Achieving a flat stomach is easier than you think, but it’s like anything else, you
just need the right tools for the job.
Last week’s article went over the dietary aspects to achieving a trim midsection
and this week I will cover the exercises you need to be doing to tone and tighten
your abs. Many of these exercises will fly in the face of what you have been
taught over the past 20 years, but then again, times change and there are now
decades worth of research proving what really is the most effective and efficient
way to develop a tight stomach.
One of the misconceptions that we need to eliminate before we go any
further is the idea that more is better. I hear people say all the time that
they need to get in their 500 crunches for the day. Why would anyone do that
many crunches? For what reason and why the number 500? Where did that
come from?
There are absolutely no good reasons to answer these questions and thankfully
there is also no need to ever perform that many crunches in a week, never mind
a day. Trust me, the only thing 500 crunches a day is going to get you is a
lower back injury. With that much force, rounding, and repetition going on,
your back has very little defense against a disc injury. Besides, dedicating that
much time to a thin layer of abdominal muscles leaves you little time to
concentrate on the movements that are actually going to speed up your
metabolism and increase your energy expenditure.
Let’s cut right to the chase, get you off your back, and on to completing
exercises that will have you burning body fat in no time flat.
Here is a partial list of the top non-traditional abs exercises:
Front Squat (dumbbell or barbell)
1-Legged Reach (dumbbell or band)
1 arm standing chest press (cable or band)
Pull-ups (assisted with a band if needed)
Here are some approved traditional abs/core exercises:
Hanging leg raises (use elbow straps if needed)
Plank/Iso-Prone (body weight)
Boat/V-Pose (body weight)
Chops (cable, band, or dumbbell)
These 8 exercises will literally revolutionize the way your midsection feels. The
reason? You can’t cheat! These particular exercises force you to engage your
deep abdominal and core muscles in order to keep your balance and perform
them with proper form.
If you’re ready to transform your current belly fat into trim, tone, and
tight abs, then you have to incorporate these types of exercises. When
they are done in an interval fashion these movements will wipe out your need
for traditional, long, slow, and boring cardio and the typical “crunch.”
No one has time for 500 ineffective crunches or long bouts of repetitive cardio.
That’s the way things use to be done 10, 20, and 30 years ago, but times have
certainly changed. It’s time to welcome the new efficiency of compound
exercises done in an interval training program.
Your results will not go unnoticed!
Committed to your success,
Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS
Author of Fatlossity – Lose5in7 Weight Loss System
Health Consultant for MTV, NutritionData, Diet.com, Gather, EDGE
Stephen Cabral is a national health correspondent with over 10 years of credentials. He
holds national and international certifications in strength & conditioning, personal training,
yoga and nutrition. For more information on his Free Trim, Tone & Tighten Newsletter seen
by over 100,000 readers each week sign up at www.StephenCabral.com
Click below for details on how to lose belly fat and burn off 5 pounds in less than a week!
“I have made more progress with Steve than I have on my own or with other
trainers in the last 10 years. I have lost over 12 lbs, 3 inches off my waist, and
decreased my body fat. Steve is fun to work with and at the same time very
motivational.”
– Mark Anxil
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