I’ve been thinking about abs training a lot lately.

Since my goal is to help you get six pack abs quickly and easily, I needed a way to synthesize the science behind abs training into easy-to-use-and-understand methods.

So, I’ve come up with abs training zones that integrate strength (low-rep) and hypertrophy (mid-rep) type training for faster results.

I plan to call them the Six Pack “Sweet Spot” Training Zones.

I’ll organize a free webinar shortly covering:

• Why training zones help you get six pack abs faster
• Why having stronger abs will help you get a six pack fast
• Why hypertrophy-type training helps you get chiseled abs
• How strength and hypertrophy-type abs training interact to help you get six pack abs

Now, I’d need you to help with this webinar.

1. What questions do you have about abs training that you would like me to answer during the webinar?
2. What’s the best time for you to attend to that webinar?
3. What do you think of the name Six Pack “Sweet Spot” Training Zones? Can you suggest another?

Answer by commenting below. I look forward to reading your comments.

P.S. If you don’t get my emails already, sign up below to be emailed when the webinar’s ready.

Related posts:

1. Abs Training Zones Video Clip
2. Which Abs Training Zone Helps You Get Six Pack Abs the Fastest?
3. Interval Training or Long, Slow Cardio? It doesn’t matter

If you’ve searched the ‘net for information about abdominal training, you’ve most likely stumbled on The Truth About Abs at one time or another.

In fact, this book is so popular, it ranks #1 on ClickBank’s list. That means it’s the best-selling abs book on the Internet, period. Is it worth your money? In this review, you’ll find out what the book is about and how to avoid a big mistake in the book’s abs training programs.

The Truth About Abs’ Big Secret

Here’s what it’s all about… Right at the beginning of the book, and throughout its 149 pages, author Mike Geary hammers this point home: to get well-defined abs, abs exercises are not your best option. What he recommends is eating well and exercising hard.

To this end, his book has a section on:

1. nutrition (pg. 7-51) that includes varied meal plans for 12 different days;
2. abs training (pg. 52-79) that shows and explains 26 abs exercises organized into an 8-level program;
3. weightlifting (pg. 84-130) that shows and explains 24 weightlifting exercises organized into a 7-level weightlifting program.

The remainer of the book (pg. 131-149) contains various lean-body tips (on stress, sleep, hydration, organic foods, and more).

Big Mistake in The Truth About Abs

Here’s the #1 problem with The Truth About Abs: if you follow its 8-level abs program, as you get more experienced, you’ll do progressively longer sets. Here’s its level 8 program:

Level 8
Hanging leg raises – 4 x 10
Hanging knee raises – 1 x 12
Decline board leg thrusts – 1 x 15
Lying leg thrusts – 1 x 15
Ab scissors – 1 x 20
Stability ball plank holds – 1 x 80-90 seconds
Floor side plank holds – 1 x 40-50 seconds each side
Ab wheel – 2 x 10
Ab bicycles – 1 x 30
Alternating ab crunches – 1 x 20
Weighted cable rope crunches – 1 x 15

As you can see, if you follow this program, you won’t do sets of less than 10 repetitions. Instead, you’ll do long sets of 12, 15, or more repetitions. And long sets means light weights.

By not training your abs heavy (in the 4-6 repetition range), you miss out on strength and definition. Here’s why: in the long run, stronger abs will handle more weight during the longer sets. If your long sets are heavier, your abs will get stronger and better-defined.

To do long sets with heavy weights, you first need to train your abs in short, heavy sets. Over time, as you train them, your abs will get used to lifting heavy weights, and you’ll be able lift the same weights for longer sets.

Here’s the problem: Mike Geary has you train your abs in long sets exclusively. Since you’ll never train them in short, heavy sets, your abs will never get strong, and they won’t be as defined in the long run. By not training your abs heavy, The Truth About Abs leaves out an important part the equation.

(In my rock-hard abs manual and workouts, I made sure to include heavy abs training, of course.)

How to Fix The Truth About Abs

Still, if you’d like to check out The Truth About Abs, forward me a copy of your purchase confirmation email at Carl@sixpackabsexercises.com and I’ll send you my special report titled: “How to Fix The Truth About Abs” (a $19.99 value) for free.

In this special report, you’ll find out how to rearrange the workouts Mike Geary suggests in The Truth About Abs to include heavy abs training. By combining Mike’s workouts with heavy abs training, you’ll build strength and muscle that will help define your abs.

