Doing Fitness Training At Home

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If you are serious in doing fitness , anywhere you can do it. Be it in the gym or at home. One of my favorite things to do is to do home fitness training. You can also get some benefit if doing this. You can save money instead of paying the fitness center fees. You can use a step for cardio activities such as step aerobics but you can also use it as a weight bench. If you get risers with it, you can put it on an incline, decline or flat weight-training bench. You can get a step or a set of steps for $30-350 depending on the type and brand.

You can also get a barbell set to lift heavier weights and experience a variety of workouts. You can buy many different types of barbell sets, for example, one that comes with the bar and then 300-pounds of weights. You can then distribute the weights however you want, depending on your desired workout. Because of the variety that barbells allow, you have option to target any muscle groups. The 300-pound barbell set averages at about $45 but if you do not need that much weight then you can find less expensive ones.

Stability balls are also a craze for at home fitness training. Like the step, it can offer a variety of options for your workout. If you want to challenge yourself, you can use it as a weightlifting bench. You can also use it for abdominal workouts, pushups, back extensions or lower-body exercises. Basically, a stability ball improves your balance and core strength. You can use it when you are watching television or sitting on a computer. Stability balls have an average price of about $70.

No matter what at home fitness training you use, an exercise mat is always helpful. Whether you’re using a step or a stability ball or you are doing crunches, an exercise mat is made to make your workout more comfortable. Although this is considered equipment, it can be used for workouts that do not have other equipment, for example, pushups, crunches or Yoga.

Source from Goarticles :
Britney Smith is an internet marketer full time and she writes in various topics , learn more about Health Fitness Exercise Website here : http://muscleshape.info/

Tips For Maintaining Your Fitness Training Diet

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A fitness training diet is actually dependent on just how fit you wish to be. Many people like to be fit but not as fit as a world-class athlete. There are different levels of fitness for those that are seriously competing and those who prefer to be just healthy. Integrating a good fitness training diet into your life is a blessing that allows you to maintain your health and prolong your life.

Usually, people go on a fitness training diet a few months before a big event. This is a preparation for the activities and pressure that a big event usually means. The fitness training diet must correspond to the needs of the individual regarding the sport or event. Some sports need a lot of lean muscles therefore the individual must develop muscles which are suitable for the event. Other sports may entail needing stamina while others will need to lose weight.

What Not To Eat

We all know that fatty foods as well as some oily foods should be avoided if you intend to keep to your fitness training diet. What some people do not know is to also regulate one's consumption of sodium. Sodium plays a big role in maintaining our hydration, but too much of this can also affect us negatively. Sugars also need to be regulated or avoided altogether when on a fitness training diet. Sugars tend to give an artificial high which can leave you feeling tired in the long run.

Tips For Maintaining Your Fitness Training Diet

To be able to fully maintain and stick to your fitness training diet you should purge your home of any foods that may tempt you to break your diet. Comfort foods that you feel you need must still be avoided as long as you have started your diet. Make sure that you have adequate stock of the foods that you need to follow your fitness training diet. Easy access will thwart any temptations to run to the grocery to squelch the craving for your fattening foods. Sticking to the routine, no matter how boring or tiresome, is another way of keeping on track of your fitness training diet.

A dietician, in order to maximize the efficacy of your training, usually formulates a fitness training diet. The right amount of calories, vitamins and minerals are enough to make you as fit as you possibly can to perform the task that you have been training for.

Britney Smith is an internet marketer full time and she writes in various topics , learn more about Health Fitness Exercise Website here : http://muscleshape.info/

Some Helpful Fitness Training Tips

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Fitness training is essential for those who are bent on getting healthy and fit. There are many fitness training tips that you may not know of that can help you in your quest to getting fit and healthy. These fitness training tips are designed to help the athlete or individual to cope with how to maximize the efficiency of their training.

Integrate Different Workouts

For an effective workout, this fitness training tip shows us how to integrate different kinds of exercises to maximize the training. Aerobic exercises, muscle exercise, core stability and stretching are keys to an effective training. Other fitness training tips include starting your training with the aerobic exercise first and then the muscle exercise, followed by the core stability and finally the stretching workout.

