Want to Know Why and How HIIT Works?

Chances are your fitness program is primarily cardiovascular. You may walk, run, row, dance or bike. Perhaps you spend most of your time on an elliptical machine, spin bike, or stair stepper.

If you integrate a bit of strength training into your current fitness program then you may have a very well rounded program. And yet you are likely not getting the weight loss and fitness goals you desire. You’re putting in the time and the work but not enjoying the results you truly want.

HIIT can be the game changer, the difference maker, and the solution you’ve been searching for. Here we’ll show you how HIIT works and why it really does produce faster weight loss and fitness results in less time. But don’t take our word for it; let’s take a look at the research and the reason why High Intensity Interval Training is so effective.

Dramatic Fat Burning Results

HIIT has been shown to promote Human Growth Hormone release. This wonderful hormone is a natural one that your body produces. However, as you age the amount of growth hormone decreases. After all, you’re not growing anymore. If you exercise and your muscles and tissues need repair, then HGH is released to help your body repair itself.

When released, HGH also boosts metabolism, burns fat and facilitates muscle building. It also changes the way your body uses and converts energy. Your body does this because it knows you need fuel to repair your muscles and tissues.

The Journal of Obesity reported on a study that showed significant fat burning results after 12 weeks of HIIT. The study focused on young overweight male. They were randomly assigned to a control group or a HIIT group. The HIIT group spent 20 minutes exercising three times a week for 12 weeks.

The majority of the 20 minutes was rest and recovery – between short bursts of intense exercise. And by intense exercise it means that you’re getting up to 95% of your maximum heart rate. The results may surprise you.

The study participants had a reduction of total fat mass that averaged 4.5 pounds. They reduced their visceral fat, the fat under your skin, by 17%. They also showed marked aerobic improvements and their aerobic power increased by 15%.

Some other studies, particularly one published in the journal, Cell Metabolism, seem to indicate that HIIT changes your DNA expression; specifically the genes that are involved in fat metabolism. The study indicates that when you use HIIT as part of your training program, your body automatically turns on the genes that increase your production of lipolytic enzymes, aka fat busting enzymes.

How HIIT Works for Insulin Sensitivity

Diabetes occurs when the insulin receptors become desensitized. It can happen when a person has a diet that is often high in glucose, sugar. The presence of glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin. However, after a prolonged period of this constant signaling to release insulin, your body begins to shut down those insulin receptors.

When this happens, fat storage is increased because the glucose cannot be processed correctly. So a person with a diet that is often high in sugar – like most Americans – begins to gain weight and take steps toward pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

HIIT has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. It makes those insulin receptors work again so your body processes glucose effectively. You don’t store fat, you burn it.

One study looked at volunteers with diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. They performed one interval training session and saw improved blood sugar regulation for the next 24 hours. Other studies have shown that middle-aged adults who are fit but inactive were able to enjoy improvements in their insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation after just two weeks of interval training.

Increased weight loss, fat burning, and insulin sensitivity are all spectacular results. However, you may already be at your target weight and not at risk for Type 2 Diabetes. So what are the benefits for you? Can you get better, faster, and stronger with HIIT? You bet you can.

Aerobic Capacity, Endurance, and Strength

High Intensity Interval Training has shown that it provides improved health and fitness for all. A team of Canadian researchers tested a wide variety of men and women at various stages of health – from healthy to fighting cardiovascular disease. The participants performed cycling intervals. All patients showed significant improvements in their health and fitness.

Surprisingly, the cardiac patients showed great improvements and the intense exercise didn’t cause problems for any of the patients.

According to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as six to eight weeks of endurance training – Shape Magazine

If you’re training for a race or you want to get over a fitness plateau then HIIT may be the ideal program for you. One study found that after eight weeks of doing HIIT workouts, participants could exercise twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace.

We’ve already mentioned a few of the compelling benefits for integrating HIIT into your current fitness program. Namely, they’re:

• HIIT burns a ton of calories
• More efficient, and shorter, workouts
• Enjoy faster results
• Boost metabolism
• Increased fat burning

However, there are other benefits we’ve yet to discuss. They include:

• You don’t need any equipment to participate in HIIT.
• It’s applicable to just about any workout. From running to weight lifting, you can add HIIT to your program and enjoy results.
• You continue burning calories and fat long after your workout is over.
• It’s seriously challenging, so you won’t get bored.
• It’s quite fun and easy to add to your weekly routine.

