I started back to the gym today as my strained thumb is feeling better.
I went back to basics with my training. Just compound movements that work all the large muscles.
Bench Press
Chin-Ups
Deadlifts
Cable Crunches
Good to be back in the groove!
3 Simple Steps To Awesome Abs
By Sean Barker CPT
Take a look around the next time you are at the gym. What do you see?
No, not the girl on the leg curl machine! Keep looking….
You see people lying on dirty gym mats doing endless crunches and spending hours on cardio machines like a hamster stuck on a wheel.
Even today, with all the great information out there regarding exercise and weight loss, this is what people continue to do to lose unwanted belly fat and get rock hard abs.
1. Build
So let’s finally end this confusion on how to get awesome abs. People seem to train their ab muscles different than any other muscles. This is a big mistake. You wouldn’t build your biceps by doing 100 reps with no weight, so why would you think you would develop your abdominals by doing 100 crunches or more? For that matter, you don’t even need to do crunches at all to build rock hard abs!
Your abdominals primary purpose is to actually stabilize your spine and to keep your torso from twisting in half under times of physical stress. Some great ab exercises are the elbow bridge plank, the side plank, stability ball plank, ab wheel rollout, cable woodchop, Russian twists, mountain climbers, seated leg lifts, hanging leg raises and cable crunches. Ya I know, the cable crunch is technically a crunch but it is a great exercise for working the ab muscles under load.
Another great tool for your abdominal training should be the use of a Stability Ball. You notice I said “tool” not some magic bouncy ball that burns belly fat as the tv infomercials try to make you believe. You might have seen them in your local gym as soccer players to soccer moms use these to help develop functional core strength. They allow you to build overall core strength and stability by bringing into play all the little stability muscles that you cannot stimulate through regular resistance exercise.
You can do almost any weight training exercise on them using dumbbells. It is also a great tool for a simple home gym. Just make sure you are using an anti-burst ball if you plan on using heavy dumbbell exercises!
2. Barbells
Overall, the best exercises for your abs are exercises that allow your body to use your core the way it is meant to be used; for stability and support. Heavy squats and standing overhead presses work your abs better than any crunch will ever do. The most effective exercise method is a two-pronged approach of weight-lifting and high-intensity cardio.
Studies show that weight-training elevates your metabolism up to 39 hours after your workout. Studies also show that interval cardio burns fat 9 times faster than slow long duration cardio. For best results, follow the exercise guidelines of 3 weight-training workouts a week combined with short interval burst cardio like is found in the Dad Fitness workouts
3. Burn
To finally burn that fat and see those lean abs looking back at you in the mirror you have to realize that your DIET is the most important aspect of getting to reveal those rock hard abs that you train so hard in the gym. I love the quote “Abs are built in the kitchen”.
This is primarily true because you could do a 1000 crunches a day and still not see your abs if you’re eating the wrong foods. Most people today are overweight, so basically do the opposite of what most people do so you don’t look like most people. Years ago growing up, people made fun of the fat kids in school. Unfortunately now, most kids are overweight so they make fun of the skinny kids.
Here are 3 secret diet tips to reveal your abs once and for all.
- Eat Dinner For Breakfast
Yes, you read that right, eat dinner for breakfast! Stay away from the highly processed boxed cereals and have what most people see as a dinner meal. Lean meat and veggies. Here is another diet secret that Olympic athletes use to get super lean, super fast. Have a meat and nuts breakfast every morning.
This keeps your blood sugar stable and gives your muscles lean protein and healthy fats to keep your metabolism elevated. You will also find that you have better mental clarity. Example meals would be a turkey burger and cashews, or steak and walnuts. Try a different meat and nuts combo every morning.
- Earn Your Carbs
You need carbohydrates for energy right? Yes, but are you consuming more energy in the form of carbs than you are burning up? Here is a simple and easy way to manage your carb intake: Only eat starchy carbs during the 2 hours after your workout.
During this time your body will use the carbs to replenish your muscles energy stores and th
ey won’t be stored as bodyfat. Starchy carbs are the pasta, potatoes, rice, oatmeals, breads and cereals. Even when you do eat these post-workout, make sure you choose the whole grain and whole wheat varieties. The rest of the day eat fruit or veggies as your carb source.
