Tired of the Old 3 Sets of 10-12? Well, So is Your Body! Break Through Your Plateau by Training Drastically Different… a Look at Training Variables.

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Everyone will inadvertently hit a frustrating plateau in their training at one time or another.  You’re cruising along for a while, gaining strength, losing fat, looking better, and then all of the sudden it hits. Suddenly, you find yourself even weaker than before on your lifts, or you find that you’ve gained back a couple of pounds.  It happens to everyone.

Most of the time, these plateaus occur because people rarely change their training variables over time. Many people stick to the same types of exercises for the same basic sets and reps and rest periods with the same boring cardio routine.  Well, I hope to open your mind and bring some creativity to your workouts with this article!

There are many ways that you can strategically modify your training variables to assure that you maximize your fat loss and/or muscle building response to exercise. Most people only think about changing their sets and reps performed, if they even think about changing their routine at all.

However, other variables that can dramatically affect your results are changing the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping (super-setting, circuit training, tri-sets, etc.), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc.), the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), rest periods between sets, repetition speed, range of motion, exercise angle (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc), training duration per workout, and training frequency per week. 

Sounds like a lot of different training aspects to consider in order to get the best results from your workouts, doesn’t it?  Well, that’s where a knowledgeable personal trainer can make sense of all of this for you to make sure that your training doesn’t get stale.  Below are a few examples to get your mind working to come up with more creative and result producing workouts.

Most people stick to workouts where they do something along the lines of 3 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise, with 2-3 minutes rest between sets.  Booooorrrrring!!!!  Here are a few examples of different methods to spice up your routine.

• Try 10 sets of 3 with a medium weight, resting only 20 seconds between sets.
• Try using a heavier weight and complete 6 sets of 6 reps, doing a 3 minute treadmill sprint between each weight lifting set.
• Try using a near maximum weight and do 10 sets of 1 rep, with 30 seconds rest between sets.
• Try using a lighter than normal weight and do 1 set of 50 reps for each exercise
• Try a workout based on only one full body exercise, such as barbell clean & presses or dumbbell squat & presses, and do nothing but that exercise for an intense 20 minutes.
• Try a circuit of 12 different exercises covering the entire body without any rest between exercises.
• Try that same 12 exercise circuit on your subsequent workout, but do the entire circuit in the reverse order.
• Try your usual exercises at a faster repetition speed on one workout and then at a super-slow speed on your next workout.
• Try completing five 30 minute workouts one week, followed by three 1-hr workouts the next week.
• Try doing drop sets of all of your exercises, where you drop the weight between each set and keep doing repetitions without any rest until complete muscular fatigue (usually about 5-6 sets in a row).

Want more ideas? There are many more ways to continue to change your training variables. This was just a taste of your possibilities.  In order to see how to incorporate various strategies into effective routines, give the programs in my internationally best-selling ebook The Truth about Six Pack Abs a try.  

Most of us spend a lot of time wishing we had a set of six pack abs. They have come to define what it means to be healthy and strong. The problem lies in that it is not that easy to create a set of hard ripped ab muscles without a lot of work and dedication.

We are bombarded daily in the media with commercials die wahrheit über bauchmuskeln for the latest and greatest fat seo services london busting, ab ripping machine, or some sort of miracle pill that will do all the work for us. It doesn’t help when there are ripped hair again john kelby models demonstrating the latest “Gut Buster Lounge.” Do you really psoriasis free for life think they got those trim and firm bodies by spending twenty minutes a day-three days a week doing an exercise on a machine that looks like it should be rolling up burritos?

You can spend days and months using these ab exercise gizmos, or doing the sgr program thousands of sit-ups and crunches but unless you also burn away davina body buff excess body fat your six pack will never see the light of day. Your six pack will remain nice and cozy beneath a layer of fat and only you will know it exists.

There was a time in college when the running joke was, “Yeah, I have a six pack; it’s just hiding beneath this beer.” It didn’t matter how active we were with mountain biking, skiing, hiking and other outdoor fun, banish tonsil stones our penchant for drinking beer after our fun ruined any chances we had at a “rock hard six pack.” It all comes down to calories.

