Why You Can't Get A Ripped 6 Pack

Here's exactly how to get ripped 6 pack abs, based on my personal experience. And many of the ways you can unknowingly sabotage your efforts.

Find out what you're doing wrong and correct it. And find out what you're doing right to get chiseled abs, and do more of it. And, here's what to do...

Is Working Out Working Out For You?

I know just working out never worked for me. I wanted ripped 6 pack abs, and I read that diet was important, but come on - it didn't seem like it was that important!

So I did kettlebell swings and push ups and ab crunches. And I wasn't able to get ripped - it was pretty infuriating.

It wasn't until I decided to commit, read everything out there about getting ripped, and meticulously plan my diet that I began to see results. My first tries weren't always sustainable, but they showed me how important what I ate was. And how dieting down was of singular importance.

I want to save you a lot of that time and frustration that I spent. So that you can get ripped easier, faster, and with less effort than I was able to. And do it in such a way that you can keep your ripped looks for as long as you want.

Body Fat Percentage Is Number One

If you want a ripped 6 pack, you need a low body fat percentage. And nothing else- I've known scrawny, un-muscular guys with ripped abs simply because they don't have a lot of body fat.

Of course, if you want a muscular ripped 6 pack you will need to do some abdominal exercises. But without that low body fat percentage, nobody will see them.

And how do you get a low body fat percentage to get chiseled abs? You diet.

So, Diet Is More Important Than Exercise!

Diet is more important than exercise. What you eat, how many calories you eat, and devising a diet that you can live with is of primary importance.

See, you can use any diet to lose fat. Eating 6 small meals a day, eating a high fat diet, or a high carbohydrate diet, or a high protein diet, or a south beach, or a whatever-diet-is-popular-this-month diet to get your ripped 6 pack can work.

I like to count calories, which gives me the most flexibility. This means that I can eat whatever I want, as long as it's in my calorie budget, and satisfy my cravings.

For example, for a few days I'll eat a lot of sliced turkey (mostly protein) and baked butternut squash (vegetable carbohydrates), which means I can eat a lot of that stuff (lots of food, but not a lot of calories). But after a few days I'll get a fat craving, so I can eat full fat greek yogurt, bacon, and dark chocolate - though not very much.

Getting a ripped 6 pack means you have to have a very tight control of how much you're eating. So I think counting calories, not matter what other diet scheme you use, is the best method - based on my personal experience.

Now What?

Getting chiseled abs will never be really easy. Otherwise, everybody would be ripped! But it's certainly doable, if you do it right.

If you want to find out more ideas, tricks, and specialized eating and exercise methods to get your ripped 6 pack, check out the links below. They really work!

If you want to get more info about how to get ripped, check out the How To Get Abs E-Book. Or read more info at my site, Complete Strength Training. I'm an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer and I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while. There's a lot of info about all different kinds of strength and weight training, and how to get ripped. Check it out!

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5 Actually Useful 6 Pack Tips

These 6 pack tips will help you develop chiseled abs. Now, it takes a little bit of time to get ripped, but these tips will minimize that time greatly.

So, try them out. I think you'll be surprised at how much they help!

1. Eat Less

OK, if you want to get 'ripped' abs then you need to lose body fat. Nobody will be able to see your abs, no matter how big they are, if you have fat covering them.

And the only way to lose body fat is to eat less. That's as simple as it gets. Nobody likes to diet, but there it is.

Once you get your body fat low enough, your muscles (especially your abs) will start shining through. You'll look more ripped and hotter, even though you've just lost weight.

2. Lose 1 To 1.5 Pounds A Week

Lose only a little bit of fat each week. Don't go on a crazy, crash diet and try to lose a ton of weight quickly - you'll just be hurting your progress.

Why? Well, if you lose weight any faster than 1 or 1.5 pounds a week, you'll be losing about half fat and half muscle after that. Which is not a good ratio; muscle is precious like gold, and you should protect it at all costs!

