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I was asked for some basic workouts to improve fitness by a member.So i have thought that ALL achaters could probably be a little fitter and lets be honest the fitter we are the better sex is.
with that in mind I will begin to post some simple basic things to dramatically improve our fitness levels here.
i have also created a thread to ask questions comment and brag about your successes
So join in and become the best you you can be or watch the masochists amongst us SWEAT lol
If this is something your interested in and like let us know in the comments threadWishing everyone success on this journey
S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G
Comes in many variations, here are some great stretches for after a workoutWelcome back to the better fitness thread, i hope you enjoy following the program as much as i am in producing it
Please remember if you have any medical conditions please check with your Dr before commencing any of the more strenuous sections.
When To Stretch1.
- Never stretch before you warm up. The only reason it feels good to stretch even when you're cold is because your body sends out natural painkillers. To protect your tissues, you need to raise your cardiac pulse in order to fill them with blood. The only way to do this is by working out.
- Swimming is the safest way to raise your cardiac pulse. Water reduces shocks to the body because it reduces the felt effect of gravity on your body.
- Jumping rope can also be effective, but it may damage your tibia's periosteums, which is the membrane enveloping your bones (except at junctions) that allows the blood to flow from your heart to your muscles connected by the tendon.
- Swimming pools are sometimes inaccessible, so an efficient and safe way to raise cardiac pulse would be by cycling (except if you have knee problems).
- Stretching before your workout will put your Central Nervous System (CNS) to sleep to increase your range of motion. It will result with less gain than improvement on the muscle part. The CNS naturally provides resistance by stimulating antagonists muscles when you flex a muscle to prevent it from being too stretched and tear your conjunctive tissues. Never stretch prior to workout, and always do it after.
- Always stretch after you work out. Stretching will ensure you have an optimal circulation of body fluids throughout your system and an adequate flexibility which will prevent your connective tissues to pop when you contract your muscle.
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How to Stretch
Stretching correctly will increase your flexibility and reduce the risk of injuries caused by lesions of the connective tissues (such as the periosteum) and other nasty things. This guide shows a variety of techniques with the goal of revamping or establishing your stretching routine. Use the tips that suit your needs for the activities you do. Do not stretch if you are injured without the help of a physical therapist. Doing so may result in further injury.Stretching Exercises
1 Stretch Your Neck.
- Incline your head forward, but do not roll your head from side to side-this is dangerous. Instead, stretch your neck to the left, right, forward and back, but always return to center first!
- Tilt your head with ear toward shoulder, incline your head backward and roll your head from left to right, then right to left in a 30 degree motion.
- Be sure that while your head is tilted back, you keep your jaw relaxed and even let your mouth fall open just a bit.
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2 Stretch Your Shoulder.
- Put your arm on your chest.
- Grab your forearm with the opposite arm.
- Pull your arm until you feel your shoulder being stretched.
- Push the arm you are stretching the opposite way in order to contract the muscle if you feel that your chest is stretching instead of your shoulder.
[/list]3 Stretch Your Triceps.
- Reach up with your right arm.
- Bend your right elbow and put your forearm down behind your head and between your shoulder blades.
- Reach up and grab your right elbow with your opposite arm.
- Pull your elbow toward your head.
[/list]4 Stretch Your Scapulae.
- Extend your arms in front of you.
- Join both hands together and cross fingers.
- Push your arms further and try to push your scapulae in opposite directions.
[/list]5 Stretch Your Wrists.
- Hold your arm out.
- Slightly pull back your hand down with your opposite hand.
- Repeat with other hand.
[/list]6 Stretch Your Quadriceps.
- Stand up and pull one leg behind you.
- Repeat with other leg.
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7 Stretch Your Calves.
- Put your arms up against the wall.
- Bring one leg in towards it while keeping your other leg straight.
- Repeat with other leg.
[/list]8 Stretch Your Hamstrings.
- Sit on the floor and put one leg out.
- Reach for it and hold for a few seconds.
- Repeat with other leg, and then do it with both legs.
[/list]9 Stretch Your Legs Fully.
- Lay flat on your back and extend your leg out.
- Grab the back of your thigh.