Click here to find out more about The Truth About Abs.

Related posts:

1. Honest review of Bodybuilding Revealed by Will Brink

Mistake #1: You focus on abs training only

To get six pack abs, you need to develop your abs (using abs exercises) and you need to lose stomach fat. Abs exercises won’t help you lose stomach fat. To lose stomach fat, you need to expend more energy than you eat. To expend more energy than you eat, do interval training and lift weights.

Mistake #2: You perform only easy abs exercises

Can you do more than 20 sit-ups in a row? If you can, it’s time you either upgrade your sit-ups, or pick harder exercises. Bodybuilders and exercise scientists have known for a long time that the best repetition range to build muscle (including abdominal muscles) is 8-12. In other words, if you can do more than 12 repetitions of your favorite abs exercise, it’s too easy. Upgrade it.

Mistake #3: You pause between repetitions

When you work out your abs, do you pause between repetitions? Since many abs exercises are done on the floor, rookies often rest their upper back and head on the ground between each repetition. This relaxes their abs, and basically defeats the whole purpose of training them. When you work out your abs, do not rest your upper back and head on the floor between repetitions. That will force your abs to stay tight throughout the exercise, and will help them grow into a six pack.

Get The Full Version of The Six Pack Abs Workouts

Related posts:

1. How to Use the Free $20 Beginner Six Pack Abs Program
2. Top 2 Tricks to Spice Up Your Cardio (and Get a Six Pack Fast)
3. Can You Get a Six Pack Eating Snacks and Sodas?

Knowledge really is power. With the right knowledge, you can build a body that looks great, and feel healthier and more energetic doing it.

Misinformation abounds in the health industry. That may lead you to purchase things that won’t do you an ounce of good, and sometimes can even hurt your chances of success. We’re going to have a look at Will Brink’s Bodybuilding Revealed, and see if it fits into the category of misinformation, or if it fits into the category of a great buy.

What do you get in Bodybuilding Revealed?

First off, let’s see what Bodybuilding Revealed includes. For the price of $47, you will download a book in PDF format that’s 670 pages long. Essentially, it’s 5 books that have been combined to give you one all-encompassing book. The Bodybuilding Revealed book covers muscle building and diet, supplements reviews, weight training, cardio workouts and motivational goal setting.

You will also receive a free PDF book called, “How to Build Muscle at Home”, by Craig Ballantyne. This book explains how to build muscle at home using free weights. It has pictures to illustrate proper form when executing an exercise, and programs that will help you get started.

Included in the 670 page book, is another short book by Charles Poliquin, which describes some easy sample training programs. Charles also shares some of his knowledge about weight training.

You also receive 12-month access to Will Brinks’ Inner Circle Forum. That includes:

• Coaching from Will Brinks and his qualified assistants. You can ask question about anything, and they will answer (I have; they answered fast and thoroughly—I was impressed).
• Have access to over 440 supplement reviews.
• A nutritional database that includes over 56,000 foods and their nutritional qualities.
• Articles on nutrition and how to build muscle.
• Recipes that will help you make hundreds of nutritious meals.
• Workout charts to help you manage your workouts and map progress.
• Member’s gallery and forum, where you can talk to other members and get advice or motivation.
• Ratings on 50 supplement sellers.
• Meal and calorie planner.
• Pre-made diets.
• A video database that allows you to see lifts demonstrated.

On top of this, if Bodybuilding Revealed gets updated (which it has a few times) you can download the updated version for free.

Is Bodybuilding Revealed any good?

I’ve read a lot of literature on bodybuilding and dieting, and I have to say that Will Brinks’ Bodybuilding Revealed is the best of them. When I saw the length of the book, I have to admit that I expected to be inundated with sales copy. However, it contained none of that, for which I’m grateful. The book was filled with helpful tips and advice on all the major areas of bodybuilding.

The book was very easy to navigate, with links to different chapters so that you don’t have to scroll down to a section you want to read. I also found the supplement review section extremely helpful. Most books or articles I read that deal with supplements are devoid of facts. Either that or they beg the question of whether or not the reviewer is getting paid to sell the supplements. Will Brink broke down each of the major supplements, and supplied me with relevant facts and research.

Each section of the book is referenced, which is very useful if you’d like to read more about any of the topics covered. Will Brink writes in an easy-to-digest style, which makes reading the book a joy, rather than a chore. In fact, I read the book in just three nights.

