Abs Workout

Abs Workout

Medicine Ball Pass - Add this ab blaster to your current routine to shake things up!

Hold a medicine ball in your left hand at chest level as you lie on the floor, knees bent.

Simultaneously lift your shoulders off the floor, lift your left leg up, extend your left hand and pass the ball under your left leg to your right hand. Once it's in your right hand, lower your torso and left leg. Next, lift your right leg as you raise your upper body and pass the ball under your right leg to your left hand. Alternate sides. Keep both feet off the floor for the set.

Oblique Cable Crunch - Throw in a twist to carve up your obliques!

- Grasp a rope handle attached to a high cable pulley and kneel about 2 feet from the weight stack.

- Turn your body about 45 degrees to the left so that you're at an angle to the cable apparatus.

- Position your hands down on top of your head and keep your arms locked in this position throughout the exercise. Your knees should be bent at close to a 90-degree angle, and your hips should create an angle just beyond 90 degrees between your torso and thighs.

- Inhale and hold your breath as you pull down against the resistance, flexing and twisting your spine by contracting your abdominals and obliques. Attempt to bring your right elbow to your left knee.

- Hold this position for a second as you forcefully exhale and contract your abs and obliques.

- Slowly return to the start position, resisting the weight with your abs and obliques.

- Pause for a moment, then inhale and repeat for repetitions.

Ideal Training Program for Amateur Bodybuilder

Bodybuilding - Ideal Training Program for Amateur Bodybuilder

1. Train No More Than 4 Days Per Week:

There is simply no need to train more than 4 days per week. Some people with poor recovery ability might be better off with only three training days per week. Train on the days that are most convenient for you, but make sure you pay attention to rule #2.

2. Train No More Than 2 Days In A Row:

In my experience, after two straight days in the gym there is a need to take 1-2 days off. I have seen how time and again, strength and muscular endurance take a large dip after 2 straight days of intense training.

Also, I have noticed that when the average person trains 3 or 4 straight days, that the immune system becomes compromised, making you more susceptible to illness or injury. Remember, we do not grow in the gym, but at home while we rest.

3. Workouts Should Last No More Than 60-75 Minutes:

There is scientific evidence that after this period of time, that testosterone levels begin to drop and cortisol begins to rise dramatically. This will drag your body down by making it more difficult to achieve an anabolic (growth-inducing) state once the workout has ended.

Besides, there is no reason a workout should take longer than this. If it is, chances are you are doing too many sets and/or exercises, or, you are being far too social in the gym. If you are serious about getting big, get in the gym, do what you have to, and get out.

4. Mostly Free Weight Compound Movements Should Be Used:

While I have nothing against machines and cables, there is no doubt that the best muscle builders are free-weight compound exercises. Huge physique were built in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s with little more than barbells and dumbbells.

The balance and concentration is takes to lift free weights activates more muscles, more muscle fibers, and "excites" the nervous system more than machines or cables do.

If you talk to most of the biggest guys around, almost all of them will tell you that they built most of their mass with basic exercises like bench presses, deadlifts, squats, military presses, bent rows, barbell curls, and lying tricep extensions. There is nothing wrong with using machines or cables, but if you want to get huge, make free-weights the cornerstone of your program.

5. Most Work Sets Should Be In The 6-12 Rep Range:

Studies have shown that lower reps (1-5) tend to build strength and higher reps (13 -20) muscular endurance. That does not mean that they cannot build ANY muscle, just that those rep ranges are not optimal when hypertrophy is the main goal.

The rep range of 6-12 keeps the muscle fibers under tension for an ideal amount of time, and with enough resistance to affect growth. For your work sets you should shoot to reach momentary muscular failure somewhere between the 6th and 12th rep.

6. Strict Form Must Be Used:

Using strict form on all of your exercises will assure that you are stimulating the muscle that you wish to target. Those that "throw" the weights up when doing side laterals or barbell curls, for example, are only cheating themselves out of growth. The primary reason that people do this is to create the illusion that they are stronger than they are. But take anyone that can "cheat curl" 150 lbs and make them do the movement strictly and you will find that they might barely be able to curl 110 lbs.

How to Burn Abdominal Fat

Bodybuilding - How to Burn Abdominal Fat

Burn the Fat

The best way to slim down in the middle is to do plenty of cardiovascular exercise. Some good examples of this are:

walking 
jogging 
swimming 
aerobics 
bicycling

...and high-activity sports like racquetball, tennis and basketball. Anything that brings your heart rate to its training zone and keeps it there for at least twenty minutes conditions your heart and burns fat.

As you lose subcutaneous fat, your skin will become more taut. As the fat within your muscles decreases, you will appear more toned and less flabby. The number one thing you need to think about is the cardio. Five times a week!

The most important thing you need to do is to program yourself mentally. Don't use a scale to measure your progress. If you work out with weights, you may gain a few pounds while losing inches around the waist. Instead, use that pair of jeans that you want to fit into again, or a pair that fits you now. You'll see a slight change every few weeks, and that should give you confidence.

Is Your Workout Making You Sick

Bodybuilding - Is Your Workout Making You Sick

What is overtraining? Quite plainly, overtraining occurs when the amount of exercise we do goes beyond our capacity to recover from it. Pushing yourself too hard is way more common than most people realize. 

There is a drive in many of us when we're just starting out to want to move beyond the "beginner" level. We want to push ourselves into the "advanced" category as quickly as possible, and get fitter and better and we want it now, now, now! But it isn't just newcomers to fitness who push themselves too far. 

I've often seen seasoned athletes overtrain. Bodybuilders are often guilty of overtraining when they are preparing for a contest. They feel they need to work as hard as possible to be as ripped as possible, when in reality they need to tone down their exertion levels because they're taking in fewer calories during their pre-contest diet. Anyone can get caught up in doing too much, athletes and average folk alike. 

So how do you know if you may be overtraining? Here are a few of the most common symptoms: 

Fatigue 
General Aches And Pains 
Muscle Soreness 
Joint Pain 
Increased Resting Heart Rate 
Trouble Sleeping 
Loss Of Enthusiasm For Working Out 
Headaches 
Decreased Immunity 
Fever 
Decreased Athletic Performance 

Any of this sound familiar? Never fear. It's easy to counteract the effects of overtraining. Rest! A common mistake people make is to keep pushing through the pain and fatigue, thinking they will lose all the progress they've made if they were to take a break.

10 Secrets for Fat Loss

Bodybuilding - 10 Secrets for Fat Loss

 

 

1. Consume 5 to 6 meals per day.

2. Consume protein-rich food sources at each meal to boost your metabolism.

3. Eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

4. Limit the consumption of fructose-rich foods to the morning.

5. Perform high intensity weight training to lose fat.

6. Perform aerobics in the morning on an empty stomach.

7. Take a powerful fat burner before your aerobic session.

8. Drink plenty of water during the day to boost your metabolism.

9. Supplement your diet with calcium.

10. Get a good and restful night of sleep to trim down.