- Eat Breakfast For Dinner
So you already had dinner for breakfast. It only makes sense to have your normal breakfast for dinner. Keep remembering to do the opposite of what is the norm. Most people’s diets are backwards; they eat a small breakfast, if at all, then a medium lunch and top the day off with a large dinner.
To achieve a lean body you need to have a large breakfast, a medium lunch and a small dinner. This coincides with most people’s activity levels, making sure calories are being used as fuel and not stored as fat. So for dinner an omelet with mixed veggies is a great choice to end the day towards leaner abs.
Well, there you go. When you feel overwhelmed with information on finally getting rid of that belly fat or you feel your current weight loss efforts are getting you nowhere. Use these tips to keep you on track to lifelong fitness and to achieving those Awesome Abs.
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
I had a hard and heavy Dad Fitness workout today.
This is a bit more volume than I usually do but I am sticking with this AB split for the next few weeks before I head on vacation and take a break from heavy training.
This is the B workout. I will post A workout tomorrow.
Barbell Deadlifts, 3 sets of 4-6 reps
Chin-Ups, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Bulgarian Split Squats, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Seated Calf Raises, 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Curls, 2 sets of 6 reps
Reverse Preacher Curls, 2 sets of 6 reps
EZ Bar Reverse Curls, 2 sets of 6 reps
I also have a special treat for you Dad Fitness Fanatics!
I went out and tracked down the top guy when it comes to getting ripped lean 6 pack abs, Vince Delmonte.
Man, this guy was hard to get in touch with as he is in such demand and he has one of the most popular fitness sites on the entire internet!
But I FINALLY got an exclusive interview with him and got some really great tips out of him on how to lose belly fat and get lean hard abs.
Vince has a new ab and fat loss system, Your Six Pack Quest.
This is the same step-by-step road map used to take a regular guy, Peter Carvell, who was cursed with horrible genes and magically transformed his 276 pounds of stubborn, ugly, belly fat into a stunning, sexy, rock-hard body with eye-popping six pack abs…. and all in 24 weeks!
Click here to see Peter’s transformation
Here is the interview I did with him exclusively for Dad Fitness.
1. What is the biggest mistake men make when trying to get 6 pack abs?
Winging it and just “hoping” the fat will come off. How do you believe that you consistently lose fat each and every week until your shredded without following a specific plan.
Most importantly, not having a pre-designed meal plan that is based on a set number of calories and tells you exactly what to eat, at what times and in what amounts and exactly what to shop for.
If you do not have a specific meal plan and just trying to “eat healthy” then how do you know at the end of the day if you over consumed or under consumed? How do you know what to change next week when you get on the scale and have plateaued? How can I help you tweak your diet if you’re not even following one?
2. Do I have to give up alcohol to get rid of that “beer gut”?
A better question is this, “Will alcohol get me closer to my goal or further from my goal?” The reality is that it alcohol delays the fat burning process because your body converts it to acetate which becomes the fuel your body uses and the fat burning process gets put on “pause.”
If you can accept that alcohol will slow your progress than take responsibility of that decision and don’t complain if you only start losing 1 pound per week instead of 2 pounds.
I personally cut out alcohol completely, since it’s s sugar, with about 6-8 weeks out before a competition because I want everything I do to move me closer to my six-pack and not further away.
3. What are your top 10 foods to lose fat fast?
In no particular order. My top three carb courses are veggies, oatmeal and brown rice. My top three protein soruces would be egg whites, chicken breast and fish. My top three fat sources would be olive oil, fish oil and mixed nuts (but these need to be measured out). I would also add salsa because it’s a “free food” and very versatile and can be added to almost any meal to make it manage the craving and it’s delicious to survive the boredom.
4. Do you need to do cardio to burn body fat? If so, what kind of cardio is the most effective?
Unless you have amazing genetics than you can probably eat whatever you want and do zero cardio and still have ripped abs but lets leave those people out of the equation.
Fat is simply “stored energy’ and we need to burn that energy off our bodies. There is no “best” form of cardio because I have gotten ripped doing interval cardio, long and slow cardio and a mixture. It all works and just depends on your fitness level, your time availability and what you prefer.