The secret to how to get a six pack is really quite simple. pearly penile papules removal It’s what you do with it that takes hard work and dedication. Those fitness models on the TV commercials are examples of what that work and effort can achieve, and not only that they get paid to show off their bodies.

To get six pack abs you need to follow a program consisting of three things.

1. Your Diet – This has everything to do with the food lisa olson pregnancy miracle book review you eat, not the latest diet fad. Your body needs and demands certain nutrients in order to run at its peak capability. Your body is a high performance machine. It needs protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins and pregnancy miracle book minerals and even some fat to function properly. A lean healthy diet will encourage you body’s metabolism to burn off its fat store more readily.

2. Core Strength – You must exercise and strengthen all your core muscles, not just your abs, if you want that firm toned midsection. In addition it is vitally important that you also exercise your major muscle groups which include your legs and back. These are the biggest muscles in your body and working them burns more calories then exercising just your abdominal muscles.

3. Cardio Training – The key to getting rid of fat is burning more calories than you take in. Aerobic training does just that. If you want to get rid of belly fat then get up off the couch and go for a walk, take a bike ride, or play some hoops. Find something you like to do and keep doing it.

If you seriously want to get a set of six pack abs like those fitness models on the TV commercials you will have to put in the work and lifestyle changes to make it happen. You have to burn the body fat in order to make any gains your abdominal exercises give you to show through. Only by following a complete diet and training regimen will you be able to develop that set of six pack abs you have always wanted.

Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/how-to-get-a-six-pack-120810.html

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One of the hardest region of your body to lose weight is your midsection and thus most people find it very hard to achieve a rock solid six pack abs. Truth be told anyone can lose weight, build muscles and achieve that stunning six pack abs that everyone will stare at. This is provided that you follow a proven system and have a little motivation and dedication.

Here is a step by step guide to get a six pack abs fast:

The first thing to note is your diet. Diet plays an important role when it comes to losing weight and building muscles. If you don’t follow a proper diet plan, you will find that you will have a layer of fat around your midsection. It does not matter how hard you work out, if you don’t get rid of that layer of fat you will never achieve a six pack abs. The abdominal muscles will be working out but the layer of fat above will be hiding all your work out efforts.

Therefore, you have to avoid certain foods that is preventing you from getting rid of that layer of fat. For example you can avoid while bread and start eating more whole wheat bread, you can avoid vegetables oils and start using olive oil etc. Also you can start having more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and more animal protein which will help you to build muscles fast.

The next thing you want to get down with in order to get that stunning six pack abs is your exercises. You exercises should be short and intense and targeted to get results. All you need is 30 – 45 minutes per day at least 3 times per week. You do not need to spend long hours in the gym as this will only make you exhausted rather that giving you the results you desire.

casey
http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/muscle-building-tips-how-to-get-a-rock-solid-six-pack-abs-that-everyone-will-stare-at-712538.htm

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What is a good six pack workout?

I don’t know about you but if you are anything like me, I had allot of trouble for years trying to get a good six pack workout! The one thing I have found that really makes a huge difference in obtaining some six pack abs is INTENSITY IN YOUR WORKOUT…period!

Obviously, there are some other elements that come into a good six pack workout, but for me personally I have found that I started to see the best results when I included high intensity into my workout.

Here are some common mistakes I was making with my workouts

I wasn’t warming up properly, what I mean is I wasn’t getting my heart rate up to a high level. I would cycle maybe run but at a very passive rate. Now, I warm up for ten minutes and it is at a very high impact level of INTENSITY! When you have a good foundation to work from the results will come a lot faster. This is definitely one issue you need to address if you want a good six pack workout!

I wasn’t following a proven plan that WORK’S! I only really use to do a few sit ups and expect to see my abs? What was I thinking? Anyhow, I started to follow a proven plan that consisted of full light weight training over the whole body. Once I started to understand the fundamentals of weight loss around the mid-section I begun to see FAT DROPPING OFF and shape setting in. You must work all muscle groups to gain the best results!

