A Guide to Six pack abs

A guide to effective abdominal crunches

2008-01-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

Pilates for Precision Toning and Shaping

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Boxing for a nice ab

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The Pilates way to working the abs

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Pretty non sweaty way to get it done....

Dont underestimate the power of strength/endurance training

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You dont need no treadmill to get that six pack

2008-01-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

NO TREADMILL? NO PROBLEM.. HERE IS A GREAT TIP - For more of the funniest videos, click here

No treadmill? No problem. The video shows you how to do well without it.

Six packs without the crunches

2008-01-27T09:01:00.000-08:00

Flat Abs Without Doing Crunches - The most amazing bloopers are here

Tired of the crunches and situps that you need to do? Then try this regime that uses other ways.

Six packs with pilates

2008-01-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Exercise And Fitness Video: Sexy Pilates Abs 2 - Watch a funny movie here

A graceful and less stressful way to get that six pack..

Cardio when short on time

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Cardio When Short On Time. - Watch more amazing videos here

12 Minute intense workout

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INTENSE 12-Min Fitness Training Routine - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Short on time? Get intense. Good enough to get your metabolism going over the roof.

Get the most out of your push ups

2008-01-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

GREAT PUSH UP TIPS FOR A STRONGER AND LEANER BODY - More bloopers are a click away

A pretty neat and safer idea to build better resistance to enhance the effectiveness of push ups. Though the same material may not be available at hand, you could always think of ways to get more resistance with stuff that you can find.

Lower back exercises without any equipment

2008-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

Top 8 Low Back Exercises Without Any Equipment - Funny bloopers R us

6 minutes to stay fit on a holiday

2008-01-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

6 Minute Holiday Workout - Stay Fit During The Holiday - The most amazing home videos are here

It is common for us to get lazy while holidaying and skip our daily workout regime. After all, during a holiday, who would need to spare time for such routines. This regime is an ideal quick workout while holidaying to stay fit.

5 never before seen ab exercises revealed

2008-01-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

Never Before Seen Top 5 Abs Exercise REVEALED To Metacafe Membe - The most popular videos are a click away

A 3 minute routine to six pack abs

2008-01-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

3 Minute Fast Abs Routine - The funniest bloopers are right here

Six pack abs Now!! by Blake Adams

2008-01-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

6 Pack Abs NOW! Taught By Personal Trainer Blake Adams - The best bloopers are here

18 methods of working the abdominal muscle by Blake Adams.

Six minute workouts to six pack abs

2008-01-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

How To Get Six Pack Abs In 6 Minutes On Your Couch. This Works! - More free videos are here

Pretty practical and easy to do. Best suited for those who have the patience, and those who are lean enough. In case one has a lot of flab in them, it would be advisable to get into a more intense regime.

Ten foods tha can help burn fat

2008-01-25T02:54:00.000-08:00

1. Cayenne Pepper
2. Cinnamon
3. Ginger
4. Citrus Fruits
5. Apples and Berries
6. Soybeans
7. Bananas
8. Essential Fatty Acids
9. Garlic
10. Dairy Products

[via: GourmetGlam at ThisNext.com]

Burn Fat and Stay Healthy

2008-01-25T02:53:00.001-08:00

How to Burn Fat and Stay Healthy

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Finally. Learn how to lose that unwanted excess weight and get the definition and health benefits you've been wanting.

Steps

Fat is not important as calories for controlling weight. Just make sure you’re eating healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated and Trans fat. The less the better. You should not be eating more than 20grams of saturated fat per day.
Cut down on processed foods. Stick with all natural foods which have little added preservatives and chemicals. If you can’t find it in nature think twice before you go eating it.
Eat more. Yep you heard right. Instead of the 3 square meals a day, go for 6 micro meals to keep your metabolism geared up to burn and your insulin levels steady.
Eat more protein. Your body needs protein to support the muscle it has. Also, muscle helps speed your metabolism since it requires 50 calories a day just to support a pound of muscle. Just make sure you’re sticking with quality proteins such as lean meats, fish, and poultry. Whey and Soy Proteins are also good choices. Stay away from meats with high saturated fats.
Eat your protein at every meal. Spread it evenly throughout the day. This way your body is constantly using it for rebuilding all day long.
Control your portions by eating low energy-density foods. Foods such as vegetables and fruits have low energy density which makes them less likely to be overeaten. They are also packed with nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which ensure your metabolism has the resources to do its job more efficiently.
Don't cut any one food group. You should be consuming carbohydrates, protein, and fat at every meal. This will keep you balanced.
Limit your liquid intake. Drinks such as soda and fruit juices have tons of calories which can add up quickly without leaving you full. Switching to a diet soda can reduce the calories, but in order to become truly healthy, even these types of drinks should be avoided.
H20. Water is a major player in weight control. Besides being a major part of your body, water helps flush metabolic wastes keeping your metabolism charged. It also helps you feel fuller helping you to eat less. Don't wait until you feel thirsty. Start by drinking at least a half-gallon of water everyday. For active people, move up to a gallon per day.
Eat more fiber. By consuming at least 30 grams of fiber daily, you will feel fuller than you would by not eating the fiber. Fiber also helps out your health by latching on to LDL cholesterol and flushing it out of your system. Some good sources of fiber include vegetables (with the skin), fruits (with the skin), whole-grain breads, and high fiber cereals such as Kashi and Fiber One. One simple thing to boost fiber intake would be to eat an Orange instead of drinking Orange Juice. It has less calories, more fiber and bound to make you feel more satisfied.
Eat your complex grains early in the day and then stick with the water rich carbohydrates such as fruit in the evening. This has to do with the way insulin is secreted into the bloodstream.
Makes some changes. While eating healthy is a good start, you’re never going to reach your full potential for a leaner body unless you get active and start sleeping better. Aim for 7-8 hours per night More or less than that can have negative effects on your health.
No more fast food. Do I need to explain?
Eat your meals slower.
Eat some fish. Fish such as salmon is rich in Omega-3s which is an Essential Fatty Acid. This helps keep your heart healthy, and keeps the bad fat out. Fatty fish such as salmon, halibut and shellfish help reduce the size of fat cells and help out with fat loss.
Switch to lower glycemic foods. See some good ones at: http://www.gycemicindex.com
Cut out all hydrogenated fats (Trans fat), and High Fructose Corn Syrup. Both are keeping you fat. They send signals to the brain telling you that you are not full even though you have eaten. This is why it’s hard to drink 3 big glasses of water, but easy to down a 2 liter bottle of soda.
Exercise.
Don't starve yourself. While eating healthy is good and great, don't stress yourself out by not eating the foods you love some of the time. Have a piece of cake at the party. Share a beer or two at the bar. The key is moderation. Try not to overdo it and limit your cheats to once a week.

Tips

Mix strength training with cardio exercise to boost your metabolism and fat loss.
Don't fall into a daze while working out on the treadmill or bike. It should feel "comfortably hard". Go too easy and you won't see any results.
On that note, don't go too hard either. You'll end up hurting yourself and getting injured which will lead to a lack of exercise.

Warnings

Make sure you consult a doctor before beginning any type of health plan or exercise regimen.

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Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Burn Fat and Stay Healthy. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Drink More Water!!

2008-01-25T02:52:00.000-08:00

How to Drink More Water Everyday

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There are a variety of reasons to drink plenty of water each day. Adequate water intake prevents dehydration, cleans out the body, and promotes healing processes. Substituting water for beverages high in calories can also help control weight. Follow the steps below to make sure you're getting enough of this most basic necessity.

