Abs Before or After Workout

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Abs Before or After Your Workouts?

Abs Before or After workoutA question I often hear when it comes to training your abs is this: should I train abs before or after a workout?

In the past, I have always trained my abs very last and there are a few reasons why:

For one, I didn’t want to tire out my core before the bulk of my workout had even started. Nearly every exercise you do involves using your core in some way. So why would I want such a crucial part of my body to be tired before moving into the big exercises such as deadlifts, squats, presses, pulls, etc?

I wanted to be fresh and have the most energy for this part of the workout.

Next, abs are never the focal point of my workout. I love a great ab workout as much as the next person, but I also realize that doing 25 straight minutes of abs isn’t going to get me leaner and stronger like squats, pull-ups, or push-ups will (these are just a few examples).

Working out your core is important, but it should never be your focus. To build a ripped set of six-pack abs, there is a lot more that goes into it than just doing thousands of crunches. Things like nutrition, sprints, weight training, intervals, and walking will get you there far faster than just doing a bunch of ab workouts.

So to break it down for you, the main two reasons I have always done abs after my workouts are:

  1. I want to be 100% energized for the bulk of my workout.
  2. Abs are not the focal point. They are an “after thought” so to speak. (note: ab work is important, but it should never be your full workout!)

But what about abs before a workout?

It wasn’t until recently that I started experimenting with working out my abs before my workouts. And this actually happened by accident. After I finished training my clients for the day, I was supposed to get my own workout in. Legs was on the calendar for that day, but my motivation was at an all time low.

The last thing I felt like doing was squatting and deadlifting. So instead of lifting legs that day, I told myself I was just going to do some ab work and head home.

As I finished my 9-minute ab routine, something within me switched. All of a sudden I was motivated to lift. I don’t know if it was the feeling of my abs being strong and tight or that I had just gotten my body warmed up. Needless to say, I got an incredible leg workout in all while doing my ab workout before my lifting routine.

Abs before or after workout

When I got home that night, I started doing some research and came across the workout plan that Ryan Reynolds does before his superhero movie roles (Blade, Green Lantern, X-Men). To my surprise (or maybe not so much after my workout), it stated that Reynolds always started his workouts with abs. He said this is what got him motivated for the rest of his workout. I can definitely agree with him there.

And seeing the picture to the right, Reynolds is doing something right…

So what the final verdict: Abs before or after workouts?

As you can see, success can come whether you train your abs before or after a workout. The key is consistency. Consistently workout your abs and core 2-4 days per week, and results will follow.

However, I do have to point out…

In a 2007 study, participants that performed heavy squats after doing their ab exercises first performed with much less weight than if they didn’t train abs before. With that said, tiring out your core before your actual training session can definitely have an effect on the amount of weight you will be able to lift.

Therefore, if you know you will be going through a tough workout you may want to save your abs for last so you can go at your lifts with full strength and energy.

If you do decide to train abs beforehand, just make sure you can still complete all your weight training exercises safely. With your core being tired, you may be more likely to break form and possibly get hurt.

In the end, whether you choose to do your ab workouts first or last is up to you. Ab workouts can only get you so far when it comes to getting six-pack abs. As I have said before, abs should be an “afterthought” to your strength training workouts.

And remember, if you really want those abs to start showing, it starts with your nutrition. If you need help on where to start nutritionally, be sure to check out a few of the articles found HERE!

Questions or Comments? Please leave your feedback below!

P.S. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ and Tweet this article if you found it helpful!

Filed Under: Exercises, Six-Pack Abs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How To Get Toned

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How To Get Toned

High reps, low weight. Do a bunch of cardio. Eat less…

What do all three of these have in common?

They are the dreaded mistakes that so many gym-goers make when trying to get “toned.”

Please remember what I stated in a previous article (HERE): “There is really no such thing as a muscle being “toned” or “untoned”. Muscle is simply muscle. Sure there are some people with bigger muscles than others, but if you are not toned, all that means is you have a layer of fat covering up your muscles. So in order to get toned, you need to work on building muscle and losing fat.” When I reference “toned” in this article, keep that in mind!

These individuals spend hours doing long cardio, do thousands of reps with very light weight, then to make matters worse they drastically cut the calories their bodies are needing.

