Hello and welcome to perfect10abs.com. Missed a workout? You’re screwed! HAHA. Just kidding. Alright, let get down to the topic. While it is true that the secret to success is consistency, you need to give yourself a break in case you missed a workout. In my experience, I have noticed that the people who a focused on their goal have very clear rules. And they seldom break them. Making it to the gym consistently is their top priority.
However, in the hectic world we live in its very hard not to miss a workout. The key to maintaining a schedule is honesty. If you are not going to go to the gym, then dont fool yourself. People tend to make the mistake of saying, I’ll go in the evening, knowing very well that they are not going to make.
Its ok to miss a workout day but make sure you dont miss too many. Experience has shown the three consecutive missed work out usually lead to a decline of about two to three weeks of not exercising. This is something you never want to happen on your six pack journey, because you will have to start all over again.
One of the easiest way to keep your schedule in line is to compromise. Its ok if you can spend an hour at they gym, make sure you get atleast 10 or 20 minutes. It really does not matter how long you spend at the gym, its the consistency that matters at this point. Also, once you start pumping iron, your body automatically wants to workout more. This technique has been effective in ensuring that you get the proper workout for the week.
You can also try to get a buddy to workout with you. Going to workout with a friend or partner has shown to increase the success rate in both men and women. It is easier to get motivated and you get to motivate your partner on their down days.
Overall, missing a work out is not too bad as long as you keep it to the minimum and please make sure you dont miss a full week. It is always hard to get back on track when the missed duration is longer. Instead focus on your six pack goals, and a buddy to motivate you.
It is not an easy toad to a six pack. But, try these simple but effective best ab exercises and tips. Add them to your work out and you’ll have a perfect body ready in just a matter of weeks.
Hello and welcome to perfect10abs.com, your one stop shop for all ab related information. I hear people talk about abs all the time and sometimes giving people advice to everyone including myself. Some of them are good advice, that I keep in mind. There are things worth noting down and possibly passing down to others as well. But, there are times when people give out the wrong advice. The problem with giving wrong advice is that it actually hurts someones chances of showing off their six pack.
Imagine working hard at something. With a specific goal in mind. For example, I need a to have washboard abs before spring break or ripped abs before a wedding. The chance of not attaining ones goals is pretty hard to digest especially when someone has been working really hard at it. Here are the top 5 ab exercise mistakes that I’ve seen. Some of them are completely off the mark, while others are taken out of context.
- Focusing on crunches ONLY – Getting to reveal your abs are much more than crunches. Infact there are ways to reval a super sixpack without any crunches. But just for argument sake, lets crunches are important. How many times should you do your crunches per week? I would suggest limiting your crunches to twice a week. Over working your abs will actually make them soft since the muscles do not have time to recover and build. Focus on total bod exercises more. For more suggestions take a look at the how to get six pack abs article.
- Steady pace running – Running at a steady pace is great for endurance, marathon and overall cadio and lung conditioning. However, it is not a great routine for six pack abs. It could potentially have a negative effect on your pursuit for a perfect set of abs. Its not like you do not need cardio, you actually need the right variations of cardio exercises. The best cardio exercises are the interval training variations. You run/walk/climb stairs at around 85% of your capacity for 2 minutes and then solw down your pace for a minute. Repeat this set about 4 times. Yes, four times to being with, thats it! No more boring 60 minutes f running. Continue this routine and watch the six pack grow. For more ideas, check out the motivation to exercise article.
- Hydration – Drink water. An average of 2 liters a day is needed to keep the body in peak condition. Ensure that you stay hydrated during your exercises. Your abs will thank you when you keep them hydrated with water. Also, water helps in many ways by helping your mind realize that you’re full. It can also prevent overeating and gorging over a meal. So do yourself a favour and drink plenty of water.
- Consuming alcohol – If you are working on work on your six pack abs, stay away from alcohol. Not one glass of wine, one beer, “light” or “lite”, it does not matter. Stay away. I know the “benefits” of red wine, the anti-oxidants etc. If you need anti oxidants, eat strawberries, pomagranate etc. Alcohol slows down metabolism and kick starts fat storage in your body. Its not going to make your task of getting a six pack any easier. If your’e on a 12 week program, stay away from alcohol for twelve weeks.