Steps

Determine how much water you need. You've probably heard the "8 by 8" rule - drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (2 qts, 1.8 l) - but the amount of water a person needs varies depending on his or her weight and activity level. Another way to determine your specific recommended water intake is to divide your weight (in pounds) by two. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you need each day. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., strive to drink 75 ounces of water daily. For those who use the Metric system, divide your weight (in kilograms) by 30 (ex. somebody weighing 70 kg is going to need 2.3 litres per day). Keep in mind that these recommended intake numbers are controversial and some experts believe they are a gross exaggeration. See "warnings" below for more information.
Measure your daily intake of water. Do this for a few days. If you find that you're drinking less than the recommended quantity, try some of the following tips.
Carry water with you everywhere you go in a bottle or other container. Before long, you'll find yourself reaching for it without a second thought.
Keep a glass or cup of water next to you whenever you'll be sitting down for a long time, such as when you're at your desk at work. Drink from it regularly as you're working.
Try wearing a digital watch that beeps at the beginning of each hour. Use that as a reminder to pour yourself a glass of water. Vow to drink that water before the next beep. If you drink only one small (6 ounce or 180 ml) cup per hour, you'll have consumed 48 ounces (1.4 l) by the end of an 8-hour workday.
Get a water purification system. Purified water tastes very good and may help make drinking water more appealing to you. Be aware, though, that as you grow accustomed to purified water, you may find that tap water leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Add lemons or limes to your water, it makes it taste better and makes you want to drink more of it. Be careful not to make it too sour, just a splash of sourness should do the trick. Some mint leaves can be added to a pitcher of water which should be allowed to sit overnight. These are cheap alternatives to the bottled flavoured water.
Eat water rich foods, such as fruits like watermelon, which is 92 % water by weight. Blend up some seedless fresh watermelon flesh with some ice and place a few sprigs of mint (optional) - one of the most refreshing drinks, especially for the summertime. Cranberry juice is also another option, and has a bitter taste. It is advised to patients suffering from urinary infection caused by insufficient intake of water to drink cranberry juice and watermelon if not plain water everyday. A tomato is 95 % water. An egg is about 74 % water. A piece of lean meat is about 70 %water.
Try having 8 glasses (1600ml) of water a day - 2 before breakfast, 2 between breakfast and lunch, 2 between lunch and dinner, and 2 after dinner. It may take a while to get used to, but it will be very good for you.

Tips

Except in very rare cases, it is not necessary to buy expensive bottled water. Companies that sell water have a financial interest in convincing you that tap water is undesirable. A simple water filtration system or boiling of the water will help reduce these risks. Most studies done today of water sources in the US say that the tap water is just as clean and healthy as bottled water. The only time bottled water is necessary is when in a developing or third world country.
Instead of that Coke, try a glass of water. It may not be as tasty, but it's a lot better for you than drinking almost ten teaspoons (50 ml) of white sugar. It's also considerably cheaper, especially if you drink tap water.
If you really can't stand the taste of your water, try adding a tiny bit of fruit juice or a squeeze of lemon or lime - just enough to slightly change the taste. Refrigerating your water may also help make it more palatable.
For a feeling of accomplishment, fill two 32-ounce (1 l) water bottles (or one big 64-ounce (2 l) bottle, as in the full "8x8" (2 l) amount) in the morning and make sure you have consumed the contents of both by the end of the day.
Drinking a full glass of water first thing in the morning helps wake the body up. So kick-start your day with water!
Water helps you look good. By flushing out toxins and impurities, water can make your skin clearer, smoother and younger looking.
Drinking water helps you control hunger. Drink a large glass of ice water 20 minutes before meals. The cold causes your stomach to shrink somewhat, which will make you feel full more rapidly.
Whether drinking tap or bottled water, do some research on the source. In some places, such as Philadelphia, the tap water actually contains the same electrolytes that are in Gatorade. On the other hand it's also possible that your bottled water may be from a different source than its name suggests. If the bottle says 'Municipal Water Supply' or something to that effect, then the company has simply bottled tap water, and you're probably wasting your money.
If you find out you have lead plumbing, and water is abundant in your area, let the water run for about thirty seconds before filling your glass. This can reduce the amount of lead - and the bad taste that accompanies it - in the water you drink. If you live in an area with a shortage of water, however, this is probably not a good option. But you should probably just buy a refillable jug from the local grocery store and refill it with purified, lead-free water so you don't waste water and get lead poisoning.
Every time you walk past a water fountain, take a sip or two.
Gradually increase your daily intake of water by starting with, for example, 1 l. Keep a 1-l bottle of water in the fridge and aim to have it finished by the end of the day. Increase this amount every day.
Vow to drink only water for a month. Once your body becomes accustomed to it, it will be hard not to drink enough water. Also, by the end of the month water starts to taste delicious... no lie!
To get the needed 8 oz. (250 ml) glasses of water, say 8, put 8 hair ties or rubber bands on your right hand to represent each glass of water you need. When you drink one of the glasses, switch one rubber band to your left hand. Your goal is to get 8 hair ties on your left hand before the day is up! Or simply start with a 2-l bottle of water and make sure it's empty by the end of the day.
If you don't like the taste of water try hot water. It's a different taste and it feels good on your throat!
Try drinking cold water out of a glass instead of a plastic or paper cup. The glass will retain the cold better than other materials and will keep your water crisp and fresh-tasting longer.
Crystal Light flavours water and has practically no calories or carbs, but don't use too much... just a pinch to flavour your water
Try getting a really cool waterbottle that you enjoy having around, it makes drinking water more fun!
Also you can try eating saltier foods before having a glass of water; it'll make your mouth a bit drier and you'll feel the need to drink more water.
Eat ice, it's water and it tastes really good! Just don't chew it; that will ruin your teeth.
Try setting a glass of water near where you are, for example if you're sitting at a computer for a long period of time. Sometimes, you will automatically drink without realizing it. Your mind knows when you're thirsty, even if you don't.
If you don't want to put anything fruity in your water, try adding a Splenda to your plain water. It gives it a bit of a sweet taste and makes it easier to drink if you don't like the taste of water.
Take a hot bath and keep a few bottles of water on the shelf of the bathtub. The heat will make you thirsty and the water will taste great.
Don't like the taste of water? Use a straw. You won't taste the water as much, because it will skip part of your tongue.
If you like the bubbly aspect of soda and want to get your daily water needs, try drinking seltzer/club soda/carbonated soda. Seltzer also comes in lots of different flavors too.
If your urine is dark yellow you may not be drinking enough water.
Vitaminwater is healthy for your body, but does have sugar. Do not drink too much. One small bottle a day will do fine to get your healthy vitamin dose.

Warnings

Increasing your water intake may cause you to have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. To avoid this, you may want to stop drinking water a few hours before bedtime--or make sure you visit the toilet before bed!
While adequate water is essential to health, it is possible to drink too much water or any other beverage, and there has been considerable scientific debate surrounding how much water a person really needs per day. According to Snopes - http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp - the Los Angeles Times has reported that "Kidney specialists do agree on one thing, however: that the 8-by-8 (2 L) rule is a gross overestimate of any required minimum. To replace daily losses of water, an average-sized adult with healthy kidneys sitting in a temperate climate needs no more than one liter of fluid...the equivalent of about four 8-ounce (250 ml) glasses. According to most estimates, that's roughly the amount of water most Americans get in solid food. In short, though doctors don't recommend it, many of us could cover our bare-minimum daily water needs without drinking anything during the day."
People with some heart conditions, high blood pressure or swelling of the lower legs (edema) need to avoid excess water. If you have a history of kidney problems, especially if you have had a transplant, consult your doctor before increasing your fluid intakes.
You shouldn't drink too much water while eating as it dilutes your stomach acid and can cause digestion problems.
If you live in a place with a lot of heat (e.g., the desert), you will have to drink extra water.
It is possible to "overdose" on water. Water intoxication occurs when the electrolytes in the body are so diluted that they have trouble keeping the balance of water even inside and outside of individual cells. What that means is that drinking too much water (while not getting enough electrolytes) can cause your cells to burst. This is highly unlikely unless you are a marathon runner who has never heard of Gatorade. If you plan on doing heavy prolonged exercise, be sure to alternate sports drinks with regular water to keep your electrolytes in balance.
Crystal Lite, Gatorade and other electrolyte drinks contain acetic acid which can increase rates of tooth decay. There is no real reason to drink electrolyte drinks unless you are heavily exercising (see above).
Be aware that some elderly individuals with difficulty walking may avoid drinking adequate amounts of water, as they have difficulty transferring/walking to the bathroom. In such cases, a bedside commode may be useful. If you are caring for such an individual, encourage them to drink the necessary amount of water and reassure him/her that you can help them with the transfer to the commode.