- Pull your leg towards your face.
- Don't jerk your leg, it may cause an injury.
[/list]10 Do A Butterfly Stretch.
- Sit on the floor.
- Press the soles of your feet together.
- Pull your feet the closest you can.
- Put your hands on your ankles to where your elbows are lined up with your knees.
- Push against your elbows trying to close your legs. (This contracts your groin muscles to help you get a deeper stretch.)
- Push your knees down.
[/list]11 Stretch Your Lower Back.
- Lay down.
- Bring one leg onto your chest.
- Repeat with your other leg, and then do it with both.
[/list]12 Stretch Your Jaw.
- Incline your head back, rest your chin on your palm, and pull your jaw open.
- Say “Ah!” (you can mime it).
- Grab your chin with your thumb, index and middle fingers.
- Stretch it left to right. This exercise will help if you have been hit to the jaw (e.g., knocked-out in boxing).
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- Incline your head back, rest your chin on your palm, and pull your jaw open.
- Lay down.
- Sit on the floor.
- Lay flat on your back and extend your leg out.
- Sit on the floor and put one leg out.
- Stand up and pull one leg behind you.
- Hold your arm out.
- Extend your arms in front of you.
- Reach up with your right arm.
Welcome to the new you, here is the first and most important
training on your road to a fitter healthier body.Good luck and i wish you every success
30 Day Plank Challenge
If you’ve never had a strong core, you might not realize just how much it can impact your daily life. A strong torso helps shield against injury, can improve back (and possibly even knee) pain, improves posture, and promotes more efficient movement overall. If you’re new to exercise and/or have limited time to work out, prioritizing core strength is a smart strategy because it can make a dramatic difference in so many ways, and doesn't take much time.Core exercises are a great place to start if you are new to working out because most core moves are pretty simple, require minimal (if any) equipment, can be performed at home, and can be learned in minutes.
Why is doing a challenge important? When you’re trying to improve at something in life, the first step to success is setting a goal—this gives us motivation on those days we don’t want to exercise. Also, as you progress through this challenge, you will see improvement, and progress is highly motivating.
Like any challenge in life, you need to put in the work, be patient, stay positive, and celebrate small improvements.
The goal of this 30-day plank challenge is to see how long can you hold a plank. Obviously, we need to practice planking, but we also need to do other core exercises that will help us build a solid foundation.
Keep these things in mind as you progress through the challenge:
Practice proper form above all else.
Each week will get progressively harder.
At the end of each week, you’ll test to see how long you can hold a plank.
Rest days are a must—these allow your body to recover and get stronger.
Schedule time on your calendar each day to get your workout in.
Adjust the time you hold the plank and the rest intervals (either increase or decrease one or both) depending on your fitness level.
All of these exercises can be done at home without any equipment.30 Day Plank Challenge Schedule
If you are new to the fitness world, or have taken a prolonged break, things have changed a bit. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) made popular by CrossFit have become the “it” workouts. These types of workouts are a combination of both strength and cardiovascular training. Each workout can be as short as 10 minutes, but are typically no longer than 20 minutes.
Benefits of HIIT Training
The are several benefits to HIIT training. If you are like most of us who have a job, family and social life, your time is tight. Twenty-minute workouts—not counting warm-up and cool down—work in our favor. HIIT workouts burn a ton of calories, which never hurts if you’re trying to lose weight. An unexpected benefit: HIIT training builds mental toughness. Ask anybody familiar with these types of workouts and they’ll tell you that they can be one of the more challenging workouts you’ll ever do.
Things to Keep in Mind
The challenge is to complete five rounds of a HIIT circuit in 30 days. The program follows a 3-day-a-week plan. On the days that you don’t have a HIIT workout scheduled, you should rest or do some easy walking or bike riding.
If you don’t feel comfortable with a selected exercise, substitute it with another exercise, or remove it altogether. If you are not feeling comfortable with an exercise you can always substitute the exercise. For example, do bodyweight squats instead of thrusters. Do planks instead of Russian twists if you have back pain; complete step-ups instead of lunges if you have knee pain. If you’ve been working out for a while, you can decrease the rest in between each round, or increase the weight to make the circuit more difficult.