So you’ve read the data and you know the facts. You know that if you want to burn fat and get in shape fast then High Intensity Intervals are for you. But how do you get started? Let’s take a look at “Getting Started with High Intensity Interval Training” next and take a look at a few sample HIIT fitness plans.

Benefits of Fitness Rope Training

The biggest benefit to rope training is to increase your strength, improve your endurance and your power. You will find that after training with heavy ropes you will be quicker, stronger and more agile. Which is one of the reasons why is that when pro athletes use this form of training they notice a huge difference when it comes to game time!

The other huge benefit of rope training is that you will notice a difference in your aerobic capacity. Rope training incorporates cardiovascular training with high intensity training by combing intense short sessions which are repeated several times. This is a great exercise to help improve your lungs ability to take in more air. If you have lung problems consult with a doctor before attempting this type of exercise and get their advice on how best to start off.

Fitness rope training is a full body workout and incorporates your entire trunk. There is no need to have to perform more exercises afterwards. It really is one piece of equipment that targets your whole body from head to toe.

As well rope training is just plain fun, it is the perfect exercise to take up if you are bored with your regular routine. Training with ropes is perfect for beginners to pro athletes and for anyone regardless of age. It is simply a matter of adjusting the length and weight of the rope to suit each person. This makes rope training perfect for a family fun filled exercise routine.

The nice thing about this type of training is that you can adapt it to suit your needs. If you have trouble standing you can easily kneel down or sit on a stability ball. For more advanced moves try squatting or lunging as you control the ropes. Plus don’t forget that you can use your heavy rope for climbing or pulling movements.

Fitness Rope Choices

When buying a fitness rope you want to take a few things into consideration. There is more to buying a rope than meets the eye and first off you need to realize that there are different types of rope.

• One of the best rope choices is one made from premium double braided nylon. With a double braided rope you essentially have two ropes in one, with one being braided over the top of the other. This type of rope is very strong, durable and soft and comfortable on your hands. They are a nice heavy rope that will not shed making them great for indoor or outdoor use. The only downside to this type of rope is its price. They tend to be on the expensive side but don’t forget they will last for many years.
• The Manila rope is probably the one that you are more familiar with. This type of rope resembles the ropes you would have used at school! A Manila rope is a tough rope that is great for taking the kind of abuse rope training can place on it. This type of rope is also more affordable making it the number one reason why many people start off with this one. It is important to note that a Manila rope may tend to shed and is recommended for using outside and it can be a little rough on your hands. Take these points into consideration before making your final buying decision.
• A middle of the road rope would be one that is made from polyester and polypropylene fibers. This type of rope is very strong and durable. It is also much softer than a Manila rope and does not shed so can be used both indoors and outside. Ropes made from polyester tend to be lighter making them a good choice for beginners, seniors and children. Price wise they are right in the middle between the cheaper Manila ropes and the more expensive double braided ropes.

If you purchase a rope specifically made for rope training then it will normally have handles or covered ends on it. If you purchase a length of rope from your hardware store it will have rough edges on the ends. If you know what you are doing, the polyester and nylon ropes can be cut clean on the end and then sealed with a flame. A simple knot at the end will also stop your rope from fraying loose.

When selecting your rope try to pick a rope that is not too heavy for you but one that still has a thickness of 1.5 to 2 inches. The most popular length is 50 feet but 25 foot ropes are still long enough for you to get a great workout with. Some people prefer to purchase a longer length of rope and then tie knots in it. As your ability increases you can easily make the rope longer by untying the knots. As length increases, so does the intensity of strength to move it.

Fitness Rope Training Summary

Rope training goes by many names and you may see this type of training advertised as:

• Undulating training
• Power training
• Battle Rope training
• Rope training exercises
• Fitness ropes

Just remember that they all mean the same thing and would possibly have exercises with different names. Whether you are looking for something to add to your exercise routine or are just in the mood to try something new rope training may be your perfect choice. Your only cost is that of the length and type of rope and you are ready to go.

It is quite easy to find videos online that will instruct you on the basic movements of rope training exercises. Or you can purchase rope training DVD’s where you can follow along.You can train by yourself, with a partner or make it a family activity.

