Tips of The Week #2:

How to Easily Get the Famous Six Pack Abs:

Let's be clear about one thing. There is NO such thing as getting abs "easily and fast." Everybody wants great abs but a lot of people don't know how to reach that goal. You need to follow several steps and stick to it! Doing hundreds of crunches won't cut it. Getting a flat stomach and visible abs is very challenging, but it's not out of your reach.

Here Are 3 Rules to Follow to Reach Your Goal:

• Diet
• Cardio
• Weight Training

Those 3 steps look pretty simple and obvious, but are often misunderstood.

To be successful you need discipline. Make sure there is a chance of success when setting up your goal. Set small goals; this will keep you motivated. When reaching a goal you can then set up the next one. Thinking of losing 15 lbs and being shredded in 4 weeks is setting yourself up to fail.

Let's Bring Out Your Six Pack with These Successful Ways:

DIET:

• Lower your calories! Sounds obvious? Yes you need to burn more calories than you consume. You should start by cutting 250 calories a day. Of course this means that you need to calculate how much calories you eat on a normal day.
• Say goodbye to soda! Drinking one soda a day will add around 1700 calories per week to your diet. And no, diet soda is not the solution. Studies have shown that diet soda consumers will gain weight in the long run.
• Eat more often! Eat 5 to 6 meals a day instead of your usual 3. Eating more often keeps your metabolism working non-stop.
• Be smart with you carbs! You should eat carbs with a low glycemic index. This will help you burn more fat throughout the day. Keep your consumption of carbs low to moderate. Cut carbs from your last meal before bed.
• Eat more fiber! You should consume between 30 - 40g of fiber a day. Fiber helps to lower bodyfat.
• Drink up! Staying hydrated will help you burn some fat. Drink around a gallon of water a day.
• Eat Protein! You should eat protein with each meal. Your protein intake should be between 1 to 1.5g per pound of body weight depending on your level of activity.
• Go nuts! Eat a handful of nuts every day (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews); it will help you lose and keep the weight off.

CARDIO:

• Cardio up! For fat loss, train 4 - 6 times a week for 30 - 60 minutes on your favorite cardio machine.
• Do it on an empty stomach! If you're up for it, do it first thing in the morning. Because your body is depleted of glycogen, it will turn to fat for energy. Cardio on an empty stomach is a good thing, but don't over do it. 2 - 3 times a week is enough.
• Change your cardio! Surprising your body with different ways to do your cardio will force your body to respond to a different types of effort.
• Cardio after weights! You should consider doing your cardio after your weights training. Once again, being depleted of glycogen, your body will turn to fat for fuel. The combination of these two is the key for more calories burned.

WEIGHT TRAINING:

• Don't rest to much between sets! If your resting time is around 40 seconds, you will burn up to 50% more calories compared to a rest period of 3 minutes.
• Ladies, lift those weights! Weight training raises you metabolic rate. You will lose more fat and shape your body. And no, weight lifting won't give you big muscles! I understand the fear that most women have about weight training. They don't want to lift weights for fear of getting ripped muscles and looking like a dude. The truth is, it CAN'T happen. Women don't produce enough testosterone to get that result (naturally). And you need a good amount of food to build those muscles. Women don't usually eat that way. Put that fear away; it's a misunderstanding of the concept and grab those barbells!
• Incorporate different techniques! Circuit training, drop sets, super-sets, tri-sets, compound sets...etc. You will burn more calories between sets, and will accomplish more in less time 

In Conclusion:

There is no big secret to get your six pack. The key is to combine and follow correctly the 3 rules. But I would say this: Diet is 80% of the success. A six pack won't appear overnight. There is no such thing as special pills or  a secret ab machine. Getting these is the hardest battle; you still need to watch your diet continuously. If you think that your work is done, you're sorely mistaken.