Abs, core, 6 pack, 8 pack, washboard; still a word lacking in your vocabulary? Here is why….

1^st : Diet

FACT- Abs are made in the kitchen Surely you have heard this phrase once or twice and oh how true it is. What you are eating day today will eventually catch up to you positively or negatively. The common denominator between most males and females is that bad fats, carbs, and added sugar can be the leading cause of excess fat around the mid-section. Most ” healthy” meals that are not cooked by you are most likely higher in one of these. If you are cooking it in the kitchen, you don’t know what is being added into your meal. Take the conscious effort in choosing healthy foods to put in the pan yourself rather than someone else choosing for you; I guarantee Joe, the man in charge of the deep fryer at ” Fat’n’Fried”, most likely isn’t thinking about the fabulous abs you could have.

2^nd: Good macronutrients vs. bad

We need protein, fats, and carbs to sustain a healthy lifestyle every day. But what is good food and what is bad food. The good:

1. Proteins-

Essential amino acids from protein. Our bodies break down proteins found in various protein-rich foods, such as; meats, poultry, fish, and nuts, to then become amino acids. This is most efficient for our digestive system to break down, distribute to the body and filter out through the liver. We use proteins to repair tissues, sustain a strong immune system, production of hormones and enzymes needed to break down food through the digestive tract, and energy. We want to choose proteins that our bodies can easily digest and use towards these various functions. when choosing proteins right for you keep in mind that proteins found in animal sources holds all essential amino acids that we need and proteins found in plants do not

1. Carbohydrates-

complex carbohydrates: Do not be afraid of carbs!!!! Carbohydrates that take longer to break down in the body, helping to sustain energy longer. these carbs are found to be high in fiber vitamins and minerals. our bodies want this longer sustaining macronutrient because we will use one portion efficiently throughout the day.

3^rd: Sugar

Simple carbs such as sugar and corn syrup, are digested quickly tricking the body into thinking it needs more and more to sustain the same amount of energy. All carbs break down into glucose, blood sugar, which your body uses for energy. Do not be afraid of carbs! They bring all good energy to the body, they are needed for the function of the central nervous system and all main organs to function properly, and they aid in flushing waste from the body. Do you ever wake up in the morning and go straight to work without eating breakfast? well, when mom told you to eat your oatmeal or Wheaties, she truly knew best. Carbs are a great way to start the day and wake up your brain! when choosing carbs, think about simple carbs such as whole grains, sweet potatoes, leafy green veggies, black beans, lentils, and seeds.

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1. Fat-

fats are essential for our body to function. we use fat for energy, to add a protective layer around our organs, and for the absorption of vitamins. there are three categories of fat: unsaturated, saturated, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats break down to two categories: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. A polyunsaturated fatty acid molecule is made up of carbon chains with more than one carbon-carbon bond, or double bond, that is unsaturated by hydrogen atoms, making them very easy for the body to break down due to its many double bonds. A monounsaturated fatty acid molecule is made up of one double bond making this fat also easy for the body to break down. Both fats are great for heart health, lowering the risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Olive oil, organic peanut butter, chia seeds, tuna, salmon, and whole-wheat are some common but also great choices of these unsaturated fats. Saturated fatty acids contain no double bonds between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain and thus is fully saturated with hydrogen atoms, making this fatty acid hard for the body to break down. common saturated fats are coconut oil, dairy, butter, cream cheese, and fatty meats. Trans fats, or trans fatty acids, are a type of unsaturated fat that are produced from vegetable fats. for example; in the development of fast food, these vegetable oils are physically hydrogenated to produce saturated fats, giving fast food a savory taste and a faster production because trans fats can melt without burning at high temperatures. Because trans fatty acids are so saturated with hydrogen atoms, the body is not able to break them down efficient enough for the body to use, sending them directly into the blood stream and heart. Trans fats are one of the major leading causes of obesity and coronary heart disease. You can find these fast in such things as margarine and packaged goods.

4^th:Alcohol

Alcohol is treated as a poison to our bodies. As soon as alcohol enters your body, your whole system works it hardest to metabolize it. Because the body becomes so consumed with breaking down the booze, everything else consumed goes unnoticed. Any protein, carb, or fat consumed previously will sit and sometimes store in the body allowing the alcohol to be metabolized. Alcohol CANNOT be stored in the body like other macronutrients. So, though alcohol is calorically high and can be high in sugars, excess subcutaneous fat can gather when drinking alcohol simply from the body not metabolizing other fats, carbs, proteins consumed. And hey, what goes well with a few beers, some good ol’ saturated fat from Joe at “Fat’n’Fried”!

5^th:Water

8 glasses a day, keep the scale away! Consuming the adequate amount of water daily with not only help detoxify the major organs of the body, but it will also speed up your metabolism. A speedy metabolism will allow the body to break down food more efficiently leading to reduction of excess sub-q fat.

6^th: Sleep

We need 7-8 hours of sleep every night after days of our bodily functions pounding away to keep us in tip-top shape. During the day, our body is in a mode that sometimes uses energy ineffectively called “Fight or Flight” and during sleep cycle called “Rest and Digest.” We are the most natural in each mode either awake or asleep.

7^th: Stress-STOP STRESSING!!

Every tough decision we make during the day, driving in traffic, being on time to that important meeting activates our sympathetic nervous system. We tend to stay in this fight or flight during more of the day. When in a stressful situation, blood in the body rushes toward where needed most and away from the internal organs. This shuts down our digestive system completely. GET SOME DIGESTIVE REST Rest and digest: parasympathetic nervous system allows blood to flow to the internal organs, while conserving energy and slowing the heart rate down. In this state, the digestive system can properly function. We are In constant rest and digest during our sleep cycle. The more sleep, the more digestion and caloric burn for the body.

8^th: Cardio

The cardiovascular system is a huge factor in keeping that stubborn weight off. During interval cardio training, your body becomes anaerobic allowing   your body to get its energy from your glucose (blood sugar) and glycogen stores, using up your carbohydrates efficiently. During steady state cardio training, or jogging for 20 minutes, your body becomes aerobic, getting its energy from fat. It is proven that after interval training, the bodies excess post exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, is completely elevated, allowing the body to continue to burn calories from both carbs and fats. On the other hand, steady state cardio allows the body to burn fast efficiently only while in a constant aerobic state. Incorporating both methods will most definitely get belly fat to kick rocks.

9^th: Exercise Selection

What exercises other than cardio will get the job done? Depending on your physical ability, many exercises are effective. Build strength in the core first to prevent injury by breaking up each individual muscle in the core for isolation purposes will strengthen those abdominals from the inside out. Example: anti rotational movements for the transverse abdominis, closes to the spine, rotational movements for the internal and external obliques, and movements incorporation spinal or hip flexion like leg raises will work the rectus abdominis primarily. Still we must remember the core acts as one unit meaning all exercises will hit each muscle together, though can become more dominant for one muscle in particular. Plyometric exercises are also a fantastic way to work the core. Moving explosively throughout the whole body will force the core to engage, stabilizing other weight baring joints like hips and knees.

10^th: Volume of Exercise Days

Working through these exercise selections 4-6 times per week will keep your body in a state of proper functionality. Find what works for you and stick with it! The tools have been given to you to create the abdominals you’ve always wanted. Follow these guidelines with a little twist of your own and watch that precious PACK show itself.

Hope these help.  Please leave us a comment or question below!

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