Heck you can even invite your neighbors over and have a friendly tug of war game in your backyard. But, hint, hint, do it after you’ve done your rope training for two to three months first so that you’re ready to kick-butt and impress.

To help you get started right, be sure to read the article titled “Rope Training – for Fitness Nuts and Newbie’s Alike” found at http://myfitnessnut.com/rope-training-for-fitness to give you other important details not found in the article above.

Also to get a jump start on bodybuilding, go to http://MyFitnessNut.com and get a free subscription of the My Fitness Nut Newsletter for up to date tips and bodybuilding resources that the whole family can use to get fit and stay fit for life.

Rope training is serious business. From 6 year old’s on the playground to the military that’s guarding the countries we live in; rope training has its place in the form of fun, exercise and the ability to increase intense strength and endurance in professional athletes.

It can be as high of intensity of a workout as you want it to be and your total piece of equipment is a rope, a place to tie it, or a workout partner capable of holding on to the other end… and your motivation to make it move.

When you do rope training for even a few weeks it will help you to increase your endurance, build muscle and burn fat; and depending on your body type, burn fat at a rapid rate.

Rope Training Exercises

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters regularly use ropes as part of their training routine, along with kettlebells and sandbags amongst other things that we’ll get to in another report. All of these training methods help increase muscle strength and endurance while also helping to increase your speed and timing responses when in the ring.

Another popular form of rope training is the more traditional jumping with a rope. We wanted to include this here as it is a fantastic way to increase your fitness level and even a short time spent jumping can expend lots of calories.

Beginners Jump Rope Training

Remember when you were a child you probably jumped rope with your siblings and friends. This is still a wonderful exercise to do today. If you are short of time and money then jumping rope for exercise is one of the best ways to start getting healthier and losing weight.

As with any exercise when first starting out you want to take it easy and not over do it! There is no point in pulling a tendon or worse in the sake of getting fit. Slow and easy wins the race every time.

If you haven’t picked up a jump rope in years you should try jumping for approximately 30 seconds or around 50 repetitions; less if feel this is a bit much because some is better than none and you can always grow from wherever you are starting.

30 seconds and 50 reps would be classified as one set. Aim to complete three sets each time you workout. As this becomes easier for you increase the time to 60 seconds and then to 90 seconds and allow yourself only 30 seconds to rest before starting the next set. Work up to four or five sets three times a week.

As you become more advanced at jump rope then increase the time you spend jumping to 20 minutes each session. Your goal is to have each set last between two to five minutes completing five sets each workout. To get the best benefit try not to rest too long in between sets. Aim to do these five times a week.

Moving On to the Future…

Today rope training encompasses more than just jumping and makes use of different types of ropes. The ropes used are known as heavy or battle ropes and come in varying thicknesses and lengths.

Heavy ropes were traditionally used by men because of their weight, however today you will see more ropes being used by women as well. This is because this form of training is excellent for overall conditioning, strengthening and of course weight loss.

Basic Rope Training

There are many ways you can utilize ropes into your exercise routine. You can use ropes to make waves, for pulls, slams, climbing, jumping and even for dragging around. If you want to increase your lung capacity this is the perfect method to use. Your lungs will easily be burning after a workout.

When starting a rope training program you will come across hundreds of exercises with different terms. Below we have listed a few exercise moves that are commonly used in this type of training program.

• Shuffle Waves
• Hand Pulls
• Rope Twists
• Seated over the shoulder pulls
• Drag Pull
• Around the World
• Grappler Throw

Getting Started with Rope Training Exercises

All you need is one thick rope to get started and you don’t have to go out and buy a brand name sports training rope either. You can just visit your local hardware store and purchase a manila rope that is about 1.5 to 2.0 inches in diameter and 50 feet long. A manila type rope is very strong and sturdy and can take the excessive pounding that you are about to commence on.

You are also going to need a way to secure the rope so you can use both ends. If you have a large tree in your backyard this would be perfect. You can simply wrap the rope around the tree trunk. You may be able to work out with another person who can hold the rope in the middle, providing they are strong enough to hold onto it.

Whatever methods you choose ensure that the rope is secure and safe. Another idea is if you have a sturdy pole in your basement that you can wrap or secure the rope too.