Of course, this does not mean that it'll take longer for you to reach your goal. You'll be taking the most efficient path to getting ripped.

3. Lift Weights

Lifting weight is vitally important for getting a ripped 6 pack. Weight lifting will not only build up your muscles, it'll help you retain muscle mass when you're dieting and burn calories.

Now, your weight training program doesn't need to be incredibly complicated. Just lifting once or twice a week, if you work hard, is fine.

Oh, and for your routine, keep it simple. Don't go overboard with tiny lifts, like bicep curls and calf extensions. Sweat and work hard with a few big lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, standing presses, clean and presses, and weighted chin-ups.

Ab exercises are useful, but only after you're lost most of the body fat you need to lose. That's the time to start worrying about making your abdominal muscle bigger.

4. Tea and Espresso

Green tea and coffee (especially espresso) will help you lose weight. And not for the reasons you might think.

First off, neither of theses have any calories. OK, maybe if you have five shots of espresso it'll be two or three, but it's essentially zero. Which makes them much better to drink than orange juice, milk, or triple-mocha-frapa-latte-whatever-with-three-shots-of-vanilla.

Both tea and coffee also have caffeine, which help to mobilize fatty acids (so you can burn fat for fuel easier) and keep you active. Again, this won't make up for a crappy diet, but it will help when paired with good eating habits.

5. Get Cold

Getting cold will help you drop fat. Not a ton, but some.

See, your body burns a lot of energy each day to keep you at a constant body temperature. If you get cold, either by turning down there thermostat, taking cold showers, wearing less layers, or drinking tons of cold water, you'll lose weight faster.

If you want learn more about how to get 6 pack abs, check out these 6 best ab exercises. And this 6 pack abs diet will really help, too! I'm Aaron McCloud and I run the website Complete Strength Training.com. I'm also an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer. I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while. There's a lot of info about all different kinds of strength and weight training, and how to get ripped. Check it out!

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Essential 6 Pack Ab Training Techniques

These 6 pack abs training techniques will get you ripped faster. With just a few simple changes to your workouts and eating, you'll start looking much hotter. That' simple.

Don't Do Abs!

Don't work your abs?! Yes, this'll actually help you get your abs faster.

See, getting ripped abs doesn't have a lot to do with how big your abdominal muscles are. It hinges more on how little body fat you have.

So skip the work on your abs and spend the bulk of your time planning your diet. A well planned diet to cut fat will do way more for your abs than any amount of crunches or curls.

Get The Right Body Fat Percentage

Like I said before, having ripped abs is all about having a low body fat percentage. That's it.

See, when guys get down below 10% body fat, and ladies get down below 17%, they'll begin to be able to see their abs. That's the long and the short of it.

So if you can't see your abs right now - drop some fat! If you're serious about getting ripped, (1) measure your current body fat percentage and (2) then lose fat and track your progress.

Measure, diet, track yourself, measure, diet, track yourself... It might seem boring, but it's actually the winning formula.

Lift Heavy Stuff

Lift heavy stuff. For most of us, this means weights like barbells and dumbbells. Why? They work!

Barbells and dumbbells will build up your major muscles, which is what you want to do in addition to losing fat. You can cut lots of fat off and you'll look 'ripped', but more muscle will make you look even more ripped.

Also, heavy lifts will work your abs in addition to your big muscle work. Lifts like the standing barbell press not only work to strengthen your arms and shoulders, but also strengthen your abs and all your supporting muscles.

So, lift big and heavy!

Add Some Cardio

Do some cardio to burn off your fat. Not a ton, mind you, but 30 minutes of extra running a few times a week will really help you. And sprinting is great too.

And even just a few days a week is fine. It's just another way to increase the number of calories you're burning.

But...

Don't get carried away with cardio. It is great for burning some extra calories, but if you burn too many calories too quickly, you'll start losing lots of muscle instead of fat.

You can only lose about 1 to 1.5 pounds of weight a week that's fat. Beyond that, about half the weight you lose will be fat, and half will be your valuable and hard-won muscle.