Safety is a major concern when it comes to this type of training—the number one goal is to avoid injury. You should expect some muscle soreness initially, but as the program progresses, the exercises remain the same so muscle soreness should be little to none over time. Be smart when you’re training, and listen to your body. If muscle soreness becomes a problem and is lasts more than a few days, take more rest days during the week. Do not push through pain—it will only aggravate the issue. If you feel beat up, had bad sleep, and work is stressing you out, take an additional rest day. As my college running coach always said, “One workout cannot make you, but one workout can break you.”
Complete whatever cardio exercise you prefer during the cardio portions of each workout. Some suggestions: If you’re at home, ideal cardio moves include: jumping jacks, jump rope, or running in place. If you’re at the gym and have access to cardio equipment, ideal activities include spinning on a stationary bike, running on a treadmill or up stairs, and rowing.
Your effort during the cardio portion should be 85% or higher, depending on your level of fitness, so pick a cardio exercise that you are comfortable doing at a high intensity. Complete a 10-minute warm-up and a 5- to 10-minute cooldown for every workout. The only equipment you’ll need is a pair of light dumbbells; remember, you can increase or decrease weight as needed.
You’ll perform only four strength-building exercises—thrusters, Russian twist, lunges and push-ups—during the entire challenge.
Each HIIT workout is structured the same:
Strength moves: Complete AMRAP for prescribed time OR complete number of assigned reps
Rest
Repeat suggested intervals of strength moves
Cardio for prescribed time
Rest
Repeat circuit sequence
The goal on day 30: Complete five rounds, with 90 seconds rest in between each round, at the end of four weeks.Print This Training Plan
Thrusters
Set your feet shoulder-width apart, and rest dumbbells on your shoulders.
Squat down, making sure to push your knees out as you descend, so your hip crease is below your knee.
As you rise, keep your knees out and press the dumbbells over your head as you stand tall.
Bring the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.Russian Twist
Hold a light dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest (elbows pulled in at your sides).
Sit on your butt with your knees bent and, if you can, raise your feet off the floor slightly.
Lean back a little bit, take the dumbbell and move it from your left side to your right side.
If you have a hard time with this exercise, keep your feet on the floor.Lunges
Start by standing tall with your abs pulled in and your eyes focused on a spot ahead.
Step forward with your right foot, making sure your knee stays over your foot.
Lunge low and then return to the starting position.
Switch sides and repeat.
To make this move more challenging, hold dumbbells in your hands.Push-ups
Get into the push-up position, pull in your abs, and keep your back rigid.
Keep your elbows tight against your body, lower your chest to the floor, pause, and then return to the starting position. Repeat.
If you don’t have the strength to complete these types of push-ups, no problem. Just drop down to your knees and do them.
Your Most Popular Diet Questions Answered
“Help! I know should eat better but I don’t actually know what that means!”
We get emails like this all day, every day, because “eating better” is a confusing subject.
Go to a doctor and he might tell you to eat more “heart healthy whole grains.”
Read another blog and it might say “eat 30 bananas a day for optimal health”
(seriously, that’s a thing apparently).
Open the latest fitness magazine and you’ll be taught about belly-fat banishing super foods.
What’s the truth? How the heck does one “eat better?” How much should I eat? Why are we here? What’s the answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything?The answer to all of these questions and more are covered below in an easily-digestible (heyo) article.
Let’s dig in.
How much should you eat?
Chicken Kabob
“Is it true that the less I eat, the faster I’ll lose weight?”
Maybe… and only up to a certain point. Our goal isn’t to get you to lose weight as quickly as possible. Our goal is to get you to lose body fat (not just weight) in a sustainable, permanent fashion.
Why?
Because starving yourself for a month-long “diet” only to return to old habits right after doesn’t help anybody.
So, we do NOT recommend you go on a diet. I actually hate that word. And the word “moist,” but I digress. A diet implies a temporary change to lose weight quickly, until you return to an unhealthy “normal life,” at which point you’ll put all of the weight right back on and have to repeat the cycle. Instead, we are going to make permanent changes to our lifestyle, moving the bar and adjusting what “normal” means to you.