Mind you we have also seen people use the ropes unsecured. You just lay out the length of rope and then start making waves with it. Just be careful that the end doesn’t flay around and whip someone or something.

Make Waves with Your Training Rope

Making waves with your rope is one of the easiest ways to get started. You simply hold onto the rope and start moving it up and down with your arms until you see the wave motion happening. Be sure to stand with your feet firmly on the ground about shoulder width apart. The more motion you make with your arms the quicker your heart rate will increase.

It is best to start out doing a timed session of about 30 seconds, doing this for a beginner is really going to tax your arms and your breathing. As your ability improves you can increase the duration of each session or increase your speed.

A slam move is similar to a wave other than you hold your arms high above your head before slamming the rope down. You can perform this move with both arms or alternate your arms. Again start with a short session and increase the duration over time.

If you are new to rope training or interested in learning more, see the “Benefits of Rope Training and Fitness Rope Choices” article. That article will help you get more out of your rope workouts and what type of rope you might want to be starting out with. Be sure to subscribe to the http://MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter To be kept up to date with the latest information on health and fitness.

Tired of bodybuilding gimmicks that never produce muscle mass?

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The enclosed article set gives you a very clear idea of what muscles groups to target and how to target them to get optimum results. And this is just the dumbbell exercise articles we’re talking about. If you include the 52 dumbbell workout videos, you get a complete package that’s capable of helping you achieve the body you only dreamed about. The dumbbell exercise videos give you visual demonstrations and instruction of the exercises.

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The 52 intensive instructional videos not only demonstrate as a whole each of the dumbbell exercises included in these articles, they also give you step-by-step instructions on how you should do every single one of the dumbbell exercises, in crisp and clear audio and video.

There are dumbbell exercises for the most special parts of your body that get exposed to the scrutiny of the world such as your arms, back, and legs. And when you follow these exercises to a T, you’ll never be embarrassed about your body ever again.

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Your Arms

Whether you prefer them lean and muscular, or bulky and muscular is your choice. You can choose how you want your arms to look by simply referring to your guide to see which relevant muscles to target, and then work away on them, following the instructions provided in your videos!

Your Back

Your back’s strength is a dead giveaway of the level of control you practice in your life. With our specifically created dumbbell exercises, you will have a strong and solid back in no time.

Your Chest

Get that barrel chest that looks as if it’s going to rip the front of your shirt apart! Strong arms always go best with a strong chest, so grab the opportunity to heighten the development of your chest with our muscle building plan!

Your Legs

Show off that wonderful pair of steady legs with rock hard muscles supporting your whole muscular frame with pride! Our dumbbell exercises for the legs will get your legs pumping hard and become firmer and stronger with each passing day!

Your Shoulders

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It happens to people all the time… It makes no difference how dedicated you are or how hard you workout and stick to your diet, fighting that stubborn fat that refuses to leave can be a real pain.

For the longest time your diet and exercise routine has been showing nice healthy gradual results as your body became leaner and stronger. Then suddenly, for that last bit of stubborn body fat; it refuses to budge.

What to do When You Are Stuck with Stubborn Body Fat

This is often the case when people are working on developing the six-pack abs look and they are struggling with that last stubborn layer of fat on their belly. They try their hardest to burn off that fat but with no success.

Below you’ll find 5 ways to fight that stubborn body fat and if all works out well, one that will work for you to banish that stubborn fat layer once and for all. Well, that’s the goal anyway. These are simple but that’s sometimes all it takes once you get to a certain point.

Fight Stubborn Body Fat Tip #1: Ingest Enough Omega-3

The first thing you can do is to consume a high quality fish oil supplement. Our diet these days is overloaded with omega-6 when what we really need is omega-3 fatty acids. You can find these essential fatty acids in fish such as salmon, mackerel and trout. Sardines, scallops, herrings and even shrimp are good sources of omega 3 acids.

When you have sufficient omega 3 fatty acids in your body, your fat loss will be accelerated.

Fight Stubborn Body Fat Tip #2: Drink These Teas

Another way to boost your metabolism will be to drink about 3 to cups of tea each day. This can be oolong tea, green tea or a standard black tea. Tea has been shown to increase fat oxidation and give your metabolism a boost.