Personally I like to do long and slow cardio on an empty stomach in the early morning for about 45-60 minutes – this does not drain me for my weights later that day and it does not strip my muscle off.
In the evening, after my weights, I ‘ll do another 20-30 minutes of interval cardio or moderate intensity cardio to really dig out the fat.
My cardio regime might appear intense and my total training volume can be over 2 hours a day during the last 4 weeks before a show – but realize that I progressed to this over time.
A beginner should create a “pre-set” cardio regime and just add “sessions” or “units of time” each week if necessary. For example, you might start with four 45-minute cardio sessions and then add a five 45-minute sessions when your progress halts. A few weeks later you might need to add a sixth 45-minute session. However, if you are dropping weight with four 45-minutes sessions then you don’t need to add the fifth.
There is no magic formula that works like fairy dust. You need to be involved in the process and watch your body change and add more intensity and volume based on your progress. This is not a guessing game and “hoping it will come off” game.
*Check back tomorrow for PART II of this interview with Vince Delmonte, for some controversial answers on how he gets 6 packs abs and the other 4 crucial tips you need to get lean rock hard abs.
PS: If Vince can help Peter get lean in six months then
there is no reason you will not achieve the same results! But
you have less than 24 hours to grab this incredible belly
busting, ab sharpening program to help you get in the best
shape of your life, just in time for beach, barbecue and
vacation season.
Please stop imagining and CLICK HERE to get a sexy midsection
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
You probably heard this quote before ” If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” right?
Well, I agree with this 100%. If you want to lose that dangerous heart attack fat hanging from your belly you need to plan your Dad Fitness workouts and you also need to plan and prepare your Dad Fitness meals.
Just winging it and grabbing whatever food is most convenient is probably what got you overweight in the first place.
But, “I don’t have the time!”. Hey, I hear you loud and clear, we busy dads don’t have the luxury to spend all day in the gym or in the kitchen.
That’s why when you begin living the Dad Fitness lifestyle you get lots of great meal ideas like this one and only workout 3 times a week!. We all have those crazy hectic days when we can’t get to eat what we planned to eat. So most people get home from work, and order in for you and your family.
Typical takeout junk like greasy pizza and fatty Chinese food will do nothing to help you or your family in your quest to live a long healthy life and look good in the process.
So here is a quick meal you can pickup on the way home from work when you are stuck for a quick healthy dinner for you and the kids.
Pre-Cooked Rotisserie Chicken from your local supermarket
(just don’t eat the skin)
Throw together a quick garden salad with veggies with some feta cheese and olive oil sprinkled on top.
Voila! A healthy dinner idea for you busy dads on those busy days.
These chickens are also great to have for leftovers the next day at work or other healthy chicken recipes during the week.
Here is what I did for my Dad Fitness Workout today:
Barbell Deadlifts, 3 sets of 4-6 reps
Chin-Ups, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Bulgarian Split Squats, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Seated Calf Raises, 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Curls, 2 sets of 6 reps
Reverse Preacher Curls, 2 sets of 6 reps
EZ Bar Reverse Curls, 2 sets of 6 reps
I was soaked afterwards, it was super hot and humid in my little grungy dungeon of a gym!
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
I hit the gym today for a short and intense workout.
Man, it has been warm in the gym the last few days. No my dungeon gym that I train at doesn’t have AC. Just lots of raw steel that gets rusty when the weather gets humid.
I dropped my wife and baby daughter Matea off to visit my mother while I was at the gym, which is nearby.
There is always a way to schedule your workouts even if your a busy dad.
Thanks to my Dad Fitness workouts I only workout 3 days a week.
I started with my dynamic warm-up of bodyweight squats, arm circles, pushups and lunges.
Then I alternated with One Arm Dumbbell Presses and Chin-ups for my first superset.
I moved on to pushups and one-arms dumbbell rows back to back.
I finished off the workout with cable shoulder rotations for the rotator cuffs and side bridge planks for abs.
Planning to hit the gym again tomorrow morning.
Remember, No Excuses. You don’t have to live in the gym to get results.
Busy Dads everywhere are using Dad Fitness.
Get started today and live a long healthy life with your family.
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
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