Do The Training Exercises In The Morning

Many studies show that those who exercise in the morning do tend to stick to their training regimen more effectively than those who exercise after working hours or in the afternoon. This fitness training tip relies on the fact that most people have more energy in the morning. It is also in the morning that we plan our day, so what better way to start it.

Doing More Than One Set

Many people believe that doing just one set of exercises will suffice to keep them fit and healthy. The reality of it is that you need more than one set to be able to maintain fitness. Of all the fitness training tips, this one makes the most sense. Your body needs to move a lot to be able to effectively train and workout. Most exercises work best when done in two or three sets. The beginner should start with just one set if he or she has no prior experience to fitness training. As the individual gets used to the exercise, the number of sets should then be increased.

More fitness training tips include exercising at home and exercising in the outdoors when possible. Exercising at is best where you cannot make up excuses like the gym is too far or you are too busy or there are too many people using the equipment. Some people love to make up or find ways to avoid exercising even when they know they need it. Exercising outdoors (jogging, walking etc.) will prevent monotony as well as give you the variety needed to fully exert yourself.

These fitness training tips are designed for those who have just started their training or those who have some difficulty trying to stick to their fitness training regimen.

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Britney Smith is an internet marketer full time and she writes in various topics , learn more about Health Fitness Exercise Website here : http://muscleshape.info/

How To Get Started With Physical Fitness Training

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A healthy body needs a variety of different things in order to stay healthy. There needs to be a healthy diet with foods rich in vitamins and minerals to fuel the body. There also needs to be adequate sleep and exercise. Working a physical fitness training routine into your life will keep your body in shape and give you an energy boost to get through the day. It can benefit your health, wellness and social life as well.

How To Get Started With Physical Fitness Training

If you want to start physical fitness training, the first step should be consulting a physician. Go and get a physical to make sure that you are healthy for the kind of activity you want to train with. It is also a good idea to get an opinion from your doctor about diets that work well in conjunction with physical fitness training.

The next step you should take when beginning a physical fitness training routine is to come up with a plan for the day, time and specific activities you will do. To choose the activities for training, you first need to decide what different parts of your body that you want to work on. If you are looking to tone and build your muscles, you will be doing very different activities than someone who wants to improve their cardiovascular health.

If you want to prevent giving up in the middle of your physical fitness training it is good to have a motivator present in your workout routine. Some people can afford a trainer, but those who cannot can always begin their physical fitness training with a friend. With the support of someone you will be less likely to quit.

Once you have your schedule set, it is a good idea to pick activities that work towards your goal without boring you. If you want to jog every day, for instance, change up your jogging routes in or get new scenery and new challenges like hills to run up and down. If you get tired of your routine you will be more likely to quit. If you get tired of one type of exercise, switch to another that will give you the same or similar benefits to the routine you have been working on. Your physical fitness training will only work if you are serious about getting into shape and staying that way.

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Muscle Fitness Training is Very Good for the Body

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By Britney Smith

When getting in shape, many people are interested in building their muscle and toning their bodies. Doing so doesn't mean that you have to be fully buffed out and cut like body builders; it's simply a way to stay in shape and become strong and healthy.

In fact, muscle fitness training can be right for anyone who wants no muscle build up but wants to strengthen muscles, and it can be right for those who do want the big muscle build up. This kind of training is pretty universal, and can usually be tailored to just about anyone's needs.

What to Expect

Depending on what type of muscle fitness training you are interested in, there are programs that range in intensity and length. As with everything else, the variations may not be for everyone.

You should expect to sweat and use most of your energy during a proper muscle fitness training program. However, you should not use so much energy that you feel weak or are unable to complete the training session. Make sure you eat plenty of healthy food and drink a lot of water before starting your training.

Options

You can hire a trainer to customize a program for you that fits your needs, you can go to a gym and join one of their already created programs, or you can customize a plan yourself to do at home.

If doing it yourself, you'll want to determine how long of a workout is best for you. You can experiment by putting together all of the exercises you enjoy doing and seeing how many of them you can get done within 1 hour and without exhausting yourself or hurting yourself.

