| Kathy Smith's Fitness Buzz |
January 21, 2008 |
 As we welcome a new President and usher in a new era, celebrating this
time of great change, it's time to make some changes a little closer to
home. Right at your core. Literally.
The #1 question people
have asked me throughout the years, and continue to ask me to this day,
is "How do I get a flat stomach?!" So I'd like to take this
opportunity to shed some light on the dark underbelly of bellyfat.
It's time to talk about the truth of tummy trimming. Consider this a
guide to getting your own brand new Abdominal Administration.
Can
we finally shed some fat around our midsections? Can we finally get
that slim, lean waistline we all want and deserve? The answer is
simple: Yes we can!
Just follow my Top 3 Tummy Trimmers.
|
|
1. ACTIVATE
|
First thing's first: Abdominals require work. To get the midsection of your dreams, start by activating the correct muscles so that you always get the most out of your workout . . . more bang for your belly:
Think globally, act locally.
In a recent Mens Health UK article,
Arthur Jones explained the difference between the "local" and "global"
muscles in our bodies. The local muscles are closer to home - they
protect the spine and create stability. Local muscles also include the
obliques and pelvic-floor muscles - the deeper, more "internal" areas
of your abdominals, the muscle groups that are activated during
lower-resistance and endurance exercises. You can work "locally" by doing core exercises with good form, like the exercise pictured above. Or, check out this "Standing Ab" workout demo - you can sculpt your midsection without even getting on the floor!
Global muscles, on the other
hand, are a little more "superficial" (closer to the surface). They include the rectus
abdominis, also known as the six-pack - or, at least, where a
six-pack ought to be. These are muscles that can be activated with exercises like the standard crunch (and variations of that).
The trick is to incorporate both groups into
your routine by training your abdominals using a variety of methods. My Tummy Trimmers
DVD offers five different 10-minute workout segments: Standing Abs,
Core Abs, Boot Camp Abs, Stability Ball Abs, and Pilates Mat Abs. This
allows you to break it up, trying a new exercise each day, mixing and
matching depending on your schedule and fitness level, so that you
never reach a plateau.
|
2. STIMULATE
|
 The next step is to stimulate your body's fat burning abilities by doing cardio exercise. The idea here is simple: no matter how strong those ab muscles are, no one will see them if they're hidden by a layer of fat.
Slow it down! And then go for broke.
Cardio confusion kicks in when people don't know how much time they should spend on it or how challenging the workout should be. The key is to include both long/slow and burst training methods in your routine. "Long/slow" workouts allow you to continue exercising at a moderate pace for a longer period of time so that you can burn more calories.
On the other hand, cardio that incorporates "burst training" (short periods of high-intensity exercise) helps stimulate your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which boost your metabolism and tap into deeper fat stores. Since this method is more challenging, you can't perform these exercises for a long period of time, so it's important to alternate between these two types of training. To get the best of both worlds, try my Cardio Fat Burner DVD for a combo of progressive "long/slow" and higher-intensity "bursts" - it's a heart-pumping, fat-blasting good time.
|
3. ELIMINATE
|
That's right. This wouldn't be a newsletter on abs if we didn't get down to the nitty gritty. We all know that what goes in must come out - but don't underestimate the importance of eliminating waste when it comes to trimming your waist.
Fill up on fiber.
Wellness expert Paul Chek jokes that "we're all full of it" - meaning that, because of our poor dietary habits, so many Americans aren't reaping the benefits of good digestion. So make fiber your best friend, and aim to get at least 25 grams a day. Studies suggest that getting an extra 14 grams of fiber daily may cause your body to absorb 10 percent fewer calories!
You are what you don't eat.
The idea of elimination goes beyond digestion - it also refers to what you should eliminate from your diet. You can maintain a high-fiber diet and do crunches until the cows come home, but if your diet includes a lot of processed foods, saturated fats, and sugar, flat abs will remain a far-away dream.
For a simple 6-week eating plan that includes over 75 mouth-watering recipes filled with fiber to keep your digestion - and your ab training - on track, check out my book Feed Muscle Shrink Fat.
Perhaps it really is as simple as 1, 2, 3: Activate. Stimulate. Eliminate. And then, when you've got the trim tummy of your dreams, it's time to celebrate.
|
HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF HEALTH & WELLNESS...
SHARE THESE NEWSLETTERS WITH A FRIEND!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
