Slightly obsessed with having a six-pack

I think I have at least a dozen blogs about abs, but here are just a few:

Athletic Abs: Start Working baby!

Athletic Abs: Understanding the Abdominals

Athletic Abs: Stop dreaming

Ask the Trainer: Flat Abs

A hard lesson about six-pack abs

I made my 2012 vision board and I think it is slightly focused on getting a 6-pack! And then when I made a mini-vision board to carry in my purse, I noticed that it was all about six-packs!!

Here are some of the things I cut from Oxygen magazines to add to my vision board:

“A six pack is the result of three things: The right cardio training, the correct abdominal training and a good clean diet. Nutrition plays a large role. Your overall body-fat percentage has to be reduced while whittling your middle with an ab routine. No matter how much you train, if your diet isn’t clean then your body won’t be able to shed the water and fat off your abs so you can see a flat, toned tummy. Walk away from the cookie and focus,” says Alicia Marie, fitness model and trainer

The six-pack secret. What keeps our abs buried beneath a layer of fat are empty carbs such as white bread, pasta and rice and of course, baked goods and other sweet treats that combine refined flour and a ton of sugar: two major roadblocks.

“Remind yourself that you are going for your best you. If you want a flatter, tighter, more toned tummy, then work must be put into training – and your diet had to be tight. Follow the rules and everything falls into place,” Alicia Marie says again. LOL, I have an obsession with her and all her fitness tips.

Want abs like these? (with a picture of Alicia Marie showcasing her abs) Eat blueberries. Their naturally occurring antioxidants might help reduce abdominal fat, according to a new study out of Michigan. Make sure to throw in plenty of cardio and some full-body weight training (not just crunches!) to achieve your killer six-pack.

Move to Do: A plank. This is an all-over core strengthener that you can work on gradually (start at 10 seconds, then increase to 1 minute). Fit it in! When you’re waiting for your morning oatmeal to cook, drop to the floor and get it done.

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 40: Piyo and Hustle?

You can do it too!

Is this girl out of her flipping mind? I received my Piyo workouts in the mail today and was so excited I wanted to do it immediately (well, not at work, but when I got home).  But I also wanted to do my regularly schedules workout as well

10 minutes BL 30-Day Jump Start Cardio Level 2
70 minutes Hip Hop Hustle 9 (Yep, did the whole thing, both hustles and the show....minus the cool down)
35 min PIYOOOOO! (Imagine me yelling this like the Yahoooo commercials, LOL! This is how I like to say it)
15 min WiiFit plus
20 push ups on Wii (Wooohaaa!)
15 crunches (so wimped out here. I plan on making it to 100 a night, yeah,right!)

What I like about Piyo? The moves really work the core and that's my favorite muscle group to work.  What i don't like is the learning curve to get these moves down.  I spend time looking up at the TV watching the moves, I can't get it correctly.  i know over time, this gets better, so I just kept at it.  Thankfully, they have a person doing modified moves.  I don't know if I can ever get to an advanced level.

Lots of yoga moves I am familiar with (P90X's Yoga X helped a lot for that) and some Pilate's moves as well.  And it was fast! I thought the workout was 60 minutes, so imagine my surprise when it was over after 35.  But hey, any longer and I might have wimped out anyway.

I'm amazed I did the Hustle for 70 minutes!!  WHAT?? This girl is crazy right.  Anyway, when you are having fun, it's not like a workout! I'm spreading the Hustle love wherever I go.  Try it!  Now!

Total workout minutes: 130 minutes!

I'm killing this challenge! Was 30 minutes a day, then 60, so next month I am upping it to 90 minutes a day (and probably will aim for close to 2.5 hours)

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 36: Get the Wii Outta here!

Ummm, okay, so Saturdays are typically my take it easy day, but only if I have been hitting it hard the rest of the week.  Since that was the case this week, I played on the Wii for my workout.  Now don't get me wrong, not saying that this is a BS workout, because it's not.

I mostly did my fave, kung fu and the Perfect 10 games, but then I got totally into the skateboard game.  I finally made it past the third level! In fact, I made it to level 7...but I still suck!  Only 2 stars out of four.  What the heck must I do to get 3??  And then after that, will I ever make it to 4??

My ankle is still sore and wrapped real good, and most of the games on Wii were irritating it.  Skate boarding was fine..for awhile, but not after like the 10th time.  In fact, my other ankle was taking a beating because you have to push off on it like you're really skate boarding.  I was so sweaty!  I had to cut down the heat, and turn on the ceiling fan AND strip off my shirt!  Do this workout!

