by Ryan on October 5, 2010
Here are some great exercises to do that will help you lose weight and workout those abs.
- The Bicycle exercise is the best exercise to target the abs and the waist, according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise. To do this exercise correctly:
1. Lie face up 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 ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing 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 12-16 reps.
- The vertical leg crunch is another effective move to lose belly fat especially for the ab area and the obliques. To do it correctly:
1. Lie face up on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
2. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
3. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
- Doing the exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and just a great workout if done right. Here’s what you should do:
1. Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/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., you shouldn’t roll).
5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.
- The plank exercise is a great way to build endurance in the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. To do it right:
1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominal to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
Doing these 4 great exercises will help you lose that weight in the ab area, help tone and overtime just have you looking and feeling great.
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by Ryan on September 24, 2010
There are different ways of losing weight but here is one way you can start to lose it by what you eat. Certain foods can help burn fat and speed up your metabolism. Including some of these foods into your daily diet can help with losing weight. Here is a list of some foods that can help:
- Low Fat Dairy Products – Recent studies have shown that people who consume at least 3 servings of low fat dairy each day lose up to 70% more than people who do not consume dairy. The key appears to be the calcium in foods such as yogurt, cheese, and milk.
- Eggs – Eggs are an excellent source of protein and vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 aids the body in breaking down and burning fat.
- Citrus Fruits – Citrus is very high in Vitamin C which has some fat burning properties. Basically, Vitamin C makes fat less effective and can help dilute fat which makes it easier to be released from the body.
- Oatmeal - Oatmeal which is high in soluble fiber not only can help in burning fat it can help lower your cholesterol.
- Beans – Beans including soybeans are high in fiber, protein and iron. Soybeans in particular have the chemical lecithin which may assist in the process of shielding cells from accumulating fat.
- Fresh Fruits & Vegetables- Especially apples, berries, beets, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and asparagus contain pectin. Pectin can help limit the amount of fat which the cells can absorb and can help the cells absorb more water which can help release fat deposits.
- Whole Grains – Whole grains are less processed than other forms of grain based carbohydrates which allow them to retain more of the natural fiber and minerals.
- Lean Meats– Lean meats such as turkey, chicken and beef are extremely high in protein and can help boost the immune system. Fish such as salmon and tuna have the “healthy fat” omega 3 fatty acid in addition to being high in protein which is excellent for boosting the immune system.
This list is far from conclusive but it is a good start. Integrating some of these foods into your daily diet should help you with your weight loss. Add some exercise with this and the weight should start to come right off.
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by Ryan on September 18, 2010
You need Cardio when it comes to losing weight. Weight loss and proper weight loss can’t be achieved without it and the best thing about cardio workouts is there are some many different types. Here are a few cardio exercises-workouts that will help you lose that weight or just stay in great shape.
A couple of times a week, put on your running shoes and run around your neighborhood a few times . Running will tremendously help you and is known as one of the best exercises to get in shape. You heart rate will increase and your body will rapidly burn off calories which will help you lose weight. Some other things that can double the amount of calories burned are running up hills or adding sprints to your workout.
Riding a biking is another great cardio workout that can be done at your home or if you go to a gym with a stationary bike. With this exercise you can increase the muscle and endurance in your legs as well as burn calories. As you do the bike more, increase your minutes each time so you continue to burn more calories.
Swimming uses the whole body to exercise and the more parts of the body that we use to workout, the more calories we will burn. The breaststroke will burn the most calories when swimming and your whole body will be supported by water, so you will not have to worry about injuries. It is also an activity the whole family can enjoy together .
Walking is something we can do just about anywhere. Walking at a fast pace can help to build endurance and work off those calories. If you like to change things up you can jog a little and then walk a little to help burn off more calories.
The best cardio exercise/workout that we can do is the one done daily. Exercising daily with cardio workouts will help to lean up the body and build muscle. Also don’t be afraid to change exercises up every now and then, so your body does not completely adjust to the same thing every time. Also, setting your exercises in intervals and moving up in levels each time will help.
So when trying to lose weight or just stay in shape, cardio is the way to go. It can be hard at times but with a daily routine you should be able to get in shape in no time. So remember when trying to lose weight you have to think, you didn’t but the weight on overnight so don’t think it will come off overnight.
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