Things You'll Need

Bottle (Optional)
Money (If you buy bottled water)
Discipline (Don't give up)
Water
Counter (keep up with how much you drink)

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Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Drink More Water Everyday. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A guide to eating less during a Meal

2008-01-25T02:51:00.001-08:00

How to Eat Less During a Meal

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you think you are overweight, but have not been confirmed by a doctor then you should immediatly! Starving yourself skinny can lead to many illnesses and disease!

Steps

Before eating a meal, look at yourself in the mirror. You can see all the fat on your body and you don't want it there. Repeat that to yourself 5 times before eating.
Act as if too much food will kill you. Only take what you can eat, and if someone is serving you, remind them that you don't want a large portion.
Some time or another, somebody will offer you a second plate of food. If you are that hungry, take it, but if you are already full, kindly put down the offer.
Don't feel forced to finish your plate! If you can't eat it all, thank the host but apologize and say that you couldn't finish it.
Eat slowly and enjoy every mouthful! Don't feel as if it is a race. Chew carefully and bring up conversation.

Tips

If you feel tempted to eat before/after a meal, chew gum to keep your mouth full.
When you feel a sudden craving, brush your teeth with strong mint toothpaste that will make anything sweet taste sour.

Warnings

There is a difference from deathly skinny, overweight and healthy.
Being anorexic can cause death and is a severe life-threatening issue.
Talk to a doctor if you feel as if you are always hungry and can't stop yourself from eating.
Being overweight can cause many heart diseases and diabetes! Being healthy and happy is much better for your life!

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Eat Less During a Meal. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A guide to enhancing Metabolism

2008-01-25T02:50:00.001-08:00

How to Increase Your Metabolism

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Increasing your metabolism is a great way to lose weight. Once you get used to it, it's actually pretty easy.

Steps

Eat breakfast! Break-the-fast. You've been going hours without food, which isn't good for your metabolism. Eat something healthy. It doesn't have to be a feast, in fact, it shouldn't be. Just a little food to tide you over until the next meal. It'll keep you going and prevent you from eating too much later in the day.
Eat in small proportions. Did you know it takes about 15 minutes to get the signal that you're eating to your stomach? That means that if you stuff your face, you'll still feel hungry in that 15 minutes. Take bites every 2 or 3 minutes. Eating with company is a good way, because you'll be talking more often (and obviously you shouldn't eat while you talk). It really works. Doctors say it's best to eat 4-6 small meals 2-3 hours apart. Avoid gaps of 5-6 hours when you're not eating.
Exercise a lot! Strength training is great for increasing your metabolism because it grows your muscle mass (which in turn is metabolically active), which means that your passive metabolism rate will increase to keep up with the high energy demands of your increased muscle mass. Secondly, strength training in particular provides a so-called "after-burn effect", which increases metabolism for up to 24 hours after you finish exercising.
Eat healthy foods. Some of them include whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruit, and more. Not only does this help your metabolism, but it has the added bonus of giving you energy.
Be more active. This doesn't mean that you have to join every sport there is. You can just increase your activity in and around the house. Little things such as taking the dog for a run can make a big difference.
Walk 30-40 minutes 3-4 days a week.
Record your results. Each week, before breakfast, weigh yourself. Keep track so that you can see the changes.
Spicy food increases your metabolism up to 40 percent. Fall in love with spicy food or take "bites" of your favorite extra-spicy sauce every once in a while, or every few hours. Use it in foods as well.

Tips

Don't make drastic changes to your body, make gradual changes that'll last.
Never go on a crash diet! Not only is it very dangerous to your health, but it can actually send you into a thin-overweight cycle, throwing your metabolism way out of whack.
Set out healthy food, like a plate of vegetables, for when you get hungry.
Don't eliminate things you like altogether (that would be torture), just cut back.
It's probably better to pack your lunch because served lunches aren't always healthy.
Drink plenty of water and avoid juices or sodas.
Drink green tea, it increases your metabolism. Take 2-3 cups per day.
Drink water before you eat.

Warnings

Increasing your metabolism alone won't make you thin fast. Like every healthy change to your body, it takes time.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Increase Your Metabolism. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Lose Weight! Fast!

2008-01-25T02:49:00.000-08:00

How to Lose Weight Fast

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Want to slim down fast for that beach vacation or high school reunion? While there are many things you can do to shed pounds, losing weight too quickly, like any sudden change to your body, can be dangerous. While fad diets, diet pills, and fasting may indeed induce rapid weight loss, these methods can cause you to lose muscle and may also injure your heart and other organs fairly quickly. The best solution? Don't go for an overnight miracle. Instead, follow these steps to lose fat rapidly, healthily, and sustainably.