- Over exercising – Too much of a good thing is bad. While it is great that you need exercises, it does have negative side effects when you over do it. The biggest concern is injury. If you overwork your muscle, you will injure it and not be able to attain your full potential. The solution? Rest. Make sure you rest your muscle between exercises. You cannot (it is not advisable rather) to exert your muscles two days in a row. Do yourself and your muscles a favor by working them one of two days a week. Muscle growth actually happens when you are not working out. For some good tips, check out
So, here we go. The top 5 ab mistakes that I’ve seen. Beware of these common pitfalls on your road to a perfect 10 abs, ripped abs, ready to go.
“What is the best ab exercise for women?” is a very common question I see on fitness forums and weight loss blogs. What most women don’t realize is that this is a trick question.
The best ab exercises are exactly the same regardess of gender. What is most effective for men working toward six pack abs is also most effective for women trying to achieve a flat stomach. You heard me right… The ab workout to get sexy, toned abs like Britney Spears is exactly the same as the ab routine to get a six pack like Brad Pitt.
The only difference for women lies in the frequency and duration of the ab workout. Women can typically succeed with fewer or shorter weight training sessions and eating fewer calories, if getting defined abs is not their goal. The rest of the abs diet and exercise regimen would remain the same, regardless of gender.
Let’s face it. Most women are not trying to get ripped abs. Most are trying to achieve a sexy, flat stomach without a lot of extra muscle mass. That goal is perfectly achievable if women are able to accept the simple fact that ab exercise and diet have no relation to gender. That seems simple, but it is hard for women to believe with so much marketing in the fitness industry geared toward “his” and “hers” solutions. This is one of the biggest reasons women are not able to achieve that flat stomach they have always dreamed of.
Now that you know that there is no such thing as a “man’s ab exercise” or a “woman’s ab exercise,” what can you do to become more open-minded about your ab routine?
Check out my list of the Top 5 mistakes women make when trying to achieve a flat stomach:
- Refusing to do “men’s exercises” - Many women are resistant to certain exercises, particularly weight training, because they feel that it will make them look masculine. They don’t want to get big and muscular, so they focus on doing other less effective exercises. It is no surprise when they don’t achieve the flat stomach they want and often give up altogether. Now that you know all exercises can be done by everyone, regardless of gender, you can conquer your fear of doing ab exercises that have been stereotyped as “men’s exercises.”
- Using tiny weights – You know what I’m talking about. The purple and pink 3 pound dumbbells from your mother’s Richard Simmons videos. Women often have the misconception that if they use large weights they will get big, bulky muscles and lose their feminity. This is just not the case. Most women can comfortably lift 20-30 pound dumbbells overhead or at the chest. If you don’t use appropriately sized weights, you will not see results.
- Focusing too much on cardio – Cardio is definitely an important component of a balanced ab exercise routine, and it is critical to the early phases of weight loss and burning body fat. However, it is not the only exercise you should focus on. Despite what many late night fitness infomercials claim, you need to focus on a balanced fitness regimen of interval training or circuit training… Not just cardio. If you don’t feel comfortable doing circuit training on your own or don’t have access to a gym, you can experiment with different types of exercises throughout the week like tae bo or yoga. You can also incorporate hand-held weights, exercise balls, or elastic bands into your cardio routine.
- Resisting resistance training – Resistance training like overhead/chest presses is appropriate for both fat loss and muscle building, but many women feel that these exercises will be “too hard,” so they stick to small weights or resist these exercises altogether. If women train their body on progressively heavier weights, they will see a vast improvement in both their muscle tone and overall fat loss. If you’re just getting started and feel uncertain about resistance training, you can try some alternatives like swimming or doing pilates with resistance bands.
- Not reducing caloric intake - This is something that everyone is guilty of, but it is particularly important for women to take note of. Since women are typically more focused on fat loss than muscle growth, it is very important that they monitor how many calories they are generally eating. Even if you adapt a new diet, you will not see results you want if you are still eating more calories than your body can use. Check with your doctor to see what level is safe for you to target for weight loss, and reduce your caloric intake accordingly.
Now that you know that the best ab exercise for women is the same as the best ab exercise for men, feel free to explore more of our ab exercise and diet tips to get started on your road to a flat stomach.
