Abdominal Exercises and a Beginner’s Guide to Getting Fit: Part 3
By Garrett Braunreiter, GHF's
Success Coach
Part 1
2
Abdominal exercises are critical for achieving your fitness
goals and this article includes ideas for improving your abdominal muscles
and getting in the best shape of your life. In addition to this helpful
abdominal exercises article, be sure to take our FREE Fitness Analysis!
Once you've completed the brief questionnaire, you'll receive specific
recommendations based on your responses, including a sample strength
training workout with exercise instructions! As a special thank you,
you'll also receive the new e-book, Big Fat Lies, absolutely FREE of
charge. Click here to get started!
Also, to get a detailed explanation of the abdominal muscles,
as well as a list of very effective abdominal exercises, click here.
You’ll receive free sample video demonstrations that you can view on
your computer and instructions on how to perform the abdominal exercise
correctly!
As we grow older it seems that we are in a constant battle
with our waistline; the older we get the harder it is to get in the
habit of doing abdominal exercises (and other resistance exercises,
cardio exercise and diet) to lose weight.
Many of us have tried various abdominal exercises and fad
diets which may take the weight off in the short run but undoubtedly
it comes right back. In fact. over 95% of dieters will put the weight
back on plus an extra five pounds.
Fad diets just don't work. The key to permanent weight
loss is through exercise (not only abdominal exercises, cardio and other
resistance exercises as well) and proper nutrition through behavior
modification.
When we diet we often losing fat as well as muscle. This
decrease in muscle mass will cause our metabolism to slow down. So we
are unable to burn as many calories throughout the day, evn after you’ve
done doing your cardio routine and abdominal exercises. As we age this
naturally begins to occur. After our mid 20s our metabolic rate decrease,
by approximately five percent per decade. One explanation for this is
that our muscle mass decreases and our body fat increases due to inactivity.
We get caught up in our work and spend our leisure time in front of
the TV instead of doing cardio exercise, your abdominal exercises, etc.
Being overweight in one of the major causes of hypertension, high blood
pressure, certain types of cancer and an overall lackluster feeling.
As many dieters know, the weight is going to come back
faster and faster the more you diet. Whether you're eating pre-packaged
foods, diet shakes, or grapefruits and water, you're not going to be
able to stay with it forever without going crazy. When you see that
chocolate cake you won't be able to just have one piece you're likely
to eat the whole thing. It's a vicious cycle. Then you’ll lose motivation
and won’t ever want to do your abdominal exercises, cardio routine,
etc.
There is good news. Something can break this cycle-exercise
(cardio exercise, abdominal exercises and other weightlifting exercises.
In order to lose weight we must create a caloric deficit, that is. We
must expend more calories that we are consuming. This is done through
abdominal exercise and other exercises and proper nutrition, not fad
diets. Through exercise we are able to burn calories and add muscle.
For every pound of muscle we obtain, an extra 350 calories per week
is burned in order to sustain this. We'll be using up extra calories
even while we sleep.
Aerobic exercises, such as walking and jogging, are excellent
ways to bum calories. Always begin with a warm-up period of 3-5 minutes,
gradually reaching your target heart rate. Always start at the low end
of your target heart rate. Exercising in this range for 15 through 20
minutes will allow for fat reduction to occur. A cool down of 3 to 5
minutes is recommended as this allow for your heart rate to gradually
return to normal. Remember, consult your physician about any exercise
program you are considering.
In order to shape and tone our bodies we need to do body
shaping exercises, abdominal exercises and other strength training exercises,
etc. This will add muscle and firmness to our physiques. Many women
tend to deposit fat around their thighs and buttocks, while males tend
to put fat around their stomachs.
Here are a few exercises that can help tighten
these areas :
Outer thigh lift : Lying on your right side with your
hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, slowly lift your left leg
as high as possible, hold, then return to the starting position. Do
10 repetitions and switch sides.
Inner thigh lift : Lying on your left
side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulder. right knee
is bent to 90* angle. Slowly lift your left leg as high as possible.
hold, then return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions and switch
sides.
Abdominal crunches : Lying on your back
with knees bent and hand behind your head, slowly curl your shoulders
up. pause, slowly lower to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions.
This is an excellent abdominal exercise.
You will notice that you will be much more conscience of
the foods you're eating when you exercise. Since you'll be taking care
of your body you won't want to fill it up with junk foods.
It is best to eat three well balanced meals and two
nutritious snacks in between. This will help eliminate the binge eating
that often happens when meals are skipped. Try to drink plenty of water
and eat high fiber foods since this will give you a full feeling without
adding extra calories.
Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits
of an effective abdominal exercise program. And don’t forget, click
here to take our FREE
Fitness
Analysis
for a free sample strength training program (with abdominal exercises)
and for the book, Big Fat lies!
And click
here
for free sample abdominal exercise instructions and video demonstrations!
This article was provided by Garrett
J. Braunreiter, CSCS, GHF's
Success Coach. Please visit his site at http://www.worldpeakperformance.com