Steps

Determine your daily calorie intake . Losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you take in, through exercise and your daily activities. Exercise alone won't make you lose weight if you're still taking in more calories than you burn. However, eating less and exercising more will only decrease your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for roughly 60-80 percent of daily calorie expenditure. Therefore you should exercise harder and eat more protein dense, clean foods; making your calories burned not too far off from your calories taken in will raise your metabolism and allow you to burn fat effortlessly.
- Write down all the things you eat on a typical day. Carry a small notebook with you and write down every snack, every drink, and the contents of every meal.There are also great websites that you can use to keep track of calories, get recipes, and help achieve your goal. Don't forget to include the pats of butter or the spoonful of sugar in your coffee. It's best to do this for at least a couple weekdays and a weekend; it's even better if you can go a full week. There are also calorie tracking websites that can help you to do this, for example the US government website, My Pyramid Tracker.
- Do an itemized calorie count. When possible, write down the number of calories in each thing you eat as you eat it. Keep in mind that the recommended serving size is often considerably smaller than the serving you actually eat. Look up the calorie count on the internet for foods that don't have calories listed on the container or for fast food meals. You don't have to be 100% accurate, but you do want a good estimate of the number of calories you're taking in. There is an idea that multiplying your own weight by ten will produce a rough estimate of the number of calories you need to eat per day to maintain your weight. This is NOT true, you may wind up grossly under (or perhaps over) estimating the number of calories you should be eating. Use a scientific or health website to determine the number of calories you should eat a day or consult your doctor. Everyone has different metabolisms and there is no blanket rule that covers everyone's recommended calorie intake. Reducing 500 calories per day from the calories you eat to maintain your weight can help you lose a pound of fat per week.[1]
Go over the list and decide which foods to cut out or reduce. Cutting calories is usually a lot easier than you might think. For example, that daily tall latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound of flab (lost or gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing that rich beverage with black coffee can help you lose a pound a week. Other easy cuts include salad dressing (salad dressing is the number one source of fat in the average American woman's diet) soda pop, candy, and butter. Look at the nutritional information for the foods you eat, pay special attention to your intake of saturated fats and empty calories (high-sugar foods). You don't need to cut these things out entirely, but if you reduce your intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods you'll lose weight faster.
Seek out alternatives to the unhealthy foods you've identified. You can simply reduce the amount of soda you drink or mayonnaise you put on your sandwiches, or you can substitute healthier choices. Drink water instead of soda, for example, or use mustard instead of mayo. Low-fat and low-calorie options are also available for most foods, and many of these are natural, (although some are made with strange chemicals), and tasty.
- Choose lean meats. Chicken and fish are both very low in fat (and certain fish like salmon, sardines, and fresh tuna are an excellent source of antioxidants, which are also beneficial to your health), so aim to replace some or all of the beef or pork in your diet with these foods.
- Replace high-calorie side dishes with healthier alternatives. Many people get a ton of calories from side dishes such as macaroni and cheese, French fries, or potato salad. You can eat healthier and lose weight by replacing these with fresh vegetables and salads. Pre-made salads are practically effortless, and when accompanied by a reduced-calorie dressing or no dressing at all, they're weight-loss gold.
- Start your days off right. A fattening breakfast of bacon and eggs or a pastry can be replaced with yogurt, oatmeal, high-fiber, low-sugar cereals; or fresh fruit or fruit smoothies. However, for those on a low carb diet bacon and eggs are a great combo for breakfast, since neither have carbs. But don't fall into the trap of skipping breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your rest metabolic rate earlier in the day, and reduces snacking before lunch.
Plan your meals. Look for healthy, delicious meals online or in your cookbooks, and create a menu for the week. Make sure that your meal plan reduces your total calorie intake: you're not going to lose weight if you consume the same amount of calories by eating different foods. Make a list of what you'll need for these meals, and -- except for a few snacks, of course -- don't stray from your list when you get to the market. Planning your meals helps ensure you get a balanced diet and reduces the temptation to stop off for fast food or order a pizza. Remember, it's easier to stick to your shopping list if you shop when you aren't hungry.
Watch your portion sizes. Opening a bag of rice cakes and eating all of them in one sitting isn't going to help you lose weight. When eating chips, nuts, or dried fruit put a portion in a small bowl and then put the bag away. That way you won't mindlessly eat a larger portion than you had intended. Even if you only make minimal changes to your diet choices, reducing portion size will inevitably reduce caloric intake. A great way to watch portion sizes while snacking is to buy one serving 100 calorie packages - and they come in many favorite snack food items!
Graze on healthy snacks. Just because you're getting healthy doesn't mean you can't snack. In fact, eating small meals and snacks throughout the day, or grazing, has been shown to aid weight loss, (compared to eating three large meals a day), by keeping metabolism steadier. Pick snacks that are low in calories and fat and high in fiber (dried apricots, nuts, rice cakes, fruits, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and so on). Vegetables are generally very low in calories, very high in fiber, and full of flavor and nutrition. Avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes, and try to eat vegetables plain, without fatty dressings or dips. Fruit also makes a good snack. Fruit contains more soluble fiber than vegetables, which slows your body's absorption of carbohydrates, thus releasing energy more slowly, (preventing sugar highs), and keeping you feeling full longer. Fruit juices are not a replacement for the real thing. You need that fiber, and juices often have more calories than the equivalent serving of fruit -- as many calories as soda! Be careful with dried fruits, because without the water, you tend to eat more, and fruits, when dried, are calorie-rich per ounce. With any dry or dried food, be sure to drink plenty of water.
Get more fiber. There are many myths about fiber, but there is science to back up its helpful role in the diet. Fiber keeps the right amount of water in your intestines, making your digestive system work more efficiently and helping to keep you regular. Thus, just eating enough fiber may help you feel slimmer in just a day or so. There is also evidence that fiber in the diet can help prevent stroke and heart disease, ease the effects of diabetes, and may even directly help in weight loss.
Drink plenty of water. Adequate water is essential for health, and a great many people simply don't get enough. What's more, if you're chronically dehydrated, your body will retain water in unflattering places, so if you make sure to get plenty of fluids you can start visibly trimming down in as little as a day. Remember, the more you exercise, the more water you'll need. See the related wikiHow for more details on how much water you should be getting.
Exercise. Remember, you can lose weight either by decreasing your calorie intake or increasing the number of calories you burn. Any health strategy should include both, but if you want to lose weight fast, exercise is essential.
Perform high-level aerobic activities. Moderate aerobic workouts incorporating jogging, brisk walking, cycling, aerobic machines, or classes not only burn calories -- they also keep your heart healthy. Swimming is also great, especially if you are quite overweight or have joint problems, because you can get the same benefits of running -- typically burning even more calories -- with much less stress on your joints. Try to get at least 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three or four days per week.
Pump some iron. Resistance training, (weight training), can help both sexes stay lean by building muscle and raising metabolism. The fact is, hours and hours of aerobic exercise won't help most people lose weight fast because your metabolism drops back to normal fairly quickly after stopping the exercise. If you gain muscle, however, your body's resting metabolism, (the amount of calories you burn when you're just sitting still), increases, because muscle requires a lot of calories to maintain. Studies have shown consistent weight training to raise the body's metabolism by 15%. This means an average woman might burn 200-300 more calories at rest every day! Resistance training is the gift that keeps on giving! Although, keep in mind that muscle mass weighs more than fat (don't be surprised if you gain weight but look slimmer).
Rest properly. This means not only taking at least 24-48 hours between strength training the same muscles, (and taking 1-2 days off from exercising each week); it also means getting enough sleep at night, since sleep deficiency impairs your ability to lose fat.
Be realistic. Don't expect a miracle. Healthy weight loss can be achieved fairly quickly, but you'll need to be patient. In addition, be sure to set realistic goals. Make sure that the weight you're trying to reach is a healthy weight for you, and keeping in mind that gaining pounds of muscle will help you lose fat, be trimmer, and look better even though you don't actually lose any weight. Your goal should be a healthy body, not a number of pounds!
Make adjustments. A successful weight loss strategy based on reducing calorie intake and increasing activity can be adjusted to maintain your desired weight once you reach it. Unlike typical diets, this method is sustainable -- it is a lifestyle change, not a binge-and-purge exercise. Slowly adjust your diet and exercise to include more weight training and calories, as much as is comfortable for you. If you do gain any weight back, you want that weight to be lean, toned muscle, not fat. In addition, weight training, no matter what your age, prevents muscle atrophy and can help stave off osteoporosisis.
Instead of thinking of it as losing a certain amount of pounds, think of it as being a certain weight. So if you are 145 pounds, and you would like to lose 10 pounds, think of it as being 135 pounds. This helps you think about it as a longterm goal and not just losing the weight to gain it back again.
Everyone looks good at a different weight. A short person may look really good at about 110 pounds, but a person of a taller height would just look unhealthy. Keep yourself at a weight that makes you look good, not at a number that sounds good.
Be Confident. You need to believe in yourself! If you want to diet, and you know that it will make you feel better, than you need confidence. Otherwise, the temptation to cheat on your diet will make it harder, and you will not feel better when you do lose weight.