1.5 Pounds of fat a week is fine.

Drink Tea, Coffee, and Water

OK, both tea and coffee contain caffeine, which will not only keep you alert and active, but also help mobilize fatty acids from you fat tissue. Meaning, they'll help you lose fat.

Tea, especially green tea, is great for fat loss for reasons beyond just its caffeine content. It's very intriguing, and you don't need to understand the biochemistry behind how it works- just drink green tea.

So just use these five 6 pack ab training techniques and you'll start getting ripped - fast! They aren't big changes, but together they'll speed up your progress.

If you want 6 pack ab training techniques, check out this info on abdominal muscle anatomy, and learn how you can even get 8 pack abs. I'm Aaron McCloud and I run the website Complete Strength Training.com, and I'm an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer. I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while. There's a lot of info about all different kinds of strength and weight training, and how to get ripped. Check it out!

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5 Bodybuilding Tips and Tricks That Work

Here's 5 bodybuilding tips and tricks that will help you build your body faster. True, you can put on muscle without using these idea. But why make it hard on yourself?

1. Go Big To Little

Start your workout with big lifts. Squats, bench presses, standing presses, and deadlifts - the good stuff!

Then, if you need to and have the time, use smaller lifts to specialize your body. Maybe use bicep curls (even though I hate them myself) if you want your biceps bigger. Or other smaller lifts to focus on body parts that you want improved.

My main point is that you should do the lifts that give you the most bang for your buck, time wise and energy wise, first. Then move on the exercises that will take more energy for less returns. Make your time count.

2. Want More Muscle? Eat Before You Workout!

OK, you've probably heard that eating right after your workout is important. And there's more than a grain of truth to that. But eating before you workout is even better!

Here's one of the important things that happens when you eat. You're giving your body the fuel and materials it needs to build your body up bigger and stronger. That means that as soon as you damage your muscles by lifting weights, you've got protein and food already digesting - giving your body the ability to start immediately building new muscle.

3. Count Your Calories

Want to put on weight, as muscle? Eat more.

Lose weight, as fat? Eat less.

These are the basics. Now if you want to be certain about your weight loss, or stay good while just gaining muscle, count your calories to make sure you're eating exactly the right amount.

It is a pain in the ass, but... It works. End of story.

4. Don't Whine About Your Setbacks or Your Genetics

These days, everybody seems to be focused on why they can't reach their goals. "I have bad genetics," or, "I don't have the time," or whatever.

If you really want it badly enough, you'll find the time. You'll find the time to work hard, really find out everything you need to know, and work around the setbacks in your life.

Everybody has stuff that doesn't go as planned. Everybody has family obligation and work and 10,000 reasons to not get their workout done.

But some people get to the gym and make progress. And others just don't. Which will you be?

5. Find A Routine That Works, And Stick With It

Lastly, when you find a routine that works for you and that's giving your results, stick with it! Do not change anything!

I meet so many people who say, "Well, my routine is working, but I want to get results faster so I...". If you're getting consistent results, don't do anything different. Really.

In the beginning virtually anything works, but as you lift longer and longer it becomes harder and harder to put on more muscle. If you're making progress, don't risk shooting yourself in the foot by changing things up. Keep on keeping on, and you'll reach your goals.

If you want more bodybuilding info, check out these bodybuilding routines that work, and this info about your own personal bodybuilding genetics. I'm Aaron McCloud and I run the website Complete Strength Training.com, and I'm an American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer. I've been lifting heavy things, trying different diets, and practicing Japanese martial arts for quite a while. There's a lot of info about all different kinds of strength and weight training, and how to get ripped. Check it out!

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How To Gain Weight - 3 Simple Tips

In this article I will share with you proven eating and training strategies that will help you to add high quality lean muscle mass to your frame.