If you can't fit everything you want to get done into one muscle fitness training session, consider splitting the exercises into multiple sessions, and alternate them from day to day. This will also help to keep you from being bored with your training, which should keep you motivated and help you to stay on track.

You should also consider adding new exercises to your muscle fitness training sessions as you learn them. Add extra time before and after your workout to allow for warm ups and cool downs to make sure you get the most of your sessions, and this should ensure a long lasting fitness program that benefits your health, body and your mind.

Source from :

Britney Smith is an internet marketer full time and she writes in various topics , learn more about Health Fitness Exercise Website here : http://muscleshape.info/ and also read more about her daily blog on slimming tips here : http://www.slimmingtips101.info/

Weight Training for Beginners

Are you considering the addition of weight training to your regular fitness program? There are plenty of good reasons to do so. Weight training can keep your bones and muscles strong, preventing conditions like osteoporosis as we age. It can keep our joints healthy and fit so arthritis is also less of a problem in the retirement years. This type of fitness program is also extremely effective in sculpting and toning the body, giving you the shape that you have always dreamed about. Finally, this type of exercise will increase your metabolism and help you to burn fat more effectively during your cardio workouts. Are you ready to pump some iron? Read on for the best tips to hit the weight room with some fitness savvy.

What to Take and How to Dress The great thing about weight training is that you can head to the gym with very little equipment to speak of. A towel is always good to have, and some gyms will supply clean towels to their members. A fully loaded water bottle is an absolute must, since you will need to drink frequently to keep yourself hydrated during the workout. If you find that lifting weights gives you calluses, you can also invest in a pair of gloves that are specifically designed for this purpose. Finally, wear comfortable clothes, like shorts or sweats and a t-shirt that will make it easy to move throughout your weight training program.

What to Expect The first step that you take into a gym may be an intimidating one, especially if it is filled with muscle clad men who know their way around all of that serious equipment. Take a deep breath and try to relax, because you will be one of those gym gurus before you know it! If possible, enlist the help of a personal trainer for at least your first session or two, since this professional can show you the ropes and teach you the proper way to use all of the machines. A good rule of thumb for beginners is to shoot for about ten repetitions on each machine, rest for one minute, and then do another ten before moving to the next piece of equipment.

It is also important to note that weight training is not something that should be done every day. Your muscles need time to rest and rebuild between these sessions, so wait at least a day in between weight training workouts. Make sure that you hit all of the major muscle groups, beginning with the larger muscles like those in the chest and back and working down to the smaller muscles like the biceps. You will begin to see and feel results of your weight training sessions in as little as a month or two, which will inspire you to stick with the program until you reach your fitness goals.

About the Author

Britney Smith is an internet marketer full time and she writes in various topics , learn more about Health Fitness Exercise Website here : http://muscleshape.info/

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Unique Lean-Body Workouts for the Time-Crunched Individual

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by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Warning: this style of workout is WAY different than anything you've ever tried before and may result in a dramatically leaner, stronger body so that your friends no longer recognize you in a matter of weeks!

Alright, I exaggerated about your friends recognizing you, but this workout is still great for busy people that always use the excuse that they don't have time to go to the gym, or even for the normal gym rat to try out for a few weeks to break out of a plateau.

Please keep an open-mind and don't worry so much about what other people think, because this is quite different and you may get some funny looks, but you'll get the last laugh with your new rock hard body! To be honest, most people are too self conscious to try something like this. If that's the case for you, then that's your loss.

Here's how it works:

Instead of doing your traditional workouts of going to the gym 3-4 times a week and doing your normal weight training and cardio routines for an hour at a shot, with this program, you will be working out for just a couple minutes at a time, several times throughout each day, 5 days/week.

The program will consist of only bodyweight exercises done for about 2-3 minutes, 6-8 times per day, throughout each day. Now obviously if you work a normal office job, you are going to have to not be shy about doing a few exercises in your office and having your cube-mates watch you. Actually, I've found that some people that have tried this have actually gotten their co-workers to join them!

If you have a private office, then you don't have to worry about anybody watching you. If you work from home, or are a stay at home mom, there's no reason you can't fit these in throughout the day while at home. If you end up having a busy day with meetings and so forth, and can only fit a couple of these 2-minute workouts in, then so be it, but try to get as many done each day as you can.