Tips

It's very good to do a blood test before you begin your new diet and exercise regimen. Some people may not need to lose a lot of weight, but they may need to lower the blood sugar level slightly. You can also check for mineral deficiencies.
The goal is to lose fat, not just weight in general. If you are doing strength training during your weight loss (which you should be), you might actually see an initial gain in weight -- don't worry! You have probably lost fat and gained muscle, which is denser than fat and is much healthier.
- A better measurement than what a scale reads is body fat percent. If you don't have access to calipers or a body fat scale, a better gauge is how your clothes fit and how you look rather than your absolute weight. If you can, though, it is good to measure your body fat about once per month. Men should be between 15%-25%, but no lower than 4%; and women 20%-30%, but no lower than 15%. Females have higher fat percentage due to pregnancy and menstrual requirements.
- Generally, you want to - with a combination of calorie reduction and increased activity - reduce and burn a certain number of calories a day, causing a net loss of calories so your body is forced to use its own stores of fat. How much aerobic exercise you need to perform depends on what you eat, how fast you'd like to lose weight, and how much muscle you gain. A pound of fat contains 3500 calories. Men can safely lose around two pounds a week, and women can safely lose around one pound a week. Any more than this and you might be losing more muscle mass than fat. Thus, with a combination of calorie restriction and aerobic exercise, a man should aim to run a 3500-7000 calorie deficit each week, and women should aim for a 1750-3500 calorie deficit.
With regard to weights, men and women differ on their goals with weight training. Women, don't worry, no amount of weight training will make you as bulky as a man; women just don't have enough testosterone to build large muscles. The female bodybuilders you see are either taking steroids or training 2-3 hours every day. Male and female beginners should start with 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions, and should use the heaviest weight you can while still maintaining good form, even to the last repetition of the last set. Get a weight training book or find a reputable website that will show you different exercises and the correct form. When lifting properly, you will stretch the muscle during the exercise, but you should still stretch properly to prevent injury!
No matter what the magazine article says, spot improving is a myth! When your body burns fat, it takes it from all over your body, even if all you do are crunches. No amount of crunches will get rid of that gut if they are not backed up by proper aerobic exercise and diet! Washboard abs do not come from millions of sit ups; they come from having low levels of body fat. So if that is your goal, make sure you do plenty of aerobic exercise in addition to your ab routine.
Sugar comes in many disguises. Check your food labels: fructose, glucose, molasses, and corn syrup are all sugars. Limit all sugars, but especially stay away from high-fructose corn syrup. It is just a corn syrup full of sugar. Choosing foods without it will help you reach your weight loss goals faster.
Remember your body needs 'fuel' just like a car needs 'fuel'. Your body needs the 'right' kinds of food to lose weight effectively.
Don't taunt yourself by not letting yourself eat the occasional snack that you're craving. Just make sure you burn it off later with exercise
Despite popular belief it is not terrible to eat after 6 p.m. A reasonable dinner (with extra protein if you've had a good weight training session) is going to help deliver nutrients to the body to prepare it for the next day. Additionally if you find yourself very hungry before bed, a small bowl of high fiber cereal and low fat milk will actually help maintain your metabolism while you sleep. The key is to not overeat in the evenings.
Take a multivitamin. While it is better to always get your nutrients from your food, most people miss something in their diet, especially when they're trying to cut calories. Vitamins and minerals play an important role in keeping your body chemistry balanced and your energy levels healthy.
If you find yourself missing some of your favorite foods, don't worry. There is no harm in having your treat once a week. Pick a day each week where you treat yourself to your guilty pleasure--remember, everything in moderation. If it's pizza, try going to a gourmet pizza place that will use better ingredients and fresher vegetables. If it's a Big Mac, try making your own. A homemade burger is generally much healthier than the food they serve in fast food restaurants. Electric grills that are slanted to allow most of the fat to slide off make nice, lean burgers.
Save some calories for potassium and protein for after you work out, this will help reduce soreness. (A banana and an egg does the trick.)
Do not forget to stretch. Stretching can help increase your strength and flexibility.
Try to keep off weight gainer powder shakes if you want to lose weight. Fat can easily be turned into energy for your muscles so no need to use weight gainer.
Stay off of weight loss pills or shakes if you really want to keep those pounds off.
Take losing weight slow, keep a healthy diet but don't push it too hard.
Cut down on your sodium. Many prepared foods have as much as 30% of your daily value. You get your daily requirement of sodium from a healthy diet; too much can cause you to retain water weight.
Don't get upset at yourself if you don't lose the weight at first, because you have to keep trying.

Warnings

Do not try to starve yourself. In the short run, reducing your calorie intake to unhealthily low levels will slow metabolism and actually cause you to lose weight more slowly. Then your body cannot process potassium so when you DO eat again, (the alternative to dying,) you will gain much more weight than you would if you weren't starving yourself and overall, you may end up gaining more than you lost. In the long run, starving yourself (anorexia or bulimia) can kill you.
When creating a weight lifting routine, do not focus on a single muscle or group, doing so will overbuild that muscle while under building others - in other words, if you work your biceps, and not your triceps, your arms will begin to curl inward and you will look silly. If you work your chest and not your back, you will have a hard time maintaining good posture as your pectoral muscles overpower your back muscles and pull your shoulders forward.
If you have a serious medical condition (such as asthma or diabetes, or allergy to protein such as dairy products or you have lactose intolerance) or you are severely obese, consult with your doctor as well as a dietitian.
Do not take any harmful drugs. They are unhealthy and may ultimately make you gain weight instead.
Carefully consider whether you need dietary supplements. Most people can get the mineral and nutrients they need through eating food, For example, the multivitamin supplements can make you overdose in other vitamins you need, and you can't store most water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C as excess will be urinated. But just because you are under the recommended value don't always mean you are deficient in it. So only use supplements when the doctor and dietitian says you need to.
Losing weight too quickly is dangerous and can have adverse effects on your health. Despite the title of this article, getting into shape is best done slowly. If you find yourself losing more than a pound or 2 (or more than 500g)each week, you are probably doing something wrong.
Be regular in your sleeping habits.
Talk to physician/nutritionist if you are starting something major, even if it's a change for the better, because dramatic changes can affect one's body negatively if not balanced out.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ http://www.acaloriecounter.com/calorie-counting.php

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Lose Weight Fast. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Losing Fat with Weight Training

2008-01-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

How to Lose Fat With Weights

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

This article is a stub. You can help by expanding and clarifying it. Notice added on 2006-12-25.
In the world of fitness, it is common knowledge that losing fat with weights is not only effective but simple. Don’t let the idea of losing fat with weights scare you. You do not have to be able to bench press a house in order to get fit.

Steps

Incorporate hand held weights while performing lunges, while walking, or during a weight specific or strength training routine.
Research the different types of exercises by looking in your favorite fitness magazine or by using your favorite search engine online. Many fitness experts also have recommendations on their online sites.
You just use a light weight to target the muscle that you wanna lose weight around it and count more than 12 for 5 sets.

Tips

Big Misconception: Women are especially concerned with the idea of losing fat with weights because of the misconception that they will end up looking like a male body builder.

Warnings

As always, talk to your health care provider or fitness expert before beginning any fitness routine to ensure that you are performing the best exercises for your weight loss goal in a safe and healthy manner.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Lose Fat With Weights. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A guide to doing Leg Lifts

2008-01-25T02:27:00.000-08:00

How to Do Leg Lifts

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Everyone knows that we could probably all use just a little more exercise. Performing Leg Lifts is a great way to, not only get more exercise, but also helps you develop the six pack abs you have always wanted!

Steps

Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands at your sides.
Lift your legs straight up (not bending your knees at all) until they're at a ninety degree angle (or close).
Lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor.

Tips

For more challenge there is equipment at most gyms that will allow you to raise yourself up using your arms as support and dangle your legs. You can perform leg lifts there too. If you're using this piece of equipment, you can make it easier by just raising your knees to your chest. It's more difficult to raise your legs to a horizontal position with your legs straight.

Warnings

If you begin to feel faint, or dizzy, stop exercising and consult medical help. If conditions remain, don't be afraid to call an ambulance.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Do Leg Lifts. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A guide to doing Sit ups

2008-01-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

How to Do Sit Ups

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Doing sit-ups is a quick way to get stronger abdominal muscles. However, they must be done properly to avoid any possibility of injury to your spine and the neck and head muscles. In addition, sit-ups are about using the abdominal region (the abs). Therefore, close attention must be paid to ensuring that you are not compensating by using other parts of your body to perform as sit-up, as this will diminish the effectiveness of the sit-up and may cause injury to your body. It is not as harsh as it sounds - always, always focus on the abs and you are most of the way there.

Steps

Lie down on the floor. Have your knees bent and the balls of your feet and heels placed flat on the ground.
Place your hands behind the lobes of your ears, or even hold your ears. Avoid grabbing the back of your head or neck, as this may cause injury down the road if you pull too hard or in the wrong direction. You can also cross your arms across your chest and touch your shoulders.
Tighten your abdominal muscles by drawing in your belly button to your spine.
Keeping your heels on the ground and your toes flat to the ground, slowly lift your head first, followed by your shoulder blades. Focus your eyes on your bent knees, all the while contracting the abdominal muscles. Pull up from the floor about half way.
Hold the position for a second. Slowly bring the torso back to the floor but try to keep it slightly elevated off the ground. This means not to place your back flat to the ground but to keep a slight, yet relaxed, arch.
Repeat steps 3-5 for the remainder of the exercise. Only do two to three if you are a beginner and slowly build up the amount over time, as your strength increases.