When you are fighting stubborn fat, every tool that you use is an added advantage and tea is one of those tools. Beware not to add sugar or artificial chemical sweeteners but a smidge of stevia can safely give you the sweetness you’re looking for.

Fight Stubborn Body Fat Tip #3: Fight Fat with Fat

Sounds odd I know but yes, you can eat fat to lose fat. This is a secret method employed by certain professional bodybuilders to get their fat percentage down.

This is known as a ketogenic diet. They reduce their carbs to a minimum and consume lots of healthy fats such as nuts, avocados, natural nut butters such as almond or hazelnut, flaxseed oil (high in omega-3), sunflower oil, olive oil and other foods rich in omega 3 acids.

Fight Stubborn Body Fat Tip #4: Reduce the Carbs

When you reduce your carbs to the bare minimum, your body will start burning its fat stores for energy instead of glucose. That’s when the stubborn body fat you’re working so hard to get rid of will start to burn off.

Fight Stubborn Body Fat Tip #5: Increase Cardio Intensity

Extra cardio over and above what you’re doing now will help in burning off stubborn fat. I you’re already doing cardio workouts you can increase your workout sessions in either time or frequency but be sure to change your routines often and increase the intensity of your workouts.

A good way to increase the intensity of your workout and your daily workout routines is with Sandbag or Kettlebell training. A new or changed workout routine can help you break that plateau and put your body back into a fat burning mode once again to help you drop that last bit of stubborn fat.

An important thing to note here is that the extra cardio and ketogenic diets are just temporary for most people. After you’ve burnt off that last bit of stubborn body fat you can taper down your workout routine and dieting. Then you just need to concentrate on maintaining your awesome new look.

You always want to keep your body guessing and not let it get comfortable with one specific diet or one specific exercise program. This is what helps the body stay in a fat burning mode. Change your workouts, rest days, diets, etc. on a regular basis and beware of getting stuck in a comfortable rut where you hit that roadblock plateau.

If your body is constantly facing surprises, new challenges and diets, it has no time to adapt. It will work with you burn the fat to cope with the new pressures you keep throwing at it.

On a last note, some of your fats may have been there for many years and it might take time for the body to finally decide to burn off these fats. Give it time and keep working to your goal of burning that last bit of stubborn body fat.

Why Do My Abs Not Bulge Like a Bodybuilder’s Abs?

If you’re asking this question, then you probably already can see your abs and they are not as prominent as you want them to be. If you still can’t see your abs, you have no business worrying about this and should be busier getting your fat percentage down to 10 percent or below.

There are two kinds of looks that guys go for. The lean six pack look that Brad Pitt had in the movie Fight Club or the hard, bulging abs that professional bodybuilders have.

The difference between the two is the amount of work involved. If your diet is fantastic and your workouts great, you will attain a six pack that is lean and flat just like Brad Pitt’s. No problem at all. Most guys are able to achieve this if they stay the course.

However, to achieve the bulging look, you will have to give special attention to your abs workouts and your training must be targeted. It is best to only start targeted training once you already have a lean six pack. There is no point hitting your abs hard if you can’t even see them because of the layer of fat on your belly.

When Lean Six Pack Abs Are Not Enough

Targeted training involves working the abs with weights. You will need to do sit ups with weight plates, hanging leg raises with ankle weights, cable pull downs, medicine ball drills for the abs, etc. There are many exercises designed to hit the abs and hit them hard.

You will also need to consume adequate amounts of protein so that you will be at a slight calorie surplus. Yes, you may put on a teeny bit of weight but that’s ok. Hopefully, it will be lean muscle.

The goal of bulging abs involves bodybuilding. It is no longer about shredding the fat off and getting a lean look. Bodybuilding is a whole different game. You will need to work abs on specific days. You will need to keep an eye on your sets and reps. Of course; your nutritional intake will play a huge role.

Protein Shakes Can Compliment Your Muscle Building Goals

You may wish to invest in protein shakes and muscle building supplements to speed things up a little. The protein will help you repair and rebuild your muscles when consumed in regards to your workout schedule. Creatine can make your abs look more full and defined but some people question its use while others praise it.

We must also be aware that the bodybuilding scene is rife with steroid use and many builders also use human growth hormones (HGH) to get results that a normal person will just never see if they are not on steroids. So, it would be wise not to compare yourself with these guys.