I did a total of 62 minutes and I was feeling it!  I also played golf and that works my abs real good.

Athletic Abs: Start working baby!

Ready, set, let's go!!

The most effective ab exercises start with the bicycle, which is the best move for targeting the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to an American Council on Exercise study.

How to:

1.Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.

2.Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.

3.Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee.

4.Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.

5.Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.


The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors.
How to:

1.Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.

2.Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.

3.Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.

4.Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.


If you don't have access to a captain's chair rack, you can try a ball roll out as a substitute.  Ab rolls are a challenging exercise that targets all the muscles of the core. This advanced move requires attention to detail to avoid straining the back. Make sure you only roll out as far as you comfortably can. If you feel any strain in the back, back off the exercise or avoid it completely.

How to:
1.Kneel in front of the ball and place the hands on the ball, parallel to one another and with the elbows bent.

2.Contract the abs and pull the belly towards the spine.

3.Slowly roll forward and out as far as you comfortably can, until the feel the abs engage. Don't go so far that you hurt your back or collapse.

4.This move does not involve bending the hips, so keep them straight throughout the exercise.

5.Keeping the body straight, slowly pull your body back using your arms and abdominals.

6.Continue for 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps, avoiding this move if you have any back problems.

7.You can change the difficult of the move by placing your hands closer in or further out.

 
The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and is the third most effective move for targeting the rectus abdominis. What makes this move a bit more effective than crunches on the floor is that the legs are often involved in floor crunches. On the ball, the abs do more work.
How to:

1.Lie on the ball, positioning it under the lower back.

2.Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.

3.Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.

4.As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn't roll).

5.Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

And this is only the beginning!

Athletic Abs: Understanding the abdominals

Read part 1 of Athletic Abs: Stop dreaming about them

We must do focused core work, not a million crunches. The abs are the showcase muscles of your body.  Because they reside in the center of your body, the abs are the first place that draws attention when you wear a bikini, midriff shirt, crop tanks, fitted tees and similar garments that are designed to flaunt this sensual area.  For many women, however, a flat, toned stomach is elusive due to genetic factors.

What? Did I just say that? Genetics are in play when it comes to our abs?

Afraid so.  Despite that, targeted bodysculpting can help you develop a great set of abs.  Once you strip away abdominal fat (with eating properly and cardio) it is rather easy to bring out the detail in this region.  With a dedicated routine, your midsection will readily take shape, achieving a toned, washboard appearance.

The abdominals are one long sheath of muscle that runs from just below your breastbone (sternum) all the way down to your pelvis.  Thus, you CANNOT separate the upper and lower abs or train one part without effecting the entire muscle.  You can, however, apply more stress to the upper or lower abs by lifting from either the chest or the pelvis, respectively.  Moreover, the sides of the midsection (obliques) are involved in various bending and twisting movements.  Consequently, abdominal exercises are classified by weather they emphasize the upper or lower abdominal regions or the obliques.

Group 1 - crunches and similar variations.  These movements put maximal stress on the upper portion of the abs.  When executing crunches, you must concentrate on pulling your chest down toward your hips.  Your lower back should never move.  If it does, you activate your hip flexor muscles at the expense of your abdominals.

Group 2 - leg raises, reverse crunches and similar variations.  These movements focus more on the lower portion of the abs.  Lower abdominals are one of the most troublesome muscle groups for women to develop.  Because of their anatomical position, they have limited range of motion, making if difficult to achieve muscular contraction.  To work lower abs most effectively, it is imperative that you concentrate on raising your pelvis toward your chest, not simply raising and lowering your legs.  This minimizes hip flexor involvement and therefore maximizes stress to the lower ab region.

Group 3 - side bends, trunk twists, and similar variations.  These movements target the internal and external obliques, the muscles that run along either side of your waist.  When properly developed, the obliques provide the finishing touches to your midsection, giving your body a polished look.

Whew! I know this is a lot of information, but stay with me for part 3 as we get ready to learn what exercises work the best for the core.

Athletic Abs: Stop dreaming about them

Want them? Come and get them!

Know this: Every movement you make begins with the core. The core includes muscles that surround the stomach and lower back area. (external obliques, internal obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and transverse abdominis).

When you improve the core you reap many benefits:

1. Better core control
2. Balance
3. Strength
4. Endurance
5. Power
6. Speed

42 zillion crunches a day won't showcase your six-pack (it's really a 10-pack). However, pack in some great cardio interval training and a sensible eating plan and some core drills and your six-pack can form.