If you're on a normal 9-5 office schedule, I recommend doing your 2-minute workouts every hour, on the hour, with the exception of lunch. For example, you could try 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm.

Some of the exercises that are the best to focus on are:

• bodyweight squats (and variations)
• pushups (and variations)
• forward, reverse, or walking lunges
• up & down a staircase if one is available
• floor planks (holding plank position from forearms and feet)
• floor abs exercises such as lying leg thrusts, ab bicycles, etc.
• one-legged bodyweight Romanian deadlifts

This list is not fully comprehensive, but I wanted to keep it relatively simple. If you know other good bodyweight exercises, you can add those to your routine also. If you want to keep it real simple and don't want to get down on the floor for anything, you can stick to squats, lunges, and pushups and still get great results.

The good thing about these workouts is that you do enough in 2-3 minutes to get your blood pumping, heart rate up a bit, a large portion of your body's muscles worked, and body temperature raised. However, it's usually not enough to break a sweat in only 2 or 3 minutes, so you don't have to worry about sweating in the office or where ever you may be. At most, you might just get a little moist on the skin.

Here's an example routine (adjust the reps up or down based on your capabilities):

Mon/Wed/Fri
9 am - 10 pushups/15 bodyweight squats, repeat 1X for 2 sets
10 am - plank holds (hold the planks as long as you can taking short rest breaks for a total of 3 minutes)
11 am - 5 pushups/10 bodyweight squats, repeat for 4 sets
1 pm - plank holds (hold as long as possible in 3 minutes)
2 pm - 8 pushups/12 bodyweight squats, repeat for 3 sets
3 pm - plank holds (hold as long as possible in 3 minutes)
4 pm - max pushups/max bodyweight squats in one set (no repeat)

Tues/Thurs
9 am - 6 fwd lunges each leg/6 rev lunges, repeat 1X for 2 sets
10 am - one legged bw Romanian deadlifts (RDL) 6 each leg/floor abs for 20 sec, repeat 1X for 2 sets
11 am - 3 fwd lunges each leg/3 rev lunges, repeat for 4 sets
1 pm - one legged bw RDL 3 each leg/floor abs for 20 sec, repeat for 4 sets
2 pm - 5 fwd lunges each leg/5 rev lunges, repeat for 3 sets
3 pm - one legged bw RDL 10 each leg/floor abs for 30 sec (no repeat)
4 pm - max fwd lunges each leg/max rev lunges in one set (no repeat)

In order to progress on these workouts, you could either add 1 or 2 reps to each set per week, or you could progress to more difficult versions of each exercise each week (for example, close grip pushups, one leg raised pushups, squats with arms raised straight over head, etc.).

The above routines are just a couple examples of how you can use this very unique style of training. Use your creativity and come up with your own. Think about what you've accomplished with these "mini" workouts completed throughout each day... You've increased your heart rate and pumped up your muscles 6-8 different times throughout each day, burning a lot of extra calories and stimulating your metabolism.

Even though each "mini" workout was a very short duration, you've accumulated lots of repetitions for almost every muscle throughout your entire body, and you didn't even have to break a sweat during any of the "mini" workouts. And there's hardly any excuse for not being able to take a 2-minute break once per hour and do a couple of exercises.

Another benefit of this style of training is that now you don't have to devote any time before or after work to going to the gym because you already got your workouts little by little throughout the day. You've now got some extra free time on your hands!

Try this type of routine out for 3-4 weeks and then go back to your normal gym routines. I think you'll find that it was a great way to break out of a plateau and stimulate new results in your body. You can try mixing in a cycle of these "mini" workouts every couple of months to keep things fresh.

Keep in mind that this is only one method of training and doesn't mean that you should only stick to this method for eternity. You will hit a plateau on any given training method, so I'd recommend just rotating it into your arsenal of various training methods. And by all means, don't worry so much about what other people think...have the courage to try something a little different. In the end, you'll be the one laughing back at all of the "blubber-bellies" that are giving you funny looks while they eat their donuts!

