as you can. I still do sit-ups, even though, in the New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, it says (Well, Arnold says) that sit-ups really only work your hip flexors. He says the same about leg raises, but I still feel a burn in my abs doing both.
Leg-Raises- You can do these either on a bench, hanging in the air, or on the floor. Lay (Or hang) down with your legs straight out and off the floor about 45 degrees. Now, keeping them locked, bring them as high as you can up toward your head (you won't go that far, but that would be where they go if you could). It is important that if you are hanging, bring your legs higher than parallel, because you only work the hip flexors if you don't.
Reverse Crunches- These are done the exact opposite way of the crunch. Hence the name, reverse crunch. I like to lay on an incline bench, or just flat on the floor, though incline helps me get better tension. Have your legs bent at 90 degrees, calves parallel to what you are laying on. Bring your legs (Still bent) back, bringing your knees close to your face. Repeat that step until you can't do any more. You can also try doing the crunch and reverse crunch at the same time, crunching while you bring your legs back, but I don't particularly like that (Which is probably because it's hard for me to do for some reason).
Those exercises are the very basic for the abdominals. Once you have gotten those exercises down, all the rest are basically just variations of them, so they won't be very hard to get. It really helps learning those first, because you can build a lot to work with in your abdominals by learning those exercises first.
MORE EXERCISES:
I'll start off with giving you different variations of the crunch. The crunches are basically the same movement, just with different equipment exceptions sometimes, such as:
• Rope Crunches
• Cable Crunches
• Incline/Decline Crunches
• And for the obliques, you can do twisting crunches.
For Rope and cable crunches, they are basically the same, except one uses a rope pulldown, and one uses a cable. To do these, kneel on the ground, holding either a rope or cables, and crunch your body downward, focusing on your abs, not your back. These are a great mass building exercise.
Incline and decline crunches are basically self-explanatory. Do decline crunches on a decline bench, and incline crunches on an incline bench. You have probably never heard of the incline crunch, but they are one of the best exercises for the upper abs. I usually hold weights up near my head and crunch downward (One weight in each hand). It really burn the top of your abs.
Twisting crunches are an oblique targeted. In the same position of a regular crunch, just twist your body to one side, and repeat the same to the other side.
Other Exercises:
Roman Chairs: You need a Roman Chair to do these, obviously. Just go as far down as possible, and crunch your body up.
Seated Leg tucks: Sit on the edge of a bench, legs hanging over the side, your but barely holding you on the bench. Leave your top abs crunched down, like you were flexing them. Keep them like that while you bring your legs up to your chest, like a reverse crunch. This kills your whole abdominal wall. You can do these on Incline/Decline boards also.
Obliques:
Seated Twists: Take a barbell behind your neck, and rotate your hips from side to side. This gets very tiring and burns your obliques a lot.
Bent over Twists: The same as seated Twists, except you are bent over doing them. Arnold's Exercises:
These are a few of the exercises are mentioned in Arnold's Encyclopedia:
• Side Leg Raises: Lay on your side, and lift your leg as high as you can. This targets your obliques. Repeat doing the other leg.
• Bent-Knee side leg raises: The same as a side leg raise, except you bend your knee.
• Vacuums: These are very complicated. Breathe out until you can't blow out anymore. Hold your abs sucked in as long as you can. Try doing it from 30-60 seconds. Try these kneeling, seated, etc.
Ab Killer:
I have done all these exercises, but the best exercise of them all isn't listed above. If you are ever in the gym, ask your trainer or a worker there about a physio ball. A physio ball is a great piece of equipment to do many exercises on, but the one I am talking about is the crunch. You see, a physio ball forces all your muscles to stay tense while you work a certain muscle or muscle group. If you were doing a bench press, all you focus on is your chest, triceps, and deltoids. Your back is at rest, as well as the rest of your muscles. On the physio ball, all these muscles stay tense while you work your abs.
Spot Reduction:
A lot of people think that if they go home and do a thousand crunches every night, that they will lose the fat on their stomach, or if they do a thousand curls, they lose fat in their arms. Spot reduction is when you lose fat from a certain part of your body. Unless you do liposuction at the doctor's office, this is impossible. I just wanted to clear that up.
Thanks , I hope that helped.
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