I’d never advocate steroids under any circumstances. Some people may say that steroids can be taken safely in the right doses. My answer to this hot topic is that if it is not found naturally, it does not belong in your body.

You can build a great body naturally and have beautiful abs if you work out right and eat right. Just remember that as great as getting a ripped six pack of abs is, your overall health is what matters in the end.

Learn More about Fitness Nutrition and Developing Bulging Six Pack Abs

To help you create the six-pack abs that you’d be proud to show off, get a free subscription to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at http://MyFitnessNut.com and receive a full body workout video series to help get you into shape fast. Get yours now while we’re still giving them away.

Having six pack abs is the dream of many a guy…

Alas, the ability to take off the shirt and wow the girls is a fantasy is a dream come true.

Every year millions of dollars are spent on eBooks, paperbacks, gym memberships, weird ab contraptions sold on the late night infomercials, etc. The goal is the elusive six pack abs that so many want but so few achieve.

What You Need To Do For Six Pack Abs

The answer is simple. You need to watch what you eat, work out often and maintain a calorie deficit. It is that simple! So why do so many people fail?

Execution is the answer my friend, execution. The difficulty is executing the simple concepts stated above. It requires immense determination, dedication, patience and the ability to sacrifice small pleasures in life for the greater goal.

The first and most important step is to get your nutrition under control. Your diet needs to be clean and wholesome. This is so difficult to achieve that most guys never get past this step.

For Six Pack Abs Gaining Control over Your Diet is Top Priority

It’s not easy to give up the habit of eating whatever you desire and maintain an ever watchful eye over every morsel you place in your mouth. People with six packs watch their diets with an eagle eye and they do it religiously. No exceptions and no slip ups. Your diet is everything.

So, you will need to do the research and find out what are the foods you should avoid. The sodas, chocolates, pizzas, fried chicken wings, etc. Even reading this may be painful but it is a sacrifice that you must make. All is not lost. You may consume all these foods once a week on your cheat day.

The strange thing is that many people slowly develop an aversion to most of this unhealthy food once they start eating clean.

For Six Pack Abs Gaining Control over Your Exercise Routine is Second Priority

The next part of your plan will be to get your workouts right. You should be exercising no less than 4 times a week. 5 would be great. You’ll need to alternate between cardio workouts and resistance training or do a workout routine that is a combination of both; think kettlebells.

Your workouts must be intense and leave you panting and sweating profusely. Even your resistance training must have very short rest periods to create an oxygen deficit. This will cause an afterburn effect where your body burns calories for hours after your workout.

You will want to include compound movements such as pull-ups, deadlifts, squats, bench presses, renegade rows and other compound lifts. Working out with kettlebells is an excellent way to lose weight. Your core will be engaged and it will be a hard yet rewarding workout.

Cardio sessions need to be high intensity too. A 20 minute hardcore session will beat a slow 60 minute jog any day. Keep thinking intensity, intensity and more intensity.

It will be painful. You may feel like giving up. The whole six pack goal may not seem worth the effort. If you feel like this, then you know you are doing things right. Just pick yourself up and keep going.

Watch videos on YouTube and the ones found here at http://MyFitnessNut.com to motivate yourself. The six pack abs you want is already there and it’s waiting for you to develop and shoe them off. You just need to go through the hard yards to attain it. Rest assured if you keep on keeping on, you will get there.

This is an excellent question because there is a common saying among those in the bodybuilding community that abs are made in the kitchen and not the gym. It’s catchy but more importantly, it’s true.

I’d say that 75 percent of your six pack success is resting on your diet choices. Your diet will ultimately determine if you ever see your abs or just keep working out but getting no closer to your dream.

Will Getting Six Pack Abs Escape You?

Many people do not realize that only 2 percent of the world’s population can claim to have six pack abs. With our current diets and food choices, obesity is on the rise and getting a lean, mean set of abs seems to be becoming more elusive.

In order for a man to see his abs in full glory, he’ll need to drop his fat percentage to 10 percent or even lower into the single digits. About 8 or 9 percent body fat will reveal shredded washboard abs. Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it?

But the sacrifices are not easy. Many guys are more than capable of giving their best and working out like crazy in the gym. They’ll pump out the sets and reps till they are dripping with sweat. These same guys will then go home, eat a pizza, wash it down with a diet soda and top it all off with a candy bar.