1-to-5 stars ratings of Bodybuilding Revealed

Below you’ll find an overall rating for the book, along with a short reason why each score was given.

Ease of Use

5/5–Bodybuilding Revealed was tremendously easy to use. As I mentioned above, the book was easy to navigate.

Quality of Information

5/5The information contained in this book is astounding. It is well researched and I’m confident that anyone putting the information to use would notice drastic changes for the better in their fitness level.

Quality of Design, Editing and Professionalism

4/5-I did find a few typos, but overall the book was well done and the design professional.

Expertise

5/5-Will Brink’s has been a certified personal trainer for nearly 20 years. He’s written numerous columns, and trained elite athletes, including Al Macinis. This guy is the real deal, and his advice should be heeded.

Real World Usefulness

5/5-The advice found in this book can easily be put into practice. It’s not full of hype, but instead delivers solid information that anybody can put to good use.

Total Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars

Will Brinks’ Bodybuilding Revealed is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it. It’s relatively cheap, and is chalk full of relevant, useful information. If you could have only one book on bodybuilding, it should be Will Brinks’ Bodybuilding Revealed. On top of the actual book, Will Brink himself and his assistants in the forum will answer your questions and help you build muscle and lose fat.

Click here to visit Will Brinks’ Bodybuilding Revealed website.

Related posts:

1. Big Mistake in The Truth About Abs (Book Review)

Today’s post is by reader Jean-Paul Labonte, from Seychelle Islands. He does a great job at introducing himself, so here goes:

* * *

My name is Jean-Paul Labonte I’m 17 years old. I have dedicated most of my free time to working out my abs and other muscles. I started working out at the age of 14 since I was obese, I have managed to lose 25 kg [edit: 55 lbs (1 kg = 2.2 lbs) -CJ] and I now have my desired body but I’m always looking for improvements. I live in Seychelles a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean which is well known for its sandy beaches and beauty.

Many beginners and many of you want to get ripped abs in the fastest way possible. You have probably tried many exercises such as sit ups, crunches and spent endless time on abs machine in the gym. They might be working for you, but are you getting results as fast as you want? I have discovered a way to speed up the development of your abs, but it’s not for the faint hearted, you need a lot of motivation and have a strong will. I noticed big results and changes only after the first week!

Not everybody will be lucky enough to do this exercise routine if you don’t live in a hilly or mountainous area.

It all started when I was referred to do some intense cardio to shed off the layer of fat on my belly. I did not have time to displace and get to the tracks. I live in rather mountainous area with roads winding up hill. I was not discouraged by this factor. I started off at the base of the mountain equipped with a good pair of trainers, iPod in my ears (I find music great for motivation). I started off, the first five minutes were hard and enduring, my breath and heart rate got up, I could feel the burn. I could keep on going thanks to the music. It took me around 30 minutes to reach a plateau where I walked for 10 minutes to catch my breath. Then straight after I ran back down hill, which was just as effective as running up hill. I did this intense routine everyday for a week. I noticed huge results, I lost about 5 kg and my upper abs were sticking out, they were very visible. After a month of doing this routine and some hardcore crunches my abs were ripped.

Requirements:

• A good breathing technique
• A good pair of trainers
• Music for motivation

* * *

Jean-Paul is the living proof that training smarter—not longer—pays off. Put simply, running uphill doubles the fat you burn because you’re moving forward and up at the same time.

P.S. Want to share your story, like Jean-Paul? Drop me a line at Carl@sixpackabsexercises.com and you could be the next guest poster.

Related posts:

1. Interval Training or Long, Slow Cardio? It doesn’t matter
2. Letter From Your Belly Fat
3. Top 3 Rookie Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Six Pack Abs

Ever wondered what the best lower abs exercises were? Many have. Most miss one thing, though: abs exercises don’t define the lower abdominals.

Surprised? Let me introduce you to Dexter Jackson, a famous bodybuilder:

Here’s the kicker: Dexter doesn’t train his abs.

In The Pre-Contest Bible (published in 2004), Larry Pepe interviewed 33 top bodybuilders about their pre-contest training and nutritional strategies. That’s where Dexter Jackson reveals he does no lower abs exercises.

What’s his secret? Does he uses the best lower abs exercises?

No, he doesn’t. To define the lower abs, you must be very lean. Dexter lifts weights, does cardio, eats less, eats plenty of protein, and probably uses steroids and other chemicals (I recommend you don’t) to do so. He gets very lean, and his lower abs show. Voilà.