Tips

If you're having a hard time keeping the balls of your feet or heels on the ground keep at it, try asking a partner to hold them down.
Moderation is the key to any abdominal exercise since the abs are literally the center of the body. If you think about it, in everything you do in daily life (walk, run, sit, stand, reach up for something, etc.) you have movement at or through your abs. With that in mind, be aware that if you overdo the sit-ups (or any ab exercise) you run the risk of ruining your next day with pain in the abs region. If you are a beginner, start out slowly and gradually do more. If you do overdo it, the pain will wear off.
As you get stronger, try a Pilates variation to this exercise: Instead of holding your hands behind your head, keep your hands straight next to your torso and as you rise into the sit-up, glide the arms forward and then raise the arms at the same time as your torso and stretch them forwards. Keep the shoulders relaxed and do not nod your head forward too far. As you relax back down, slowly float the arms down into a relaxed position back on the ground, next to your torso. Repeat for each sit-up.

Warnings

Keep in mind that the only way to build muscle is to push the muscle beyond its endurance limits. But if you do so many sit-ups to the point that you start to feel a stinging sensation on your abs, you have done too much. Your form will start to deteriorate and you won't be performing a proper sit-up.
Always stretch out your stomach muscles by 1) lying down on your back with your elbows bent and hands under your shoulders. 2) Keeping your legs and feet on the floor, straighten your arms so your back is arched. 3) Look up at the ceiling and hold for a count of 10. 4) Release.
Do not commit the common mistakes of sit-ups:
- If you choose to get your hands out of the way by putting them behind your head, make sure you don't push your head forward while lifting your torso. There is a natural tendency to do this since it helps you lift up and the tendency will increase as your abs get tired. However, the push on your head will strain the muscles in the neck. If you deal with your arms in another way, still try to keep your head out of the exercise.
- Don't try to put your forehead on your knees. The higher you come off the ground the better, but only to a certain extent. If your back is starting to curl (namely, you could be considered as being in a humpback position if you were standing), you will be placing too much strain on your lower back.
- If you can't keep your feet on the ground and haven't secured them properly, you will be spending extra effort to do so during the sit-up. Unfortunately, this effort will originate in the thighs, which isn't the target of a sit-up. In some people the thighs might give up before the abs, rendering the whole exercise completely useless.
Avoid doing sit-ups if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Bending your spine in the sit-up position places increased stress on your bones and can put you at risk for a stress fracture.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Do Sit Ups. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A guide to building Muscle

2008-01-25T02:23:00.001-08:00

How to Build Muscle

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Diet and nutrition is the single most important factor in wanting to gain weight. You can do all the weight training you want, but if you are not feeding your body the necessary food and nutrients it requires for maintenance and growth, then it will all be a waste of time.
So, if you're a teen then this article will be wonderful for you to get that special someone or just look great.

Steps

First you need to start with 3 sets of 20 sit-ups and weekly upgrade by 5. Also do 3 sets of 10 push-ups and increase by 5 weekly. Try to go for jogs, runs, or bike rides as well.
After the first month and on the second month change routines. continue with the sit-up rate but add 3 sets of 20 crunches and increase by 5 weekly. Upgrade from your regular push-ups by putting your feet against a wall or surface and do push-ups from there starting with the 3-sets of 10 and increase by 5 weekly(Hint: you should continue to do your amount of regular push-ups). Increase your jog, run, or bike ride by 1/2 from the regular pace.
Next for the third month you start getting ready for harder practices. For the sit-ups you continue on what the crunches and sit-ups were up to and add a bicycle lay and start with 3 sets of 50 and increase by 10 weekly. For the push-ups you continue both of those kinds but now try jump clapping during push-ups, do 3 sets of 5 and increase by 3 weekly. Double your run, jog, or bike ride paces of what you did on month 2.
Finally for the rest of what you do. continue all of what you did before except this time add in a back lift(you lay on your back with feet in the air and lift torso to make a U-shape) and star with 3 sets of 15 with an increase of 5. Continue doing the different push-ups and add 3 sets of 5 pull-ups with a weekly increase of 2. Finally for the jog double the current status and increase by 1/4 jog rate monthly. Continue at the rate until you need to take a break.
In order to build up muscles, light weight training is encouraged before going into more intensive weight training. Always remember to conduct a 5 – 10 minutes warm up stretching before any exercise. Make arrangement to exercise once - twice a week, 30 -45 minutes each time to gradually, 3 times a week, 30 – 45 minutes.
Good luck!

Tips

When doing any of the workouts if you can only do a certain amount then make your own weekly/monthly increase but the above is recommended.
If you're having trouble doing a certain exercise then look up what it is online or just increase your weekly upgrade.
If you don't feel like going out for a jog, run etc. then try using a tredmil, stairclimber,etc. even playing DDR(Dance Dance Revolution)on hard modes might work.
Try using exercise machines to increase strength or muscle tone.
After a while of push-ups try using 1 hand each for half amount(Ex. if on 3 sets of 60 then do 3 sets of 30 for each hand).
It's critical that you are eating properly while attempting to gain weight. This is mandatory for quality muscle growth. Eat 4-6 smaller meals per day, making sure to eat *at least* 1 gram of protein per bodyweight each day. Improper nutrition can seriously harm your ability to gain muscle.
Train using free weights. Learn to squat and deadlift properly. These two exercises can improve your training by leaps and bounds.

Warnings

Dont try to over work or underwork yourself or you may have cramps, get really sore, etc.
If you get injured and you can't exercise for a while then start from the beginning.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Muscle Building Guide - view "Beginner" muscle gain articles
http://www.weightsroom.com
http://www.bodybuilding.com (navigate to "Exercise and Anatomy" to find detailed instructions on each exercise)
Learn how to build muscle without drugs
How To Build Up Muscles

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build Muscle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A guide to doing Crunches

2008-01-25T02:21:00.000-08:00

How to Do Crunches

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

This is the method to properly do a set of crunches.

Steps

Lie on the floor (with or without a mat).
Bend your knees up as far as they go.
Cross your arms in front of your chest. Do not place both hands behind your head. Placing both hands behind your head can cause lower back problems in the long run as it places unnecessary stress on that part of your body from pulling on your head and neck. Another alternative to crossing your arms in front of your chest is to lightly place your finger tips behind your ears, without pulling on your neck or ears to help raise you off the floor.
Draw in your abdomen towards your spine while inhaling through your nose.
Now raise your shoulders (upper torso) towards your knees, using strictly your abdominal muscles. It is very important not to lift your entire back off the floor, as this can cause back strain, and the extended movement does not help you develop six pack abs any faster. The most important part of the crunch is the initial flexing of your abs as you lift your shoulders off of the floor.
As soon as you begin lifting off the floor exhale through your mouth, ending with a gasp once your shoulders are off the floor.
Pause for a second once you are at the top of the crunch and exhale the last bit of air from your diaphragm while flexing your abs. The proper breathing and flexing make all the difference.
Lower back down in a slow and controlled manner while inhaling through your nose, just until your shoulder blades touch the ground. Do not let your head touch the ground.
Repeat!

Tips

Make sure to use your abs, not your neck, to do crunches
Doing crunches outside in the grass at a park or community center is a lot more comfortable than on a hard floor.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Do Crunches. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

2008-01-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

How to Get Six Pack Abs

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The simple step process to gaining and maintaining six pack abs is as follows: strengthen your abdominal muscles and lose body fat. The concept is simple, but putting it into action is not. It will take dedication, willpower, patience and time to get a six pack but in the end, the effort is well worth it. Remember, abs are made mostly in the kitchen! You can have the most toned and defined abs but they won't show through if there's a layer of fat over them.