Because over-consuming calories is generally the major culprit in an expanding waistline, consuming fewer calories is a good starting point. Spend a few days using a calorie tracker app (like MyFitnessPal) to track your daily food intake – every calorie. Once you start to educate yourself on how much you are eating every day, my bet is you’re eating more than you thought.
[note: Most sites and apps like MyFitnessPal give you macronutrient breakdowns that we don’t necessarily agree with. Disregard their recommendations for a low fat and high carb ratio, and simply use the apps for tracking.]
“So, I know how much I AM eating, how much SHOULD I be eating?”
Depending on your level of activity and body composition, your daily caloric needs will be different for every person… but here’s a broad range for an average human trying to eat an acceptable amount:
Men: 1800-2200 calories (1 Calorie = 4 Kilojoules)
Women: 1600-2000 calories
These are ROUGH estimates based on basic numbers, though the specific total you need will depend on your height, weight, genetics, and level of activity – you can actually calculate it by plugging in your stats here, and it’ll give you a ROUGH estimate of how many calories you should be consuming on average to maintain your weight. Eat less, lose weight. Eat more, gain weight. This is called your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).You can calculate your TDEE here. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
Now, because this amount might be drastically less than you currently consume, we recommend you slowly decrease the amount of food you eat so your body doesn’t revolt: going from 3500-4000 calories per day down to 1600 is a recipe for disaster!
“Wait, why is eating WAYYY too few calories bad?”
Regardless of how much you eat, we don’t recommend that you drop below the bottom end of the spectrum if you want to be healthy and happy. Eating 1200 calories a day (or less), along with running on a treadmill for two hours is unsustainable, unhealthy, and won’t get you the results you’re after in the long term.
When you eat the right kinds of food (explained below!), and the correct amount of it, you’ll give your body the “ok!” to stop hoarding calories and storing energy and start burning it!
Note: This doesn’t mean if you skip a meal here or there your body will kick into starvation mode. In fact, we recommend skipping meals here and there for many people! It’s called intermittent fasting.
“What if I’m trying to get bigger?? How can I eat more calories?”
Welcome to my world! If you are skinny and looking to pack on some size and muscle, you need to consume more calories than you are burning, in addition to following a challenging strength-training routine to stimulate muscle growth.
For that reason, the same foods we encourage people to avoid when they are trying to LOSE weight can be great tools to help you GAIN weight.
This means in addition to consuming protein sources to assist in muscle building (meat, fish, eggs, whey protein, etc), look for foods that are high calorie and high carb to get your total caloric/carb intake up:
- Rice (brown or white)
- Whole milk
- Beans
- Oats
- Fruit
- Nuts (healthy fats, high in calorie)
- Nut Butter (peanut, almond, cashew)
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If you’re not getting bigger, you’re not eating enough. Count calories for a week, add 250 more per day, and check again in two weeks to see how your weight has changed!
“What about snacking? What are some healthy snacks I can eat throughout the day?”
Actually, I’m not a big fan of snacking! I’m officially on Team “No Snack” as I just make sure my actual meals are big and healthy. Now, if you are looking for some healthy options, no problem. Make sure you check out our article on snacking! Just remember to keep track of total calories for the day!
Eating healthier
Pulled Pork
“Got it, so I should eat fewer calories…but now I’m hungry all the time because I’ve cut half of what I used to eat in half. And now I’m cranky. And I want my cookies. And that ice cream over there.”
Although calorie restriction is a good start for losing weight, we also believe that the quality of the calorie plays a big role too! Your body does not treat every calorie equally: eating a lot of vegetables, healthy fats, and protein will result in a different experience for your body compared to an equal amount of candy, pasta, cookies, and cake.
For that reason, if you’re going to start eating fewer calories, you need to start consuming more filling foods that don’t have a ton of calories.
Foods like chicken, steak, fish, and most protein sources (provided they aren’t breaded and deep fried) can help you feel full without increasing your caloric intake.
