5 Flat Tummy Myths (and 3 Steps to Tight Abs)
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011It’s bathing suit season and you want flat abs to flaunt.
While we commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, we’re here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people believe. Don’t waste your time on these:
Myth #1: Take diet pills to speed results.
We know it’s so tempting! The ads make compelling claims about the power of popping a pill, but don’t fall for it. There is no ‘magic pill’. Diet pills are more likely to burn through your pocketbook than to slim you down.
- Tip: Don’t pop a pill – instead burn calories with intense exercise.
Myth #2: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.
Excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a toned look you’ll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your tummy.
- Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches – instead focus on fat burning.
Myth #3: Turn to packaged diet products to boost results.
Don’t fall for the foods that are packaged as ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ aids. Quite often these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need, and certainly won’t help you attain that tight tummy.
- Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods – instead stick with nutritious whole foods.
Myth #4: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to achieve tight abs.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while slimming down. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars (see the recipe below for Power Oatmeal).
- Tip: Don’t give up all carbohydrates – instead stick with wholesome carbs.
Myth #5: Starve the chub away. Trying to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective it can also be dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you’ll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.
- Tip: Don’t starve yourself – instead eat small wholesome meals throughout the day.
Now that you know what not to do in order to achieve tight abs, it’s time to go over your flat tummy game plan. Here’s what you need to know in 3 simple steps:
- Step One: No more junk.
The best way to do this is by purging your kitchen. Throw out the sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out, don’t buy any more of it. Remember that your beach-ready abs depend on what you eat – don’t eat junk! - Step Two: Eat whole foods.
Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple. - Step Three: Come train with me – a Philadelphia Personal Trainer.
This is the most obvious step. You’re ready to get into great shape and I’m in a unique position to make that happen for you. Call or reply to this email to get started on an exercise plan that will get you those amazing abs.
So you want to tone and flatten your abs?
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010One of the top questions that personal trainers are asked is “How can I get great abs?” You may have wondered that question at some point and are discouraged with your waistline. You may have given up on your abs after doing dozens of crunches with no results. I don’t blame you.
Try to forget everything that you have been currently doing in regards to sculpting your abdomen. Crunches alone will not give you a six pack. To do crunches with the expectation that it will turn your midsection into a washboard is to operate under one of the most widely held fitness myths, which is referred to as spot reducing. The term spot reducing refers to lowering fat stores in a specific area of the body, for example the abs, hips or arms. Doing crunches will not magically make your waist shrink, it will not cause your muffin top to disappear, and it will not give you washboard abs. Only a drop in body fat will do that for you.
So what is the secret to great abs? Instead of endless crunches, the secret is a winning combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training and proper eating. It is absolutely possible for you to dramatically shape up your waistline by using this combination.
Answer the following two questions to see how your routine measures up:
How often do you exercise? If your answer was anything less than 4 times a week, then that’s the first thing getting between you and your newly sculpted abs. How do you define a fat burning workout? A routine including intense cardiovascular training along with effective resistance training. Do you do this? I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn’t exactly a fat blasting routine. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your results while investing less time when you exercise right. Cardio exercise is all about maintaining an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you have to be out of breath or gasping for air. It does mean that you need to push yourself. Resistance training is the second key part of a fat burning workout. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that stimulates your metabolism. Again, the key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.
What kind of shape is your diet in? If your diet is out of control, then there is a good chance that your abs will be too. You can’t trim your waist without trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how hard you exercise.
- Keep calories in check. Do you know how many calories you eat? The best way to find out is to record everything you eat for a few days. Tally the number of calories that you eat each day and do an evaluation-feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll chart improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results.
- Just say “No” to junk food.While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need an alteration. Refined sugar is one of the biggest culprits in the junk food world. It is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another thing to stay away from. As a rule of thumb, you can safely view all processed or refined items as junk food.
- Eat more frequently.The key here is to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to skip breakfast, as this is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ that your body goes into each night. Stick with eating small meals every few hours and always avoid stuffing yourself.
You should now understand why you are better off not wasting time on crunches. Do you want to flatten and sculpt your waist? All you have to do is decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself. See me for fat blasting workouts that deliver results. Together, we will get you on a program that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition. E-mail me today at Dan@HITFitnessTraining.com to set up a no obligation consultation.