This kind of training and lifestyle does not lead to getting toned muscle but will lead to no muscle.

Let’s see why:

When you do hours of long cardio each week, your body will eventually start eating away at your muscle. When you are trying to get your muscles toned, the last thing you want is for your workouts to burn your hard earned muscle, right?

Sprinter Vs Marathon RunnerHave you ever wondered why marathon runners look the way they do? They spend hours running each week, and as a result have very little muscle. A sprinter on the other hand is a different story.

Their workouts consist of short bursts of energy, followed by rest and repeating. Instead of using muscle as fuel for their workouts, they are using fat. Plus, they are boosting Growth Hormone and Testosterone which both contribute to putting on lean muscle mass.

Next, let’s take a look at the high rep with low weight dilemma. In the past, we discussed the difference between high reps vs. low reps so if you need to go back and reread that, please do so.

When you look around the gym at those trying to get “toned,” one main problem you see is that they are not challenging themselves during their lifts. They simply think that if they do 30 reps of an exercise and “feel the burn”, that they are getting “toned”.

Completely false.

If you want to get toned muscles, you must challenge your body by lifting hard. Challenging your muscles allows them to grow and burn off the fat around them. As I have stated in other articles, the more lean muscle you have the less fat you will have. That can also translate into:

The more lean muscle you have, the less fat you will have, leading to an incredibly toned body.

If you think that doing 25 dumbbell raises is going to get your arms toned, you have been misled.

Instead, focus on doing big compound movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. A few examples would be:

  • Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Jumping Exercises
  • Presses (Overhead Press, Bench Press, Dumbbell Press, Push-Ups, …)
  • Pulls (Pull-Ups, Bent Over Row, Lat Pull-Down, …)

Stick to doing 6-12 repetitions and 3-5 sets per exercise. Push your body each time you lift to ensure you get stronger. The stronger you are, the more lean and toned you will be.

The one time you should do higher reps on exercises is when doing body weight workouts. Because it is just your body weight, the best way to challenge yourself is by doing more and more reps each time you go to the gym.

Finally, we often hear people talk about how little they are eating in order to get “toned”. This one absolutely kills me!

When you are not giving yourself enough fuel (calories), your body will start eating away muscle and start storing fat. Simple as that.

When you are eating the right foods, there is no reason why you should be drastically cutting calories. Food is there to allow your body and brain to function properly. When we workout, we need food to refuel our muscles so they can recover, grow, and get stronger.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to cut out all these calories in order to get “toned”.

Eating the right foods (and eating when you are hungry and until you are satisfied) and engaging in the right workouts will get you toned faster than you thought possible.

So what can we take away from this?

Sprinter Vs Marathon RunnerFirst, the long slow cardio has got to stop. Would you rather look like a marathon runner or a sprinter? I choose the latter…

Therefore, start training like a sprinter. Get strong, powerful, fast, explosive, … We all have it in us. It is simply about doing things the right way!

Next, we can see that getting toned is about getting strong. The stronger you are, the more lean muscle you will have and the less fat you will have. This all leads to you being more toned!

Finally, don’t go on some fad low calorie diet. Eat the right foods and lots of them. Allow your food to work for you by eating properly.

When you follow a solid nutrition plan, you will naturally burn fat off. Combine that with proper workouts and you will be well on your way to the results you have always dreamed of.

Getting toned is simple when you have the right information in front of you. It will take hard work and dedication, but it will be worth the effort when you start seeing results within weeks!

I would love to hear your thoughts feedback on this topic. Please leave your comments below:

P.S. Like this article? If you could, take 1.7 seconds and hit the ‘Like’ and Tweet button for me before you go!

Filed Under: Exercises, Fat Loss, Six-Pack Abs

3 Most Powerful Workouts To Burn Fat

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Of all the questions I get on a daily basis, the topic I hear most often refers to burning and losing more fat. It seems as though everybody is looking for ways to burn fat, lose those last ten pounds, get more cut, etc.

As we know, the biggest part to burning fat comes down to your nutrition plan. I don’t care what kind of workouts you do, if you eat like crap more than likely you will look that way too.

