Ab original!

There are too many 5 minute ab machine miracles out there. Even in a gym you can find an ab crunch machine.

Any good for your abs?

Not really.

What works?

Unfortunately there is no miracle machine to get abs, just plain old methods and non machines.

How many should you do?

To failure or aim for a time.

So on some exercises you will find you can just keep going and going, like crunches on a ball. These should be timed. Others you will find you body will begin to fatigue faster and these are the ones you should keep going to failure rather then a set amount.

Here are my top ab popping exercises.

1. The Peter Andre leg holds. These are like a Dragon flag but with a lesser intensity. Lie on a bench lengthways. Hold the bench behind your head. Raise your legs to an almost 90 degree angle keeping your upper body flat. Hold that position for 20 seconds then slowly drop your legs a little. Hold for
Another 20 seconds. Then drop to an almost flat leg position. Hold for another 20 second and then repeat!

2. Exercise ball crunches. This one is simple and feels easy. Then the next day hits ya. Do this one for a preset time and always try and ad more time as you go. Remember only crunch. No neck straining, just pull your body slightly up using your abs only!

3. Cardio! You need to shed the excess body fat before your abs can really POP! Cardio is your best answer to this. Plus you have to keep your core locked through just about any cardio exercise so bonus round for your abs there.

And though not an exercise of the physical, the only other aberefic trick is diet! Along with. Cardio this is the only other way to shed excess body fat. Keep it lean and super healthy. Pretty normal food advice but you won't see your hard work if you binge on fatty foods. Simple!

And last but not least, you dont have to incorporate these ab exercises into a one day event, pop one into your next workout as a super set in between what ever you are doing.

The lingo!!!

Many terms are flung around the gym and fitness circles.

Some of them incorrectly and some of them just to make you feel like someone knows what they are talking about.

If you want people to know that you know what they know…??¿¿ here are a few words and definitions that might help and a some details that you might want to know about them.

Hypertrophy: (from Greek ὑπέρ "excess" + τροφή "nourishment") is the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells. This term is used around profesional circles to describe the state of bulking up, without actually saying bulking up. The opposite of this is Shredding.

Anabolic state: a physiological state of building tissue. This combined with Hypertrophy is what a body builder wants to achieve before going into a shredding phase.

Catabolic state: simply means muscle breakdown. You want to avoid this unless you feel you are too big in muscle. This will occur when you do not provide your body with the right amount of fuel to sustain your workout regieme and goals.

Metabolism: The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life. This is something that should increase as your exercise levels rise. This increases energy burn which increases fat loss.

Super set: When you perform a set of a particular exercise, then move on to another one with no rest. This is a great fat burning and toning technique.

Negatives: Often referred to as "Negative." An advanced training technique in which you stress the negative/opposite/or eccentric phase of an exercise. This is a good strength building technique as you can do a negative with more weight than a full rep up AND down.

TUT: Time under tension, the time each repetition takes. This is an important factor in muscle building or toning. Extensive tut with lighter weights trims while about 60 secs per set with heavy to moderate weights build.

Cardio: Also called aerobic exercise, this type of exercise builds endurance by keeping the heart pumping for an extended period of time. It strengthens your heart and blood vessels, improves cholesterol, strengthens bones, and helps you lose weight.

Carb loading: The process of building glycogen stores three days before a long distance event, usually done by increasing consumption of carb rich foods and drinks. Not an excuse to eat lots of stuff!


Shredded: to have extremely low bodyfat with superior muscle separation. Also, sliced, cut, and cross-straited. This is a goal that is wanted by many but only achieved by the elite and dedicated.

So with all this lingo in mind you might feel a little bit comfortable talking about your goals and targets rather than just sayin "I wanna get big" or "I want to loose some weight" …

Instead you might want to say, "I want to achieve a great amount of hypertrophy in the upper body!" or "I want to increase my metabolism and get shredded!!"


större hårdare starkare. erövra!

Dear diary...

Wether your looking to loose weight or gain it sometimes keeping track of what you eat through the day is important in achieving your goal!

So you can get a small diary and record everything OR you can download an app for that.

The one that I recommend for the iPhone is Calorie counter by fatsecret.

This has a big database, you can choose to increase weight or loose it and it will give you a RDI for the day. You can also ad your own foods if you can't find the food you need.