Their theory is that since they work out so hard, they can make these small allowances in their diet and they’ll still be able to burn off the calories. This is exactly the reason why after months of training they still can’t see their abs. For every step forward, they’ve taken two steps back.

When you put in an intense workout at the gym, you’re trying to raise your metabolic rate, create an oxygen deficit and aim for an afterburn effect where you burn calories for hours even after your workout is over. You do not train to give yourself a license to eat whatever you want later on in the day.

Every calorie that is not derived from proper food sources is an extra calorie. These calories all add up and translate to fat stores. A 60 minute run on the treadmill will burn about 400 to 500 calories.

1 slice of pizza is around 230 to 300 calories. Eat 2 slices and you have just cancelled out an entire workout! You do not want to waste your calories on junk food, to see your abs; you will need a calorie deficit till all your fat stores are burned off. That may take a while. Don’t make it longer by consuming calories that are not beneficial.

You need to be on a very clean diet. Eat proper foods like chicken breast, broccoli, eggs, fruits in moderation, green vegetables, etc. These are single ingredient foods. Avoid processed foods, dairy products and white foods such as white rice and white bread.

Once you have got your diet on track, your workouts will have double the effect since your body will not have unnecessary calories to burn. It can access the fat stores and burn off the stubborn belly fat slowly but surely. Then and only then can you ever hope to see your abs.

Learn More about Making Your Six-Pack Abs In the Kitchen

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Kettlebells are the latest craze now and for good reason too. Thousands of people report health benefits such as increased strength, fat loss and a general sense of feeling fitter ever since they started working out with kettlebells.

What’s really happening here is that more people are involving themselves in resistance training than before. This is probably due to the fact that it is a trend and people feel that it’s fun to jump on the bandwagon and join the rest. That’s basically what kettlebell training is. It is resistance training without dumbbells, barbells, cables, etc.

For Excellent Resistance Training – Grab the Kettlebell

Only kettlebells are needed for your resistance training and nothing more.

Kettlebells also work the core muscles which are often neglected by most people. So now that more people are including resistance training into their routines, they are seeing improvements whereas in the past, all they probably did was some cardio activity.

There are many mistakes that people make when training with kettlebells. This article will enlighten you on what they are so that you can steer clear of these mistakes.

The Top 5 Mistakes Many People Make Doing Kettlebell Workouts

1. Ignoring the fundamentals

Kettlebell training is progressive. Many people do not have a strong grasp of the basic moves before progressing on to the intermediate and advanced moves. Worse is that most don’t even know that the moves are classified as beginner, intermediate and advanced. Not all moves are equal.

The 2 most important moves one should master in kettlebell training are the swings and Turkish Get Ups. All other moves are derived from these 2 moves. Master them and you will be a head above the majority of people training with kettlebells.

2. Not working progressively

People are so used to getting things fast and easy in today’s world that they expect exercise to be the same. Well, it’s not. You can just raise the weights and expect your body to handle it if it’s not accustomed to weight training.

Many guys use kettlebells that are way too heavy for their skill level.

Furthermore, when working with kettlebells, you will need to build up your static and dynamic stability. If you can’t hold a kettlebell above your head in a stable manner, you have no business pressing it.

Work from the ground up. Make sure your stabilizing muscles are strong before engaging in pressing moves.

3. Treating a kettlebell like a dumbbell

You can’t use kettlebells for bicep curls or other exercises that only dumbbells are suited for. Of course, for some exercises, kettlebells may be substituted for dumbbells. Knowing which exercises is the key to being effective and not looking foolish.

Kettlebells were made for training your core, thighs, butt and other muscles so often neglected. Use kettlebells for the exercises that were meant for kettlebells and not use them for dumbbell or barbell exercises.

4. Using kettlebells that are too light

I realize that one must train progressively but I’d recommend a minimum weight of 35lbs for men and 16lbs for women. Anything less is not optimal. Train with fewer reps in the beginning and progress on

5. Unnecessarily complicated workouts

Keep your workouts simple. Include a few different moves comprising of squatting, lunging, pulling, pushing, etc. Keep the workout at a high intensity and on a simple circuit.