As far as my Diet goes, I would figure that because I was working out I could eat anything I really wanted and it wouldn’t matter…’Wrong again’. Having a good six pack workout is a system of 3 different parts all working together to produce a desired product! Without one of the parts you find it very difficult to achieve your goal.

I soon discovered that because my diet wasn’t changing a lot, my results were very poor. Basically I was putting to much sugar into my diet, too many carbs and poor protein! Now I watch what I eat and have found that I feel 100 times better? The healthy food I am pumping into my body has changed everything. I have more energy for the gym, my thought pattern is sharper and I am happy.

These are some of the major factors in getting a good six pack workout. There is a lot more to it but these facts are the basic picture of what it takes to get 6 pack abs.

Ponty
http://www.articlesbase.com/men’s-health-articles/the-wrong-six-pack-abs-workout-752393.html

Unfortunately there is no quick and easy way of developing a six pack. Flat abs and six packs are difficult to achieve. The development of a firm, flate and defined stomach is a process that requires a significant amount of time and dedication.
There are two main steps in the process of penis advantage developing a firm, flat and defined stomach. These are weight loss and the strengthening of the abdominal muscles.
Weight Loss: It is common belief that abdominal exercises are the most important means of obtaining a six pack; however this is not the case.
Before your abdominal muscles are able to show, you must lose weight. Abdominal muscles will only become visible when a minimal fat to muscle ratio exists in the body. Weight loss is achievable through altering the diet to eliminate prejaculation excess sources of fat and a variety of weight loss dugis guide activities and exercise.
In the particular case of developing a six pack, weight loss actually refers to a reduction in the amount of body fat a person has stored. It is essential to reduce the amount of body fat, as fat stores will only serve to cover the abdominal muscles, thus preventing them from being viewed.
Strengthening the abdominal muscles: Once weigh loss has occurred, h miracle abdominal muscles must be developed and strengthened through a variety of abdominal muscles strengthening exercises.
In many cases, despite following a strict regimen for diet and exercise, many people are still unable to develop a six pack. This is mainly due to the fact that most people are unable to lower their body fat levels to the fat requirements for a six pack as these requirements are lower than that required to maintain current lifestyle and is lower than the healthy range for the bodily functions of most people.
Many people are also unable to develop a defined stomach due to the genes they have inherited. Our genes play a major role in the way our bodies function and in some cases some dub turbo people may be genetically predisposed to developing a six pack and flat abdominals easily, whereas many of us are not. Unfortunately, if this is the case, no amount of diet and exercise will see a six pack develop.
In many cases, the process of developing a six pack will often require more exercise than many peoples schedules will allow, will require more attention to be paid to the diet and will require a more strict starcraft 2 secretsadherence to diet and exercise than first anticipated. For this reason many people may opt for some simple exercise and diet for weight loss, as opposed to the development of a six pack.

The process of obtaining or trying to obtain the stereotypical perfect flat abs is long and does require a high level of commitment. Before embarking on this quest, it is best to think about your reasons for wanting a defined abdominal region and weather a six pack will change your life for the better.

In many cases, even if a six pack is not possible, weight loss and a better looking and feeling body will be so diet and exercise are definitely beneficial and should not be discarded in the event that a six pack cannot be achieved.

It is important to set realistic goals, as opposed to aiming to high. Begin by aiming for weight loss and muscle toning, and work up from there is necessary.

James Penn
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-process-of-getting-a-six-pack-what-needs-to-be-done-113354.html

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One of the most overlooked and important aspects about getting ripped abs for women is having the proper motivation. To many times women focus on the wrong things, worrying to much about which workout to use and which diet to follow. By maintaining focus on your goals and the reasons why you want a set of firm abs you will better see that goal met.

For those women aren’t willing to make the proper sacrifices and make the necessary changes in their lifestyles getting that flat trim stomach may be nothing more then a dream. The reason for this is simple; much like anything in life if you wish to succeed you need to give forth the proper effort.