Steps

Build Muscle

Do Crunches. Lie on the floor (with or without a mat) and cross your arms in front of your chest. (Do not place both hands behind your head. Placing both hands behind your head can cause lower back problems in the long run as it places unnecessary stress on that part of your body from pulling on your head and neck.) Another alternative is to cross your arms in front of your chest is to lightly place your finger tips behind your ears, without pulling on your neck or ears to help raise you off the floor. Draw in your abdomen towards your spine while inhaling through your nose. Now raise your shoulders (upper torso) towards your knees, using strictly your abdominal muscles. It is very important not to lift your entire back off the floor, as this can cause back strain, and the extended movement does not help you develop six pack abs any faster. The most important part of the crunch is the initial flexing of your abs as you lift your shoulders off of the floor. As soon as you begin lifting off the floor exhale through your mouth, ending with a gasp once your shoulders are off the floor. Then pause for a second once you are at the top of the crunch and exhale the last bit of air from your diaphragm while flexing your abs. The proper breathing and flexing make all the difference. Now lower back down slowly and controlled while inhaling through your nose, just until your shoulder blades touch the ground. Do not let your head touch the ground and repeat.
Do Sit Ups. Lie on the floor, feet on the floor, knees up and fingers placed behind your ears or hands crossed on your chest. Sit all the way up, lifting your lower back off the floor along with your shoulder blades. Lower yourself down. Repeat. Once this becomes relatively easy for you (i.e. you can do a quite a bit with ease) start adding more challenges. Find an incline bench or do these on an exercise ball. Once you "graduate" from that, do weighted sit ups. Hold a weight on your chest while you do these. As these become easier, hold heavier and heavier weights. You might also try lifting your feet off the ground while doing the sit ups or alternating the leg in the air, like pretending to pedal while sitting up. If your hands are behind your head, bring your left knee up to touch your right elbow and then your right knee to the left elbow.
Do Leg Lifts. Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands at your sides. Lift your legs straight up (not bending your knees at all) until they're at a ninety degree angle (or close). Lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor. For more challenge there is equipment at most gyms that will allow you to raise yourself up using your arms as support and dangle your legs. You can perform leg lifts there too. If you're using this piece of equipment, you can make it easier by just raising your knees to your chest. It's more difficult to raise your legs to a horizontal position with your legs straight. This helps firm up the lower abdomen. If you're truly a monster, try doing leg lifts with a medicine ball hanging from your feet. Or hang from a pull up bar and raise your legs in front of you all the way up to the bar. Still too easy?...
Do Jackknife Sit Ups. Lie down flat on the floor. Place your hands on the ground to your sides for balance; you can pick them up as you get used to the movement. Simultaneously raise your knees and torso so that your knees and face meet on an imaginary line extending from your pelvis to the ceiling. You should be able to kiss your knees at the top of the motion. Your legs will naturally fold bringing your feet towards your hips, much like a jackknife. Lie back down (i.e. "spread out") and repeat. Place a weight between your feet when you think you can handle it. What's that? More?
Do V-ups. Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands on the floor but this time extended out over your head. Simultaneously raise legs and torso. Don't bend your knees! What kind of V would it be if you bend your knees? Reach with your hands toward the raised feet. Touch your feet if possible (will require some flexibility). Relax, return to starting position and repeat. Add weight between feet to match your taste.
Static Hold and Side Statics. Put your body into the push-up position but with your elbows on the floor, and you whole body flat. This position is known as the static hold position and it trains your core (including your abs) to hold the body in place which is the real purpose of your abs. Hold this position for as long as possible, but you should be aiming to start off with at least 45 seconds, while seasoned ab workers known to achieve over 20 minute static holds. To perform the side static hold roll onto one side of your body and lift into the same position as before, but this time only one arm will be on the ground with the other arm pointed straight up the air and your non-weight bearing leg resting on your bottom leg. Once again, hold this for as long as possible
Train Your Oblique Muscles. It's not as important to work on your oblique muscles at first, but eventually you'll want to start working these too. These are the muscles to either side of your stomach. There are multiple ways to do this and anything that includes twisting your torso against a resistance counts. There are twisting machines at gyms, you can twist while you do sit-ups, you can do side bends, you can twist side to side with a medicine ball in hand, etc. Be aware though, that many beginners tend to have weak obliques compared to their abs (it simply isn't used as much in daily life) so go easy on the sides at first.

Other stuff

Know that since it is, literally, the center of your body there are many other tricks you can use to train your abs, and some of the other movements will more or less involve your abs. Including every abdominal exercise in existence would make this article painfully long and new methods are being developed constantly. Now that you've made up your mind about a washboard mid-section, get creative! Find new ways to crunch, bend and twist in your daily life. Some possibilities include:
1. Use a stability ball. Do your crunches on the ball to introduce instability to your workout, which will improve your balance too. There are also lots of core exercises that can be done with a stability ball.You can also use a small bubble use for physical therapy.
2. Duck and twist during your daily routine. Reach with your left hand to things on your right and vice versa. If you feel like turning around to face something, see if you can do it with keeping your hips in place and twisting at the waist (warning: awkward when talking to other people, use only against inanimate objects). While walking or standing, pretend that something is coming toward you and you have to duck to get out of the way. Do this as often as you are comfortable or at times when it won't look weird. You can bend forward from the hips or, if you're really into it, bend at the knees too and really "sink" out of the way.
Do the Scientific Best Abs Exercise Researchers at the San Diego State University, found that there are certain abs exercises that triggers most muscular activity. The winner was the "bicycle maneuver":
1. Lie on the floor; make sure your lower back is pressed on the ground.
2. Take your hands behind your ears. Then bring up your knees at a 45 degree angle.
3. Start doing a bicycle pedalling motion. Touch your elbow with the opposite knee (right elbow with left knee and so on, alternating)
4. Breathe relaxed and evenly throughout the whole exercise.

Lose Fat

Lift Weights. The more muscle your body has, the more calories your body burns, even at rest. Many people are afraid of getting huge due to weight lifting but the fact is you won't!, Many huge bodybuilders out there have been bodybuilding for years to get huge. If you just do cardiovascular exercises without lifting weights then you will lose the muscle mass, you will also feel weak and it will take longer to lose that fat. So, to get rid of that fat quickly lift weights combined with cardio. Running, biking, swimming, stair climbing, jumping rope, tennis, volleyball, dancing, squash or any other activity that gets you moving and keeps you moving is a great way to burn fat. However, a cardiovascular workout should be performed for at least 20 MINUTES to burn fat. Prior to this your body will simply run on its stored energy, which results in minimal fat loss. Cardiovascular training should always be done after your weight lifting workout. While lifting weights, you use stored, (carbohydrate) energy, thus, by performing cardio exercises after weight training your body will have less stored energy to use and go straight into the fat storage for its energy use. The overall best way to shed fat fast is to do cardiovascular (30 min. minimum) right when you wake up. Your body will search for energy to use, and when it finds nothing in your stomach, it will go directly to your fat reserves for energy.

Diet Tips

Keep Metabolism Steady. Eating one small meal (such as a potato, a salad, etc.) every three hours that you are awake will not speed up your metabolism, rather, it will keep it going. Your metabolism goes and slows with your food intake and eating something small every three hours will keep that metabolism burning calories and will help you lose weight. A jar of nuts in the office will do just fine, grab a handful when you feel like it. Most fruits can last for a couple days without refrigeration, and if you have a refrigerator at the office, make use of it.
Eat Smaller Dinners. Cut down on the size of your dinner. If you're hungry, snack on fruits or other healthy, low calorie snacks. Large dinners tend to hurt a fat loss process because most people aren't very active after dinner. This is the basis for advice along the lines of "don't eat anything within X hours before going to bed". The claim that your entire dinner is stored as fat isn't entirely true (the process is more complicated than that) but the fact you don't move after dinner is enough to hurt your cause. You can offset this by eating a larger lunch or snacking healthily before dinner. Fresh fruits or vegetables are excellent choices for curbing appetite not to mention other health benefits. A handful of nuts might do the same. Drink a large glass of water before sitting at the table.
Eat More Fibre. Most people don't get enough fibre. The recommended amount is actually not that much if you eat a healthy diet. "Fibre foods" include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Other options are fiber supplements.
Eat Breakfast. Many people skip breakfast because they don't have time for it. Keep this in mind: You don't have time to skip breakfast, it's simply too valuable to skip. The fact that skipping breakfast messes up your concentration and other mental functions is beyond the scope of this article. The harm of skipping breakfast from a weight loss perspective is it makes you eat a huge lunch since your body hasn't had anything in the past 12 (or more) hours. When you eat a huge lunch you get that after meal drowsiness so now you're both unproductive and inactive. Cereals don't take much time to prepare and consume, and most of them are very healthy nowadays. If you are extremely pressed for time, consider grabbing a box of breakfast bars or a smoothie and throwing one in your bag when you leave for work or school. Some breakfast bars out there are also excellent sources of fibre.
Drink More Water Everyday. Many places suggest 8 cups (2 L) of water a day. It sounds like an absurd amount of water, but actually, you can drink tea without sugar to make up some of the quota. In fact tea, especially green tea, rev up your "metabolism" (actually cause a temporary increase in calories burned). For fat loss purposes, it is important to remind yourself that thirst is a much weaker stimuli than hunger. If you consistently feel hungry after meals, don't immediately think that you need to eat more. You may simply be thirsty!Needless to say there are many benefits of water. The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size.