Many people come up with unnecessary complex moves and ridiculous circuits just to keep the workout interesting. It just ends up confusing. You want to be focused on the training only and not a hundred other things.

These are the most common errors that people make. Avoid them like the plague and you will do just fine and the kettlebells will be your new best friend in time to come.

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Modern Nutrition Plan for Building Muscle Mass

Many people think that all it takes is more exercise and workouts to build muscle mass but there is a scientific way to build muscles that provide more effective results and faster. What many people miss is to implement a proven nutrition plan for building muscle to help make every bodybuilding repetition they do become more effective.

Fitness experts agree that your diet is more important to muscle building than your dedication to lifting weights but you need both working on your side to get the most out of either one. You need to workout on a regular schedule and you need a plan for getting muscle building nutrients into your body at the right time.

Putting Together a Nutrition Plan for Building Muscle

You can make this hard or you can make it easy. You don’t want to start eating an abundance of food or rely on any one food group. You’ll hear many people tell you that you need more protein while building muscle mass but you also need a balance of nutrients for your body to function at its best.

You never want to overload your system with one specific food group.

There are many nutrients that your body needs and if you’re striving for good health, then you best be consuming all of those nutrients. I hope that makes sense because all too many people get tied up in the protein consumption part of the muscle building equation and forget about nutrients that are so very important for their best overall health.

When start adding in more protein to your meal eating and depending on your gender and body size, you want to give yourself a 6oz to 8oz portion of meat per meal at most. Add to this meal whole wheat grain pasta, potatoes, brown and long grain rice. Then fill yourself up on all of the fresh vegetables that you want to eat.

Yes indeed, fresh and preferably raw vegetables like broccoli and carrots are a great choice due to their high nutritional value so fill up on all you want. And if you are vegetarian who avoids meat, use tofu in place of meat and add more nuts into your nutrition planning. Vegetarians as a rule need to be concerned about getting enough protein and even more so with vegans.

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Snacks and Meals

Your nutrition plan for building muscles should include eating 3 good meals per day along with 2-3 snacks. It’s a good idea to try to plan your meals so that you eat about every three hours or so throughout your day. When it comes to snacking, eating a handful of raw Almonds is a really good choice because they are loaded with protein and other valuable nutrients good for your all around health.

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Other snack ideas for muscle building are to have a banana with a ten ounce glass of milk. Milk along with its many nutrients also supplies your body with needed protein and any fruits are a great pick for muscle builders to get a mid-day or morning or evening snack. Fruit always makes for a good option to add into your nutrition plan for building muscles.

A good way to keep your nutrition plan for building muscle working in your favor is to stock up on the foods you need to be eating a week, even two weeks in advance. Simply create a menu plan for a week or two in advance, stock the cupboards and you’ll have what you need on hand to through a few ingredients together when it’s time eat your meals and snacks.

Including Protein Supplements in Your Nutrition Plan for Building Muscle Mass

Protein supplements are a great way to add that much needed protein to your diet but you have to use some caution and common sense here. Many protein supplements do not contain the many other nutrients that your body requires for both muscle building and your health in general.

These are fine for “supplementing protein” as long as you are not using them as a complete meal replacement. If meal replacement is your intention then you would be smart to buy a product that is balanced and contains the wide variety of nutrients that your body needs.

Tip: Serious and competition bodybuilders require many more calories than the average person. Consuming 3,000 to 5,000 calories a day is common among this group and using high protein meal replacement shakes between meals are a good way to help pack in those extra calories along with getting nutrients that your body requires.

Building muscle correctly means that you need to take care of your entire body in all areas and get enough rest to regenerate and build up muscle. Be sure to get a good night sleep and be sure to take days off from muscle building like setting your schedule to one day on and one day off or limit your workouts to only three days a week.

Once set up, stick closely to your schedule because if you start missing your workouts on a regular basis, your previous muscle building activities will start reversing. This will make you work all that much harder for the same results you would have received by sticking to your plan. You want to be able to workout then recover, workout then recover and repeat it as close to clockwork as you can.

There’s a definite, purposeful and scientific method for gaining muscle mass effectively and by you having a good nutrition plan for building muscle is where you want to be. By fueling your body with the right nutrients you are providing your body with the energy you need to do your workout sessions and realize the muscle building goals that you are looking for.