If you are a woman looking to get ripped abs what is your motivation. Is it a trim sexy body? Are you trying to improve your overall health? Only you can answer that question but whatever your reasons you need to use these to keep motivated to reach your goal. If you understand what a set of strong abs will do for you and you know why you want them it is much easier to stick with your healthy diet and exercise routine.

Ultimately this is what will tax your motivation the most because eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly is the only way to get a set of ripped abs for both women and men. It is so easy to just say the heck with it and go back to your old ways because it does take work to meet this goal.

There is no shortcut to a tight stomach regardless of the claims made by all those infomercials you see on TV. Do not get fooled by the hype that the latest fat burning pill or ab lounge rocker machine promise. The motivation to change the way you look and feel about yourself comes from within, not from the promise of some huckster on TV.

The point is that ripped abs for women requires you to change not only your way of thinking but many of those habits that are detrimental to your goal. If you stay focused on what you want and concentrate on those things that will get you there, namely hard work and healthy lifestyle choices you will soon have the set of abs you’ve always wanted.

Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-truth-about-ripped-abs-for-women-678852.html

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Abs. Got ‘em? Especially if you’re a guy, chances are, you’d like to make your abs more ripped. You can get more ripped, too, if you follow a few basic diet and exercise tips. When it comes to how to get ripped, you can get those abs you’ve always wanted — and it doesn’t have to be that hard. It is going to take some time, though, because you can’t expect overnight results. You didn’t get that “couch bod” in one day and it’s going to take a little bit longer to get ripped as a result.

Be productive

The training methods you’re going to employ have to be productive, or you could spend more time in the gym but see fewer results. So pay attention to these points.

Your diet

In fact, this is probably the most important part of how to get ripped. It’s at least half of the equation, anyway, and probably better than half (the other half is the effort and proper technique you’re going to put into your workout, along with just plain determination and willpower).

But wait a minute; don’t think that a single diet can help you get ripped. You can do a number of different things that will help you achieve the look you want.

Eat less than you burn

If you want to achieve definition and lose some body fat, you are going to have to take in fewer calories than you burn. However, the eating program you choose (as opposed to “diet,” which is truly a nasty a negative word) is going to have to be something you’ll like and will stick with.

Bulk up on the protein

You need to eat about a gram of protein per pound of body mass in order to help you build muscle. You want to lose the fat and build muscle, and to that end, you need more protein than you would if you were simply trying to lose weight.

How many calories?

Take your current body weight in pounds and multiply it by between 10 and 12. (If you’re significantly overweight, multiply it by a smaller number than that, such as eight.) This will give you the rough number of calories you need to consume in order to lose weight even as you are strenuously working out.

The way you break out those calories will go something like this: let’s say, for example, that your formulation says you should be consuming 1800 calories a day. Of those, remember that you are going to want to consume a gram of protein per pound of body weight, or about 180 g of protein if you’ve multiplied your body weight by 10 for the number of calories you get. A gram of protein has four calories, so 180 g times four is 720 calories. That means you should get 720 calories from protein.

15% of your calories should come from “good” fats like omega-3 fatty acids and healthy oils like olive oil and from lean proteins like lean beef. The rest should come from complex carbohydrates.

Your lower abs workout

You cannot simply work on your abs to get ripped abs. As to how to get ripped, you’ll have to simply lose the fat overall, gain definition, and then work on muscle groups individually. Find more tips on lower abs workout here.

Work smarter, not harder

Change your program out, but three to five days a week, do a workout on all the muscle groups by performing an abs exercise like crunches, along with other muscle group exercises like calf raises, rows, shoulder presses, deadlifts, squats, bench presses and lat pulls — two sets of 10 reps each until you tire the muscle groups out for each exercise. On alternate days, do some whole body cardio like jogging, swimming, running, bicycling, etc. Go for 30 minutes to start and ramp it up to an hour as you get in better shape.

get abs? Got abs

Again, it’s not going to happen overnight, but following your program and your diet is going to show you how to get ripped. As you lose the fat in gain muscle and definition, you should see those ripped abs in no time at all. Remember, you can focus on your abs — but not to the exclusion of other muscle groups or of cardio, because that won’t help. You need whole body exercise and some decent cardio to truly get the body you want.