So what should you do? Read:

1. The Big Picture of Getting Six Pack Abs.
2. The Crash Course On Dieting.

Or just get my six pack abs training program.

Note that although Dexter Jackson doesn’t train his lower abs, most bodybuilders do. I used him to illustrate that getting a six pack (or eight pack) is possible—even without lower abs exercises—when you do the right things. I still recommend you train your abs for strength and definition.

Related posts:

1. My #1 Source of Abdominal Exercises
2. Abdominal Exercises Progression

A hilarious letter from your belly fat, copied with permission from Craig Ballantyne. -CJ

* * *

How’s it goin’! This is a letter from your ol’ pal, Belly Fat. We had a great run this summer, didn’t we? Lots of good times, great food, and plain ol’ sitting around eating too much.

Well, I’m thinking about sticking around another year if you don’t mind. But you might need to get a bigger pair of pants, as I was thinking about expanding my place down here.

So do me a favor, avoid that interval training you were thinking of doing. The last time you did that stuff, I nearly had to look for a new place to live. I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West in the land of Oz. Did you hear me yelling, “Help me, I’m melting!”?

Instead, stick to that slow cardio stuff. Sure I get a little sweaty, and the ol’ brain up there thinks it’s doing “a real fat burning workout“, but it’s never enough to melt me outta here.

Another thing, keep listening to those experts who say strength training doesn’t burn body fat. Since research shows they’re wrong, if you added strength training to your program, you’d practically need to throw me a going away party!

After each one of those superset workouts you tried last January it felt like someone lit a match under our collective butt. I was burning up down here!

But boy oh boy, I sure was glad you gave that up and went back to just lifting utensils and not dumbells. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate another summer together this year.

Sometimes I wonder, what did you ever do in college without me, your trusted belly fat? Back then, you were probably one of those people that couldn’t wait to get to the beach to show off your body, unlike these days.

Nope, stay in the shade and keep the cover-up clothes on, that’s the way to go now. Besides, its a lot closer to the cold beer and the BBQ when you’re sitting in the shade avoiding all the fun down on the beach.

Well, it sure was good catching up with you. I’m sure we’ll be in touch more often, as long as you stay away from that Turbulence Training workout routine.

Brings a tear to my eye whenever I even think about that workout program and all the belly fat it’s burned. Heck, it’s fried more fat than a short order cook at a roadside truckstop.

So again, if you want to keep your dear old belly around for another year and another summer, do NOT use Turbulence Training – otherwise, its all over pal, and you’ll never see me again.

Belly Fat says, “Don’t use this”

==> Turbulence Training Blowtorches Bodyfat

Your friend and spare tire,

Belly Fat

P.S. – Seriously!

Don’t go near that Turbulence Training program unless you want to see me, Thunder Thighs, Manboobs, Jigg Lee Arm Fat, and Luv Handles pack our bags and hit the highway.

It will be a sad farewell, and you’d be stuck with ripped abs, gorgeous glutes, and toned arms, and you know how much attention those guys get from the opposite sex. Who needs it, I say.

P.P.S. – Don’t do what this guy and gal did.

They used Turbulence Training and look what happened to their belly fat. Now please go get me some more comfort food…

“Hi Craig – First, I LOVE your program. In just under two weeks, I have already started seeing definition – that has been my goal for as long as I have been working out (a LONG time). Keep up the GREAT work, and thanks!”
Susan Siceloff

“I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends.”
Billy Williams

==> Turbulence Training Blowtorches Bodyfat

Related posts:

1. Interview with Craig Ballantyne

“What’s the Best Time of Day to Exercise?”

“When should I train?”

Those are questions I get often. Researchers from John Moores University, in Liverpool, England, reviewed the scientific literature and found that 6 PM is the best time of day to exercise(1).

It has to do with circadian rhythms, your “biological clock”. According to Wikipedia, a circadian rhythm is a roughly-24-hour cycle in your biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes(2). Simply put, your body functions cycle through the day.

Core body temperature peaks at 6 PM, and so do strength and sport performance. Studies found that leg, arm, and back muscles as well as swimming, cycling, football, tennis, and badminton performance top at 6 PM.

Coaches agree that it changes greatly among people, however. Try training at different times of day to discover which works best for you.