I'm currently using it to track my carb and protein intake to ensure muscle growth and body regeneration.

There are a few free apps out there but this one gives you the info you need.

Give it a whirl and see if you are eating right.

3 days grace!

Recovering from sore muscles and having to work late has meant 3 days of no gym :(

But tho it has been only a mere 3 days it feels like too long!

So what can you do while you rest and get delayed?

Prep!

I have re gathered my thoughts and goals and have decided to drop into a very intense workout regime that will have me seeing the gym twice a day for most of the days.

Also planning for a diet that will support this.

So if your sick, or cannot make it to the gym on your scheduled day make some plans and stick with it!

Make sure you stick to the plans though. Otherwise you might slip into old habits...

Rice Confusion?

I read and have known for a while now that brown rice is supposed to be better for you.

More protein, more wholeness. So the other day I bought some brown rice and took it home and decided to compare the nutrition facts on the pack.

But I was surprised to find an almost identical nutrition fact panel on the 2.

What the?

Here are a few things that need to be considered to understand why brown rice IS the better option.

Calories
A cup of cooked, medium grain white rice has 242 calories vs. 216 calories in a cup of long grain brown rice.

Fiber
White rice has only 0.6 grams of fiber per cup compared to 4 grams of fiber in brown rice.

Carbs
White rice has 53.2 grams of carbs per cup vs. about 45 grams in a cup of brown rice. In addition, the 4 grams of fiber in the brown rice brings the total net carbs down to 41 grams.

Type 2 Diabetes
Harvard researchers found that eating five or more servings of white rice per week raised a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while eating two or more servings of brown rice per week actually lowered a person's risk of developing the disease.
(http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/brown-rice-vs-white-rice-a-comparison.html)

I have started taking a cup (when dry) worth of rice through the day with my meals to ensure good energy at the end of the day for the gym.

Bye bye dmaa

For those of you that use supplements, you are probably aware that Australia is getting ready to ban DMAA.

This means that some pre workout supplements will be pulled from shelves very soon.

These will include USPlabs Jack3d, USPLabs OxyElite, APS Mesomorph , Nutrex Hemorage Ultra Concentrate, SAN Launch, Neogenix Cryoshock, Mutant Mayhem, CTD Labs NoxiPro and Dorian Yates Nox Pump.

Some supp stores are selling them cheap. So if you use them perhaps now is a good time to stock up.

But, perhaps it might be worth using this as a reason to stop the pre workout and find a new way to get the most out of your routine?

Only a couple more days to go!

The fortnight of blitzing is coming to an end. If you have been blitzing away like I have. I want you to finish the weekend off with upping the anti and increasing your blitz time for that last hoorah!

If your hitting the weights, add just that little bit more weight and one to two more sets per exercise.

If your going the cardio option, add an extra speed number or two an increase your time by another half of your usual.

This will really test your mind body connection. Push it!

Finish...the...BLITZ!

Tech Tuesday!

Are you man enough?

Are you woman enough?

Ever wondered how fit you need to be for acceptance into the Australian defence force?

Well wonder no further! Check out the App from the Australian Defence force, ADF Active.

It is the standard type of fitness logger but it is geared up to test you and get you prepared for what you need to be accepted for the defence force.

It includes images of the exercises, a BMI calculator, Beep test and values for each defence sector that you may wish to be entering.

I have not, as of yet, given the slew of tests a trial. But as soon as I do I shall let you know if I pass or not.

It seems a great propaganda type tool, very sleek looking and well set out. As far as subliminal messaging goes this rates fairly high on the scale. As a regular fitness tool however, well there are better ones out there for sure, Gain Fitness and even a few other freebies. ADF has limited variety and scope since it is targeted at just testing you for their fitness goals.

Retrospective number 1.

Well it's been a whole half year already.

Wow it has really gone fast.

But how has everyone gone with the new years revolution goals?

I have gained muscle mass as I wanted. But I still want more!!!

But at least I have started to achieve and haven't lost track of my goal.

What must occur from here is another game changing routine and mind set. Why? Because 6 months ago I was someone different and living somewhere different. If I don't adjust my mindset and goal achievement routine... I might not be heading in the right direction.

So what now?

Well I am currently finishing this fortnight blitz and then the routine will change.

I will post what the new direction and process is at the end of next week.

Are you ready for a change of mindset? How are you tracking for your goal achievements?

Stay inspired!