The same is true for vegetables: if you can LOAD up a plate with veggies and grilled chicken covered in salsa (or one of our other healthy recipes), I guarantee it’ll be a fraction of the calories compared to a big soda, french fries, a plate of pasta, chips, or candy. And you’ll actually feel satiated after!
There’s a method to the madness with this type of eating. We don’t LOVE counting calories, as it can cause us to get neurotic and freak out over every calories, though it is a good place to start. So, instead, we try to simplify things and put the focus on real food as a strategy to stay on track long term.
Some use the Paleo Diet, which we are fans of due to its focus on consuming real foods. Others just use the “stop eating junk, start eating real food” strategy.
“Wait, eat more vegetables, and protein? But I read on many sites that meat is bad for you, and I should be eating more heart-healthy whole grains.”
Personally, I’m not a vegetarian nor do I prescribe to the lifestyle – I believe meat can be a healthy part of our diet. If you don’t eat meat, feel free to stick around, but make sure you check out my friend Matt at NoMeatAthlete.com too! As for “heart-healthy whole grains,” we actually recommend you minimize the amount of grains and total carbs you consume.
“How many carbs is too many?”
If your goal is loss of weight, we recommend that you consume less than 100 grams of carbs per day, and aim to get most of those carbs from leafy greens and other vegetables. Depending on your training routine, that number might need to be lower or higher.
“If I keep my carbs under 100 grams per day, then what else do I eat?”
Lots of healthy fats (avocado, fatty meats, almond butter, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil) and protein!
“I thought fat was bad for me?”
Nope! Fat has been wrongly vilified for years. Eating fat does not make you fat, just like eating foods with cholesterol is different than the cholesterol in your blood.The real enemy? Sugar and refined processed foods!
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/05/22/is-cholesterol-killing-us-a-beginners-guide-to-cholesterol/Want to kickstart your loss of weight? Cut sugar from your diet. No more sodas.
“I know I should eat more vegetables. But I don’t want to give up the foods I love. And I love sugar.”
How about this: eat healthy as often as you can, and then for a few meals a week, eat what you want. See how your body changes over a few weeks, and then adjust accordingly. Don’t give up anything permanently, but you have to start limiting the junk food. And sugar is what’s ruining us.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/06/17/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sugar/What if I just don’t like the taste of vegetables?
That’s cool. Neither did I, til I found my gateway vegetable: grilled asparagus. And then I started liking zucchini when in a stirfry. And then broccoli. And now I eat bowls of vegetables. Here’s a strategy for vegetable haters.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/09/04/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables/Making changes permanent
notebook
“Great work Steve, you made my head hurt. Eat less sugar, eat more fat. Vegetables are good, too many carbs is bad. Eat less but not too much less. Just tell me what to do.”
First and foremost, don’t over-complicate things. Knock that off. All I want you to do is make small, DELIBERATE, sustainable changes to your diet:
Try to eat some protein with each meal.
Vegetables are your friend. And no, corn doesn’t count.
Fat is not the enemy! Liquid calories, and sugar in particular, are your enemy.
Make changes you can live with.
All we’re trying to do is raise the average number of healthy decisions you make each week. If last week you made 0 healthy decisions, then if you make just 1 this week – congrats, your average week is now healthier than last week!We are not trying to crash-diet our way into a bathing suit for a week. We are making permanent changes that permanently change our relationship with food. We take care of ourselves – we eat more veggies and protein because we know they make us operate and function better.
- Need help getting started? Make sure you take a look at our easy and delicious recipes. http://www.nerdfitness.com/category/cooking/
- On a budget or living with mom and dad? Try one of these budget foods or use this frugal strategy.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/12/27/cheap-and-healthy-food/
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/10/11/how-to-eat-healthy-without-breaking-the-bank/ - Work weird hours? Follow our strategy here.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/06/13/how-to-stay-in-shape-despite-working-weird-hours/
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No matter your situation, start today. Make one better decision. As you get better at understanding how to eat better, you can increase the difficulty and make more healthy decisions each week to accelerate the speed you transform.
“What’s the answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything?”
42.
