Fitnesspros Bodybuilding and Fitness blog

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a defined and washboard like six pack? Because of the fat covering your belly, did you ever think it was possible? By following a few simple steps, anyone can get a six pack really. You don’t have to be a fitness whiz kid or a rocket scientist to get a six pack, it’s just a matter of researching and training the correct way. Also, note that I mentioned “simple steps” earlier. The steps might be simple, but the work that it takes to cover each step will not be so simple. I’ll be up front with you now. Getting a six pack is not for the lazy, sit on the couch 24/7, potato chip eating kind of person. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline, and plain out commitment. In order to see maximum results in minimal time, it’s important to get on the right training routine and improve your dieting habits.

If you think those television ads or magazine ads are a way to cheat yourself into getting washboard like abs or even getting into shape for that matter, then you are already on the wrong track. Majority of the methods and equipment being sold on television will take you ages before you see any results and not to mention be hardly effective at all. The market for high dollar ab routines and exercise machines is a million dollar market if not more. And there’s a reason why, it’s because many people want to get a six pack the easy way just like you. Well to put it simply, if getting a six pack was easy, then winning the lottery would be the next thing to do on my list.

As mentioned already, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment when trying to get a defined six pack. What does it really take to get six pack abs? Starting right now, this hour, this minute, this very second, you need to start eating right. Though it might be beneficial in some cases, it isn’t necessary to get on a strict dieting program. And to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend going into a strict dieting program because most people fail at them. No offense to you of course, it’s just a fact followed by statistics. What are you supposed to do then? It’s easy. Be more conscience of what you eat. If you know for a fact what you’re eating is bad, don’t eat it or reduce the amount that you eat it in the least. In fact, I don’t even recommend cutting out junk food 100% out of one’s diet. Because of that, I would suggest having a cheat day, once a week AT THE MOST. Eat healthy for the week, and then once that cheat day comes around treat yourself to some light sweets. But don’t overindulge yourself into treating yourself. There is still a boundary line of treating yourself and overindulging yourself into sweets that you will need to work off the next day.

The next thing you need to do after starting a nutrition plan is to set up a workout routine if you haven’t already done so. If you’re having trouble looking for a suitable workout routine, search on google. If you don’t have weight equipment available to you and don’t have the money for a gym membership, look up body weight calisthenics or body weight training. With all the websites there are today, there are loads of information to be researched on. As said, don’t worry if you don’t have weight equipment to be available to you. You can still get into shape by using your own body weight such as doing push ups for example. As for the part of doing ab exercises, it’s simple really. After you establish a training routine on a weekly basis, I would then incorporate ab exercises into your workout. My suggestion is to super set your ab exercises into your workouts. By super setting, I mean by doing a double set altogether. So if you just done a set of 30 push-ups, lay on the floor and do a set of sit-ups soon right after. Typically to see any noticeable results, you should do at least 3 sets of sit-ups, 20-30 repetitions for each set and about 3-4 times per week that follows your primary workout.

The vast majority of supplements are total junk, and that’s pretty much the sad truth of most of them. Although, there are still quality products out there that live to their promise to an extent. Some of these supplements might not be considered the magic bullet of all things, but they definitely “supplement” your training.

Here listed are 5 supplements that will help you on your bodybuilding journey. These are pretty much the only supplements worth spending money on and can prove to be beneficial during your training cycle.

1. Whey Protein Powder
Above all, the main supplement for any type of training is protein powder if not the best bodybuilding supplement you can get. Whey protein powder is the fastest digesting protein you can get. And after a an hour’s worth of working out in the gym, whey protein is what you need to get into your system before your body starts going into catabolism. Just when you thought trying to eat 5 cans of tuna in one serving was tough, you can get 50 grams of protein in just two scoops. If you haven’t already got a protein supplement, do so now.

2. Creatine
Of all supplements, this has probably been one of the most hyped up supplements in all history. But believe it or not, it actually lives up to its word. Creatine is used by all different regions in the sports world via football, rugby, basketball, powerlifting and last but not least bodybuilding. Creatine has the ability to replenish and give boost to your creatine phosphate stores. So when you’re in the squat rack lifting 400lbs and you’re on your 4th rep, you’re going to want to wish you had more creatine to push out more repetitions. Creatine is also highly used by track athletes and sprinters alike. It doesn’t really benefit the endurance aspect, but it can definitely help out with short explosive bursts of exercise.

3. Branched Chain Amino Acids
So you thought protein just appeared out of thin air? Absolutely not. What makes up protein are amino acids. Without amino acids, there is no protein. No protein, no muscle. Get it? But on the safe side, if you are already consuming a large amount of protein, then you probably won’t need to supplement with all the amino acids. Although, one set of amino acids are called the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) There’s a lot of branched amino acids in fish oil and tuna. When you go out and buy your next protein supplement, try to keep an eye out and make sure your protein supplement has these BCAAs. They are essential to protein production.

