Fit Tips

3 Steps to Killer Abs

I get so many friends and clients asking for killer Ab work-outs I decided to share my

expertise with everyone…(I’m cool like that)….

Step #1 Nutrition

You cannot get your abdominals to stand out and trim your waistline, unless you address

the area of nutrition. The only way to get your abs to stand out is to remove the layer of fat

that is keeping them from been exposed. My clients have access to a detailed nutrition

plan to assist them, and I will tell you that refined carbs and sugar substitutes are major

causes of excess stomach fat.

All the abdominal training in the world will do very little to remove the fat from your

midsection. You need to look at your nutritional habits and meal planning, as well as using

interval training and a full body resistance training plan to stimulate your metabolism and

burn the fat that covers your abs.

Step #2 Interval Training

SSC (Steady State Cardio) is good, but you really need to be using "Higher Intensity"

interval training, in order to boost your metabolism and continue burning calories for

several hours post workout.

Interval training can be performed via circuit training or running, cycling, rowing, etc.

Personally I prefer to use running, circuit training or boxing for my interval training

workouts.

Treadmill running is another great way to get in your high intensity interval work. Basically

you will want your workout to last no more than 20 minutes, including a warm up and cool

down period.

Here’s an example HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) treadmill workout:

• 3 Minutes warm up period.
• 90 Seconds High Intensity Running.
• 60 Seconds Active Recovery (Walking at a 4 or less)
• Repeat x 6 (This equals 15 minutes)
• 2 Minutes cool down period.

If you find that during the 60 second active recovery period you want to walk faster or want

to jog, this means that you were not working intensely enough during the 90 second high

intensity running section. If you’re working intensely enough you will need to walk slow,

believe me!

Step #3 Abdominal Exercises

Start off with 2 effective abdominal training sessions per week, start off slow and just do

4-5 sets of 20-25 reps. As you feel your abs are getting less sore and better conditioned,

add a few more sets to each session or throw in new and more difficult exercises like

hanging knee raises or Russian twists with a medicine ball. Let the healthy eating and

cardio work do the rest to eliminate all the unwanted body fat that’s covering up the cuts in

your abs.

Examples of very effective Ab exercises:

Plank (try using 1 foot)

Scissor Kicks

Ab Crunch on an Exercise Ball

Mountain Climbers

Russian Twist

Reverse Crunch

Stability Ball Pass Hands to Feet

Hand 2 Heel Mountain Climbers

The Captain’s Chair (hanging knee raises, try a twist here)

Stability Ball Knee Tucks

Stability Ball/Bosu Plank

Spiderman Push Ups

Upside-down Crunches

Upside-down Crunches Holding Weight

Stability Ball Knee Tucks:

Spiderman Push Ups :

Hand 2 Heel Mountain Climbers:

Lose weight without trying!

Who doesn’t like the sound of that?  Well there are many easy and even “sneaky” ways to

burn more calories each day without adding more grueling work outs or things you hate to

do…

Check out these awesome ideas…

By Popular Demand – Juice Recipes

• Buy Organic when possible and leave skin on unless it’s really tough like cantaloupe or pineapple.  I use carrots to push through leafy greens and you can add a squeeze of lemon to any of these to add brightness and increase alkalinity…

Why Juice? Here’s why…

     The first home juice extractor was not invented until the 1930s. It was called the Norwalk Juicer, by nutritionist Dr. Norman Walker. He was 110 years old when he died in 1984. His juicer worked by grating produce, placing the resulting mash in a bag, and then squeezing the bag under a hydraulic press. It was big and clunky, but it made great juice.

We are lucky to have so many amazing counter top machines available today, I just got

this one yesterday and it is seriously awesome!

Juicing helps you Lose Weight, Look Younger and…

All about Fat!

Oh yeah, it’s that dirtiest of “F” words!  Thought I’d take a moment to debunk a few myths for you.

 Cellulite

Medically speaking, there is no such thing as cellulite. It’s a marketing term for plain old pudge that ripples (mostly on the thighs) in varying degrees in 50 to 90 percent of women, regardless of clothing size or fitness level. This clumpy fat results from fat cells stored just under the skin in honeycomb-like structures held in place by bands of connective tissue. The more fat cells stuffed into each honeycomb, the more puckered the texture. Since cellulite is just ordinary body fat, there is no unique low carb diet trick or cellulite treatment to remove it. The bottom line? A calorie-controlled diet that consists of whole, healthy foods plus exercise will help you lose fat throughout your body.

Eating Fat

Fat is the slowest food component to clear the stomach, so for years it was assumed

Great Q&A with a Westlake Village personal training client

One of my Westlake Village personal training clients asked a great question – so I’m sharing my answers with everyone!

Sleep to lose weight?

It’s true!

(A quick fit tip from your Westlake Village Personal Trainer…)