If there was a secret exercise that could burn fat, fire up your metabolism and lead to a sexy six pack would you not do that? What if I told you that it can be done at home without much or any gear at all. That secret exercise my friends is shadow boxing.
This is a routine you can stick to and be the one on your list which will get you through your gym less or exercise less days. Its amazing how many calories.you can burn and how much this keeps your fat burning through out the day or night.
You can use the shadow boxing model for high intensity training just like the high intensity interval training routine. Shadow boxing mainly focuses on arm movements and foot movements. Follow the tips mentioned below to take advantage of this great routine.
Using the interval training method by punching and moving around with intensity for 2 minutes and rest for a minute. Repeat again. Start with
1. Throwing punches
Warm up before you start. Keeping your body warmed up before you exercise reduces the risk of injury. Start throwing punches in the air and go as hard and fast as you can for about 2 minutes. Spread out your punch at three levels, by the head, but the chest and by the belly. varying your movements the height of your punches will increase flexibility and help condition your rock hard abs.
2. Foot movement
Ensure that your foot movement is in sync with your punches. Its almost like a dance routine in terms of co-ordination. You can stand on your toes when you’re moving around and this will work you hamstring and calg muscles as well. It might seem like too much to focus on, but once you get into a routine, it will all workout well together.
3. Keep your abs tight when you punch
Keeping your abs tight and pulled in while throwing out punches will make sure that your abs contract and shape themselves while you train. Dont focus too much on pulling your stomach in, this is just to increase the tightness of your abs to sculpt them better.
Follow these tips to burn fat, lose weight and sculpt six pack abs.
Doing the best ab exercises is not enough to get ripped abs. Be sure you are following our abs diet and weight loss tips for maximum results.
Have you ever seen ripped guys in the gym running on a treadmill for 40 minutes five days a week? Uh …. no. The reason guys with actual six packs do not do the popular “recommended” cardio routines is because they have the know how for what it takes to reveal their six pack. They are usually by the weights pumping some serious iron and jump on a treadmill twice a week for some quick but very effective cardio routine. Getting six pack abs is more about technique than mindless running or inefficient exercises
The following are the most effective Ab exercises that burn fat, build muscles and tone your body for the perfect abs.
Note: Warm up before you attempt any of the following exercises. It greatly reduces the risk of injury.
1. Interval Training – Cardio Workout
Get it done and get out – Interval training is a high intensity, low time frame running routine that targets fat burn and decreases muscle loss. A typical interval is 30 seconds of running and 30 seconds of walking for a total of 10 minutes.Your running should be in the higher bracket of your threshold. For example, running for 30 seconds at around 85 percent of your peak will ensure optimal performance. Any faster and you’ll burnout, and any slower and you will not be burning as much calories and fat.
Ideal Schedule: Any day when you are not doing weight training. Interval Cardio training could have a negative effect on your weight training so it is best to do these on days that you do not weight train.
2. Weight training
You ab workout will never be complete without a medium to high intensity weights routines. Gaining muscles helps you metabolism at rest and keeps burning fat long after you have left the gym. One of the ideal ways to train the full body is to split your workout days into focusing on upper and lower body.
Ideal Schedule: Three days a week E.g. Monday-Wednesday-Friday
3. Full Body Workout
Full body workouts are a great way to compensate on days when you don’t have the time for targeted exercises. A typical full body routine helps you get most muscles in one swoop. Here are some great examples of full body exercise that will keep you toned and your abs in top shape
Squats plus dumbell
As the name says it all try this exercise will work your upper and lower body simultaneously. This also works the cardio angle. This work out is great to get a major workout in one cool swoop. Dont worry if you dont have dumbells. You can also carry a heavy book or something equivalent to achieve smililar results.
Ideal Schedule: Any day when you miss your workout
4. Core Ab Exercises
Crunches. No surprises here, but the one thing that I have seen to be greatly effective in bulding core strength is adding a medicine ball into the equation. Do your crunches with a medicine ball and your abs will thank you for that. The instability makes your muscles work harder and in turn producing excellent results. It is ok (actually better) to work your abs just once a week. The above mentioned exercises are more important for overall abs that actual crunches!
Ideal Schedule: Any day when you miss your workout
Try these simple but effective best ab exercises and tips. Add them to your work out and you’ll have a perfect body ready in a matter of weeks.