The Best Flat Abs Moves for MenTrain for Flat Abs
1. Bicycle
You want four to eight key moves in each workout. Be sure to target the upper and lower abs, the oblique muscles along your sides, and the back. The “bicycle” is one of the best. Lie on your back and “pedal” in the air. Raise one shoulder as if trying to touch the opposite knee. Repeat on the opposite side for two sets of 12 reps. Keep your elbows back, and your lower back on the floor.2. Classic Crunch
The crunch is a classic because it works. Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head, elbows facing out. With your low back on the floor, use your ab muscles to lift your upper body as far as you can. Hold the pose, then slowly return to the floor. Do three sets of 10-12 reps. Rest for 30 seconds in between all ab exercises.3. Reverse Crunch
The reverse crunch targets the lower abs, which are tough to tone. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Use the abs to lift the legs, bringing the knees directly over the hips. Contract the abs further, and raise your hips and lower back off the mat, knees toward your face. Hold briefly before lowering back to the mat. Don't let your feet touch the floor. Do three sets of 10-12 reps.4. Wood Chop
Grab a dumbbell, medicine ball, or cable weight system. Choose enough weight to work the muscle to fatigue within 12 reps. Kneel on one knee with the other foot forward. Use both hands to lift the weight up over your shoulder, on the foot-forward side. Don't turn your torso. Slowly lower the weight to opposite hip. Head, hips, and torso should face forward at all times. Do eight to 12 reps before switching sides.5. Trunk Rotations
Choose a medicine ball or dumbbell. In a sitting position, lean back slightly and engage the abs, with your knees bent and heels touching the floor. Hold the weight close to your body, and slowly twist your torso to one side. Pause briefly before rotating to the opposite side. Contract the abs deeply as you twist. Work up to three sets of 12 reps.6. Abs and Pecs: Dumbbell Fly
To look good shirtless, you'll want chiseled pecs along with flat abs. Here's a move that targets both areas. Sit on a stability ball holding dumbbells. Walk your feet forward and lie back until your head and upper back rest on the ball. Hold the dumbbells directly above your elbows. Tighten the abs and push the dumbbells straight up. Slowly swing the arms out and in — extended but not locked. Do three sets of 8-12 reps.7. Abs and Back: Front Plank
As you build steely abs, be sure your back keeps pace. The plank gets the job done. Lie on your stomach with your forearms on the floor. Keep the elbows bent and under your shoulders. Use your core muscles to lift your torso and thighs off the floor, tightly contracting your butt and your abs. Hold for 5 and work up to 30 to 60 seconds before lowering to the floor. Do three sets, resting 20 to 30 seconds in between. Stop immediately if you feel any lower back pain.8. Abs and Back: Bird-Dog
Kneel on your hands and knees, with your fingers facing forward. Tighten the core muscles, and raise the right leg until it is parallel with the floor, not higher than the hip. At the same time, raise the left arm until it is parallel to the floor. Hold briefly. Then lower to starting position, and repeat on the other side. One rep includes a full cycle of both sides. Do three sets of 8-12 reps.9. Abs and Legs: Knee Tucks
This move starts with your stomach on a stability ball, hands and feet on the floor. Engage the abs. Now walk your hands forward until you form a rigid plank, ankles resting on the ball. Don't let the low back sag. Slowly, tuck your knees into your chest. Hold briefly, then slowly return to a plank position. Expect the ball to roll forward and back with your moves.10. Abs and Butt: Glute Bridge
If you'd like your rear view to be as buff as your abs, try this move for sculpting the gluteal muscles. Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Contract your abs and glutes as you raise your hips off the ground. Press your heels into the floor, and avoid arching your back. Inhale and slowly lower yourself to the ground. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps.11. Abs and Butt: Frankensteins
Stand with your arms at your sides, feet hip-width apart. Tighten your abs, and raise your right knee up toward your chest. Keeping the knee high, try to cross your right leg over the left. Avoid rotating the left hip. Now bring your right leg back toward the right side of the room, opening the right hip. Return to starting position. Do five to 10 reps on each side.12. Abs and Butt: Side Plank
Side plank is a great way to work both the obliques and the glutes. Lie on your right side, placing the right elbow on the floor directly under the shoulder. Keep the legs straight, with the left leg resting directly on top of the right. As you contract your waist and glutes, raise your hips and knees. Keep the right foot in contact with the floor. Hold for 5 to 20 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat. Then switch sides.13. Abs and Legs: Lunge