If you liked these training ideas, my internationally best-selling ebook The Truth about Six Pack Abs contains hundreds of more innovative training ideas to lose stubborn body fat and carve out a rock hard set of abs.

Feel free to email this link on to any friends or coworkers that you think would like to try these types of unique daily workouts. Heck, try to get your coworkers to do these with you if you can!

Do You Really Need "Cardio" Workouts?

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

In this article, I have an intriguing discussion about cardio workouts, which will hopefully get you thinking differently, and trying new things.

You may know I've been called the anti-cardio guy before, but this week I'm back posing the question to you...Do you really need cardio training to get lean and in great shape? By the way, you'll see in a minute that I'm not really "anti-cardio", just "anti traditional cardio".

Most fitness buffs, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, consider it a fact that they need "cardio" exercise to accomplish these goals. They would never even question it. However, I'm not only questioning it, I'm going to refute it! In fact, you may be surprised to know that some of the leanest and meanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of normal or traditional cardio. And I've spent over 15 years working out in various gyms, and hanging out with athletes of all sorts, so I've seen it all.

I will say that there can be a place for low-moderate level cardio for really overweight or deconditioned people, but even in those cases, there can be more effective methods.

But what exactly is "cardio"? Most people would consider cardio to be pumping away mindlessly on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine, while watching the TV screen at their state of the art gym. This is what I call "traditional cardio". Hmmm, no wonder the majority of people get bored with their workouts and give up after a couple months without seeing results.

But if you look closer, "cardio" exercise can be considered any type of exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. I'm not going to get into anything technical like increasing your VO2 max or anything like that. To keep it simple, if it gets your heart pumpin, and gets you huffin and puffin, it's cardio. I don't care if you're holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone calls it a weight training exercise...it's still conditioning your heart.

Let's take a look at a couple examples. Take a barbell (or dumbbell, or kettlebell) clean & press for example, which involves lifting a barbell from the floor up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, because even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it doesn't matter if you're not lifting 250 lbs; if 45 lbs is challenging to you, then you will still benefit just as much.

At first glance, most people think of the barbell C&P only as a weight training exercise or strength exercise. However, I challenge you to do a hard set of around 10-15 reps on the C&P. If you used a challenging enough weight, what you'll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max, and you are huffing and puffing like you just ran a 100-meter sprint (which by the way, sprinting kicks the crap out of jogging any day if you want the easiest way to lose the flab).

Try the same thing for a set of 20 reps of one-arm snatches or swings with each arm with a kettlebell or dumbbell, and tell me your legs aren't burning, heart racing, and you're gasping for breath. How about trying 5 minutes straight of bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups with very little rest. Again, notice your heart pounding, sweat pouring off of you, and chest heaving for breaths!

Try and tell me you're not conditioning your heart with this style of training! Conventional thinking says that these are weight training or strength training exercises. However, they are fullfilling your cardio workout needs as well.

Not only do you save time, but you strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body with these full body exercises if you do them with enough intensity...something that can't be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV. Seriously, if you can read or watch TV while doing any exercise, you're not concentrating enough on what you're doing, plus you're probably not working out hard enough to see any real results.

I challenge you to give the "traditional cardio" a rest for a month or two, and start training the way I explain in my internationally-selling Truth about Six pack Abs Program, and see how you start getting leaner, more defined, and your six pack starting to show through what used to be stubborn stomach fat deposits.

The Ultimate Hard-Body Exercise

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

The Front Squat

As you may have already discovered, the squat is at the top of the heap (along with deadlifts) as one of the most effective overall exercises for stimulating body composition changes (muscle gain and fat loss). This is because exercises like squats and deadlifts use more muscle groups under a heavy load than almost any other weight bearing exercises known to man. Hence, these exercises stimulate the greatest hormonal responses (growth hormone, testosterone, etc.) of all exercises.

In fact, university research studies have even proven that inclusion of squats into a training program increases upper body development, in addition to lower body development, even though upper body specific joint movements are not performed during the squat. Whether your goal is gaining muscle mass, losing body fat, building a strong and functional body, or improving athletic performance, the basic squat and deadlift (and their variations) are the ultimate solution.