I know that you want to gain weight, but the fact is that you do not want to gain any kind of weight. You see, a lot of people who are new to fitness do not realize that gaining weight is not about eating whatever the hell you want and increase your body fat stores. No way! Gaining weight is about gaining high quality lean muscle mass so eventually you would have an aesthetically pleasing physique. Got it?

Now let me share with you few simple tips that will help you to achieve that:

Increase your daily caloric intake

I know that you have probably heard this before, but the fact is that there is only one way to make your body grow and that is to increase your daily energy intake. Energy which is needed to make your body grow can only come from calories, therefore the first step you need to take if you want to start gaining lean muscle mass is to increase your daily caloric intake.

The fact is that some calories will make you fat, whereas other will make you gain high quality lean muscle mass. To avoid gaining body fat make sure that you get your calories from high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Start lifting weights

To start gaining high quality lean muscle mass you will need to start pumping iron. The single most effective way to start gaining weight quickly is to combine a good eating plan with a good weight training workout plan.

At the end of each weight training session your muscle fibers will break down on a micro level and once they will recover they will grow bigger and stronger.

Forget about supplements

A lot of people who are new to gaining weight think that there is some sort of pill or powder that will make things easy. The fact is that all of these pills and powders that are promoted by the fitness gurus will not make you big!

Everything that works is right in front of you. Stop looking for secrets, stick to the basics, take the baby steps and move one step at a time.

Apply proven eating and training principles and you will add high quality lean muscle mass to your frame.

If you want more information about how to gain weight naturally visit http://weightgaindiary.com/how-to-gain-weight-naturally/

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3-Day Workout Routine

In a previous article, I suggested a 5-day workout routine, which is mainly focused on training each body-part separately every day. For example: Monday-Chest, Tuesday-Arms, Wednesday-Shoulders, Thursday-Back, Friday-Legs and Weekend-Rest. Although I believe that the ideal workout is the one that you devote a single workout to a single body-part, most of us do not have the available time to execute such an overloaded weekly training schedule.

So, what is the best alternative? Your goal still remains to train each body-part at least once a week. In order to achieve that without having to go to the gym every day, you must combine training a major body-part along with a minor at the same day. Here is a typical example of a 3-day workout routine:

Monday: Chest-Biceps

Chest Exercises

1) Bench Press 4 sets x 12,10,8,6

2) Incline Bench Press 3 sets x 12,10,8

3) Cable Crossover 3 sets x 12,10,8

4) Peck-Dec (Butterfly) or Dumbbell flies 3 sets x 12,10,8

Biceps Exercises

1) Barbell or Cable Curl 3 sets x 12,10,8

2) Alternate Hammer Curl 3 sets x 12,10,8

3) Concentration Curls or Preacher Curls (machine) 3 sets x 12,10,8

Wednesday: Back-Triceps

Back Exercises

1) V-Bar Pull-Down 4 sets x 12,10,8,6

2) Wide Grip Pull-Down (machine or cable) 3 sets x 12,10,8

3) Bent-Over Barbell Row 3 sets x 12,10,8

4) One Arm Dumbbell Row (leaning on a bench) 3 sets x 12,10,8

Triceps Exercises

1) Cable Extension (kneeling or standing) 3 sets x 12,10,8

2) Lying Close Grip Barbell Extension (Forehead) 3 sets x 12,10,8

3) One Arm Dumbbell Extension 3 sets x 12,10,8

Friday: Legs-Shoulders

Legs Exercises

1) Leg Extensions (machine) 4 sets x 12,10,8,8

2) Squats Barbell or Machine 4 sets x 12,10,8,8

3) Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets x 12,10,10

4) Leg Curls (Lying-machine) 3 sets x 12,10,10

Shoulder Exercises

1) Barbell or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets x 12,10,8,8

2) Arnold Dumbbell Press 3 sets x 12,10,8

3) Dumbbell Raise (Front or side) 3 sets x 12,10,8

4) Cable Chin Rows (Standing) 3 sets x 12,10,8

Always train the major body-part first: Chest, Back, Legs and continue with the minors: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders (Shoulders are considered as a medium size body-part, so whenever you have the chance train them separately). You can shuffle the exercises of each body part the way you like, but keep in mind that main exercises like bench press for chest, squat for legs or shoulder presses should be executed first.