CARDIO: Go hard or go home! There's no other way around it, to melt away the fat around the abs, high intensity cardio or interval training burn away the fast faster. Unlike workouts of sustained duration, interval exercises work both aerobic and anaerobic systems. Interval training can take place by riding a bike, using a stationary bike, working out on a stair climber machine, elliptical running on a treadmill, or jogging around your own backyard.

After a five minute warm-up, when you feel ready, pick up the pace, to where you are huffing and puffing, but can still hold a conversation. Keep that pace up for as ling as you can (aim for five minute, but do as much as you can and gradually increase over time). Recover with a five minute active rest of easy walking, pedaling, or climbing. Do several rounds of this combination. For a beginner, start with 20 minutes and gradually work up to more. If you need to, do one minute sprints and take longer recoveries. Do whatever works best for you and your fitness level.

EATING: Eating six smalls meal a day stabilizes blood sugar, prevent mood swings and energy lulls throughout the day and provide increased energy to really burn fat.

      LISTEN! When you "diet" you lose, in this order: muscle, water and THEN fat!

Oh no! If you cut your calories to less than your metabolism needs to support your muscle, 4 to 6 of every 10 pounds you lose will be muscle. Each time you go on a deprivation diet, your body finds it easier to conserve FAT because it actually thinks you are starving.

Eating Rules and Regulations:

• Under eating and under sleeping can cause over training
• Schedule meals in advance.
• Become sensitive to your body needs.
• Don't skip meals!
• Eat two servings of carbohydrates and one serving of protein at each meal.
• Eating and training speeds your metabolism.
• Consume more of your calories early in the day.
• Eat slowly to avoid overeating.

Muscles prefer to burn carbohydrates for energy and use protein for growth and repair. You need carbs!

Takes notes, this is only the first of the series.  Tune in for more on the Athletic Abs series.

ASK THE TRAINER: Flat Abs

Q: What can I do to tone my tummy and get flat abs?

A: Please give me a dollar for every time someone asks me this question! I’d be very wealthy. Why is it that most women are obsessed with getting the tummy flat as possible? Second would be toned arms and slim legs, but abs rank number one for nearly every female I run across. Either they are already thin and have a problem middle section, or they have a few pounds to lose, but mostly care about the waist line.

I blogged about this before here. Flat abs is so much more than doing 100 crunches a day. Those are nice, and go ahead and do them if you like. Doesn’t mean you will have that six-pack abs. To get the abs flat, it’ll take overall weight loss. No spot training, that’s just not going to work. Adding in abs training with total body strength training and cardio exercise, and now we’re getting somewhere.

But that’s not all! Didn’t think it was that easy, did ya? Flat abs won’t show under a layer of flab if you are not eating properly. And this involves eating no processed foods, following a clean diet and limiting foods that bloat or cause water retention. Eating 5-6 meals a day, spaced out every 2-3 hours, versus the standard three helps a lot. And you have to stick with the eating and fitness plan if you are really dedicated to getting the stomach tighter.

One more thing, genetics plays a role in how flat your tummy will be and if you can actually achieve a six-pack look. I know you didn’t want to hear that, but it’s true. A flat tummy is yours for the taking, just stay dedicated to get there.

I’ll have a part two to this question later this week with tips on how to achieve a flat tummy.

OMG! The new Oxygen with Alicia Marie!

Can I say I have a super duper girl crush on Alicia Marie? Seriously! Not because she is totally pretty (I mean, she is) it's just something about her I LOVE! Her body is BANGIN! She's the reason I fell in love with Oxygen magazine, one of her covers that I STILL have hanging in my fitness room for motivation.

So imagine my surprise when I see that she is on the cover ONCE AGAIN!! Her abs are CRAZY! This lady is fab-u-lous! And she's all over Oxygen being featured in several different ads for products. The first thing I did was read her cover article. They don't have her column she usually has. I hope they haven't cancelled it and it's not there because her cover article. Okay, enough about her, let me droll out some fitness tips from the current issue.

Here's Alicia's tips she gives her celebrity clients before the red carpet:

1. Avoid excess salt
2. Get as much sleep as you can
3. Don't do any intense cardio workouts in the 24 hours leading up to it, as you may hold water.
4. And of course, no alcohol for a week before the event!

Yes, I hear you Alicia. Now come train with me for the week! I'll pay all your expenses.

Tales from a yo-yo dieter

Oh, yes, I am...WAS...a yo-yo dieter. I have been super skinny, 103 pounds at age 22 in college. And my highest point 165 in my 30s. Geesh! The years in between I had lost and gained many many times. Once I took my before picture I was like...THIS STOPS NOW!!

