Just wanted to wish you a super merry Christmas full of good times with your friends and family.

Here’s a Christmas workout tip: don’t train!

Even elite athletes take a week off each year, usually around Christmas. No training, no dieting.

Giving your body a break helps it recover… and you’ll actually return to the gym stronger than you were before the break!

I’ll tell you more about it in this video:

Plus, having time off helps psychologically, since being disciplined and avoiding several of your favorite foods all year long takes lots of willpower.

When you return from your week off, you’ll be fresh physically and mentally and roaring to get back to the gym. Give it a shot!

Guidelines:

• 7 days off
• No training
• Eat all you want

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1. Merry Christmas!!!
2. Get lean, define your abs, build muscle, & more Christmas gifts for you
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This one is called “Heavy Lifting.”

Basically, heavy lifting means you should do a 4-week strength training cycle once in a while to get stronger and lift heavier weights. That way, when you get back to your usual hypertrophy-style training, you’ll use heavier weights, and that will tell your muscle to grow bigger.

If you dont, and you train in the 8-12 rep range all the time, you won’t get as strong as fast.

In your 4-week strength training cycle, do sets of 4-6 reps, 4 sets per muscle group, 3:00 between sets. That’s how you get stronger.

So that was “Heavy Lifting.” By getting stronger, you’ll be able to lift more weight when you workout to build muscle. That will provide a stronger stimuli to your muscle, and you’ll get faster.

Check out Maximize Your Muscle or watch my video review below

You can also read the review (same info).

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3 Reasons You Don’t Got Firm Abs

1. You don’t got firm abs because you’re fat. This one’s the easiest. If you’ve got a thick layer of fat covering your abs, they won’t be firm when you touch them. If that’s your case, the solution would be to lose fat. When your lose fat, you’ll also lose belly fat. Once you lose enough, you’ll get firm abs.
2. You don’t got firm abs because you don’t train them to be strong. If you’re like most people, you train your abs in long sets of crunches and sit-ups. Endless sets won’t get you firm abs, no matter the exercise you do. Firm abs are strong abs; and to get strong abs, you need to train them in short, heavy sets. If you’ve used your abs to sets of 20 reps or more, mix things up by doing only sets of 6-8 reps for 4 weeks. You’ll have to use external weights or to pick harder exercise, but it’ll pay off. You’ll feel your abs getting firm, I promise.
3. You don’t got firm abs because you’re bloated. This one is less likely, but if your stomach is bloated, you might feel your abs are not firm. Bloating occurs in the gut. It is usually due to food intolerance or allergies. Common food intolerance include lactose (the sugar found in milk) and gluten (a protein found in wheat and barley… this intolerance is also called celiac disease). You know you’re intolerant when you fart a lot, burp a lot, or get a bad diarrhea after you eat a lot of that food.

In my experience, most people struggle with the first two reasons. Nonetheless, if you don’t got much belly fat and if you do train your abs to make them strong, you may be intolerant to some food… so you may want to look into this.

So this is it! Three reasons why you don’t got firm abs.

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1. Washboard Abs
2. How Often Should You Train Your Abs?
3. The “high school” method for getting six pack abs

What Are Washboard Abs?

First off, let’s define washboard abs. Your abs can look like a washboard if they’re strong enough and if your lean enough. Your abs will get stronger as you work them out, and you’ll become lean enough as you burn fat and belly fat. This, in short, is how you get washboard abs.

Strong Abs = Washboard Abs

So the first step in getting washboard abs is to make your abs stronger. This, of course, is done by training and working out your abs. To get strong, washboard abs as fast as possible, what you’ll need are at least 3 exercises: one for your top and middle abs, one for your lower abs, and one for your oblique (side) abs.

Once you’ve chosen your exercises, you need to set them up into a workout and consider variables like the number of sets, reps, and rest between sets. Having the right mix is the key to getting washboard abs.

If you’re just starting out, do 3 sets of 12 reps with 2:00 between sets. If you have more than 3 months of training under your belt, do 4 sets of 9 reps with 1:30 between sets. If you have more than 1 year of training experience, do 5 sets of 6 reps with 3:00 between sets to get your washboard abs.

Remember to up the weight or make the exercise harder as your slowly become stronger. Once your exercises stop challenging your abs, they’re not as effective and won’t get you washboard abs fast. The exercises you pick should challenge your abs every workout.

Losing Belly Fat = Washboard Abs

Getting strong abs is just half of getting washboard abs. What you also need to do is to lose fat and belly fat.

To lose fat and belly fat, you need a negative energy balance. A negative energy balance is when you eat less calories (from food) than you spend (through physical activities, mainly). So, if you’re spending more energy throughout the day than you’re eating from food, you have a negative energy balance. If you have a negative energy balance for long enough, you’ll get washboard abs.

There are three ways to have a negative energy balance. The first is to eat less. The second is to expend more energy (move more). The third is to do both. For more people, doing both is the fastest way to lose fat, belly fat, and to get washboard abs.

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Use this checklist, and you’ll have a head start.

5-Point Abs Exercises Checklist

1. The exercise should be hard enough to exhaust you after 12 reps. The best rep range to build muscle is 8-12. This applies to your abs, too. Sit-ups, for instance, can get too easy after a few weeks of training. After a few weeks of training, you’ll be doing more than 12 reps. Unless you use external weights, you won’t get as much bang for your buck as you would if you did another exercise that’s harder and that exhausts you after 12 reps.
2. The exercise should challenge your abs throughout. Many exercises that are done on the floor let you relax your abs between reps. In the sit-up and in the crunch, this happens at the end of the eccentric phase (when your upper back and head come into contact with the floor, your abs relax). Some exercises, like the Bench Crunch and the Plank, challenge your abs throughout. Favor those in your routines.
3. The exercise should stretch your abs. Muscles hypertrophy (grow) only if they shorten and lengthen when you work them out. Good trainers know isometric (no movement) exercises (like the Plank) don’t hypertrophy muscles. To the contrary, exercises with a wide ranger of motion will hypertrophy your abs fully, because they recruit more muscle fibers. So, pick exercises that stretch your abs: they’ll have a wide range of motion, and they’ll help define your abs better.
4. The exercise should be easy to do. It shouldn’t require expensive equipment, and it shouldn’t be long to set up. If you spend more time getting ready to do the exercise than doing it, something’s wrong (the Dumbbell Push Sit-Up comes to my mind) . That’s time taken off your workout that could have been spent working out and getting you a six pack.
5. The exercise should be fun. I usually don’t care whether exercises are fun to do or not. But life is short. If you get a kick out of your favorite abs exercise, pick it over another. You’ll enjoy working out, and, chances are, you’ll stick to your routine longer. That, in the long run, guarantees you better results.

By the way, the Bench Crunch, my favorite abs exercise, gets all 5 checks.

What makes are good ab exercise? Share your checklist with us by commenting below.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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* * *

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.

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