by Dr. Kareem F. Samhouri, CSCS, HFS
Neuro Metabolic Fat Loss Expert
There is a difference between training your abs and using 3 dimensional exercises to enhance metabolic demand all over your body, forcing your abs to 'Pop' out like nothing you've ever seen before...
There is a difference between choosing a normal workout and choosing specially stacked metabolic and neural training protocols that exploit how your nervous system works and engage more muscle with every exercise that you do...
There is a difference between exercise from 'before' and exercise from the future...
You are about to experience futuristic ab strength training and begin to understand a world that never made sense before... you are way ahead of the curve.
Before we get into today's workout, let's talk a bit about nutrition and the importance of eating well for six pack abs training. Most people get this all wrong by calorically depriving themselves during an effort to rip up their mid-sections.
The only problem with this mentality is that you may achieve six pack abs, but over time your metabolism will fall so much that it's nearly impossible to maintain what you've worked so hard to attain.
Instead, I'd suggest that you strategically choose food based upon your intended activity level for the day. In other words, if I'm going to be doing high-intensity based exercises, then it's ok to consume a bit more carbohydrates before I do, as I'm likely to break them down, utilize all of the excess glucose derived from those carbs, and actually leverage the carbs for an increased exercise effect.
Following a high-intensity training program, a combination of carbs and protein will help me replenish the otherwise depleted energy source for my body and muscles and surge my energy through the roof; I'll be able to do more with the rest of my day as a result. However, as my metabolism falls later in the day, I'll choose foods that help keep me full, restore muscle glycogen for the following day's workout, and serve to keep my body in balance.
At this point in the day, my diet will consist more of proteins and fats...
This is a winning strategy. The most important word you just read is strategy. Knowing what the implications are of what I eat today for tomorrow's productivity, concentration levels, and workout potential will affect how I make my nutritional choices. This is the #1 problem most people face when it comes to getting super lean and ripped. You are way ahead of the curve, my friends.
The workout below is founded upon the following 5 principles:
1. Your abs functionally work to stabilize your body during standing, walking, running, reaching, and jumping.
2. Systemic fat loss cultivates a six pack that is longer lasting and appears more quickly.
3. Creating body symmetry makes you look better, feel better, and avoid injury.
4. Burning calories in the gym isn't nearly as important as creating an 'afterburn' effect that will last for 2-3 days after you leave the gym.
5. You have multiple muscle fiber types; it's important that you stimulate as much muscle as possible in every exercise that you do.
Are you ready for a whole new era of ab training?
Instructions: Perform each of the following exercises for 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Utilize the 10 second rest period to transition to the following exercise. You are so much stronger than you even know. It's time to realize all of the strength inside of your mind and translate that to your body, which is only human. In your mind, you are much more than that.
Exercise #1: Horizontal Dumbbell One Arm Swings (switch at top)
- Start with your feet shoulder width apart, holding the dumbbell horizontally in one hand between your legs.
- Keeping your chest big and shoulders back, thrust through your hips and engage your gluteal muscles to max contraction.
- While letting your arm go for the ride and following the momentum, make sure to switch hands with the dumbbell at the top and come back down controlling the weight.
- Thrust back up through your hips and repeat for as many repetitions as possible.
Exercise #2: 3 Position Medicine Ball Press
- Stand with your feet about hip width apart, chest big, and shoulders depressed, while holding the medicine ball just in front of your chest with your elbows against your side.
- Maintaining abdominal stability throughout, press the medicine ball straight overhead and a 10 degrees in front of your body. Stop if/when you feel your back arch or your shoulders elevate. This is a loss of form.
- Return the medicine ball to the starting position and press again, except this time while rotating your spine and shoulders (not pelvis) to the left.
- Repeat to the right.
- Continue to follow this process without losing abdominal stability, balance, or shoulder elevation control at any point.
Exercise #3: Bent Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts
- Stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes facing forward or slightly out to the side (symmetrically on both sides); dumbbells are in your hands at your sides.
- Chest big, shoulders back, elbows at your side, begin to squat down towards the ground.
- Make sure to keep your hips swinging back behind you as you approach the ground.