I may not get a super, smokin' hot body, but I was going to get in better shape. One of the most famous yo-yo diets ever is my musical idol (and body inspiration) Janet Jackson. For years most people know that I have been obsessed with Janet Jackson's body. In fact, this is just one of the pics that motivated me to get in shape.

But Janet Jackson is the ultimate yo-yo dieter! Her weight has fluctuated since she was a teenager. She's not naturally thin....she works hard to get her body in tip top shape for magazine and album covers, tours and whatever. When she is not working on a project, Janet just lets herself go. Check out her before and afters....

Or should I say after and before?!? This is when she was small and then gained. She was 117 and gained and got up to 160!! Here's one of her at 180 pounds dropping to 120.

Yeah, what an idol to have! Janet, Janet, Janet...but, what she does is motivate me to end the cycle. Stop yo-yo dieting! I will keep my hot body once I get it.

Before and Afters

This is probably the most important thing you ever will do. Take some pictures!! I took some that I thought I would never show another person. I mean, there were fat rolls and everything. Pretty gross. But guess what? Looking back, I am not that person anymore so they do not scare me. Well, in a way they do. They scare me to NOT ever go back there. Here is one of my befores....

Now here is my after. See what I am talking about. Take those pics and then post them proudly.

A hard lesson about six-pack abs

As a personal trainer, I get this question a lot. A whole lot! It's the number one question, next to I need to lose 10 pounds. The reality of six-pack abs is, it's not possible for many of us. It ain't easy! Is it possible? Yes. The question is, are you willing to do the hard work.

If you think you can do 300 crunches a day and enjoy flat abs and a super hot six-pack, sorry to tell you the truth of the matter. It ain't happening! Ab exercises are not the number one thing you need for flat abs. It requires hard work, commitment, dedication, and something you may not have any control over: genetics.

Abdominal muscles consist of three layers. The very deepest layer is the transverse abdominal, which acts as the body's girdle, providing support and stability and plays a critical role in exhalation. Next is the rectus abdominal, which flexes the spine. Closest to the surface are the internals and external obliques which turn the trunk and provide the body with rotation and lateral movement. ALL of these muscles must be incorporated into an effective ab training program.

First, you have to drop your body fat, which will decrease the layer of fat around your abdominal. To do this you must:

1) Do regular cardio exercise. This includes, walking, jogging, biking, dancing, swimming or any other cardio activity, just make sure you are consistently doing it.

2) Strength training the ENTIRE body. Don't just focus on working the abs. Treat the abs like any other muscle. You wouldn't do 50 dumbbell curls, would you, so why do 50 crunches??

3) Have a healthy, low-calorie diet. This includes eliminating breads, pasta and high-sugar foods. Eat whole foods and stay away from processed food.

You must get all three of these, especially your diet, right on a consistent basis in order to get even close to flat abs. Now listen to this, because I'm about to burst some people's bubble: even after doing all the above and you still don't have flat abs, don't be surprised. Many of us will never see the six-pack abs because:

*The body fat level required to get flat abs is lower than you can sustain with your current lifestyle/schedule

*The body fat level required is lower than healthy for your body to function.

This is why fitness athletes sometimes follow very strict diets for only a "limited" amount of time. They CANNOT sustain the lower body fat and be considered healthy. The body fat is drastically too low, and for women, can even interrupt menstrual cycles. Many times when you see a model on the cover of a magazine with six packs glistening, it's a result of some extreme elements like dehydration, carb-depleting, or cutting weight like pro wrestlers and boxers do.

The goal to get flat abs may:

*Require more exercise than your schedule will allow and more than you can mentally handle.

*Require more attention to your diet than you're willing/able to expend.

*Require more strict adherence to diet and exercise than you have time or energy to spare.

*May not be in your genetic cards.

So do you give up? Don't give up on exercising and living a healthier life, but maybe giving up on the ideal six-pack abs is exactly what you need to make your life better. Ask yourself these questions.

Do I really want flat abs?  Am I willing to work as hard as I need to get them?

If I will work that hard, am I willing to accept that it still may not happen, even if I do everything right?

If I did get six-pack abs, what will that change in my life?

What will flat abs actually do for me?  What would happen if I let go of this ideal and focused on other goals?

For me, I have tried to achieve six-pack abs with the hundreds of crunches myth. Now that I am a lot smarter about it, I want to ATTEMPT to get them the correct way. I am open to the belief that I may not achieve them, but I will NEVER SAY NEVER. Not until I have given it all I've got.

Here are my abs right now. I have a long, long way to go!