The lunge is a great multitasking move — it targets the abs, butt, quads, and hamstrings all at once. With feet together, slowly lift the right leg and step forward, placing your right foot firmly on the floor. Lower the hips until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Make sure your right knee doesn’t push forward in front of your toes. Slowly return to standing. Aim for eight to 12 reps, and repeat on the other side.14. Creating an Ab Routine That Works
For best results, do a targeted ab routine two or three times per week, resting at least one full day between workouts. Don't try to do all the moves in this slideshow in one workout. Pick four to eight moves for each session, and spread the work across different muscle groups. To keep your muscles challenged, mix up the moves every few days or weeks. If you're 45 or older or have a medical condition, check with your doctor first.15. Cardio for Flat Abs
If you can’t see your abs for your belly, you need more than an ab workout. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio on most days of the week. Crunched for time? Switch to vigorous aerobic activity — for 75 minutes each week. Besides burning fat, regular cardio protects against heart disease, depression, and certain types of cancer.16. Food for Flat Abs: Lean Protein
To trim enough belly fat to reveal your developing abs, you'll probably need to cut back on calories. But that doesn't have to mean giving up meat. Lean cuts of pork, lamb, and beef are loaded with protein to help you stay full longer. Fish, beans, and nuts are also good protein sources. A healthy portion is about the size of your fist.17. Whole Grains
There's good evidence for swapping refined grains for whole grains. The fiber in whole grains helps you have a healthy body weight. Get more whole grains by stirring shredded wheat into your favorite cereal, by making your sandwiches with whole-grain bread, or by ordering your sushi with brown rice.18. Greek Yogurt
In one study, dieters who ate nonfat yogurt lost almost twice as much belly fat as those who didn't eat yogurt. If you find ordinary yogurt isn't a satisfying snack, try the Greek variety — it’s thicker and has more protein.19. Good Fats
Fat is not off the menu when you’re trying to lose weight. You need some fat to help you build muscles. Just make sure it’s the right kind. Sources of good fats include avocado, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish, such as salmon.20. Fruits, Veggies
Fruits and vegetables should take up half your plate. Aim for a wide range of colors to nourish your body with an assortment of plant-based nutrients. These phytochemicals are good for your heart and fight some types of cancer. Plus, filling up on veggies will help you cut back on higher-calorie foods.21. Why Focus on Flat Abs?
Yes, you want a six-pack. But that’s not all you get when working on your abs. The abs are some of the core muscles that support all of your body's motions. Firm abs will raise your overall fitness level and help your athletic performance. What's more, reducing your waist size may cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes.Top 5 Tips For Making A Gym Habit StickEveryone has that annoying friend who never seems to miss a gym workout.
While it may seem they are just lucky and don’t have the obligations you do, chances are they probably do but have created a schedule and habits around exercise that works for them. More importantly, they’ve done it consistently enough to make it a routine and reap the benefits.
1) Schedule Workouts First Thing In The Morning
While different things appeal to different people, try integrating adapting some of these to see which work for you:You will boost your metabolism for the rest of the day, increase your energy, strengthen your will to stick with a healthy-eating plan, and you’ll have a better mood and sleep better.
First thing in the morning, you are less likely to be distracted by email, work calls or anything else that may come up.
Additionally, by working out early you will have less time before your workout to think about it and talk yourself into doing something else ‘more important’.2) Recruit Workout Partners
Ask just about anyone what keeps them committed to fitness goals and invariably it involves other humans.
Whether it’s a gym buddy or workout partner another comrade will help keep you accountable, motivated and up to date on the latest goss if they like to chat!
Find the right partner or group and you might even start looking forward to workout time.
3) Find A Class, Routine Or Environment You Like
By enjoying the instructor, environment or even fellow gym goers, it makes the sometimes unpleasant task of working out bearable.
Don’t end up feeling like a teenager being dragged to do something you don’t want to do at a place where you don’t want to be.