- Once you reach 90 degrees of knee flexion, recruit your gluteals to return to a standing position.
- Your abs should be tighter on the way down, your glutes on the way up.
Exercise #4: Upright Dumbbell Rows
- Stand with your feet about hip width apart, dumbbells in your hands by your side, slightly forward bent so that your torso is at a 45 degree angle to the ground.
- Pull both dumbbells up while keeping your elbows against your side and avoiding standing or jerking throughout the motion (HINT: this is done through your abs)
- Make sure to pull through your lats (back) instead of through your biceps (arms). It matters what muscle you recruit.
- Return the dumbbells to the starting position in a controlled fashion.
Exercise #5: 1/2 Push Up Position Plank
- Assume a push up position - abs tight, abdominal tremble, hands under shoulders, feet close together.
- Come down half-way and hold for the entire 50 second time period without letting your back arch or your shoulders round forward. Hold strong!
Exercise #6: Horizontal Dumbbell One Arm Swings (switch at bottom)
- Start with your feet shoulder width apart, holding the dumbbell horizontally in one hand between your legs.
- Keeping your chest big and shoulders back, thrust through your hips and engage your gluteal muscles to max contraction.
- While letting your arm go for the ride and following the momentum, make sure to reach full hip extension, continue to hold the weight in your hand, and switch hands with the dumbbell at the bottom of the range of motion.
- Thrust back up through your hips and repeat for as many repetitions as possible.
Exercise #7: Push Up Superset
- Assume a push up position - abs tight, abdominal tremble, hands close together and under the middle of your chest, feet close together.
- Come down to the bottom of your push up position without losing abdominal or shoulder stability.
- Press up to the starting position and proceed to move your hands to shoulder width apart.
- Repeat push up in shoulder width apart position and then switch to wide grip, elbows out.
- Repeat push up in wide grip position, feeling for mid-pec recruitment. After finishing this push up, return to the close grip position and continue to cycle through all 3 push up positions for entire duration. Drop to knees as needed, but don't stop.
Exercise #8: Dumbbell Flips
- Stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes facing forward or slightly out to the side (symmetrically on both sides). Place a dumbbell vertically between your feet.
- Chest big, shoulders back, elbows at your side, begin to squat down towards the dumbbell and reach for it with both hands.
- Make sure to keep your hips swinging back behind you as you approach the ground.
- Once you reach 90 degrees of knee flexion, recruit your gluteals and scapular stabilizers as you grab the dumbbell.
- In one thrusting motion, similar to a clean, use your hips to cause a scooping motion for the dumbbell and flip the dumbbell to be vertically oriented, such that your hands are now at the bottom of the dumbbell.
- Your abs should be tighter on the way down, your glutes on the way up.
Exercise #9: Modified Upright Dumbbell Rows
- Stand with your feet about hip width apart, dumbbells underneath your shoulders and elbows out, slightly forward bent so that your torso is at a 45 degree angle to the ground.
- Pull both dumbbells up through your shoulder blades while keeping your elbows out and arms at a 90 degree angle of abduction and avoiding standing or jerking throughout the motion (HINT: this is done through your abs)
- Make sure to pull through your posterior deltoid and rhomboids (shoulders) instead of through your biceps (arms). It matters what muscle you recruit.
- Return the dumbbells to the starting position in a controlled fashion.
Exercise #10: Side Step On Forearms
- Assume a forearm plank position on the edge of a workout mat - abs tight, abdominal tremble, elbows under shoulders, feet close together.
- Step both your right leg and right arm to the side at the same time without rotating your trunk.
- Touch down and then bring your left leg and arm over to reach your starting position one step over.
- Repeat until you have reached the edge of the mat and then go back to the left.
- Continue this cycle until time has run out.
This is only a taste of what's possible with a bit of creativity and ten minutes per day. Most people don't even realize that their bodies can stimulate massive amounts of fat loss in as little as just 10 minutes a day. You're one of the lucky ones for having come this far.
If you'd like more information on how to lose fat fast, check out my 14 Day Fat Loss Plan here.
More From Fitstep.com
Share This Page...
---
Home -> Fat Loss -> Tips and Articles -> 6 Pack Abs