Tips

Motivation is the key. Regardless of aim, having the right attitude towards your motivation is important. If your motivation source is purely the result, you will likely not last very long. It's important to enjoy the exercise, the immediate and long term benefits and to incorporate enjoyable activities into your exercise routine. And remember, your significant other can also benefit from mutual exercise "activities".
It may help to use a record-keeper or plan book for your exercise program. Exercise journals are fantastic for this purpose because as you enter daily information in the journal, you're putting together a complete record that can be referred back to in the future.
If you feel you need to, ease into the changes in your lifestyle. Start eating breakfast. If you have difficulty with this, start with a couple glasses of water or a large cup of coffee right when you wake up. It'll go down easy and prepare your stomach to get back to work. Cut the amount of dinners little by little. For the exercises, start slow and increase pace and/or repetitions as you are comfortable. Attempting lifestyle changes in a drastic, sudden manner can backfire. Do what you can but don't sell yourself short.
Make a photo diary of your body but don't take pictures too often (once a month is fine). Don't study your pictures intensely since you might not get motivated if you don't see a difference. If you are consistent in your diet and exercise, you should see changes monthly. Keep in mind that you won't see changes in the mirror everyday since they will be very small improvements.
Unless you are watching your weight for another reason, ignore the reading on the scale. You may be decreasing your body fat but your weight may stay the same (or even increase) as you build muscle. Muscle tissue is denser than fat so it will be heavier than the same volume of fat. Water weight can also vary your readings by a surprisingly large amount.
Try to keep a steady eating routine. It will throw your body off if you skip a meal and starve yourself only to stuff your face later. Avoid such situations as much as possible.
For added variety you may look into using a swiss ball and/or a medicine ball during your ab workout. Doing crunches on the swiss ball will improve your balance, or you may use it to get a little more flexion in your abs. The medicine ball has many different uses, the simplest one being added weight.
If you are already skinny, but simply don't have the abdominal muscle that you want, passively exercising while doing other things can help a great deal. If you spend a long time in a sitting position, try continuously clenching your stomach. Get in the habit of doing this for hours at a time and you may be surprised at its effectiveness.
Try to make an effort to make your abs strong while you are young because the abs are one of the last muscles to atrophy, so you may not have to worry about them when you are older if you do a good job while you are young.
Remember that six pack abs are made in the kitchen. Nutrition is the most important factor in losing body fat.
Try some stress reliving activities, such as yoga or meditation. Built up stress causes an increase in your weight.

Warnings

Most, if not all of these exercises are NOT recommended for people with lower back problems. There are many other ways to properly develop six pack abs without putting so much strain on your back. If in doubt or experiencing lower back pain, talk to physical therapist for proper way of performing the routines.
This exercise regimen will only work for a select few individuals. For some people, this exercise advice will actually provide the opposite desired effects. For example, for people who have a few extra pounds around the belly and start this from scratch. They are actually more likely to look larger in the belly for a period of time since they are putting on muscle beneath their fat at first. You may want to begin for a significant period of time by doing more cardio to lose fat all over the body. Doing specific muscle exercises, unfortunately does not remove fat from that specific area of the body. Additionally, focusing solely on the abs can produce an imbalance in the body and may cause back problems where there were none before or exacerbate any existing problems
As with any exercise program, consult your doctor before making major changes in your workout routine if you have medical problems. Increase loads slowly. Being eager is great but setting unrealistic goals isn't going to help you in the long run.
If you have a bad back be especially careful when doing abdominal exercises. You can injure it or aggravate any injuries you may have. Always stretch after warming up (a short jog or brisk walk is a good way to warm up)and after exercising.
Don't starve yourself. If you go hungry for an extended period of time your metabolism will slow down. The body, thinking that no food is available tries to make the best of what it has and goes into power-saving mode. Whilst on 'power-saving' mode, the body will supplement its carbohydrates (being burnt for energy) with the proteins in your muscles. What this means is that you are in fact eating back into that six pack just to try and make it show through.
Fiber also acts like a mild laxative. Be careful if you eat a lot of fiber. It can also cause some gas if you're not used to taking in so much fiber. If you increase your fiber dosage by a lot, increase your water intake too. Excessive fiber with little water can result in digestive problems.
Habitual snacking on unhealthy foods is often done almost unconsciously. Many people do this and don't realize how many calories they take in. They insist they eat very little (which is true during their major meals), but they don't realize that their snacking is making them gain weight or stopping them from losing weight. Avoid buying high sugar snacks and instead buy healthy, low calorie snacks. A way to prevent unhealthy snacking is to write down everything you eat in a day. As you watch the list grow you will be inclined to put that donut down.
Be wary of ab machines that you may see on TV. Many of these are in fact rip offs and you are more likely to stay motivated if you incorporate an ABS workout into a regular gym session(you are less likely to get sick of it). You can get a great ab workout just by using the floor. Remember that it's not the exercise that will give you the six pack. It's the combination of strength exercises and fat loss. Playing more athletic sports, weight lifting, and cardio exercises are a million times more effective for fat loss than using an exercise machine. If you feel you need to use those machines, a gym membership will likely suit you much better.
Supplements can be useful, but they are just what they advertise themselves to be; supplements. There is no magic pill to make you lose weight with no work. There are some supplements out there that can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism or by helping you curb your appetite, but you still have to work. Most tend to be "snake oil" and will not really give you any results while costing you great deals of money. And remember, even if they DO help, all supplements still require the consumer to watch their diet and increase their exercise. A simple multivitamin or mineral pill is likely all that most people will need.
Sit ups can be bad for your back. They have caused many lower back problems and are not recommended by most doctors. More and more K-12 schools are phasing sit ups out and switching to crunches. A good alternative to sit ups is to lay on your back, lift your feet in the air as high as you can reach them, and lift your butt off the floor instead. The best results come when you do them slow and tighten your abs (and even butt). When you lower your legs do not let your butt touch the ground completely, then repeat. This exercise conditions, tightens, and hardens all the same muscles as a sit up when used with crunches as well.
Don't use steroids or Human Growth Hormone (HGH) without the consultation of your doctor (several if possible).
Be cautious about the use of any dietary supplements, even "just" the protein powders. Consult your doctor for a reputable sports doctor who can advise knowledgeably on such "help".
Don't be fooled from TV advertisements of weight loss machines, they are spoofing off your back! Do the right way by dieting, crunching and any means necessary.
When you do sit-ups, its best to use a mat or fabricated mat to lie on. This will help your back from that rough nasty floor! Can cause back pain and pain in the back so be careful, don't push on yourself.
Don't neglect warm-ups or you may find yourself pulling muscles and long-term pain when you start doing this method!
Opinions on weight loss and muscle training routines are like noses - everyone has one but they're all different. In the end, you should find something you enjoy and that you will stick for life. Over time, you can modify it until you get the results that are right for you.

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