Nutrition is by far the biggest factor when it comes to burning fat, so always make sure you have a solid nutrition plan in place first. After you have your nutrition down, you can then look at other aspects to help accelerate fat burning. This is where your workouts come into play.

The combination of proper nutrition and doing the right workouts are when you will start seeing the serious results. Below, I will go over three very basic but very powerful exercises and workouts that you should do when trying to burn tons of fat.

We know by now that the long slow cardio is just not going to cut it, so it is time for you to turn elsewhere for better results. The three workouts/exercises that we will cover are high intensity and result in some amazing fat burn. Take a look:

1. Sprints

SprinterSprints are the most powerful fat burning workout on the planet, simple as that. When clients ask me what they can do to burn more fat, aside from nutrition, sprints are the first thing I tell them to do.

Sprints naturally produce Growth Hormone (which keeps you lean, strong, and healthy), boost testosterone (which we ALL need), fires up your metabolism, improves your insulin sensitivity, and more. Plus, you can start seeing results within weeks.

(If you want the full list of benefits that sprinting brings, be sure to visit this article HERE.)

People often wonder what I mean when I tell them they need to start sprinting. Here is my simple definition:

Sprinting is a high intensity activity where you go as fast as you comfortably can for a short period of time, resting and repeating.

Although hill sprints and sprints on a track or field will yield the best results, you can get your sprints done anywhere by following the definition above.

For example, you can sprint on a bike, rowing machine, treadmill, etc. Simply going as fast as you comfortably can for 15-30 seconds, rest and repeat.

2. Kettlebell Swings

In the past, we discussed 20 different benefits of kettlebell swings and why they are such a powerful exercise.

Kettlebell swings can burn up to 20.2 calories per minute compared to a spin class which only burns up to 9.8 per minute. Pretty crazy right? This one movement burns more than double the calories of a spin class AND it can be done in the comfort of your own home.

Not only that, but kettlebell swings boost metabolism, developed core and functional strength, can be done in a short period of time, and are very easy on the body.

Tim Ferriss did a study that showed a women who did kettlebell swings 2-3 times per week for an average of 15-20 minutes per session, and lost more than 100 pounds!

That is around one hour a week of exercise and this women lost more than 100 pounds…

Kettlebell swings will not only help you lose weight, but they will burn tons of fat and aid in lean muscle growth. The swing activates nearly all the muscles in your body so no matter if you are trying to add size or lose weight, this exercise is for you.

3. Burpees

Just think for a second how many muscles you are activating when doing a burpee… You are activating just about every muscle you can think of.

When it comes to burning fat, one major focus should be on activating as many muscles as possible. This is what will burn the most calories and help eliminate the unwanted fat.

Burpees not only bring you a great cardio workout, but they involve strength training as well. Within a full burpee, you perform a squat, push-up, squat jump, and activate your core for the entire movement.

This is an exercise everyone loves to hate, but that is how you know it is one of the best. If getting fit was easy, everyone would do it. It takes hard work to shed unwanted fat and get in shape.

If you are serious about burning fat, you must get serious about you workouts and nutrition. It is not going to be easy but it is going to be worth it!

As you can see from the exercises above, all of them are very high in intensity. The days of doing long slow cardio are over, it is time to step off the treadmill and start doing the kinds of workouts that will bring you the body you want.

For starters, below is a quick workout outline that you can start using to help sculpt the body of your dreams:

1. Strength Training: 3 days per week.
2. Sprints: 2-3 times per week. This can be done after your strength training workouts or on a separate day. Sprint workouts should only last 10-15 minutes.
3. Kettlebell swings and Burpees: Can be added as finishers to your strength training workouts. Perform them in interval fashion and go for 8-12 minutes.

Here is sample week:

Monday: Strength Training and KB/Burpee Finisher
Tuesday: Sprints
Wednesday: Strength Training and KB/Burpee Finisher
Thursday: Sprints
Friday: Strength Training and KB/Burpee Finisher
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off

(If you need more information on strength training, be sure to check out this article HERE!)

As I have said, getting fit takes hard work and dedication. It will not happen overnight but adding in the exercises above will greatly help speed up your results.