4) Set A Goal
If you don’t have a goal (no matter how small) there isn’t a whole lot of motivation to get you working out. Goals don’t always have to be based on the aesthetic. Maybe you challenge yourself to go to the gym three times a week for six weeks or take one strength and one stretch class per week. Treat yourself to a facial or other reward if you make it.
5) Schedule Rest Days
Give yourself at least one or two days a week out of the gym to avoid burnout and injury. Maybe you like being outside so schedule a beach or park workout instead.
Remember the goal is to workout AND enjoy being healthy, so think what would make this less of a task for you.
What helps you maintain a regular fitness program? Please share in the comments below.
Best Muscle Building Exercises You're Not DoingCaution not for beginners
1 Weighted Dips
The weighted dip is a fantastic exercise for sculpting the chest and triceps muscles at the same time. Sadly most guys don't perform the weighted dip and do the basic body weight dip. The fastest way to get a muscle to grow is by placing overload on it.
2 Spider Curls
Spider curls are one of the best bicep isolating exercises on the planet. Most guys perform standard db hammer curls to get bigger arms, but if you want to sculpt and develop thick and large biceps you need to work them directly through strict isolation. Spider curls will help you build bigger arms quickly.
3 Weighted Pull Ups
Weighted pull ups are one of the best exercises for building up the larger back and bicep muscles. Although the weighted pull up is a very advanced exercise – it yields tremendous muscle building benefits. If you are strong enough to perform 10 regular pull ups you should start placing overload on your muscles in the form of weighted pull ups.
4 Stiff Leg Deadlift
The stiff leg dead lift involves keeping your legs more straight than a regular dead lift. While you may still use a slight bend at the knees, the straigher you keep your legs the more overload is placed on the hamstrings. This will help you develop strength and build muscle mass in one of the largest muscle groups in your body.
5 Db Side Bend
DB side bends are a great exercise to develop the oblique and abdominal muscles. Many fitness enthusiasts only train their abs with standard body weight exercises – but if you want to sculpt and develop your core you need to place overload on it through weighted repetitions.
6 Barbell Row
The barbell row is one of the best exercises for working the biceps and middle portion of your back. Sadly most guys dont perform the barbell row and stick to the basic's on back day such as the lateral pull down and seated row machine.
8 45 Degree Back Extensions
The 45 degree back extension is one of the most important exercises for developing lower back strength and to remove love handles. The 45 degree back extension will target your lower back and help you sculpt lean muscle mass while also improving your compound lifts such as the squat and dead lift.
9 Db Bulgarian Split Squat
The db bulgarian split squat is one of the best exercises for isolating the quadriceps and hip flexors. Many fitness buffs perform the db walking lunge regularly but the db bulgarian split squat will do a far better job of isolating the individual quadricep muscle and hip flexors.
10 Barbell Decline Bench Press
The barell decline bench press is an underrated chest exercise that will sculpt the pectoral muscles while taking pressure off of your front deltoids. While the flat bench press gets all of the hype for chest exercises, the decline bench will actually break down and work your pectoral muscles more direct with less strain on your shoulders.
11 Decline Bench Skull Crush
Performing tricep skull crushers on a decline bench will allow you to emphasize the outer horseshoe portion of the tricep more directly while also givng you a fuller range of motion. Many guys only perform skull crushers on a flat bench, but if you want the full muscle building effect make sure to try them out on the decline bench.
12 Underhand Grip Lat Pull Down
The underhand grip lat pull down is an advanced variation of the traditional lat pull down machine. By placing your hands closer together with an underhand grip you will place more emphasis on your bicep and lat muscles. This is a must do exercise on back and biceps day.
13 Box Squat
The box squat is another advanced variation of the traditional barbell squat. By placing a box at the bottom of your squat and sitting on it you will force your hip flexors and gluteus muscles to engage while you explode up into your repetition. This is a great exercise for developing explosive drive for sports like sprinting and football. It also will help you build your leg muscles quickly.
- Never stretch before you warm up. The only reason it feels good to stretch even when you're cold is because your body sends out natural painkillers. To protect your tissues, you need to raise your cardiac pulse in order to fill them with blood. The only way to do this is by working out.
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