If you don’t believe me that squats and deadlifts are THE basis for a lean and powerful body, then go ahead and join all of the other overweight people pumping away mindlessly for hours on boring cardio equipment.

Squats can be done with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or even just body weight. Squats should only be done with free weights – NEVER with a Smith machine! My ebook, The Truth About Six Pack Abs contains the full story on why machines are so inferior and even potentially DANGEROUS compared to free weights.

The type of squat that people are most familiar with is the barbell back squat where the bar is resting on the trapezius muscles of the upper back. Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury.

I feel that a combination of all three (not necessarily during the same phase of your workouts) will yield the best results for overall muscular development, body fat loss, and athletic performance. Front squats are moderately more difficult than back squats, while overhead squats are considerably more difficult than either back squats or front squats. I’ll cover overhead squats in a future newsletter issue.

If you are only accustomed to performing back squats, it will take you a few sessions to become comfortable with front squats, so start out light. After a couple sessions of practice, you will start to feel the groove and be able to increase the poundage.

To perform front squats:

The front squat recruits the abdominals to a much higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats. It is mostly a lower body exercise, but is great for functionally incorporating core strength and stability into the squatting movement. It can also be slightly difficult to learn how to properly rest the bar on your shoulders. There are two ways to rest the bar on the front of the shoulders.

In the first method, you step under the bar and cross your forearms into an “X” position while resting the bar on the dimple that is created by the shoulder muscle near the bone, keeping your elbows up high so that your arms are parallel to the ground. You then hold the bar in place by pressing the thumb side of your fists against the bar for support.

Alternatively, you can hold the bar by placing your palms face up and the bar resting on your fingers against your shoulders. For both methods, your elbows must stay up high to prevent the weight from falling. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground throughout the squat. Find out which bar support method is more comfortable for you.

Then, initiate the squat from your hips by sitting back and down keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then press back up to the starting position. Keeping your weight more towards your heels is the key factor in squatting to protect your knees from injury and develop strong injury resistant knee joints.

Keep in mind – squats done correctly actually strengthen the knees; squats done incorrectly can damage the knees. Practice first with an un-weighted bar or a relatively light weight to learn the movement. Most people are surprised how hard this exercise works your abs once you learn the correct form.

START/FINISH

MIDPOINT

For complete descriptions of over 50 of the most effective full body exercises for stripping away body fat while developing a rock-hard body, download my e-book The Truth About Six Pack Abs

The Top Fat Loss Secrets for Flat Six-Pack Abs

an interview by Geovanni Derice with Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

I had the pleasure of being interviewed recently by a fitness professional from NYC, Geovanni Derice, of 4evertoned.com. The interview is below and I think you're going to like it...I reveal some of the hardest hitting strategies for getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat to uncover those flat six pack abs that everyone wants.

"GD: Welcome Mike Geary to 4everToned's Fitness Journal. For those who do not know you, please tell us a few things about yourself.

MG: Thanks for having me, Geo. Well, to go back a little, I have been heavily involved in fitness and sports for about 15 years now, ever since I was a teenager. Being involved in sports in high school got me interested in strength training and conditioning. At that point, once I started feeling more energetic, getting stronger, and looking better, I was instantly hooked for life. I'm 30 now and still addicted to the way living a healthy and fit lifestyle makes me feel energetic, confident, strong, and youthful on a daily basis.

I decided earlier in my 20's that I wanted to make the commitment to help other people experience the excitement of being fit and getting in the best shape of their lives, especially since we've reached an epidemic of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, etc. That's why I became a fitness professional. It just gives me so much satisfaction to help others, who have struggled for years to get in good shape, and show them that it can be done, and it can be fun in the process.

I've expanded over the years from just reaching local individuals with personal training, into being able to help people all over the globe achieve their fitness goals with the reach of the internet. I only hope that my passion for fitness inspires people to take action and improve how they look and feel for life.

GD: Now Mike, there's so many things out there as to what works and what does not work...if you had to pick 3 things that work time and time again to get flat abs, what would they be?

MG: The first and most important thing to get control of in order to get flat abs is cleaning up your diet. Exercise is important, but your diet is king when it comes to losing body fat so that you can see your abs.