If you are someone that is really crunched for time to even get a workout in, shoot me an email and I will be happy to assist you with some ideas. (EMAIL)

Be sure to leave a comment below this post, as I love hearing your feedback!

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Six-Pack Abs, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , ,

10 Things You Should Know About Getting In Shape

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What you should know before you get fit!

The New Year is well under way and I am seeing more and more new faces at the gym. This is one of my favorite times of year because everyone is so focused on changing their health and getting fit. I love the energy and enthusiasm that people bring into their workouts and to the gym each day. Unfortunately, in about a month we will start to see a huge drop off as people start to quit their new years resolutions.

Please prove me wrong and commit to saying ‘NOT THIS YEAR!’

Stay strong to what you have set. Push through the pain, soreness, and tiredness. You can do it!

As we all know, getting in shape is no easy task. And that is why I have decided to write this post. This will help prepare you so you know all about what it takes to get in shape. Please read this and share it with everyone you know as they need to see it too.

So what should you know about getting in shape? Let’s get to it…

1. It is going to be HARD!

If you are going into this thinking that it is easy, you have been completely misled. If getting in shape were easy, we would have one very fit nation. It is going to take lots of hard work and dedication but the process itself is very simple. To get started, be sure to check out the free gift I have for you as well as my Six-Pack Abs Series!

2. You will get sore.

Expect to get sore. Expect to be tired. Expect to hurt (not as in injury, be smart about training!). These things will happen. If they don’t, you are doing something wrong. You cannot expect to see great results from your workouts if you are not pushing your body to get better each and every workout. This does not mean to go in the first day and lift so hard that you cannot walk the next day. Start slow and over time start pushing yourself harder as your body will start to be able to handle more and more.

3. You will want to quit… More than once.

Heck you may even want to quit after the first workout. Do NOT allow yourself to. The first few weeks are going to be the hardest. You will then hit more lulls and thoughts of quitting along the way but don’t give in. Don’t be the person that quits their New Years resolution in February.

Every time you feel like quitting, push harder. Make your workouts more intense, do a more challenging weight, incorporate a few new challenging exercises. Go the opposite way of quitting and get even stronger than before!

4. It is incredibly rewarding.

Getting in shape and getting healthy is one of the most rewarding milestones in life. If you have never experienced this, let this year be the year that you do.

5. You will inspire others.

When others see you working hard to change your health, you will inspire them to do the same. It is a domino effect. I have seen this so many times where someone gets fit then that very next week 3-4 of their friends are hitting the gym regularly and eating better. Be the inspiration to those around you.

6. You will form friendships.

After my freshman year of college when my own transformation took place, the friendships I formed with my workout partners Brian and Levi are something I will cherish forever. To this day, we are all three still best friends. We may have still been friends have we not worked out together that summer, but our friendship wouldn’t be near the level it is at.

Working out is a special time and you form great connections with the people you do it with.

7. It is completely worth it.

The excuses of why not to get in shape are endless. But above all those excuses, when someone asks why they should get in shape, the simple answer is this: Because it’s worth it. You will feel better, look better, have more confidence, be more active, be able to play with your kids for hours, etc.

8. You will feel better than ever within weeks if not days.

When you start eating right and exercising regularly, you will be surprised at how quickly you start to feel better and how much more energy you will have. And the best part is, that feel “goodedness” and more energy just keeps getting better!

9. A lifelong habit will form.

This may be one of the best parts about getting in shape. When it is all said and done, it is not about having six-pack abs or huge muscles or toned legs (although these things come with being fit and in shape), it is about being healthy. It is about being that vibrant 90-year old who can run up stairs, lift weights, and play racket ball at the gym. That is what getting in shape can do: It forms a lifelong habit so you can live a happy and healthy life!

10. It will change your life.

My transformation back in college literally changed my life. After seeing some quick results, I became obsessed with health and fitness and read everything I could get my hands on (and I still do that to this day!). I look back at that time in my life, and am just so thankful for everything.

If my transformation would not have taken place, I do not know where I would be now…

Getting in shape is more than just looking and feeling good. It develops a strong work ethic, perseverance, mental and physical toughness, discipline, focus, and more. The benefits are endless and life changing!