4. Dextrose
Even though dextrose might prove just to be a sugar, the best time to consume dextrose is right when you’re done working out. Because when your muscles are sore and they are exhausted, they will pretty much consume any nutrients you throw at them. Combining dextrose with other supplements can prove vital such as protein powders, creatine, and amino acids to make a great post workout shake.

5. Fish Oil
And last on the list that I would like to discuss is fish oil. This is one of the best supplements you can take if you’re into hardcore exercising. It might lack the hype and might not help you build muscle, but it’s still vital to your overall health. What I would like to point out about fish oil are its capabilities as a anti-inflammatory. It’s good for joint pain and helps improve your circulatory system.

Also, when you go out to buy your supplements, I would recommend you to go online instead of fetching to your nearest gnc. If you go look at GNC’s prices and internet prices and compare them, you’ll very much see the huge price difference.

If you are looking to add on some real muscle for power results, I have included three steps below about doing so. These steps will help you build serious strength and power. These are the basics for serious strength training and should not be taken lightly. If you train and eat right, the world and beyond can be yours. With that said, your lifts are what you make of it.

Progressive Overload: When it comes to building strength, this is a pretty much basic principle to follow. This is where you start with a certain resistance or weight that you can handle with good form and slowly increase the weight and resistance over time. As time passes, your strength gradually goes up as you start to increase the load to lift more heavier weight. As an example: If you rep out 200lbs on deadlifts for a set of a set of five, add 5 more pounds each week to gradually lift heavier weight. So if you’re repping out 200 one week, rep out 205 next week, and build up from there. See where I’m getting at? Don’t try to overdo it and add 30-40 pounds each week. By overdoing it and pushing yourself beyond what your joints can handle, you’ll up with more injuries than anything else. Remember, the keyword here is progressive. So just keep that in mind.

Maximizing Body Tension: One of the keys to successful strength building is maximizing tension during your lifts. Your body’s production of tension is the definition of strength. Muscular tension equals force and force equals tension. Maximizing tension during your lifts adds more strength and force. When it comes to body weight training, you might be good at doing 50 pushups, but try doing 5 one arm pushups. It might be less reps, but more tension for your body to output more force. The more force your body creates, the more strength you’ll gain. This is one of the reasons why powerlifters and strongman competitors are so strong. This is the basis of strength training.

Compound Movements: When you want to build muscular power, doing compound exercises is a definite rule for sure. Don’t waste your time with those single isolated lifts like dumbbell curls or tricep extensions. That’s for bodybuilders. Instead of just doing dumbbell curls, try doing pullups instead. Not only do your biceps get worked, but your lats, traps, shoulders are getting worked out as well. By working out multi-joint type exercises, you trigger the natural growth of anabolic hormones and well as stimulate the nervous system.

If you’re looking to get in shape and lose weight, you should look into kickboxing. I have listed 5 reasons below why you should start kicking around them feet of yours!

1. For one thing, it’s fun and a big stress reliever. One of the most important aspects of training whether if you’re trying to lose weight or increase your endurance is that it’s got to be fun. If it’s not fun, you’re not training. And if you’re not having fun, the workout routine isn’t probably going to last long. If you find jogging on the treadmill or being on the stationary bicycle to be boring (which it is if you don’t have a sexy lady right next to you) then you should try kickboxing.

2. Ever heard of Billy Blanks? He has produced one of the best workout DVD series you can find, and not to mention it’s fun and intense. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe “Tae-bo” does. You can do kickboxing at the comfort of your own home or even at a local martial arts studio. Doesn’t matter which as long as you’re comfortable with the surrounding environment. Being able to find kickboxing workout sessions with other groups of people might not be an easy task to find, but if you do, the benefits are well worth it.

3. If you train right, one kickboxing workout session can burn an astonishing 400-500 calories per hour. If you’re looking to lose weight, kickboxing is what you’re looking for to burn those extra calories and fat off your belly. Kickboxing also keeps your heart rate up and going at about 75% which is efficient for burning calories and stimulating exercise for your body. And it can be so much fun that you probably won’t even notice all those calories you’re burning. But not only are you burning fat and calories like a heat wave, you’re also building powerful muscle and working those fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. The more muscle you develop, the higher your metabolism will be. The higher your metabolism, the more calories you’ll burn while you are resting.

4. If you got serious about it, you could even enter a couple kickboxing competitions for the heck of it if you’re daring enough. Although, I would only consider that if you are being trained under a supervised instructor and know what they’re doing. But if not, you can still use kickboxing for your workouts at home or even at the gym.

5. Unlike running or jogging in place, kickboxing has the ability to actually add more definition to your body with all the calories you burn per workout. The results you get over time are astounding, and not only will you look great, but you’ll FEEL great as well!
Using kickboxing for your cardio workouts can be an amazing way to get stronger, lose extra poundage, look great and make new friends as well. If there’s a perfect way to exercise when it comes to intense cardio, kickboxing is definitely on top of the list.