Six Pack Secrets

The Elusive Six Pack

Ever seen someone with a wicked six pack who did not look like they were superfit and super-checked-out?  I didn't think so.  Fat guys with huge arms - big deal.  Slim guy with a six pack - different story.

What is the Six Pack?

Six pack is the outline of Rectus Abdominis, otherwise known as your abs.  Technically, everyone has a six pack.  The problem is that you just can't see most people's six pack because its hidden under a layer of body fat.


Nice Six Pack Jack



What's Hiding Your Six Pack?

Six Pack Success

There are three things you need to know about bringing out the washboard.

Nutrition
Eat a clean nutritious diet.  Cut the crap out right away.  Totally.  No excuses.


Six Pack Concealer

 

 

 

Fill-up on good clean food.  Eat a healthy blend of slow burning complex carbs like oatmeal and wholesome protein like salmon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ab Exercises

You need to actually do some ab work.  Not 500 reps but maybe 50-75 reps in total...3 days per week.  Here are a few good ones:

 

Dumbbell Crunch

The Dumbbell crunch is a wicked ab exercise.  Hold a dumbbell at each shoulder.  Crunch upwards and press the dumbells at the same time.  Just try for 20 reps.

 

Low Plank

 

The Low Plank is another really good ab exercise.  See how long you can hold it.

 

 

Kettlebell Swing

 

 

The full-blast barbarian kettlebell swing is a great ab exercise and rocks-out some great cardio too.  Get that puppy swinging straight overhead.  Go as hard as you can for 20-30 reps.

 

Cardio

A lot of people think that you need to really crank the cardio to get the six pack.  Its not as bad as you think but its not as easy as you hope either.  Don't go for lame cardio.  If you're not really straining you're maybe wasting your time.

 

 

 

Drink Your Face Off

Water, that is

 

Not beer

 

Beer will absolutely destroy your six pack.  So will any other form of alcohol.



Tom

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later

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Prepare for March Break Now

Start Thinking About Packing a Six Pack Now

Now's the time to start thinking about March Break.  I'm a trainer and I don't want you coming to me all fat and desperate in early February, complaining that you need to lose 25 lbs in a month.  Profitable for me but painful for you.

Six Months to Success

Summer's over.  You strolled the beaches with your tanned, tight bod.  Let's keep it that way for the next few months.  The heavy sweaters and long pants of fall and winter are not the time to hit the pizza and beer.  Students - all the fun times and beer and wings with your buddies will add up to major grief for you in Florida next spring if you're not careful now.  Career folks - Christmas calories count just like the rest.

The Plan

Weigh yourself today.  Track your weight weekly over the next six months so that you know exactly what's going on with your body.  Be very careful with your total daily caloric intake.  Stay active.  Walk, run, workout - whatever.  Plan to get serious about training in early December.  I know that's relaxed party season but trust me - it'll pay off in March.

Starting in December, we'll crank-up the training slowly so that you peak when you hit the beach in February or March.  Start thinking about this now - there's only one March Break for you each year - you don't want to blow it.

More on March Break prep training in a later post.

Tom

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later.

Shoulder Workout

Training Your Shoulders

The key muscle group of the shoulder is the deltoid.  Deltoid has frontal, lateral and rear heads.  The frontal head of the deltoid gets a lot of work during normal bench press.  The lateral and rear heads of the deltoid are the ones that really require special attention.

Basic Shoulder Exercises

The musculature of the shoulder region is generally powerful but the joint itself is delicate.  Shoulder work demands a methodical approach and some light-weight sets to warm-up.

Military Press

The Military Press is a superb shoulder building exercise.  You can use dumbbells or a barbell.  Some machines do a good job of replicating this move too.  Stand with feet wide apart.  Clean the bar up to your collar-bone.  Press it straight up overhead.  Elbows should be fully extended.  Lower it back to the collar bone.  Repeat.  Engage your core when you do this exercise or you may feel discomfort in your lower back.  This exercise mostly hits lateral delts but also uses frontal delts to a lesser extent.  This should be your first deltoid exercise if doing multiple exercises, due to the remote risk of dropping the weight on your head.

Dumbbell Side Laterals

This exercise is excellent for hitting the side or lateral delts.  These muscles need to be worked if you're going to add width to your shoulders.  Ladies - this exercise gives your shoulders that nice definition that looks great in a sleeveless dress.  Using light to medium weight dumbbells and a slight bend in the elbows, raise the dumbbells up to about ear-height.  Just as the model in the photo is doing - tip the front of the dumbbells down.  Just like you're pouring a bottle.  This slight move really focuses the work onto the lateral delts.  Lower slowly and repeat.  I like to start with the weights together in front of my body.  This creates a little work for some of the rotator-cuff muscles.

Bentover Dumbbell Flyes

This exercise works the often-neglected posterior or rear delts.  This muscle is vital for many sports and manual labour as well as giving you a square-shouldered appearance.  You can sit on the end of a bench or lie down prone on the bench to do this exercise.  Some people do this in a standing position.  If that's comfortable for your lower back, I'm not going to stop you (unless you're my client).  Dumbbell in each hand, slight bend in elbows...raise the dumbbells up as high as you can.  There's no risk of going too high!  Don't raise your chest up.  Keep hands well forward (you should be able to see the dumbbells in your peripheral vision).  Lower.  Repeat.

Basic Shoulder Routine

Try this after a decent warm-up:

Military Press: 3 sets of 8 reps

Dumbbell Side Laterals:  3 sets of 10 reps

Bentover Dumbbell Flyes:  3 sets of 10 reps

Tom

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later

Eggs - Superfood

The simple egg may be one of the best nutrition sources you can find.  Convenient, economical and nutritious.

Hardboiled, you can choose to eat just the white or the yolk or both.  Prepared this way they can easily be taken to work or school for your lunch or snack.

For even greater convenience you can buy pasturized egg white.  This product can be mixed into smoothies for added protein.  Check the label to make sure that its safe to eat uncooked.


Eggs are a great source of protein.  They are easily digested.  They cook well and blend well.

Tom

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later

BOSU



Side Crunches on BOSU - great for obliques

With a little practice, anyone can do advanced core training moves safely on BOSU.



Turn BOSU over and use it for a variety of other exercises.  This is Mountain Climbers on BOSU - Very Challenging.