Here’s the relevant excerpt from the review mentioned above:

Many aspects of exercise performance display circadian rhythms closely synchronized with the rhythm in core body temperature. These include peak force of leg and back muscles [6], arm muscles [7], anaerobic power output, and performance in broad and vertical jumps [8]. The self-chosen work-rate, which is the level at which individuals pace more sustained efforts, also exhibits a circadian variation—one that mirrors the body temperature curve. Peak performance was found to occur at 18:00 hours, the same timing observed for muscle strength and flexibility (see Fig. 1) . Although these variables comprise components of performance rather than outcomes in competition, performance in simulated contests or time trials corroborates the existence of circadian rhythms; this applies to swimming [9,10], cycling [11], football skills [12], tennis skills [13], and badminton [14].

Sources:

1. Reilly T, Waterhouse J, Edwards B. Jet lag and air travel: implications for performance. Clin Sports Med. 2005 Apr;24(2):367-80, xii. Review.

2. Wikipedia. Circadian rhythm. Page viewed July 29, 2008.

So, when is your best time of day to exercise? Comment below to answer. Mine is 6 PM.

No related posts.

As summer is unfolding I get more and more questions on fat loss. To help me answer them it is my pleasure to interview Craig Ballantyne today. Craig’s known for developing short and effective workouts into a program called Turbulence Training—and he says they burn belly fat especially well.

1. Hi Craig. Thanks for joining us. Introduce yourself: who are you, and what do you do?

I’m a Men’s Health magazine fitness advisor, creator of Turbulence Training, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I’ve been helping men and women lose fat in short workouts, using interval training and resistance training – exactly the opposite approach of what most generic trainers recommend.

2. You recommend a mix of interval training and full body workouts for fat loss and overall fitness. What makes this type of training superior to others?

Aside from it being research proven to burn more belly fat, and to help people gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, a program of resistance training and interval training helps busy men and women get in and out of the gym faster than ever.

In fact, you don’t even have to train at a gym. If you have dumbells and a bench, you can do the workouts in the comfort of your own home. Plus, you’re done in only 45 minutes, 3 times per week.

3. Can you give us an example of a workout based on your approach?

The Turbulence Training workouts always start with a general bodyweight warm-up, which is much better than wasting your time on the treadmill to start.

Your readers can get a sample of one of my most popular Turbulence Training workouts at www.TurbulenceTraining.com

4. This blog is about helping people get six pack abs. In one of your YouTube videos [edit: video below], you quickly mention that interval training is especially good at reducing belly fat. Is interval training really better than continuous cardio in that regard?

A study I first came across in the fall of 2006 compared 20 minutes of interval training against 40 minutes of slow cardio training. This was a 15 week study, and the subjects were all women.

Surprising, but true. The authors concluded that interval training can actually spot reduce belly fat. Just another reason intervals are superior for busy men and women.

5. Would you advise people who want six pack abs to do more interval training than others?

No matter what the goal, I recommend 4 interval workouts per week maximum. Interval training is efficient, and you can get a lot of results from not a lot of work. I don’t want people to do too much interval training, because that could lead to overuse injuries, which is one of the biggest problems with slow boring cardio.

[edit: in my experience, four interval workouts a week is a lot. The maximum I would recommend is two intense interval workouts per week.]

6. Thanks for your insights Craig. Any closing comments?

I know that your readers are skeptical, but I also know that they will be pleasantly surprised by the results they can get in a short amount of time.

I challenge them to give Turbulence Training a shot… and free up time in their lives while getting more fat burning results.

Browsing Craig’s videos on YouTube I stumbled upon this one, where Craig demonstrate his favorite ab exercises:

I endorse Craig’s approach to fat loss and conditioning fully. As we’ve seen in The Big Picture of Getting Six Pack Abs, lifting weights is an important component of any fat loss program, and Craig’s workouts are designed especially for fat loss. To read more, check out Craig’s Turbulence Training.

Related posts:

1. Letter From Your Belly Fat
2. Interval Training for Superior Fat Loss
3. The Big Picture of Getting Six Pack Abs

Hi folks,

Just a quick note to let you know that the Romanian Chair Crunch, the Dragon Flag and the Full Contact Twist are now featured on MetaCafe. Here’s the vid:

If you have a minute I’d really appreciate if you could rate and comment on it. A one-liner will do. I’ve found that YouTube promotes videos based on views, rating and comments. I’m guessing MetaCafe does the same. Go now and rate my new six pack abs video.

Thanks,

-CJ

No related posts.