Conclusion

Let 2013 be the year you change your health for good. You now know what to expect and I challenge you to push through no matter what. Do not let a little soreness or thoughts of quitting stop you. Be different and attack each workout with more energy than before.

If you need a plan or a place to start, be sure to check out a few of the resources below:

BodyFit 7X7: 40-Day workout program designed to get you in the best shape of your life, fast.

UltraCut Training Program: A little more advanced, but this provides a full 3 months of workouts and by the end you are guaranteed to be UltraCut.

How To Get Fit Fast: A book that I published on Amazon that has received some great feedback. For just $0.99 this is perfect for anyone.

Get Ripped 24/7 Blueprint: Free report on how to get ripped and start getting serious about your health.

Six-Pack Abs Series: A series that takes you step-by-step on how to get six-pack abs.

Before you go, be sure to hit that ‘Like’ and Tweet button for me! It is greatly appreciated. 

 

Filed Under: Six-Pack Abs, Strength Training, Workouts

How Often To Workout Your Abs

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How Often Should You Workout Your Abs?

How often to workout absIf you ask people around the gym what their goals are, one of the most popular answers is to “get six-pack abs.” Far too many people, however, are misled about how to get abs and instead waste their time doing thousands of crunches and spend whole workouts just training their core.

So the question for todays article is “How often should you workout your abs?” The first thing you must realize is this:

Your Abs Are Just Like Every Other Muscle!

Just like you wouldn’t train your chest or legs every single day, you certainly shouldn’t be training your abs everyday either. Your abs need time to recover and grow so training them everyday will only lead to overtraining.

Plus, if you have a solid workout program, all of the exercises you do will involve using your core. Some of the best exercises for your abs are ones that indirectly target them. For example, doing exercises such as pull-ups, dips, push-ups, squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, etc. may not be considered “ab exercises,” but they target your core, get it stronger, and will make your abs “pop”.

Having a strong core is essential in all that you do, so I do recommend training it directly a few times per week. Just how much you ask?

Training your abs three days per week or every other day is far enough to have a very strong core. By having at least a days rest in between direct ab workouts, you are allowing the midsection to recover and grow just like your other muscles.

It is best to train your abs after your regular workout, and stick to the time frame of 10-15 minutes at most.  You do not want to spend 30 minutes doing straight abs exercises. Simply choose 2-3 exercises and cycle through them 2-3 times each. This will be far enough to get you a great workout.

Example workout:

Weighted Decline Crunch: 15 reps
Hanging Leg Raises: 12 reps
Planks: 60 seconds
Rest 30 seconds and repeat 3 times!

As you can see this would be a total of 9 exercises and would take you no longer than 10 minutes.

Bodyweight or Weighted Ab Exercises?

For beginners, it is always best to focus on exercises that contain just your bodyweight. Your focus should really be on developing a strong core instead of trying to make your abs “pop”, as that will come later. Focus on exercises that require you to balance or hold in certain positions. For example, planks, side planks, and stability ball crunches are a good place to start.

Once you feel that you have a solid foundation, you can then move into adding weight to your ab routines. As was said earlier, your abs are just like every other muscle: If you want them to grow, you have to train them with weight. Add in a comfortable yet challenging weight and work on completing 12-15 repetitions for each exercise.

Just like you do not want to do thousands reps on the bench press in order to get a bigger chest, you also do NOT want to do thousands of crunches to get bigger abs. Find a good amount of weight and stay between 12-15 repetitions each set for best results.

Best Time For Abs?

All of the workouts that you do require you to use your core, so the last thing you want to do is tire your core out before even starting the bulk of your workout. Therefore, the best time to engage in an ab routine is at the end of your workout. This will allow you to lift at full strength on the more important parts of your workouts (strength training portion).

Breakdown

  • Train your abs every other day at most.
  • Keep your ab workouts to 10-15 minutes.
  • Focus on overall core strength. Abs “poppin” will soon follow.
  • Abs are just like every other muscle: they need rest and when trained with weight, they will grow.
  • Don’t overdue it!

Want my top five ab exercises? Find them HERE!

Questions or Comments? Leave your feedback below!

P.S. Be sure to ‘Like’, Tweet, and +1!

Filed Under: Six-Pack Abs
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