Greg Correll
http://www.articlesbase.com/men’s-health-articles/getting-ripped-abs-made-easy-1174830.html

The first thing that you think you need to do to get a set of six pack abs is a whole slew of stomach flattening exercises. Sit-ups, crunches, and leg raises are first on the list and if you are like most people you start doing these exercises with hopes of getting those washboard abs. But as you and many others have found out working just your abdominal muscles does little in the quest for a flat and firm stomach.

The reasons that getting a set of six pack abs is not as simple as it sounds is nothing more then the physiological way in which the human body works. If you don’t alter the way you approach attaining your goal you will never reach it. With this in mind you have to approach flattening your stomach through two methods of attack: Diet and Exercise.

Here’s why what you eat and how you exercise have such a large impact on whether you can see your abs or not. You see the thing is your abs are already there but if you are like most people there is a nice layer of belly fat hiding them. And until you get rid of that layer of fat your six pack will not show at all.

The first truth about six pack abs is changing your diet. Eating right is a critical component of any fat burning regimen. The best foods to choose are those that are nutrient dense, high in fiber, and high in complex carbohydrates. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean cuts of meat eaten in five to six smaller meals throughout the day is the best way to go.

The second truth about six pack abs is you need a complete body exercise program that includes stomach flattening exercises. By exercising the right way you kick your metabolism up another level and increase the rate at which your body burns away body fat. Concentrate on your major muscle groups because as you build these they tap into that stored fat energy.

In addition to building muscle it is important to mix in some cardio or aerobic exercise as well. This not only burns calories but is good for your overall cardiovascular health.

These two truths about six pack abs will serve you much better in your quest for a healthy body. Remember, there is more to getting firm and flat abdominals then just stomach flattening exercises.

Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-truth-about-getting-six-pack-abs-is-more-then-stomach-flattening-exercises-723498.html

There is much more to developing your abs than doing a few sit ups every day.  Especially as we age, the process of sculpting our abs becomes much more difficult.  For women this process even becomes more difficult because their bodies are formed to be a bit pudgier in the belly to help them nurture their unborn babies.  All in all though and with the right mind set and work ethic, you can develop the ever elusive six pack.  Here are a few tips.

To develop your abs you’ll most definitely want to exercise your abs constantly.  However, it is very important that you do give your abs plenty of time to rest between workouts.  What I mean is that you do not want or need to exercise your abs every single day.  Your abs will develop more when they are at rest so be sure to give them a day off in between your workouts.

Most trainers suggest you work your abs two to three times a week depending on what your goals are for your ab training.  Just keep in mind that the harder the workout, the more rest time your abs will need.

Many people train their abs mostly for show and not for go.  There are also plenty of athletes out there who train their abs to make their body more stable and secure.  When you develop your abs, you reduce your risk of injury significantly.  It especially reduces risk of back injury because the abdomen is the stabilizer for the entire body.  Developing your abs will give you a strong core, making you an overall stronger person.

There are many different ab exercises you can use to develop your abs. Different trainers will also give you plenty of different advice on which ab exercises to use and which ones not to use. 

If you are doing an ab specific exercise routine, it’s always better to start first with the lower abs, then move to the obliques, then to the upper abs. The reason for this is that the upper abs are being utilized in almost all ab exercises and the lower abs are a little harder to focus on.

Find some ab exercises that you enjoy and try to switch up your routine often to give your abs a different workout.  Many people use a swiss ball or physio ball to train with and it provides them with an extra workout because the abs have to work harder in order to balance on the ball.  A medicine ball is another way to make your ab workouts a bit more difficult.

These are just a few tips on how you can develop your abs into a rock hard six pack.  It is important to note however that a healthy diet should be your main prioity, even more so than the ab workouts.  Getting into a habit of eating healthy will show in your abs much more than any ab workouts ever will.

Matt Helphrey
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/developing-your-abs-734699.html