If you are currently on a mass or volume workout routine, then lift maximum weight and decrease your reps. I call this training schedule "3-day workout routine". However, if you have some extra time you can perform it four or even five times a week. Just keep in mind to rotate the workouts. For example, if you add training session on Thursday, then work on your legs and shoulders on Thursday and on Friday train your chest and biceps. Never break the sequence of the above-mentioned workout routine so that all body-parts are being trained the same.

Whether you are on the 3-day or the 5-day workout routine, remember that muscle build is a result of three different factors: Training, nutrition and resting. Each one of these factors is equally important. 

Keep those muscles pumping!

Chris G Pap

Since 1993 involved in bodybuilding and fitness area.Visit the following link for more info about bodybuilding, supplementation, workout routines and nutrition.

[http://www.strengthtrainingmuscle.com]

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Seven Week Extreme Arm Workout

One of the most important things in bodybuilding is body symmetry. A symmetrical body is the one where all body parts are being trained and developed equally. However, sometimes you need to focus your training to specific body parts more than others. The reason is that due to individual genetics, certain body parts grow faster and better than others. I am sure that you have noticed people who have a wide chest or big arms before they even start training.

So, in order to achieve body symmetry the only way is to focus your workout to the weaker body parts without neglecting of course the rest of the body. Since the majority of the male population dream of having big arms, I will suggest an extreme seven weeks killer arm workout for those who believe that their arms need drastic improvement.

Week One 

In this first week you need to smoothly adapt and prepare your arms to what is coming to them the following weeks. You will work on your arms twice this week. Preferably on Monday and on Thursday, in order to allow a resting period of three days. You must hit your arms really hard right from the beginning. Choose three bicep and three triceps exercises and perform those combined (super-sets). Lift about 80% of your maximum weight lift and keep your rep range around 10 reps. Do not rest more than 35 seconds between the sets and no more than 90 seconds between the exercises. In previous articles, I suggested specific exercises for both biceps and triceps. However, in this article I will only describe the workout method.

Week Two 

After the first week, you will probably have sore arms. This is normal and it means that you have done a great job. During the second week you will let your arm muscles recover and prepare for the following three weeks, which are going to be the main core of our training. So, train your arms on Monday and Thursday again, but use only about 60% of your maximum weight lift. Increase your rep range at 12 reps per set and allow yourself resting periods of 45 seconds between sets and two minutes between exercises.

Weeks Three to Six 

Now is the time to really exhaust and destroy muscle fibers. You will train your arms three times a week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday). Lift as much as you can and keep your rep range at eight reps. Rest for 30 seconds between the sets and for 80 seconds between exercises. The most important thing during this phase is to keep intensity at the highest level. If in any point you feel that you are not in the verge of fainting, then add more weight or do some reps extra. After leaving the gym you shouldn't be able to lift your arms higher than your eye level.

Week Seven 

Now is the time to give your arms the chance to recover and capitalize the work of the previous four weeks. Do not even think about continuing the previous tempo if you want to avoid over-training. Over-training is a situation where after long extreme training cramps, fatigue, injuries and mental exhaustion appear. Switching to normal arms workout in time will not get you in any risky situations. So, during this last week do what you did on week two and make sure to decrease the intensity of your arms workout. After week seven, you can return to your normal training sessions.

If you follow this training method and combine it with proper supplementation and nutrition, you will witness your arms grow like they never did before. Nevertheless, no matter how excited you are I wouldn't recommend following this arm workout more than twice a year. After all, the rest of your body also needs your attention.

Keep those muscles pumping!

Chris G Pap

Since 1993 involved in bodybuilding and fitness area.Visit the following link for more info about bodybuilding, supplementation, workout routines and nutrition.

[http://www.strengthtrainingmuscle.com]

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