There's so much confusion these days about what a healthy diet that promotes fat loss really is...after all, we are bombarded by conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not, and you have all of these gimmicky diet books about low carb, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, atkins, south beach, liquid diets, and hundreds more. There's so much conflicting info, that the average consumer doesn't even know where to start when it comes to eating for fat loss.

The second thing that works time and time again, is to focus on the intensity of your workouts and focus on working the body as a whole in order to get the best metabolic response to lose that stubborn stomach fat. In order to really get lean, the workouts should have a high intensity, with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves.

For the third thing, let's talk about actually training the abs specifically. When it comes to training the abs, if you want real results, I always recommend forgetting about the crunches and situps for the most part. They are ok for someone that is really deconditioned, but most people that already have some training under their belt need a much better stimulus for their abs than crunches. Crunches are one of the abs exercises that actually provide the least amount of resistance, and remember that resistance is what develops and tones the muscles.

I provide a ton of great abs exercises in my book, but one of THE highest resistance exercises for the abs, is hanging leg raises (but NOT the way you see most people at the gym doing them). The key to doing these and actually working the hell out of your abs is to curl your pelvis up as you raise your legs. Almost nobody ever does this right. To be honest, the majority of people cannot do this at first, but I provide some strategies in my book as to how to progress to doing these correctly.

GD: What are people doing wrong when it comes to developing the coveted "6 pack abs"?

MG: Well Geo, I know this sounds funny to most people, but the MAIN thing that people are doing wrong to get those flat 6-pack abs is...are you ready for this? They spend entirely too much time focusing on training their abs! WAY too much time spent on abs exercises. Sounds crazy, but it's true.

Remember, having a flat and visible six pack of abs is all about getting down to a low body fat percentage. In order to do that, your workouts must focus on stimulating a fat burning hormonal environment in your body, and increasing your metabolic rate. That just does not happen when you focus too much time training a small muscle group like the abs.

Instead, you must use the majority of your time focusing on training the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest. That's what stimulates your metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will get you truly lean and sporting a flat sixxer!

GD: Which exercises are the top exercises that people need to do if they are to get maximum defintion with their midsection?

MG: When it comes to developing the abs themselves, I again refer to any kinds of hanging abs exercises, as well as some good floor abs exercises like lying leg thrusts (all described and illustrated in my book).

However, maximum definition in the abs and midsection comes from losing bodyfat, and the most effective exercises featured in my program for that goal are various forms of swings and snatches (unique dumbbell or kettlebell exercises that almost nobody ever does in normal gyms), squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, sprinting, and other full body exercises and calisthenics. If you want great looking flat abs, focus on those instead of focusing so much on training the abs directly!

GD: When it comes to diet Mike, people really have tried millions of ways to get one thing...and that is fat loss. What recommendations have you used to successfully help your clients lose fat and keep it off?

MG: I have included a fully comprehensive discussion of this topic in my book, which accounts for almost half of the book, but I'll try to make some nice simple generalizations to get people started on the right path immediately. The most important thing is that your diet is as natural and unprocessed as possible. It almost always comes back to the overprocessing of food that makes it unhealthy, and makes it totally wreck your metabolism and hormone balance in your body.

For example, why eat refined grains, when you can eat whole grains. Why eat refined sugar, when you can get natural sources of sugar from a high nutrient whole food like fruit. Why eat highly processed, refined, and hydrogenated vegetable oils (these are THE worst thing in the modern diet), when you can eat natural sources of healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fish, eggs, coconut milk, organically raised meat, and so forth.

The point is to not fall for some gimmick like low carbs, low fat, high protein, or any other combination that has you focusing on one macronutrient vs. another. Your body needs all macronutrients to thrive and obtain a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Trying to cut an entire food group out just works against what your body needs. I get into much more detail on this vitally important topic towards losing body fat (especially that stubborn stomach fat) for life in my book.

GD: Thank you very much Mike for sharing with us all of this great information.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this interview and plucked several nuggets of info to get you motivated and started on showing off your flat abs shortly. If you don't already own a copy, be sure to pick up a copy of my Truth about Six Pack Abs book and discover the entire system I've developed for ridding yourself of that extra ab fat for good!